Since 2004 I have taken 39 deer from this little piece of heaven with 15 being antlered bucks. Virginia started allowing crossbows in 2005. I bought my ExoMax in 2006 and have taken 16 deer with it on this little parcel in five years. The hunting memories I will take from 'The Log' will be remembered forever. My first crossbow kill turned into a double within thirty minutes. Later that afternoon my young son took his first deer with my Exomax. Not ten minutes later, he also turned it into a double. We had four down in one day.
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
Today I made my final trek up the mountain and retrieved all of my gear. It was a challenge hauling out almost 300 pounds of gear, but some ingenuity and a dear cart that has never really been useful worked out rather well. I really think we owe it to the landowners to leave things as we found them. I wanted to take everything out that I have brought in over the years. It was the least that I could do. I also made it a point to stop and talk with the landowner and let him know of my plans for this to be my last season hunting his property.
![Image](http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k268/mayvillej/2010-11-23084352.jpg)
See, in January a deer was killed near Gore, Virginia some 40 miles away as the crow flies. That deer tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, CWD. That single deer added Virginia to the list of states known to have deer test positive for CWD. Although the laws differ slightly from state to state and between provinces, generally you are not allowed to transport a deer carcass from a state where CWD has been detected to another state. This is done to help control the spread of the disease between herds. The deer must first be processed or completely boned out before it can be transported to an adjacent state. Antlers can only leave the state with a shiny clean skull plate.
This rule is meant to protect the herds of each state and I agree with them for the most part. It really doesn't impact residents of Virginia. It does however impact non-residents who live just over the border. Loudoun County doesn't have many deer processors. Most of them charge around $70 or higher to process a deer. I can justify the $240 a year in license fees because of the quantity of deer I can bring to the table. But if you add $70 per deer, it quickly becomes cost prohibitive. An average six deer year would cost me $660 in license and processing alone. Factor in broadheads and arrows and you really get into big bucks.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
It really is the end of an era for me. See, West Virginia currently does not allow use of crossbows without having a disability. Many of our rules are in the stone ages and they seldom ever make any changes to the benefit of hunters. So I don't expect my crossbow to be legalized in West Virginia any time soon. I haven't decided yet if I will want to sell it or just let it sit for a while. I'm sure Excalibur will have some shiny new models available should I ever get the opportunity again.
DuckHunt