[graveyard zombie]

Like most of us, I started out with traditional bows. I learned to hunt in the swamps of Georgia with my grandfather. He used Howard Hill longbows and gave me the one with no shelf since I'm left handed. I harvested many deer and other critters with it and then went to the recurve side with a left handed Red Wing Hunter. I did good with it too but it was a short bow and since I'm a die hard finger shooter the finger pinch started bothering me. I came across a left handed Black Widow bow that was considerably longer and picked it up for a sweet price. I then went to the compound buying a 1983 Jennings Forked Lightning with a whopping 45% letoff. I later bought a Golden Eagle Hawk with 65% letoff but found I shot better with the longbows, recurves and the 45% letoff Forked Lightning. A good friend of mine, more knowledgable than me in the sport of archery, figures it is because I'm still a finger shooter and the more pressure I'm holding back the cleaner the release. I later went back to another longbow having a left handed one custom built by Jim Brackenbury or at least his company. I did well with all those above mentioned bows and I sort of backed in to the crossbow. Being a local successful deer hunter, a friend of mine who is part owner of a local family sporting goods store wanted me to "field test" a crossbow for him. My son wanted one and I figured it would kill two birds with one stone.....I could get a free crossbow for him and I could see if I could harvest a deer with another type of archery tackle. I harvested a couple of deer and my son still has that crossbow. Now I have two Excaliburs myself and continue to use them over the "regular" bows mostly due to my increasingly old age and other aches & pains. I still own both the old Howard Hill longbow & Jim Brackenbury longbow. I've sold the others so if I ever go back away from the crossbow it will be back to a longbow.

 

[Moon]

Graveyard

It's hard to get away from that good ole traditional stuff for sure but arthritis and bone spurs will zap your desire to draw hunting weight bows. I still have my 2 Bear takedowns in 60 and 65 lbs. I just look at them and dream of the good times I had with them and my long bows. Getting old is enevitable..................if we live long enough

 

[recurveman]

Moon, if you want a great recurve look up a 45# Trad Tech Titan...I hav one and its blistering fast and easy to pull.

 

[KodiakIslandArchery]

My story is pretty bland and boring compared to the rest of your guys and gals...I grew up in a family where hunting. fishing & camping were a way of life every single weekend, whether it be gun, bow,or muzzleloader, I wanted to experience the use of every weapon I could legally use, plus like others I have always had a mystical facination with XBows...in short for me after hunting with mainly guns & bows for most of my life...I was thinking one day about 15 years ago....and I had always wondered way I hadn't utilized a XBow...well then I solved that problem, and ever since a crossbow has been a part of my hunting tools...Plus right now I am 52, and there will be a day in the future that I might not be phsycially able to draw that compound, but I know that I will always be able to fling arrows as long as I am alive with my crossbows...so for me a crossbow is a weapon that I utilize in present day on a regular basis, but I also know that it (the crossbow) will have a future with me just as I will it. Nothing will replace my Crossbows

 

[grndhntr]

I'm also a traditional bow (recurve and longbow) guy, but hurt my shoulder about 4 years ago. I got a crossbow just in case I couldn't pull my bow back any more. Now, even a 40# recurve is too much for my shoulder if I shoot it more than 10 shots. I love the history so I have a recurve crossbow to try to keep with the history as much as possible without going to a medieval-type machine. I've now taken 2 deer and 2 elk with the crossbow and have found it to be a lot of fun. It's quieter than a rifle, more accurate than I am with the trad. bows, but kind of heavy to carry through the woods on stalks/still hunts. I have to deal with some attitude from some of the "real" bowhunters (with their 80% letoff and trigger release :^) who think that hunting with a crossbow is cheating. There are very few who have hunted with or even shot a crossbow here in Colorado since you have to hunt during a rifle season with one. It's been frustrating for me to not be able to shoot a trad. bow at my age (38), but with the crossbow, I can still fling arrows.

 

[graveyard zombie]

It's quieter than a rifle,

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that is why I'm 95% more of a bow hunter now. It's a lot quieter, safer in the crowded woods and I've finally gotten tired of things that go boom.

 

[66606]

Why did I get into crossbows? Well it's an odd story.

In my youth I trained and qualified as a Gamekeeper (One of those guys who looks after pheasants and such for the more well heeled British gentlemen). Eventually though I drifted out of that and away from any form of shooting.

Then at the ripe old age of 31 I was diagnosed with Epilepsy, after all those years when I was younger wandering around with a shotgun I discovered that I could have been a danger to everyone.
That diagnosis precluded me from ever gaining a firearms or shotgun license in the UK, I thought that I would never be able to shoot again.

Five years later I was walking through a town close by to me and chanced to meet an old friend who was ( and still is a police officer) he mentioned that recently they had raided a bloke who had been selling various illegal items. Several of these were crossbows.

Knowing that I was keen on 'Field sports' and the crossbows being destined for destruction he offered me the chance of buying one of the crossbows, the money going to charity. The sale was legitimised by the Chief officer at the station and was all legal and above board.

Now I have a nice corner of field to shoot in, there are no public rights of way for miles around, the area is completely open and I shoot alone. Many happy hours will be spent shooting at targets in the years to come I can assure you.

I have to admit though I do envy you lucky ones who can go out and hunt live game.

 

[Darkchylde]

Well, I have been a deer hunter for some time and since the local laws are changing around my area in PA about hunting it is a good weapon of choice. Since I hunt in Allegheny County you cannot use a rifle anymore, basically no centerfire since I can't use my .44 mag either. I currently use a .50 inline muzzleloader for regular season but recently they opened certain areas up to crossbows for archery for anyone.

Also, I have had issues with my back since I was hit by a car then in an accident where I was rear ended. I had 5 pinched nerves and never fails every year around winter I have to pay a few visits to the chiropractor. Shoveling snow aggravates it.

Along with all that I have loved mid evil weapons myself and collect a few swords and other weapons.

 

[Foghorn]

I have been a deer hunter since the first season began in Illinois. I got into bowhunting in the 70's. Started with compounds and a few years ago I started using a recurve. Just got tired of the compounds. Then I started having shoulder problems and couldn't shoot enough to justify hunting deer with a bow. I figured my bow hunting days were over untill Il. changed the laws and allowed seniors over 62 years of age to use a crossbow. So this spring at 67 years of age I got my first crossbow, a TL-7. I can't wait this fall to be back up in a tree stand and hunt for deer and turkey.

 

[dmznimrod]

40 YEARS OF BEING A CARPENTER has taken its toll on me and all the accidents just beat me down to the point i cannot pull my bow back past the break over point. the pain is, well you all know no need to go any further.
my father just passed on june 5th 2008 and was a master bowman with many a trophy. he started me off with a long bow and then promoted me to a recurve in the mid sixties and that was the love of our lives, bow hunting. at the age of 83 he finally gave up and got a crossbow and hunted till 86 years young. last year he gave me his crossbow as he stated he couldn't hunt anymore. to tired and worn out, not to mention that telephone pole falling on him when he was at the top repairing the primary wires didn't help. crushed his wrist and shoulder but he and i have bitten the bullet to the bitter end. i will follow in his foot steps and finish my years bow hunting with a crossbow (his) i refuse to quite hunting with a bow in archery season in michigan. this is a very special time of year for me, with the passing of my father. I AM SURE HIS SPIRIT WILL GUIDE MY BOLT TO ITS TARGET AND MAKE MY JUDGEMENT TO TAKE SHOTS AS WELL.

 

[Guest]

Age has taken over for me, In the cold, I could not break down a 60 lb compound a couple of years ago and it cost me several shots at a wallhanger. That is when I went to my Xbow for good. It's still fun to mess around with my recurve tho in the back yard. I'm 69 years young now. and that's my story. Good hunting to you guys, no matter what equipment you use.

 

[Terry Williams]

I appreciated reading all your stories and it gives me a new insight. Thanks

 

[Munsterlndr]

Like Tony, since a young age I've been interested in history, especially medieval Europe. My Father was a skilled woodworker and when I was about seven he made me a fully functional wooden crossbow for Christmas. I realized the potential of the crossbow when that Christmas morning I sent a bolt down the length of the hallway in my parents house and it went through the rubber suction cup on the end of it and stuck itself in the door of may parents closet. :cheers2: Fortunately my Dad was a good sport and he made some rubber blunts for the bolts that did a better job of protecting things and also gave me a thorough lecture on only shooting at appropriate targets. Many red squirrels fell victim to that crossbow during my formative years. Fast forward 40 some years. Since that time I've acquired a Masters degree in History which was fueled by a lifelong interest in the subject. I'm an avid gun collector, hand loader, vertical bow hunter and upland game hunter (for those of you not familiar with the breed, my avatar is named after my dog's breed a Small Munsterlander Pointer)

Woodworking is also a hobby of mine and I'm currently building a replica of a 16th century crossbow, made of Beech that was timbered from my own property. (parts from Alchem) Hopefully by next year I will get the chance to arrow a deer with this crossbow, which will give me a great deal of personal satisfaction, harvesting a deer with a bow of my own making. At this point it's still a work in progress.

 

[mideerslayer]

Fall 17 feet off a roof on to a concrete drive way and here I am

I have 5 bulging disk in my back one is in my uperneck and I also have a syrnix (fluid build up in my spine) If it was to burst it could paralize(sp) me

So I have been taken off work am not allowed to do anything stressful or straining like pull a bow

On top of the that it has caused nerve damage in my arm and leg So Yes Im a mess, but I love archery so much I cant give it up and I see crossbow are just like regular bow just different

So this is why I made the jump to crossbow's but I think they are a great choice of weapon either way

Rich

 

[Bayou Excalibur]

I really liked reading all of your stories. My story is pretty boring compared to the rest. Living in the south, I started deer hunting when I was nine years old with a single shot 20 gauge. My father instilled in me and my brother the values and importance of hunting. At age eleven, I graduated to the twelve gauge shotgun. When I was sixteen, I mowed yards all summer to buy me a Remington 270 bolt action. My dad taught me the importance of working for what I have. He also knew I bought it, I would take care of it LOL.

Then come the age of eighteen when I ordered my first Martin compound bow out of Cabelas. I have been hooked on archery every since. So the last sixteen years I have been hunting with a compound, but this year Louisiana passed the new crossbow law. I have killed a deer with just about every weapon legal under the sun to take a deer with, but I have never killed one with a crossbow.

It is kind of like starting all over again this year for me since it will be my first year hunting with a crossbow. It is a totally new weapon that I will have to learn about through trial and error. It took me numerous years before I knew half way what I was doing with compound bows. Therefore, I am very excited to take up crossbow hunting. I will probably never pick up a vertical bow again. I am getting older and have put my body through abuse due to sports, weight lifting, and hunting. Both of my shoulders are getting bad especially my left one.

It is refreshing to have a new archery weapon that will take years to learn until I get right. I am fired up to be a new member of the crossbow family.

 

[sculpty]

It's great to read all the replies - what a community there is here!

It is great to read all replies - thank you all!

For me: I grew up on a small acreage. I used to run around exercising my imagination playing all sorts of games and inventing/making all kinds of toys and weapons

I never made a crossbow as it was forbidden by my parents, but made (attempted to) several longbows, glove guns, etc. I always wanted a crossbow but just kept putting it off until just recently.

Being blessed with a fiancee this year I thought it now or never and seeing that she loves the outdoors too, I purchased one with her approval. I figure that I need to be able to provide for my family and a crossbow is a way of getting meat, and exercise!!!

That is part of my story anyhow

 

[dyeclan]

I'm into it for a couple of reasons. I always wanted one, my Dad played with an old Commando self cocker back when I was a kid, but he never did much with it, and kind of talked crossbows down. He was more of an instinctive archer, and that's how we were brought up. Years pass and I never got back into it, before you know it, you've got your own family and all those things tugging you different ways.

Reconnected with my Dad this thanksgiving, and he was all wound up by a doe kill. That's not like him, he's got walls of trophies. But this one was different. He's got arthritis terrible in his wrists from years of swinging a hammer, and can't hope to shoot a bow ever again. A friend had given him a crossbow, and one weekend, he decided to give it a shot. Took a doe on the back of the property, and he's like a little kid about it. That got me back in. My brothers are getting back into arrow slinging too, so it gives us all something we can do together, and I think that 's pretty cool.

I mentioned a couple other reasons. I personally think firearms and ammunition are going to get priced out of the workin man's range real soon, and I want a way to keep the freezer full that I can afford. That was just a real good justification to go out and get my own xbow. That, and finding out that Ohio is home to a couple major manufacturers, right in my back yard, is real cool too. Anytime you can support a local business, you're doin good.

 

[hunterfisher]

I used to hunt with a recurve years ago. loved the early season hunt. I'm now a D.A.V . Since I had my stroke in 1985, caused from multiple trauma, I'm unable to pull back a conventional bow. Bought my first crossbow in 96 or 97 and fell in love with it. It allowed me to get back in the woods and my love of deer hunting. I would be lost now without it.
Kenny

 

[Maccool]

I started out bow hunting when I was 12 and it has always been my favorite and had my fair share of bows, but in Feb. 05 I hit a ditch doing about 40mph on a snowmobile and had to have 5 surgerys on wrists and shoulders so had to go to crossbow, heck I was off work so long they gave me a medical retirement at the age of 36 . But I'm not complaining ,now I don't have to put in for days off to go hunting.