draw lock

[32hunter]

Ok guys I have an 81 year old uncle who has been going to the elk woods with us for about five years. He is a life long rifle hunter but would love to hunt with a bow. He can hang climbing the mountains and walking with the best of us but just dont have the upper body strength to draw a bow. Our state allows cross bows for disabled hunters and he is anything but disabled. we were kicking around getting him one of those Draw Lock devices to and let him give it a try. I talked to several game wardens and they dont have a consistant answer to whether its legal or not. We have pretty much decided that hell he is 81 and if he gets cited we will all pitch in and pay the fine so he can have the experiance with the little time he has left with us to hunt. Have any of u tried one of these devices? which is better? are they safe? any imput would be appriciated. Please dont smoke me over the moral crap of him having an unfare advantage. The way i figure he has one maybe two years left that he can actually still do it and i would gladly give up a bull or cow so he can make this dream of his happen.

[ElkNut1]

I've seen that bow on TV with a 12 yr old drawing 70#, I assume it would work? I'd be interested in hearing more about it from someone with experience with it!

I see no unfair advantage at all, you still have to do the hard part, control the adrenaline rush & make the shot! Good Luck to him!!

ElkNut1

[CrazyElkHunter]

My hunting partner from Texas tore his rotater cuff shortly before our Colorado bow hunt. He barely had enough time to get in the doctors paperwork to Colorado DOW for permit to use a draw lock this year. I have heard of them before, but never saw one til this trip. He could have used a cross bow, but insisted on the draw lock. Most unorthodox thing I have ever seen, and looked dangerous to me with it being drawn and holding the arrow at full draw. A aluminum bar with a bunch of holes and a trigger mechanism. He used a old bow out of fear of weakening the limbs with it being drawn for a long time. Guess what, a small bull walked under his tree stand and when he pulled the trigger, it would not fire. A shim had moved and locked the trigger even with the safety off. We had to make a shim in camp to get it to work for the rest of the hunt. If he would have gone with a cross bow like I suggested, he would have filled his freezer. A friend from Wisconsin, also up in years, came by camp to visit and was hunting with a crossbow due to his age and disabilities. If you have doctors proof and submit to DOW, you can hunt with a crossbow during archery season. I personally do not like crossbows, but if it helps you get a few more years of elk hunting, I might be in that same boat someday and change my mind.

[ElkNut1]

One thing I want to make clear is that when I mentioned the use of a Draw Lock system for those in need I was not condoning illegal use of it, hope all saw it that way! Certainly staying with the limits of the law should be absolute!

ElkNut1

[32hunter]

Talked to a game warden this afternoon and he said it is legal since it is not designed like a cross bow its more like an assessory. The law only prohibits teliscopic sights as far as he knew. I also talked to our local magistrate judge and he said he couldnt see anything wrong with using it judging from the law. so i guess he is good to go as long as its reliable and safe.

[32hunter]

One thing I want to make clear is that when I mentioned the use of a Draw Lock system for those in need I was not condoning illegal use of it, hope all saw it that way! Certainly staying with the limits of the law should be absolute!

ElkNut1

I agree with u Paul in NM the law does not cover devices like this so we are left to the oppinion of the game warden who is on duty that day and untimatly the judge that hears the case. It may just come down to making case law which is a high court decision or it being brought before the game commission for a ruleing. Thats what i ment about pitching in and paying the fine. Once its in the court systom they will be forced to put a law on the books either for or against.

[dotman]

I would think due to his age he would qualify for a crossbow. I'm sure a doc would write him a nite because he could tear up a shoulder pretty quick if he can't use an aid type device.