Deer Hunting.

More white-tailed deer will face the modern incarnation of a medieval weapon of war this fall as a result of yesterday's ruling by the Pennsylvania Game Commission to legalize the crossbow during archery deer and bear seasons.

The board gave final approval to the measure, but included several caveats and a sunset clause that will require the board to revisit the vote by June 2012.

Prior to the vote, crossbows were already legal in Pennsylvania during all small game seasons, big-game rifle and muzzleloader seasons, for deer in special-regulations areas surrounding Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and during archery deer seasons by disabled hunters with special permits.

The new ruling makes crossbows illegal during the October muzzleloader and late flintlock muzzleloader seasons, and is limited to the 2009-10 hunting seasons. Under the new regulations, a crossbow must have a peak drawn weight of at least 125 pounds, and the bolt must be equipped with a broadhead blade with an outside diameter or width of at least seven-eighths of an inch with at least two cutting edges on the same plane throughout the length of the cutting surface, not exceeding 3 inches in length. An amendment prohibits the use of magnifying scopes for all archery and crossbow equipment during the archery bear and deer seasons. Non-magnifying scopes remain legal.

The new regulations, which went into effect immediately, could present a boon to Pennsylvania sporting goods stores, where new crossbows generally retail for $450 to $1,500.

1. You need lots of deer
2. It's a covert plan to exterminate the deer.
3. The habitat is just fine.
4. All you need is lime.
5. The state could fix all the forest
6. The PGC is big government
7. The insurance companies are in control
8. The timber companies are in control
9. License sales are down because of deer.
10. Doe tag allocations used to raise money.