Crossbow & Disabilities Hunting Permit Application

Bill,

7 years ago I started having severe shoulder problems/pain in my left shoulder. A combination of old age, a rough lifestyle, shooting a too heavy of a bow for 32 years, arthritis and rotator cuff impingement. Sometimes when I would sneeze it felt like some one stabbed me in the shoulder with a hot ice pick.

I took the cortisone shots, therapy, etc for 6 months before archery season. I put target limbs on my XI and cranked it down to 50 pounds. I bought some 2312s and I could shot maybe a 12 arrows an evening before my shoulder said, “no more”.

The more I practiced the worse it got. The next morning after shooting I could barely lift my arm.

When the season came along I went hunting and took along some Tylenol 3. I was banking on the pill and adrenalin to kick in IF I got a shot a buck.

I passed a 10 point 130+ buck at 35 yards as I had set my mind that I would not shoot any farther than 25 yards with that lightweight of poundage. I knew where my 72 pound 2413s would hit with a high aim. I didn’t know with the light set up.

The next year it's in both shoulders and I cranked the bow down further. I tried pulling the 40# bow back twice and then spent several more weeks in therapy and more cortisone shots that did no good at all.

I couldn’t practice and I don't particularly like hunting with that lightweight of a bow with no practice. I like deer too much.

Before that I was anti-crossbow. I was the president of the largest bowhunting club in Indiana south of Indianapolis. I did a lot of soul searching and finally came to the realization that it was a crossbow or flat quit archery season. Quitting was not an option so I bought a crossbow.

I have found that I am absolutely not hunting any differently with a crossbow than I was with my compound or my recurve. My set ups are all the same. In fact I’m hunting in the very same trees that I was before. I’m killing deer at the same distances and I’m still having deer bust me every once in awhile. The only thing I’m not doing was “drawing on the deer”. That is no biggie for me as I learned a long time ago when and when not to draw on a deer. I still need to lift that crossbow and get into position. Yes, I have had a deer bust me doing that.

The first buck I killed with my crossbow I could have had three shot at him with my compound and I could not get a shot with my crossbow. He was directly behind my tree and the horizontal limbs/strings on the crossbow had a major conflict with the vertical tree. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for him he finally walked towards the front of the tree where I shot him at 10 yards.

I feel that I am still bowhunting.

That is my history.

If you are havng similar problems in drawing a bow back then by all means visit your doctor and have him fill out the permit form. You will then have to send it and your application to the IDNR for approval.

I have become a firm advocate of allowing crossbows to be used by anyone in all of archery season as they are archery equipment and states that have legalized them are reaping the benefits.

The crossbow hunters enjoy about the same rate of success as compound bowhunters..

Let me know how you make out..


.

Thanks for the info Woody.

Got my permit last week,took about 4 weeks.

I got it. I'm thinkin it only took 2 weeks.....maybe 3? Crossbow and vehicle access

UPDATED

Indiana Crossbow and Disabilities Hunting Permit Application


Disability Permit Application Form

See attachment or download and print from…

forms.in.gov/Download.aspx?id=4715


Disability Permit Application Information



Applying for a “Persons with Disabilities Hunting Permit” requires completion of an application form and a physician’s statement of disability form. It is very important that you completely describe, in your own words, your disability in the spaces provided. This will provide us with the information on how you need to hunt. Please describe the equipment you will be using, whether or not you need to hunt from a vehicle, and any other aspect of hunting that would otherwise be illegal.

Your physician must fill out the physician’s statement of disability form completely. Your physician must describe your disability in full. We must know the extent of your disability. The following list includes the types of facts that we need to know.

1. Walking difficulties: Can you walk? If so, how far? Are you confined to a wheelchair? Do you need crutches or other walking devices to walk? Does your medical condition (such as heart disease) limit walking? How far? What is the cause of your walking difficulties? Is your disability permanent?
2. Upper body problem: Do you have a weight-lifting limitation prescribed by your physician? Do you have problems holding and pulling a bow? If so, what are they and what is the cause? What joints are involved with movement problems? Is your condition or disability improved with medication? Is your disability permanent?

When completing the forms, please keep the following information in mind:

1. The physician’s statement of disability form must be completed and signed by your physician. It must be legible. If it is not legible, your application will be sent back to you.
2. In addition to completing the forms, please send any other supporting documentation, which may describe your physical problems, more completely.
3. All forms must be originals (not faxes). Any copied forms will be sent back to you.
4. All forms must be completely filled out.
5. The processing time for the permit is 1-2 weeks.
6. The three most common persons with disabilities hunting permits issued are: hunting from a vehicle, using a vehicle for access (no hunting from a vehicle) and using a crossbow or draw-loc for deer hunting during archery season.
7. Disabled hunter permits can only be issued to those individuals who would have great difficulty or be unable to hunt without special privileges.

Please call the Permit Coordinator at (317) 232-4102 if you have any questions.

www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-Disability_Permit_App_Info.pdf



Disability Hunt Permit Regulations



IC 14-22-12-6 Special permit for persons with disabilities

Sec. 6. The department may issue a special permit for the taking of wildlife by a person with a disability of such a nature that it is difficult or impossible for the individual to be in a position to take wildlife unless the individual is given special consideration. Statutes and rules may be waived only as necessary to give effect to this section.

312 IAC 9-10-10 Hunting permit for persons with disabilities

Authority: IC 14-11-2-1; IC 14-22-2-6; IC 14-22-12-6
Affected: IC 14-22

Sec. 10. (a) The department may issue a permit under this section to an individual with a disability to take wildlife, if the disability would otherwise make the taking of wildlife by the individual difficult or impossible.
(b) An individual shall make application under this section as follows:
(1) The initial application shall be made on a departmental form and delivered to the division by July 1 for the current year hunting season.
(2) The initial application must be accompanied by a statement of disability completed by a physician.
(3) The division shall review each completed application. If an application is not recommended for approval, the applicant shall be notified by mail.
(4) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, no renewal application is required unless the disability is temporary as indicated by a licensed physician. A temporary permit applies from August 15 through the last day of the spring wild turkey hunting season established under 312 IAC 9-4-11.
(c) An individual issued a permit under this section may hunt wild animals from a stationary motor driven conveyance subject to the following restrictions:
(1) The permit holder must:
(A) abide by all other hunting laws;
(B) possess a valid hunting license and the permit issued under this section; and
(C) obtain in advance the permission of the manager of public property (local, state, or federal) to gain vehicular access to lands or roads that are otherwise closed to vehicular traffic.
(2) The permit holder may display a windshield identification placard supplied by the division of fish and wildlife while hunting from a vehicle. The placard must be displayed in such a way as to be visible from at least fifty (50) feet.
(d) An individual may be designated to assist an individual issued a permit under this section in the retrieval of wild game harvested by the permit holder.
(e) The director may waive other provisions of 312 IAC 9-3 for an individual issued a permit under this section. The use of a crossbow may be specially authorized during archery season for hunting deer.

312 IAC 9-1-5.5 "Disability" defined

Authority: IC 14-11-2-1; IC 14-22-2-6
Affected: IC 14-22

Sec. 5.5. "Disability" means a physical impairment to an individual resulting from an injury or disease, but excludes an impairment which is attributable to the normal aging process.

2011

www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-DisabilityHuntPermitReg.pdf

The lady that handles the crossbow permits is VERY efficient..

My accident was about two weeks before season and I thought, great there is no way. I mean the book says to have in by august 1st. I had my doctor fill out the paperwork and called downtown to ask about the deadline. I was told to get it in asap so, I took it downtown that same day and I received my paperwork back, three days later. Yes, three days and that was thru the mail. I was a very happy hunter!!

In 2012 we finally got the DNR and NRC to go full Monty on crossbows and anyone can use them during any season that archery is in. That includes the old UDZs. There is no more "handicapped permits". You are good to go with a crossbow license.

Since I have a lifetime license I'm not sure how the "crossbow license" works. I kill a deer with my crossbow and I tag it with a temporary tag. When checking it in I tell the guy at the check station I killed it with a crossbow. I very seldom kill more than one deer a year..

Maybe someone on here that purchases a crossbow license can fill you in more than I can.

You all know I'm handicap, but I buy the bundle and thought this included the crossbow.

I just got a gadget from a guy in CA that might actually help me shoot a compound. I looked at them today, and some of the new ones are very light, but killed my shoulder holding it. Too many other problems with my health to worry about my shoulder, and crossbow doesn't hurt me.

However, this simple gadget might just help me with standing shots or even using a compound bow. I'm going to field test this thing. If it really helps me, I'll share it.