House Bill 26 a waste of time

Several recent opinion pieces have painted bowhunters as irresponsible, unethical sportsmen who wound countless big game animals and who absolutely need lighted nocks to recover animals. The Montana Bowhunters Association offers these points to refute that portrayal.

Proponents of lighted nocks state that bowhunting has inordinately high wounding rates. They cite a wounding figure of about 50 percent, typically derived from anecdotal sources. In contrast, valid studies show a wounding rate of 13-18 percent, similar to that of rifle wounding (Camp Ripley study by Krueger, et. al. and Indian Head study by Pedersen, et. al.). One of the related findings of Pedersen’s study was that there was no difference in deer recovery metrics between compound bow and crossbow users (Pedersen, p. 31).

Based upon these findings, there is clearly no advantage in allowing increased technology in order to reduce wounding rates. In fact, no studies exist which show that lighted nocks improve recovery.

The Medway Plantation study conducted in 1993 by Morton et. al. revealed a 98 percent recovery rate, and cited “careful shot placement and shooting skill” as the two most important components to bowhunting success. Bowhunter education promotes these values and teaches discipline and persistence in tracking to ensure successful recovery. These qualities are far more important to ethical bowhunting than finding the “perfect” piece of technology.

There is one point made by several authors with which we can agree: the Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Commission has the authority to determine which equipment is appropriate to bowhunting, and that governing body should be allowed to do so. The solution doesn’t come from squandering the legislature’s time in hearing HB 26, it comes from an honest assessment by sportsmen and women of what is essential to ethical bowhunting.  

Joelle Selk,

President

Montana Bowhunters

Association