Florida and Maryland Improve Crossbow Regulations

First, a Coalition member sent an email to the state of Florida, complaining about the fact that crossbow permits in that state are offered only to resident hunters. He complained that this was discrimination against the non-resident disabled and, thus, was unacceptable. After just a week or two of internal discussion, the state of Florida has decided to change this policy. Non-resident disabled hunters should now be able to receive a crossbow permit in Florida. This is proof that nothing can be fixed until there is a complaint, and that complaints can be taken very seriously even if they're via an informal email. The Coalition would like to thank the state of Florida for doing the right thing, without making us go through a lengthy process. Hopefully, other states will follow their lead.

Second, the state of Maryland has also decided to liberalize their disability crossbow system. The State will now join the likes of Virginia, Tennessee, and others who allow disabled hunters to receive crossbow permits with only a doctor's signature, and with no agency approval process. Crossbow permits will be distributed over the Internet and via the annual hunting guide. Disabled hunters only need to rip out this application and have their doctor sign it. Once the signature is on the application, then that application becomes a valid crossbow permit. The hunter only needs to carry that signed application to have legal use of a crossbow. In an attempt to be honest, I have to admit that pressure from The Coalition was not a major factor in Maryland changing their system -- in fact, the Coalition had already labeled Maryland as an  "acceptable" state (so this change is just icing on the cake). While The Coalition played a very tiny part in this change, it is still a victory for disabled hunters. I'd like to thank Maryland for their continued support of disabled hunters.