JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Missouri hunters will now be allowed to use crossbows during archery season.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Missouri Department of Conservation has approved the change. A crossbow is a device that fires arrow-like projectiles called bolts.
Missouri deer biologist Barbara Keller says crossbows had been allowed for people with physical limitations. Keller says officials want to remove a hurdle for people who want to participate in archery season. The move follows 25 other states that already allow crossbow use during archery season for everyone.
Bill Brookshier, a longtime member of the Missouri Bowhunters Association, says the group opposes the use of crossbows during archery season because it doesn’t feel like true archery. Brookshier says the association supports allowing older adults and people with handicaps to use a crossbow.
