How many years ?

PRB · Post by **PRB** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 7:29 am

Just wanting to see how many years some of you have with shooting crossbow only.
Myself around 2 1/2 years.

mikew · Post by **mikew** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 7:37 am

A whopping Zero!

....just got the bow, and haven't even bought bolts yet.

I have several years of vert archery experience though not shooting vert anymore.

-Mike

lucky13 · Post by **lucky13** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:08 am

less then a year. But Ihad been vert hunting for about 30 years Although now its going to be only xbow in the future.

buckman · Post by **buckman** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:15 am

This was my first season. Fired 2 shots killed 2 deer. I had a great time.
Can't wait till next OCT.

Buckman

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:27 am

PRB,
Shooting the crossbow only?
It's early AM, and I'm not saturated with coffee yet, but am I reading it right? If it means how many years of hunting with only a crossbow, I'm afraid I have only a few when the shoulder problem was at it's worse. I still use my longbow some, and would have to point out that if I used only one type of bow I might get an elitist attitude

The crossbow has become a very important part of my hunting equipment, but to limit my hunting style to one choice of legal equipment would restrict the hunting methods too much to suit me. The crossbow can't be beat for my tree-stand and much of my ground blind hunting where I'm stationary and the game's doing the walking, but when I still-hunt the longbow is still my pick for launching arrows. I pick the bow that fits the planned hunting method, and I'm not limited to the method that fits the bow I'm stuck with these days. Since I've had the shoulder problem diagnosed by a physician, and found with a simple medication (ibuprofen as an anti-inflamatory) I can now again shoot my stick bows if I hold draw weights under 50 pounds, I have rediscovered the joy of carrying such a simple means of flinging arrows. No need for a range-finder, the bow is very light weight, and accuracy is great if I limit range. After close to 50 years of slinging arrow with one, I can look at a target and tell instantly if I have a chance of hitting it or not, so shot selection is easy for me.
I still use the crossbow, and would hate to try a season without it, but it's not perfect for all conditions and situations, so I don't limit my bowhunting to a crossbow only. Just yesterday evening I packed it to a new location and set up at the base of a huge oak tree with a simple folding seat and roll-up ground blind for a couple of hours. No deer showed up, but I had turkeys flying up to roost all around me (and it won't be long 'till spring season! - guess where I'll be looking

) The crossbow would have been the best choice for that situation if a deer had shown up. I was stationary, had pre-ranged distances to likely shooting points, and would have had plenty of time to determine if a shot was possible if a deer had come through. On the walk out if rapidly failing light I did walk up on a doe feeding under an oak on top of a ridge about 40 or 50 yards away. She was totally unaware of my presence, and busy feeding, but it was getting too dark to judge range effectively or see the view in the rangefinder clearly. If I'd have been carrying my longbow I might have been able to close the range a little and try a shot. (I wouldn't have as the light was going quickly, and legal hunting time was probably past) But chances for making a good shot on her would have been better with my longbow than with my Phoenix had conditions been right to try a closer stalk.
OK - rambled enough!
What I'm saying is the crossbow is great, but it isn't the only way for many people to hunt. Pick the equipment that fits the planned hunt, or plan the hunt to fit the equipment you own - but don't try to make one method fit all situations!

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:31 am

Got carried away and didn't answer the question

I've been seriously hunting with a crossbow for 5 or 6 years now, and have at least one deer every season with it.

PRB · Post by **PRB** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 9:19 am

Thanks for all the replies.

wabi wrote: Got carried away and didn't answer the question
I've been seriously hunting with a crossbow for 5 or 6 years now, and have at least one deer every season with it.

No problem wabi. The question is misleading.
Maybe the question should be
1) Years of vertical experience
2) Years of crossbow experience
Either is fine with me

BigBird-VA · Post by **BigBird-VA** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 9:32 am

38 years with a vertical bow and a whopping less than 1 with an xbow. They were not legal here till this year. Now I have 4 xbows! LOL

Jim22 · Post by **Jim22** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:12 am

30 years with a vertical - 1 month with an xbow. I got the Phoenix and am really impressed with the accuracy. I think the more I use it the more I am going to like it. Need to keep the vert though as I have been planning on hunting a military base that does not allow xbows yet.

huntman · Post by **huntman** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:24 am

I have been using my exomag for 4 years and previous to that a older barnette for 3 years! So i guess it's been 7 years with an x-bow

Normous · Post by **Normous** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:41 am

1)17 years vertical, and
2)15 years Excalibur hunting

= total of 32 great years!!!

GREY OWL · Post by **GREY OWL** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:20 am

Only 2 years for me Randy, 40 more to go!!!!!!

Grey Owl

franklinm · Post by **franklinm** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:21 am

1) 20 years verical
2) 2 Excalibur
22 total

Tar Heel · Post by **Tar Heel** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:33 am

1 35 with vertical
2 3 with crossbow

Tar Heel

BigBear · Post by **BigBear** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:36 am

franklinm wrote:1) 20 years verical
2) 2 Excalibur
22 total

Been hunting for 26 years..
The last 10 years or so with a crossbow (Excalibur) that is...BB