JDHasty , you are dead on . It's my understanding that the airbow with a good scope has an effective range of 200 yards . If all 1200-1400 (10% of the archery hunters) disable hunters used an airbow , just think of the impact it could have on big game allocation . What's even more ludicrous is that they have already authorized disable hunters to use the airbow during archery season even though it's illegal to use an air rifle in this state to hunt game . Delores Noyes , the disabled coordinator for the WDFW just doesn't understand why we would have a problem with this .
Many here know that I have a resume that includes decades of accessibility advocacy. I have been in the newspapers, on television and radio and have been very effective in that roll, but this decision and the "insider trading" leading up to it is beyond irresponsible.
I have most all of the public documents in hand and will further sort it out as time allows, but what is clear is that the Game Commission was sold a bill of goods.
Accommodation is one thing, and I support it without reservation. I even support the fact that an unscoped crossbow gives a bit of an advantage, but it is IMHO within legitimate accommodation. This spear gun ruling is absolutely ludicrous, it does not appear to me that the "Green Sheet" provided the decision makers made any attempt to analyze the subject from both sides.
It is a stinking mess at this point, and cleaning up Ms Noyes' mess is going to be even messier, but it needs to be done.
If this ruling stands it opens up a court challenge by able-sighted non-disabled physically hunters to demand equal treatment and that means scopes on their muzzle loading rifles and at that point we are looking at pared back seasons.
If one group of able-sighted hunters gets 250 yard capable weaponry by virtue of having access to scope sights, every able-sighted hunter gets opportunity to the same advantage. It is in Washington's Constitution. And make no mistake about it, my Excalibur Matrix 355 is an inch at 50 yards capable and with a 6.5-20 off one of my varmint rifles it would be easy peasy to dial in a 250 yard kill shot and put a bolt completely through a bull elk's boiler room, off a rest, at 250 yards.
It is no big deal to get within a couple hundred yards of elk during Early Archery Season, it is another thing altogether to get within 60 yards. After they have been chased by archers for a month and then muzzle loader hunters, then it isn't quite so easy to get within 250 yards of the same elk. If they want to use a scope let them use it during the modern rifle season.
That is just one court case this travesty begs for, and there are a half-dozen more with equal merit that I can think of off the top of my head.