Hunt Preparation

The following are not considered a hunting bow or legal archery equipment during the Archery Only Season or in an ArchEquip Only area or hunting district:

• Crossbow.
• Any device with a gun-type stock or incorporating any device or mechanism that holds the bowstring at partial or full draw without ‘he shooter’s muscle power.
• Any bow for which a portion of tyre bow’s riser (handle) or any track, trough, channel, or other device that attaches directly to the bow’s riser contacts, supports, and/or guides the arrow from a point rearward of the bow’s brace height. This s not intended to restrict the use of standard overdraw systems.
• Electronic or battery-powered devices attached to a hunting bow.
• A bow sight which uses artificial light, luminous chemicals such as tritium, or electronics.

• Archery Only Season and in archery equipment only areas.
• It is unlawful to use any chemical or explosive device attached to an arrow to aid in the taking of wildlife.
• Lawful Archery Equipment: It is illegal to possess, while hunting big game during any Archery Only Season and in archery equipment only areas, archery equipment that does not meet the following criteria.
• Hunting Bow: A hunting bow for big game shall be a longbow, flatbow, recurve bow, compound bow, or any combination of these designs.
• The bow must be a device for launching an arrow, which derives its propulsive energy solely from the bending and recovery of two limbs (includes bows with split limbs).

• The bow must be hand drawn by a single and direct uninterrupted pulling action of the shooter. The bowstring must be moved from brace height to the full draw position by the muscle power of the shooter’s body. The energy used to propel the arrow shall not be derived from any other source such as hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, or similar devices. These limitations shall not exclude the mechanical leverage advantage provided by eccentric wheels or cams, so long as the available energy stored in the bent limbs of the bow is the sole result of a single, continuous, and direct pulling effort by the shooter.
• The bow must be hand-held. One hand shall hold the bow and the other hand draw the bowstring. The bowstring must be moved and/or held at all points in the draw cycle entirely by muscle power of the shooter until release. The bowstring must be released as a direct and conscious action of the shooter, either relaxing the tension of the fingers or triggering the release action of a hand-held release aid.
• Exception: Physically disabled bowhunters certified by FWP with the Permit To Modify Archery Equipment (PMAE) are exempted from the requirement of holding or shooting the bow with their hands.
• The bow shall be no shorter than 28 inches measured axle to axle.
• The nominal percent of let-off for hunting bows shall be a maximum of 80 percent. It is recognized that variations in draw length and/or draw weight can affect the percent of let-off on compound bows. For these reasons minor variations in let-off are acceptable.
• Arrow: An arrow is a projectile at least 20 inches in overall length. The length of the arrow is measured from the rearward point of the nock to the tip of the broadhead.
• A broadhead is mounted on the fore end.
• The arrow shall weigh no less than 300 grains with the broadhead attached.
• Arrows must have broadheads with at least two cutting edges. Expandable broadheads are legal as long as when expanded they are at least 7/8 inches at the widest point, and weigh no less than 70 grains.