Commentary: Crossbow passage in New York brings back flood of memories

​​The recent passing of crossbow legislation through both the Senate and Assembly in New York State (it now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature) created a fire storm through social media.

When I first saw it, I didn’t believe it. It thought it was a scam or fake news. Could it really be true? It took me back 35 years to southeast Ohio.

The time was 1990 and my dad, Bill Hilts, Sr., and I were invited to attend a media opportunity hunting whitetail deer in the Buckeye State. Our hunting implement would be a crossbow. Are they really hunting tools that could be used safely and efficiently?

We had never shot one before but even before we pulled a “trigger,” we had a negative perception. It took one shot to change our minds, and we couldn’t wait to climb into a tree stand (or a ground blind in my dad’s case) to hunt for big game.

Ottie Snyder, former editor of Great Lakes Fisherman magazine and charter captain on Lake Erie, was the public relations director for Horton Crossbows and he was the one that lit the fire in us when it came to these horizontal bows. We knew Ottie as a straight shooter (quite literally) and he brought credibility to the crossbow cause. The quest to create a better awareness for crossbows in New York had begun.

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For more than a decade, we gave talks to sportsmen’s clubs, gave demonstrations on how crossbows operated, cocked and re-cocked crossbows time and time again to let people shoot them, and let people ask the same questions repeatedly. We also allowed sporting leaders to make the trek to Ohio to sample the crossbow for a big game hunt.

There were members of the New York State Conservation Council, members of the Conservation Fund Advisory Board, and members of Fish and Wildlife Management Act Board – decision makers that needed to see firsthand how this archery equipment worked. And, yes, we considered it archery equipment.

Key media people were included in the promotional efforts, both at the camp and at outdoor writer gatherings. At one meeting of the NYS Outdoor Writers Association in Steuben County, Ottie Snyder put on a demonstration that I will always remember. He set up a target at 60 yards and proceeded to shoot an arrow from his Horton Crossbow.

We watched in amazement as we saw the arrow drop 72 inches at that distance. He managed to hit the target, but he was aiming at a balloon that was floating well above that target. The short power stroke did not allow for any long-range shooting for sure.

In all my years of being involved with these promotions, I never saw one person who wasn’t convinced that they had an important place in New York’s hunting scenario. Sure, there were people who didn’t want anything to do with them, but they were in the minority.

There was one bowhunting organization in the state who formed an anti-crossbow committee and worked actively to prevent them from being any part of the archery season. My dad was on their “hit list” and in many of their newsletters, would call him names and make fun of him. It didn’t stop him and his adopted crossbow disciples from moving forward. It served as fuel to the fire.

At one point, we formed an organization called the New York State Crossbow Hunters Association, a free group that helped to unite sportsmen and women for a common cause and goal. We could see a growing groundswell of support for crossbows, and it became too much to handle.

We could see that one of the biggest hurdles was going to be dealing with the state legislature, especially in the Assembly. Key politicians were in place to keep any crossbow legislation in committee.

Enter the New York Crossbow Coalition and Rick McDermott. The group was formed in 2012 and by 2014 they were instrumental in developing crossbow wording in the Executive Budget. However, when the Assembly failed to support it, a compromise was reached to allow for the state’s first crossbow season. The foot was in the door.

McDermott was the force behind NYCC and for over a decade, he led the charge. Unfortunately, he died in a tragic car accident with his wife in 2023.

McDermott deserves much of the credit that will allow the crossbow cause to make it across the goal line. It was because of his unselfish attitude and dedication that we are so close to seeing the full inclusion of crossbows during the archery season. It’s a shame that he couldn’t enjoy seeing his dream come to fruition.

By the same token, if it wasn’t for Bill Hilts, Sr. and his push for crossbows in the Empire State (the first time it finally surfaced as an issue was in 2002), we might not be where we are today. It’s a shame that he passed on to the happy hunting grounds in 2022, just 6 days short of his 91st birthday.

Let’s hope the governor finally signs this important piece of legislation so that we can move forward … and simply go hunting.