By Scott Bestul

Near the end of last week’s ATA (Archery Trade Assoc) show, another writer and I were comparing notes about new products and trends we’d noticed. “Did you see how much the crossbow market has expanded?” he asked. “There are more companies making them now than ever.”

I couldn’t feel too smug that I’d spotted the same thing. You didn’t have to wander too far through the Columbus Convention Center without bumping into a crossbow display. There were dozens of makes and models, and companies scrambling to capitalize on this expanding market.

By Dave Hurteau

From the Wisconsin State Journal:

Even before he got back from Iraq, Sgt. Kevin Johnson had deer hunting on his mind. So Johnson… wrote Wisconsin lawmakers with an idea: Establish a special deer season for the thousands of returning soldiers who missed the chance to hunt this fall… .

By Scott Bestul

My friend Bob is a very good bowhunter. He scouts exhaustively. Shoots continually. Hunts both hard and smart (and there is a difference). His trophy walls are proof of his skill and attention to detail; last time I was in there, I think Bob had close to 20 whitetails hanging that any hunter would be proud of.

So here’s the deal: For the last couple of seasons, Bob has known about a giant buck on property he has permission to hunt. Two years ago he passed the deer, knowing it had tremendous potential. Last fall the buck had made a big jump in antler growth and Bob was dialed into his early season patterns like a thief breaking a lock combination. Then an accident kept Bob out of the woods for much of the fall, unable to hunt the buck.

By Dave Hurteau

From the Chicago Tribune:
A state report says Wisconsin wardens arrested 29 felons for possessing a firearm during the November gun deer hunt -- the most in seven years. . . .

[F]elons can't possess firearms under state and federal law, but they can purchase hunting licenses in Wisconsin.

State Rep. Jeff Smith, an Eau Claire Democrat, is working on a bill that would prohibit felons from purchasing any kind of gun hunting license.