In places where the laws are that stringent on firearms they're also probably ultra stringent on crossbows and pellet guns. I haven't been able to find the penal code for crossbows in NYC but the crossbow websites all indicate they're not allowed. So, buying a crossbow instead of a rifle is not a viable option.

However, you probably aren't going to be hunting in the city proper, so why not buy and store a gun somewhere else? You could buy a rifle in upstate New York, rent a storage locker and store the gun there. Nothing illegal about it. You may or may not be able to reach it in a major disaster, but you certainly can't reach a gun you don't own in an emergency. And, you can take it with you camping and hiking where its allowed.

There are few legal options in NYC, and I've seen the same info on crossbows in NYC. As far as hunting in the City itself, I think your best legal options are probably a slingshot without a wrist brace, a bow, nets, snares or some other forms of trap, and maybe some fishing gear. It might be quite possible to live for a while off of small game in NYC, but I'd need to be very hungry before eating some of it though.

I already have some firearms stored outside of NYC, with an idea of buying some more. Buying those will probably wait until at least the middle of next year.

One other idea for taking small game in a city is a blow gun. They are hard to make a clean kill with but can take up to small dogs and large house cats.

"...a blow gun...

Check your local laws first, blowguns are a felony in CA. Go figure...

Hi,

A Blowgun is a Federal Prohibited Weapon in Canada also.

Mike

Jeez, you can't have anything! Canadians, New Yorkers and Californians (not the full list, just the ones mentioned here) are seriously out of luck. Time to start some serious lobbying in favor of more reasonable gun/weapon control. Maybe we need an INTERnational Rifle Association. But with an acronym different then IRA

New York State allows a lot more than New York City. It's much easier to own a firearm outside of the City. Some firearms, such as a shotgun, I think are easy to legally purchase and own, so long as you do not bring it into the City. You may find it much easier having an address outside NYC to get through the Federal checks.

As I understand it, blowguns may also be out in NYC. I've been thinking of making one, as something to keep with my BOB. You can mkae one out of electrical conduit, in two pieces, and I could make it look like I was using it as a trekking pole, or even make it so it's obvious function was to be a trekking pole.

New Yorkers, residents of the City itself, really cannot have much that would be useful for keeping themselves alive and protected and could possibly function as a weapon, hunting or otherwise. I can see that it would be very possible to hurt someone with a blow gun, but not do much more without poison on your darts.

In times of disaster, etc., and we really have few choices: bugout before we are at risk; hide; pray; and/or put your life in the hands of government bureaucrats, most of whom may be well-meaning people, but that does not mean they have our best interests at heart. I've got someplace else to go close to New York, so bugging out might be a good option.

I am a seasoned bow hunter with over 20 years of experience, I have over 100 big game kills, 1/2 of wich with archery equipment.
Not trying to be a braggert, I know guys with much more experience then I, but I say all that so you know I am not telling you what I "think". Most of my experience is with a compound bow. Several years ago I had a shoulder sugery wich made shooting the bow tuffer. I could shoot fine, but pratice was a lot harder. I then purchased a top of the line "Tenpoint" 150 lb cross bow. No Toy. I have taken several animals and can attest to the effectiveness. I do not though consider any crossbow pistol in the same league as a top of the line cross bow. I will say that hunting with a crossbow is not the laser some people would think, infact it has very little on my 63 pound draw weight compound, in terms of effective range. Also those bolts are pretty fragile. Every one of them I have put in an animal has broke, and have had many of the ferrules come appart while practicing.
In a survival situation the .22 rimfire or .22wmr, is HARD to beat. I have taken everything from morning Doves to Whitetale deer with a .22 rimfire, and it would be my preference.

Blowguns... *shakes head*

Every culture that I'm aware of that has used the blowgun has used poison darts. Without that, you've stabbed them with something like a hat pin if your tube is skinny and short enough to be mistaken for a trekking pole. And not stabbed them very deep.

A good blowgun is BIG- six feet or so in length, and fires something about the size of a chopstick. But it is still SLOW, with very limited range.

You are at least as well off with a pocket full of steel balls and a good pitching arm.

Not everyone that has ever used a blowgun has used one with poison. See: http://www.geocities.com/blowgunhunter/

ON the FAQ page this person states:

"I stay far away from poison and have never tried hunting with it. A blowgun is only a small game weapon. Since I can kill rabbits and squirrels without poison, I don't see the need to risk messing with it. Going after anything large enough to require poison seems like using the wrong weapon for the job to me. However, in the book "A Sporting Chance" by Mannix, the author gets a permit to acquire some kind of poison, then gets special one-time permission to use it hunting and is sucessful at killing a small deer with a poisoned blowgun dart."

If I was going to have one, it would be at least five feet long, over 1/2 inch in diameter, and it would shoot something like a chopstick, trust me. But It's primary purpose would be to look like a walking stick, but be available in case I needed to swing it like a club. As far as using it to hunt, I hope I never get that desperate. I won't ever want to use it for with purpose whatsoever, same thing with a some of the other things I have for just in case.

Is this an ideal thing to have, absolutely no way. It stinks relative to a lot of others things one could have. But when the local laws put serious legal hurdles in the way of owning what you would like to have, you begin to think "Well, what else could I have and use." And my pitching arm is not what it used to be.

I like the combination of a .22LR, 12 gauge and 30-06 Sprg. But in order to own any one of those legally in NYC, I would need to go through a costly permitting process, plus a few other onerous things, with no certainty that I would be granted a permit.