Down goes illuminated nocks!

[huntnphool]

The line you draw at ... electronics is arbitrary....

The status quo is that no electronics may be attached to a bow or arrow. It is cut and dry and easy for law enforcement to enforce.

That's what the whole debate is about, changing the law (status quo? maybe) to add luminoks. I'm talking about the line that YOU draw, not the law. I'm saying that when you allow things like peep sights, light gathering fiber optics, modern broadheads, compound bows, 80% let-off, string silencers, stabilizers, releases, quivers which attach to the bow, etc., drawing the line at electronics is, in this perspective, quite arbitrary and almost laughable. So to speak, you've got the stuff you want, so screw everyone else? They're certainly not any more of a departure from tradition than these other items I've listed.

 Excellent post right there.

[Snapshot]

The line you draw at ... electronics is arbitrary....

The status quo is that no electronics may be attached to a bow or arrow. It is cut and dry and easy for law enforcement to enforce.

That's what the whole debate is about, changing the law (status quo? maybe) to add luminoks. I'm talking about the line that YOU draw, not the law. I'm saying that when you allow things like peep sights, light gathering fiber optics, modern broadheads, compound bows, 80% let-off, string silencers, stabilizers, releases, quivers which attach to the bow, etc., drawing the line at electronics is, in this perspective, quite arbitrary and almost laughable. So to speak, you've got the stuff you want, so screw everyone else? They're certainly not any more of a departure from tradition than these other items I've listed.

I am tired, too, gentlemen. I am (to steal Pope's fitting analogy) discouraged that 'the missionaries' have come to Washington's 'door' and are trying to 'convert' our house to 'their way' of thinking. I am discouraged their message was embraced even though it would obviously divide the community.

P, you wrote, '(Status quo? maybe)'. "Status quo" by definition is the current state of being...there is no question of how the law currently reads. Maybe?...

Steel broadheads, fur string silencers and a bow quiver...I am guilty as charged. I have never used that other stuff. Neither did I 'allow' it (a rather silly charge, that one). I was too young and naive to be involved in defending bowhunting then (born too late). In fact I walked away from bowhunting because I was told that things like peep sights, sights, compound bows, stabilizers and releases were the only things the future was going to offer; those things didn't interest me so I quit. Later I discovered they were wrong in their prediction of the end of the old ways.

To speak momentarily to the topic of the likelihood of the Pope & Young Club changing their Rules of Fair Chase: their membership just reaffirmed their desire for the club to maintain its longstanding leadership role in setting the bar for bowhunting ethics. In elections completed only a month or two ago (with 80% return on ballots), two directors were replaced by traditionalists who vowed to maintain the standards, and both the President and First Vice President (both against lowering the bar on equipment) were reelected.

[huntnphool]

 The fight is back on, see you guys at the public input meeting.

[oldleclercrd]

 

[fair-chase]

The fight is back on, see you guys at the public input meeting.

Which side are we supposed to be on again? 

[huntnphool]

The fight is back on, see you guys at the public input meeting.

Which side are we supposed to be on again? 

I respect your view on either side, see you there.

[Russ McDonald]

I will finally enter into the discussion.  I read most posts but have breezed over a few others.  My thought is give us the choice to use or not.  For those of you that don't like them then don't use them.  Just like mechanical broadheads but that is a seperate subject.  I also ask that those that are against using luminated nock have you ever used one?  I have, last year in Minnesota.  Let me tell you it was an eye opener.  Excellent in low light, like what you will get on the west side in the woods.  I saw my shot all the way to my deer and was able to determine where my shot hit.  It was also right at end of shooting hours too.  If that nock wasn't blinking I would have never found my arrow.  I know that some will say that if your good you should always know where you shot goes.  Well everyone isn't perfect  plus when you hunting on the west side your arrow may hit the twig you don't see or the animal moves just as you release.  Thats what happened to me.  She started moving just as I hit my release and it was a gut shot.  I still have the lighted nocks but they are in my misc hardware box in my bow case.  It would be nice to put them back on.  This is just my 

[D-Rock425]

We should be fighting together to get are elk season back to the start date of sept 8.  Get are extra day back that they took away but most of you would rather fight over a little lighted nock

[pianoman9701]

We should be fighting together to get are elk season back to the start date of sept 8.  Get are extra day back that they took away but most of you would rather fight over a little lighted nock

These are not mutually exclusive fights. One can fight for or against either or both.

I never did see the reason to outlaw them, but I don't care that we don't have them. I don't lose arrows very often at all and you can usually be pretty close at guessing where your arrow hit from what's on it and on the ground.

[huntingfool7]

The fight is back on, see you guys at the public input meeting.

When and where?

[bobcat]

The fight is back on, see you guys at the public input meeting.

When and where?

Lighted Nocks for Archery Equipment
Department staff is considering amending the archery equipment rules to allow lighted nocks.

CR-101 - filed as WSR 12-23-013 on November 9, 2012
Invitation to discuss rules on this subject

CR-102 - filed as WSR 13-03-152 on January 23, 2013
Notice and opportunity to comment on this current rule-making proposal

Public Comment Period:
Written comments are due by February 15, 2013
Written comments may be e-mailed to: Wildthing@dfw.wa.gov
or mailed to: Wildlife Program Commission Public Comments, WDFW, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091

A public hearing will take place on March 1-2, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.
Moses Lake Civic Center
401 S. Balsam
Moses Lake, Washington 98837

[TheHunt]

Good to see

[pianoman9701]

Hi DFW,

Please accept my comments in favor of allowing illuminated nocks. I don't see any advantage to the hunter in the actual shooting of the animal using these nocks. I see an advantage in seeing where the nock strikes the animal and it will also save people money recovering lost arrows. I believe they will help increase the number of recovered animals and that's never a bad thing.

If people are concerned about the sport staying traditional, that train left the station a long time ago with compound bows, fiber optic sights, pre-made arrows, plastic fletchings, range finders, stabilizers, removable quivers, string silencers, peep sights, and about 300 other advances in archery equipment that takes it far from its traditional beginnings. If illuminated nocks are being kept illegal because of this reason, that's really dumb and not well-thought out.

Some who wants to hunt without them isn't required to. Light 'em up! I don't intend to use them, but see only benefits in their use. Thank you for your consideration of my comments.

--
Most Sincerely,
John W

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

I fired off my comments to Wildthing and also added with the lighted nock one can find there arrow and not leave it lay in the woods with razor sharp broadheads exposed to possibly cut another human or animal. I know i have my fare share of them laying out there and i always wonder what harm they may have done. Same idea as leaving ghost nets out in the water still killing wildlife.

[huntingfool7]

I strongly support legalizing the use of lighted nocks in the State of Washington.  I have been a resident here for 41 years, a bow hunter for twelve.  I have found in the last few years that I am having greater difficulty seeing my arrows in flight and at the target.  This is especially true while hunting in heavily wooded areas but is also a factor on the open range.

On the target range, I have used several brands of lighted nocks and find that they are a great asset in seeing where the arrow strikes. 

While bow hunting, knowing where your arrow hits an animal has a direct correlation on how to proceed and how soon tracking should begin.  Lighted nocks give immediate feedback on where the arrow struck.  For instance, knowing an arrow hit too far back requires a longer wait than normal before following up.  Starting too soon and bumping the animal greatly decreases the chances of recovery.  I believe that lighted nocks would be a huge benefit in preventing losses in this type of scenario.

At this time without the use of lighted nocks, when there is a clean miss finding your arrow is critical in order to verify the animal was not struck.  Very often in Western Washington there is thick underbrush that makes recovering shot arrows difficult. 

Lighted nocks would help in finding arrows because the nock by itself is highly visible.  Secondly, these nocks would make it possible to mark where your arrow went into the brush making recovery highly likely.  Most importantly lighted nocks would aid in accurately noting a miss.

Negatives about possible shooting after dark and extending shooting ranges have little merit.  Hunters need enough natural light in order to see our sights and the quarry. 

As for extending shooting ranges, lighted nocks do nothing to extend the effective range of archery equipment.  Laser rangefinders which are already legal to use in the field have done more to extend the effective range of archery equipment than pulleys, fiber optic sights, carbon fiber arrows or any other advancement in equipment.
   
Overall, I believe that lighted nocks would be an asset in recovering game and shot arrows.   

Thanks and best regards,

James Halvorson