How Close To Houses Can You Shoot A Crossbow In New York?

I never thought I would see the day that New York State laws would change regarding the use of crossbows for hunting. However, the laws have gone in favor of those who love to hunt whitetail deer with a crossbow. For years, we heard the arguments for, and against, them and it was the one issue that seemed to divide hunters. That is now a moot point as New York State now allows crossbows to be used for the entire archery season, effective this year!

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I have hunted with a bow for 34 years and can't wait to get in the woods this fall. I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to archery, and really enjoy shooting my bow. I have four kids under the age of nine and all of them will be introduced to shooting a bow and a couple of them already love it! There is just something special about spending time outdoors with a bow and a target. It's even more exciting when you are waiting for a big buck to walk in your shooting lane.

Three years ago, my wife bought me a crossbow for my birthday and I started to shoot it and use it during the crossbow season. It is an amazing weapon! The accuracy and speed of a crossbow are no joke. As much as I love my compound bow, the fact that we can use a crossbow all season is a game changer and hard to pass up. That being said, I may still take the old Mathews bow to the stand a few times.

The Crossbow Distance Law in New York State

As I was flipping through some of the hunting laws, I found the laws about how far you need to be from a house or dwelling to shoot a firearm, bow and crossbow. Each weapon has it's own law. If you hunt in a more populated area, you might need this information. We have all seen those "backyard bucks" stories and perhaps one can soon be yours to tell. Obviously you'll need to have legal rights to hunt in those particular areas.

The law in New York State says: it is illegal to shoot "within 500 feet (for a firearm), 250 feet (for a crossbow, except 500 feet in Suffolk and Westchester Counties) or 150 feet (for a bow) of any school, playground, or an occupied factory or church, within 500 feet (for a firearm), 250 feet (for a crossbow, except 500 feet in Suffolk and Westchester Counties) or 150 feet (for a bow) of a dwelling, farm building, or structure in occupation or use unless you own it, lease it, are an immediate member of the family, an employee, or have the owner's consent".

Good luck this fall and be safe! The season will start October 1st in the Western New York area and hopefully the cooler weather will also be here!