| Allowing Crossbow Hunting Near Schools and Hospitals | A Recipe for Disaster | | Richard Eastman | 2/27/2013 |

Composition, DVUO, Professor: Geoffrey Smith, 2/15/13

Seven -year-old Aryanna Schneeberg was innocently playing outside her home on May 20th, 2012. She was playing with her sister and a friend when suddenly she was struck with an arrow. “The arrow entered her back, puncturing her lung, her stomach, diaphragm and liver”(Roberts, 2012). This is a scary scenario for everyone involved and it happens in yards across America every year. Crossbows near schools and hospitals are not beneficial, because of accidental shootings, the users can get hurt, and it could traumatize children. First, a 16-year-old was arrested in June for accidentally shooting Aryanna with an arrow.
He know that it was against the law to shoot his bow in the city, but he was shooting at a squirrel. Circuit Court Judge Dale English decided that the teen could be tried as an adult.
This accident happened in Campbellsport, Wisconsin on May 20th 2012 (Roberts, 2012).
A 23-year-old man was arrested for shooting an arrow into a house." The arrow just missed Erica
Russell's daughter”(Year, 2010). Police arrested Philip Niccloy for reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. A 24-year-old man was found unconscious with a crossbow bolt penetrating his head. It is believed to have been an accident"(Cleary, 1990, p.224). The arrow was removed by the patient's brother. The patient was transferred to the neurosurgical unit at Pinderfields
Hospital, Wakefield. He had a computed tomographic or (CT) scan done which showed the entry point. There was no significant hematoma and surgical decompression was not considered necessary. “However, after five days he regained consciousness, but lacked motive function in his limbs. After two weeks speech had returned, relatives noticed a personality change”
(Cleary, 1990, p.225-227). Children as young as 10 can acquire a free hunting license in New Jersey. Taxpayers pay for the hunting licenses. The children must complete a hunter safety course." In 2004 there were 445 hunting accidents and of those 103 involved children. Of the 103, at least 20 were fatal”(Accidents). There are a large number of hunting accidents in which the parent to which child or the child killed the parent (Accidents). Children lack the mental and emotional maturity to make split-second life and death decisions. The second reason crossbows should not be allowed near schools and hospitals is because users can get hurt. On October 22, 2012 a hunter was attaching a haul line onto a cocked and loaded crossbow when all of a sudden the crossbow discharged. The arrow entered the left side of his neck into his head. The hunter did not survive (Wisconsin, 2012). A 39-year old deer hunter shot himself in the foot with a crossbow. He was putting it away and he de-cocked it when it went off (Maryland) .A 47-year old man shot himself in the head with an arrow. He was intoxicated. Alcohol and crossbows do not mix. Crossbow injuries are rare or reported seldomly (European Journal of Trauma,2002). A hunter sustained hand and wrist injuries while hunting. The midshaft broke while he was trying to shoot a crossbow. This injury is consistent with a low level gunshot wound. The outcome is believed to be good, with no loss of functionality (Launikitis, R pp.77-78). According to Dr. Mahajan hospitals reported that 40% of hand injuries are a result from improper use of a crossbow. Most injuries result from the hunter’s hand moving into the path of the cable. Dr. Mahajan has seen injuries ranging from bruises to near amputation. Crossbows have grown in popularity due to movies like the Hunger
Games and Snow White and the Huntsman. According to Dr. Mahajan, he feels that education on the proper use of the weapons should be a priority. Dr. David Chan believes that injuries are caused by hunters failing to use common sense. Dr. Chan has treated wrist fractures from when hunters fall out of their tree stands. According to Chan is very important for the hunter to know their surroundings before firing a shot to ensure there are not any hunters behind your target. If you should miss your target you might hit another hunter (Tomkavage,2013). With more land to hunt on near schools and hospitals, there would be more hunters and more accidents. The final reason crossbows should not be allowed near schools and hospitals is because it could traumatize children. The children would see deer and other animals with arrows sticking out of them. A site like that would give them nightmares. Schoolchildren in Minnesota have witnessed dear walking around with arrows stuck in their heads. The DNR has increased the deer population that will support harvesting of 183,000 deer per year by the year 2000. The deer population would be 40 deer per square mile is the DNR’s goal. The number of hunters buying permits to hunt has been declining for years. In 2006, West Virginia sold 154,763 hunting permits to residents which is a 17% drop from 1997.”Some in the WV legislature want to introduce hunting classes into schools to help with the loss of hunters. The DNR increased the deer population seller could sell more hunting licenses and make more money ( Rip, 2011).
Hershey a 15-year-old German Shepherd Labrador retriever had an arrow poking through both sides of his chest. The arrow was probably in him for at least two days according to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ( Recent, 2011). A goose was released back into the wild after rehabilitation. The goose was shot by an arrow and landed in a veterinary's yard April 19, 2010 (Evans, 2010). On September 28th 2012, someone shot Allie a rescue golden retriever mix, with an arrow. Julie Scott went to work early Friday morning and when she came home Friday night Allie was gone. On Friday a good Samaritan found Allie hurt in the parking lot of the Speedway store in Seymour. The good Samaritan and a sheriff's deputy took Allie to the veterinary's office but she had too much internal injuries and had to be euthanized. It was determined that Allie was shot on purpose (Animal,2012)! Police are looking for a person that shot a cat named Mack. Mack was shot him purpose by someone out for trouble and very cruel. Mack was shot in the head but he survived and the veterinary said he was going to be alright.

In Montville Township a dog was killed by an arrow in Observatory Park. Observatory Park has allowed hunting with bow and arrows for four years. Last year hunters harvested 36 deer from the woods of Observatory Park." The park district selects licensed hunters by lottery and requires them to pass a proficiency tests." Hunters must stay at least 200 feet away from roads and neighboring properties (Horton, 2009). Deer hunting has been suspended at Observatory Park while the investigation is underway. Representative Kleefisch introduced a crossbow bill proposal. “Under current law, hunting is prohibited within 1700 feet of a school or hospital "(Persson, 2013). We have a constitutional right to hunt and fish. Under this new bill, which is called Bill AB8, crossbows and bow and arrow hunting would be restricted to a distance up to 300 feet from the school or hospital. Also hunters would have more land to hunt on and according to Representative
Kleefisch children would have more access to bow hunting. The Families Afield is a group that wants to lower the hunting age across the country and exempt children from hunter safety courses. The group says that the minimum age and hunter safety courses are obstacles to children wishing to hunt (“Accidents”). The bill AB8 is “an act to amend 29.038 (3) ; to amend 29.301 (1) (b) and 29.301
(1) (c); and to create 29.038 (3) (b) of the statutes; relating to: restrictions on hunting within a specified distance of hospitals, sanatoriums, or school grounds and restrictions imposed by local governmental units on hunting with a bow and arrow or crossbow. Bill AB8 provides an exception that prohibits a person from hunting with a bow and arrow or crossbow within a distance not to exceed one hundred yards of a building occupied by humans. This bill specifies that the restriction doesn’t apply if the person who owns the land allows the hunter to hunt on his property. Under the current law no one may hunt within 1700 feet of a hospital or school. Bill AB8 specifies that this prohibition only applies to firearms now not crossbows. This bill says that a local government may enact an ordinance that has an incidental effect on hunting, fishing or trapping. They can only do this if the primary purpose is to further public health or safety” (Legislative Reference Bureau). In conclusion there are some benefits to crossbows near schools and hospitals, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. It is a recipe for disaster. People and animals are injured or killed every year from crossbows. The bill AB8, which is being proposed, does not have a minimum distance that a hunter must be away from school or hospital. Innocent children can get injured or killed by going outside for recess or walking to school. Under bill AB8, crossbows would be restricted to 300 feet from a school or hospital however crossbows have a range from
300 to 450 feet. Would you want to send your son or daughter to school knowing that they could be injured or killed by a careless hunter with a crossbow?

References
Accidents with Bows and Arrows. Retrieved from http://www.safebackyards.com/Accidents.htm Baker, A., & Buckley, C. (2009, March 20). Man Is Arrested in Arrow Shooting in Bronx, and
Police Say It was an Accident. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/nyregion/20arrow.html?_r=0 Cleary, J., Eyres, K.S., Magides, A. D., & Salam, A.A. (1990, September 7). Penetrating brain stem injury from crossbow bolt: a case report and review of the literature. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1285706/?page=1
Holland, D. Meade County Times-Tribune staff. (2012, October 16). Meade School District Won't Allow Hunting near High School. Retrieved from http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/communities/sturgis/meade-school-district-won-t-allow-hunting-near-high-school/article_746d2ec9-7e2a-547e-bf1d-3705e16f9dd7.html Horton,J., The Plain Dealer. (2009, November 11). Pet Dog Shot by Bow hunter on Geauga Park
Land. Retrieved from http://www.safebackyards.com/Accidents.htm
Launikitis, R.A. MD; Viegas, S. F. MD. (2009, January). Arrow Shaft Injury of the Wrist and Hand: Case Report, Management, and Surgical Technique. Southern Medical Journal. 102(1). 77-78. Retrieved from http://journals.lww.com/smajournalonline/Abstract/2009/01000/Arrow_Shaft_Injury_of_ the_Wrist_and_Hand__Case.23.aspx.
Legislative Reference Bureau. (2013, February 1). 2013 Assembly Bill 8. Retrieved from https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2013/related/proposals/ab8.

Persson, K. (2013,February 5). Rep. Kleefisch Introduces “Crossbow Bill” Proposal. Retrieved from http://www.wxow.com/story/20965245/2013/02/05/rep-kleefisch-introducescrossbowbill
Rip, V. (2011, July 30). The New Dark Ages. Retrieved from http://newwoodburncommunityschool.org/2011/07/30/the-new-dark-ages/. Roberts, C. (2012, August 2). 16-year-old Who Accidentally Shot Little Girl with an Arrow will be Tried as an Adult. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/16yearold- accidentally-shot-girl-arrow-adult-article-1.1127255#ixzz2KWjgjAQK
Scott, M., (2012, October 1). Family dog fatally shot with arrow Symour, TN (US) Retrieved from http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/19804/TN/US/
Simmons, D., Maryland Natural Resources Police. Retrieved from http://www.dnr.state.md.us/nrp/education/mdvolhei/fy12huntingIncidentreport.pdf.
Smith, K., (2013, January,10). Cat Shot with Hunting Arrow. Retrieved from http://www.wgal.com/news/susquehanna-valley/lancaster/Cat-shot-with-hunting-arrow/-
/9704306/18062720/-/1wfaxm/-/index.html.
Tomkavage, R. (2013, February 10). Crossbow-inflicted Injuries Common, Preventable.
Retrieved from http://theabingtonjournal.com/stories/Crossbow-inflicted-injuries-common- preventable,246779 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. (2012, December, 14). Wisconsin HUNTING
Incident Summary - Year 2012. Retrieved from
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/hunt/IncidentReport/huntCurrent.html.