I’m sure that most archery hunters dream of a buck like the one to the left, taken by crossbow in Ohio. But even if they don’t get a chance at a monster like it, they are still glad to be back into the woods, sitting on stand, with their bow in hand. For many, it is the long awaited therapy from the stress and headaches of everyday life that they have so desperately needed for most of the last year.
Like many hunters probably have, I first started deer hunting using a gun. It wasn’t until I had been hunting for quite a few years that I picked up a bow and arrows. At first, it was just something different to do, but over the years, it has increasingly become my main method of hunting.
As much as I enjoy hunting with a rifle, I have even found myself leaving it behind during gun season in favor of my bow. Like many other times, I’ve recently found myself wondering why that is. Many people would say your chances are much better with a gun than with a bow, and at times I would have to agree. So what is it that draws me to using a bow instead of my rifle? What exactly is the allure of archery hunting?
I’m sure all archery hunters have found out what happens when we try to set the draw weight of our bow to a poundage greater than what we are able to draw back comfortably. I know I have. It was quite a surprise to me when after sitting in a stand for hours in the cold, a buck came in and I tried to draw my bow only to find I had to struggle with it. Needless to say, my macho ego of having a heavier draw weight cost me a nice buck that day, and taught me a valuable lesson.
For the longest time I practiced shooting my bow in the backyard at a home-made Will Stop type target. Shooting at a stuffed bag got the job done as far as practice went, but it was more fun when shooting against someone else. It was also something largely determined by the type of weather as to when and how long I actually practiced. Then I discovered one of my local archery shops had an indoor 3D video range, a TechnoHunt Archery Simulation system.
Republican State Senator George Maziarz has reintroduced legislation seeking to make hunting with a crossbow legal in the state of New York. You would think that Mark O’Brien, a disabled Iraq War veteran who lost his right arm and leg in a rocket attack in Iraq in 2004 and would like to bow hunt again, proves to be a good example of why the laws should be changed, but that isn’t the case. The same ol’ rhetorical prejudices against crossbows have already reared their ugly head once again.
“Mostly the bow hunters don’t want crossbow users in their season, hunting their deer in their woods,” said long-time sportsman Bill Hilts Sr. “I always thought it belonged to all of us, but apparently not. The big objection is you can cock this. It takes away the challenge of pulling the bow back.”
Controversies over what types of firearms are used while hunting are common and very prominent, but they aren’t the only ones in the hunting world. The controversy over the use of crossbows for hunting is just as common, just not usually as prominent as it’s firearm counterparts. Just like any other bias, it is largely based on inaccurate and/or misleading information provided and promoted by those against it.
While it’s true that there are certain advantages of using a crossbow over a compound bow, they are no different than the differences of using a compound bow instead of a recurve. When the compound bow was becoming popular, it received the same kind of negative attention, but here we are today, where the majority of archery hunters use it. I see the resistance of using crossbows as the very same thing.
Holy bejeebers! What a buck!
King’s Outdoor World Blog recently posted this and I also found an article at the Boone and Crockett Club about it.
Apparently this monster was killed by an Amish hunter by the name of John Schmucker in Ohio. He took the deer on opening morning with a crossbow. The rack has 36 scorable points and has an unofficial green score of nearly 295 as a non-typical.
All I can say is congratulations, John. When can I come and go hunting with you?
monster buck, trophy whitetail, non-typical, Boone and Crocket Club, crossbow, Ohio, Amish, hunter, hunting, deer
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