So I Bought a Crossbow

Har, har! You will note I am not proficient out to 50 yrd. And each of us should take the shot WE are comfortable with. As for poo pooing everyone that makes a long range kill, that is just a purist talking. Yeah Fred, I have trees in Downeast where I sit 63 ft. off the ground. Not in a blind or stand, on the limbs. And yeah, it is killing because the deer have no idea I am up there. I can see much further then I can shoot, and I CAN shoot. I have the correct equipment and such.
You ride a wheeler, you have a magnum, you have a big scope, you sit in trees, you sit in tree stands, you use dogs, you bait, you use a crossbow, you use a compound, you use a recurve. It has been written in a great article a few year back that until we strip everyone down naked and drop them in the Rockies with a sharp rock and tell them to kill a grizzly, you aint hunting right. Be careful how you look down your noses at others methods of hunting. I prefer still hunting with a lever gun or auto, but the coyote ended that game for me 30 years ago. And if you believe the Benoit boys are real, I have a bridge in Arizona to sell you. There are many talented people in the game, your talents set your ethics, not theirs.

Kevin

OK--I see I'm gonna try & answer this one part at a time--As for the 1st sentence, I kinda agree if by comfortable you mean a definite kill shot. I don't think sharing my traditional beliefs of what hunting was/is to most Native's would be poo-pooing. Nothing wrong with purist ACTION--TALK, not so much. Funny about your 63 foot branch standing/sitting so the deer don't know your there--hell Kevin, I can do that within 25 yds tracking & have the same results on the ground. BUT, can you shoot with just the BASIC equipment? Hell, anybody can shoot with all the new gadgets, bells & whistles. I like the Rockies article--sure would sort out the woodsmen from the novices & city slickers. Who are the Benoit boys? Unfortunately, not only are there many talented people that hunt, but way to many butchers. Just sayin, that's all. Is it talent that sets ethics or $$$$ that can buy you the things where talent falls by the wayside & in turn, ethics. Like I said--in my world there is a big difference between huntin & just killin. I've drug to many carcass's, just shot, not field dressed or anything else--minus HEAD out of the woods around here & taken them farther in so the Coyotes can do what they do best.

KLook wrote:Har, har! You will note I am not proficient out to 50 yrd. And each of us should take the shot WE are comfortable with. As for poo pooing everyone that makes a long range kill, that is just a purist talking. Yeah Fred, I have trees in Downeast where I sit 63 ft. off the ground. Not in a blind or stand, on the limbs. And yeah, it is killing because the deer have no idea I am up there. I can see much further then I can shoot, and I CAN shoot. I have the correct equipment and such.
You ride a wheeler, you have a magnum, you have a big scope, you sit in trees, you sit in tree stands, you use dogs, you bait, you use a crossbow, you use a compound, you use a recurve. It has been written in a great article a few year back that until we strip everyone down naked and drop them in the Rockies with a sharp rock and tell them to kill a grizzly, you aint hunting right. Be careful how you look down your noses at others methods of hunting. I prefer still hunting with a lever gun or auto, but the coyote ended that game for me 30 years ago. And if you believe the Benoit boys are real, I have a bridge in Arizona to sell you. There are many talented people in the game, your talents set your ethics, not theirs.

Kevin

I managed to get out for about 4hrs this morning. I was sick yesterday and still not feeling the best today. I may try for a few more hrs this afternoon. I did have a couple small doe pass just in front of me a 06:30. But saw nothing else. My only reason for limiting my shots to 40yrds or less is just because I have never shot a deer with a crossbow and inexperienced. I have taken most of my deer over 200yrds with a rifle, one was over 300 closer to 400. I just need the confidence I can pull it off and not see an animal suffer because of me. I only had to chase one deer and I did for almost 6hrs before I was able to put it down and was not giving up till I did. That was because I hit the shoulder bone and the bullet went down the leg and out 7mm08 @ 150yds. I will not use that round anymore. My feeling is as long as you plan on putting it on the table it doesn't matter how you get it. Now woodchucks and coyotes are a different story. At least the woodchucks dig the hole for you in advance.

And all that is exactly my point. Nothing more nothing less--I don't expect anyone else to use MY hunting ethics/ skills--just that they be responsible--On the table is OUTSTANDING--

Can't disagree with most of your sentiments Fred, and yes I can use primitive weapons. It is all we had growing up. Now, you schedule a time to go up to my hunting grounds and walk around and shoot only a buck and then we'll talk about how talented you are. Just because you live in an area that is blanketed with deer does not mean the same thing in another mans area. I told you the coyotes/whatever they are, changed the game for us. I spoke with a native American in Maine when we bought our bows as he had a shop and indoor range. He said he put on a gillie suit and just sat near a well beaten trail and they walked right up to him. I could do that in my yard as I lived on the best crossing in the area, but that is not hunting to me either. I did it but I was way out in the woods. I like to go out in the woods. But others would shoot them right off my front yard (and have) with me standing there. It is posted and I do not hunt on my own property. I wish others had my ethics about shooting around houses and towns but they don't. We also had plenty of idiots just killing also.
Down here in Tenn.(and Ga.) I am astounded by what people consider a hunting place. They hunt the tree lines between house after house. Fields and farms with nothing to stop a bullet.I guess that is why it is hunting by permission only.
My comment about ethics was that you should be careful because as you disavow another mans type of hunting someone is doing the same to yours. I don't think the native Americans have any better ethics then I do. They killed to eat, they killed to survive, and they respected the game animals because they knew they would die without them. That has changed as food has become available from other sources. We have had this debate before, and it involved shooting squirrels and franco going off about his ethics. That is where mine change and I will shoot every squirrel that attempts to invade my home or outbuildings. Vermin is another class of animal.
I don't mean to go all rah rah over my woodsmanship, but I grew up in the woods with woodsmen. It is not just because it was way up in rural Maine, it is how we operated. Many of my friends in the same area are horrible shots and have no woods skills. They ride around in trucks because they lack the patience and knowledge to identify good places to hunt and then pick out a stand or method to hunt it. Many tried to crowd into our area because they figured we can't be better hunters and just have a bunch of deer to shoot. Most give up when they find scant sign and figure out how far back in the woods we go. Others accused us of killing illegally at night with lights and such as our success rate was higher then anyone that hunted the back woods. This brought law enforcement in to stake us out and harass us. They even put an undercover guy in on us. Everyone hates a winner, even when the winner works hard and does it right.
Good luck to all this fall with whatever weapon and method of hunting you chose, and be safe, there are a lot of fools out there. I may not get the chance to hunt, I am going to try. But my "woodcraft" does not work in a new land as well and I need to reeducate myself.

Kevin

Peace Fred.

Kevin

Fred,you sure got the waste of a gift from God and Nature covered ! Might as well go to the Grocery Store,load the cart up,pay for it and then dump it out in the parking lot.....Never ate a set of Antlers in my Life,but when you find a carcass missing it's head and backstraps,it doesn't get too much more disgusting than that.... Kevin.you know what you've done is legal and time honored. Simply carry on a clean hunt,and I think you and FF would be good together in the Deep Woods !

With my crossbow, I would never shoot over 30 yards with it at a deer. Its accurate enough, but the bolt likely wouldnt or couldnt go all the way thru the deer. the bolts arent heavy enough and lose energy. But yours may go that far and do the job, I don't know. One of the deer I got was at 30 yards and it didnt have much energy left after going thru it and that was a heart shot. The bolt kinda trickled out The other went thru easily but that was closer and that was a lung shot.

I mostly just use a percussion muzzy if I bother to go anymore. I cant legally use a spear here or I'd try that. It doesnt matter much to me anymore if I get one or not I just like to go once in a while.

Kevin, I think we are much more in agreement on all this then it might appear to the casual reader. Peace back at ya my friend. NOW, then there's always that friggin Ohio Mod. Nice HB.

Well my VW Jetta does a good job. But still had to put her down. Still waiting to get that back. Driving my truck back and forth is killing me.

With my crossbow, I would never shoot over 30 yards with it at a deer. Its accurate enough, but the bolt likely wouldnt or couldnt go all the way thru the deer. the bolts arent heavy enough and lose energy. But yours may go that far and do the job, I don't know. One of the deer I got was at 30 yards and it didnt have much energy left after going thru it and that was a heart shot. The bolt kinda trickled out The other went thru easily but that was closer and that was a lung shot

Not sure what you have but I have seen the latest greatest of these things and they are ridiculous. Ethically, shoot as far as you think you can and that covers it. But others have better equipment and skill and can do more. I dislike the articles they print in shooting and hunting magazines about shooting at extreme ranges. They have at least started to put in disclaimers about the equipment needed and the skill and practical experience needed to pull of these shots. Of course, you don't hear about the misses or bad shots by people who think they are a sniper because they can buy a fancy piece of equipment. And how many of them really don't care? Every year in Maine, people will plug a moose and when he runs away they just drive off because it is to hard to recover him. Criminal. And I know people that have done it. Sickening.

Kevin

I havent used mine in years and would have to look to see what it is. I had a permit to use it at the time as my neck couldnt handle a modern bow. But yes, I agree with you completely as I don't understand why people take those long shots. I have shot 14 deer in my life and recovered 13. Number 14 was the one that got up and ran away during a drizzle that turned into a hard rain. I couldn't track it.

Everyone wants a trophy is most of the problem.

Kevin, so here I sit reminiscing my yute LOL Just thinking about wilderness experiences--aside from my Father & his Native up bringing which he passed down to me, my experience with old school 4H, Cub Scouting, & Boy Scouting/ Explorer participation, NRA back when, etc--my folks went through some marital non-bliss for a couple years & decided I needed to get lost for a couple summers--anyway---I ended up at a Camp Bearnstow in Mt Vernon, Maine on Parker Pond. While there they hooked me up with the Junior Maine Guide Program--anyone interested can GOOGLE that & get some info on it--crap I was around 14 I think--but it was a real serious program on wilderness survival. I remember our final testing was in the Rangeley Lake region & was pretty intense & real competitive-- I kinda remember out of about 40 of us kids, only half passed. We got to go to Augusta & the, then Governor presented us with our Certificates. Point being, it was an outstanding woodsman program that has been going on for years & years--nothing to do with ACTUAL hunting, BUT, an outstanding program--just an old farmer REMINISCING Three & 1/2 yrs later--I was off to Vietnam--ain't that a kick in the ass LOL

I'll take your any day of the week ! Man,that's one hell of a story of a woodsman in the making. Glad you made it back to the World,you ragged Freetowner you !

Kevin, so here I sit reminiscing my yute LOL Just thinking about wilderness experiences--aside from my Father & his Native up bringing which he passed down to me, my experience with old school 4H, Cub Scouting, & Boy Scouting/ Explorer participation, NRA back when, etc--my folks went through some marital non-bliss for a couple years & decided I needed to get lost for a couple summers--anyway---I ended up at a Camp Bearnstow in Mt Vernon, Maine on Parker Pond. While there they hooked me up with the Junior Maine Guide Program--anyone interested can GOOGLE that & get some info on it--crap I was around 14 I think--but it was a real serious program on wilderness survival. I remember our final testing was in the Rangeley Lake region & was pretty intense & real competitive-- I kinda remember out of about 40 of us kids, only half passed. We got to go to Augusta & the, then Governor presented us with our Certificates. Point being, it was an outstanding woodsman program that has been going on for years & years--nothing to do with ACTUAL hunting, BUT, an outstanding program--just an old farmer REMINISCING Three & 1/2 yrs later--I was off to Vietnam--ain't that a kick in the ass LOL

Great story Fred, I'll bet the lessons learned were valuable in Vietnam. Might be why you are here. The guy I sent you a pic of was the local Boy Scout leader and my brother built(or I built) his house on the old camp site looking down to where the E. Machias and Machias river converge. Beautiful spot. The kids that he had always told me stories about what fun it was and how much they learned. Did I say kids? They are all 12 to 20 years older then me! This would have been back in the 60's. Interesting that we both learned from older people. I think that is the best way. I just didn't have a nasty war get in the way.

Several years ago an older woman moved back into Machias and started showing up in the coffee shops. She was gregarious and outgoing and sported a Korean war hat. She was a nurse it turns out and had many experiences. I am drawn to these kind of people and sat down one day and introduced myself. She proceeded to tell me how her life unfolded. The gist of it is...She always amazed her counterparts wherever they went and whatever she did because she could just DO things. She would tell them that she learned how to do many things because life was hard and no one was going to do it for you in a rural area. Once you learn that you can DO things, you stop thinking about the IF and just get on with DOING. All of your past experiences relate to the here and now and what you are about to do. I enjoyed her chat so much I made sure to see her when I went back in July, and found that she had moved from Machias(where there is at least some help available to the elderly) to Wesley! This is a wide spot in the road on Route 9 that is miles from any amenities. But she can take care of herself, just ask her.

Kevin