Annual Gun Show May 15-16
The Green County Conservation League will host its annual Gun Show at the Green County Fairgrounds this weekend, May 15, 16. Organizers expect more than 40 exhibitors including gun hobbyists, dealers, collectors and gunsmiths.
Headlining the event is master gun builder Robert Mercer of Mercer Custom Guns in Whitewater, according to GCCL member Gary Sutherland of Brodhead.
The event attracts as many as 1,000 visitors over the two days from throughout Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. Firearms of all types will be offered for sale, from antiques to modern hunting and sporting arms.
Hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Contact Chris Luxton at (608) 445-8950 for more information.
LAKE GENEVA - The controversial proposal to lower the age when Wisconsin hunters can use a crossbow to 55 served to ratchet up the debate recently at the annual convention of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress in Lake Geneva.
A member of the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association and the Rib Mountain Bowmen, Marcell Wieloch of Mosinee says the crossbow makes it too easy and takes the challenge away from archery.
"Part of the thrill of archery is that you're one on one with the animal and try to get a shot off without spooking it," he contends. "With a crossbow you can get ready when they're out there 60 yards or more and then just wait and pull the trigger."
"Getting a medical waiver to shoot with a crossbow is easy to get if the hunter has some medical problem," Wieloch said.
Al Schimelpfenig, of Grafton in Ozaukee County, is an advocate for the expansion of crossbow shooting, which may have cost him his seat on the Conservation Congress. He was voted off the Congress at the Apr. 12 spring hearings after opponents allegedly stacked the audience and then left immediately after the voting concluded.
"They came in with their wives and girlfriends and then got up and left after the vote," he said.
Schimelpfenig is a member of the newly-formed Wisconsin Crossbow Federation and believes his association with the group is what led to his defeat.
"They (WBH) have a blind spot when it comes to that kind of archery," he said. "I believe people on the Congress should be generalists who represent everyone's interests and not just one point of view."
Depending on who you ask, Schimelpfenig is either a sore loser to a victim of WBH shenanigans. Denying such claims, Wieloch suggests this is merely part of the democratic process.
"People talk to their friends, and ask them to come in and vote for them," he said.
Others contend it was blatant manipulation of the process by bringing in people who would never show up for the spring hearings otherwise.
After the hearing, Ozaukee County Chair John Cumming surprised fellow delegates by resigning from the Congress. He expressed concern that the Congress is dominated by special interests. Referring to the WBH, Cumming said, "The special interests get the key positions."
After joining the Congress a few years ago, Cumming claims a constituent mentioned that he had a crossbow but couldn't use it and asked for help in writing a resolution to change the rules.
"I was told you don't want to do that because the bow hunters are against it because they don't want anyone using the crossbow during the rut," Cumming said. "They want that 100-day season to themselves; they think they are entitled to it. But we have the obligation to offer resources as fairly as possible."
Mike Brust is vice president of Wisconsin Bowhunters and chair-elect of the North American Bowhunting Coalition, an organization of state and national bow hunting organizations. He is strongly opposed to the change. "It's unnecessary," he argues.
"It's primarily an economic issue because there's a lot of money to be made," Brust said. "The crossbow industry has spent over a million dollars to promote the use of the crossbow as archery equipment."
Brust emphasizes that WBH is not opposed to crossbows.
"They're just not bows and don't belong in the archery season," he argues. "From a performance standpoint, they are vastly superior to the most sophisticated compound bows - in trajectory, accuracy, kinetic energy."
Richard Radock of Blanchardville disagrees.
"It's a skill machine," he maintains. "You have to practice with it."
A bow hunter since the age of 13, Radock supports the expansion of crossbow use.
"They should be glad to have more people getting involved in archery, especially young people," he says.
Cumming stresses fairness.
"If crossbow restrictions are removed," he suggests, "bow hunters will be able to hunt as they always have. If the restrictions stay, the crossbow hunter will not be able to."
"Imagine a deer camp," he says. "If my friend goes out with a semi-automatic, and I go out with a muzzleloader, I've accepted those limitations. If the bow hunters accept the limitations of a longbow or a compound, they also do so voluntarily."
- Lee Fahrney is the Times outdoors writer. He also serves on the Executive Council of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. Lee can be reached at
(608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
A member of the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association and the Rib Mountain Bowmen, Marcell Wieloch of Mosinee says the crossbow makes it too easy and takes the challenge away from archery.
"Part of the thrill of archery is that you're one on one with the animal and try to get a shot off without spooking it," he contends. "With a crossbow you can get ready when they're out there 60 yards or more and then just wait and pull the trigger."
"Getting a medical waiver to shoot with a crossbow is easy to get if the hunter has some medical problem," Wieloch said.
Al Schimelpfenig, of Grafton in Ozaukee County, is an advocate for the expansion of crossbow shooting, which may have cost him his seat on the Conservation Congress. He was voted off the Congress at the Apr. 12 spring hearings after opponents allegedly stacked the audience and then left immediately after the voting concluded.
"They came in with their wives and girlfriends and then got up and left after the vote," he said.
Schimelpfenig is a member of the newly-formed Wisconsin Crossbow Federation and believes his association with the group is what led to his defeat.
"They (WBH) have a blind spot when it comes to that kind of archery," he said. "I believe people on the Congress should be generalists who represent everyone's interests and not just one point of view."
Depending on who you ask, Schimelpfenig is either a sore loser to a victim of WBH shenanigans. Denying such claims, Wieloch suggests this is merely part of the democratic process.
"People talk to their friends, and ask them to come in and vote for them," he said.
Others contend it was blatant manipulation of the process by bringing in people who would never show up for the spring hearings otherwise.
After the hearing, Ozaukee County Chair John Cumming surprised fellow delegates by resigning from the Congress. He expressed concern that the Congress is dominated by special interests. Referring to the WBH, Cumming said, "The special interests get the key positions."
After joining the Congress a few years ago, Cumming claims a constituent mentioned that he had a crossbow but couldn't use it and asked for help in writing a resolution to change the rules.
"I was told you don't want to do that because the bow hunters are against it because they don't want anyone using the crossbow during the rut," Cumming said. "They want that 100-day season to themselves; they think they are entitled to it. But we have the obligation to offer resources as fairly as possible."
Mike Brust is vice president of Wisconsin Bowhunters and chair-elect of the North American Bowhunting Coalition, an organization of state and national bow hunting organizations. He is strongly opposed to the change. "It's unnecessary," he argues.
"It's primarily an economic issue because there's a lot of money to be made," Brust said. "The crossbow industry has spent over a million dollars to promote the use of the crossbow as archery equipment."
Brust emphasizes that WBH is not opposed to crossbows.
"They're just not bows and don't belong in the archery season," he argues. "From a performance standpoint, they are vastly superior to the most sophisticated compound bows - in trajectory, accuracy, kinetic energy."
Richard Radock of Blanchardville disagrees.
"It's a skill machine," he maintains. "You have to practice with it."
A bow hunter since the age of 13, Radock supports the expansion of crossbow use.
"They should be glad to have more people getting involved in archery, especially young people," he says.
Cumming stresses fairness.
"If crossbow restrictions are removed," he suggests, "bow hunters will be able to hunt as they always have. If the restrictions stay, the crossbow hunter will not be able to."
"Imagine a deer camp," he says. "If my friend goes out with a semi-automatic, and I go out with a muzzleloader, I've accepted those limitations. If the bow hunters accept the limitations of a longbow or a compound, they also do so voluntarily."
- Lee Fahrney is the Times outdoors writer. He also serves on the Executive Council of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. Lee can be reached at
(608) 967-2208 or at fiveoaks@mhtc.net.
