Politics is a Crazy World... Way back in 91... I had never been involved in anything political other than voting... I joined up with a group The Alabama Handicapped Sportsmen after seeing a short spot on a local Tv station here in Bham. I went to a few meetings to discuss getting this thing off the ground and we were getting nowhere... Some Polition down around Eufalla was about to get set up the river, got behind another feller down that way and got a bill started to legalize the crossbow. We found out about the deal and meet with the Rep from Eufalla. I might be wrong but this guy was trying to get something positive on his record... Well anyway the first time we meet in the Ag Committee only about 1/2 of the state Reps show up, We have 3-5 boys from AHS show up and right before the first meeting the BHA guys come in 6-12 some all duded up, we know we are way outclassed. The thing gets defeated, but in comes the Rep from Eufalla who is not on this committee and gets the group od State Reps to meet back in a week and re-vote.... A week or two later we meet again, this time I think we only had 3-4 folks BHA had a bunch... The Rep from Eufalla shows up and openly tells the group he will support there bills if the help him with this one.... Several of the State Reps are with the BHA and tell the guy the won't go with him. We have open discussions where facts are brought out like deer will be getting killed at 300 yds with a crossbow... It was crazy, I had my say, and my message was you either for us or against us getting a chance to get back into the woods... Sometime in this process someone with the Consevation Dept. offers to give us a permit to hunt with a shotgun during bow season, I was against this due to the fact that No Hunting Club would like a feller gun hunting deer in bow season. We as AHS agreed this was not a very good option.... I remember asking the BHA why they would oppose this deal with the crossbow? I asked the lead mouth if he lost an arm what would he do and he says sit home till gun season.. I told the feller he didn't love it like I did.... Well my contribution did not add up to nothing.... The BHA had the spport of the Consevation Dept, we looked to be beat when one of the Reps from Bham asked the BHA how many black members they had, then asked how many black members we had. We had several they had none... The vote was close we had all the black reps and a couple of Reps that made deals with the Rep from Eufalla... I mean right before the vote a rep from somewhere asked the Eufalla guy if he was sure to help him with this certain bill, he said he would and the vote went our way... When the bill went to the floor I think we had only a couple votes against, something like 80 for it? I can't remember but it was very close to 100%.... Whats funny about this whole thing to me is the Original Crossbow Bill was very restrictive, It helped a few folks out, but alot were left out. The Bill didn't pass because the issue was discussed and the reps thought this was a good idea, or the Consevation Dept saw a need and helped... It passed only out of committee bacause a Rep from Eufalla was trying to stay out of the big house, and we had a few black members in AHS... Really I would never jion the BHA, but I know there are super folks in it.. The State Conservation Boys as the ones that should have been willing to help. How many deer do you think the first 200-500 handicapped crossbow permit holders killed? I know I have killed apx 50, I knew a bunch of fellers who had the permits, but never had bow hunted knew nothing much about it... I had no idea how screwed up politics was until my experience in Montgomery... When the new deal came out legalizing the crossbow without any discussion and was a suprise, even though I would have supported the deal, I could smell the backroom deals, and maybe some cash getting passed around... I do not hunt as much or as hard as I used to, I have been a few times this year. I never thought I could get burned out, but after 30 years of hunting I don't love it like I used to.... I like turkey hunting now more than bow season, and I would have never beieved that a few years back. Anyway thanks for helping some folks out Mr. Outback.... Book
