The Truth...

[MarkMarine]

The Truth...

I was 46 years old when I got my first deer with a crossbow. The problem was not with the will or even my ability, it was finding a place to hunt. Here in Missouri, there are hundreds of thousands of deer...but NOT where I grew up as a boy.

Since returning from the Marines in the mid-80s I had searched for a place to hunt. Most of the farms were like the one I lived on: open fields and pasturelands that the deer simply would not populate due to lack of habitat. The public grounds of National Forest turned into a party zone of off-roaders & 4-wheelers during archery season and a shooting gallery come rifle season.

When I could find a place that was halfway decent, I came in early, stayed out late, but was never successful...did not even see any but on the drive in or the drive out. Whether it rained, snowed, or sunshine - I quietly set-up and stayed up feeling it was the least I could do for Creator to bless me with a harvest.

I am not a trophy hunter - I am a meat hunter. If it was legal to take, I would try to take it. But even with such low standards, compared to others perhaps, I still did not have any success (though sitting in the great outdoors is hardly a failure). Finally in 2007 on the opening day of bow season, a neighbor allowed me to come hunt on his place. I took a ground blind and my Exomag and entered once more into the woods I so love.

My exwife had long ago given up on me to get a deer. All she saw was the expense of the gear and the emptiness of the freezer. But, she knew it was important to me and, though not supportive, at least she did not run her mouth when I would return empty-handed (the disappointment on my face punishment enough). But, September 15, 2007, the planets must have aligned for after sitting there for hours and with twilight approaching, the impossible happened: I saw movement that was NOT a squirrel!

Through the underbrush I picked up the head first. All my eyes registered was that it was an adult. I watched it browse, cross over a fallen fence, and slowly make its way toward me. I whispered a silent prayer to Creator. It stopped about 60 yards out and looked directly at my blind. I was motionless. After a moment, it walked a little further only to stop again and look directly at my blind. I was trying to whisper myself invisible.

When it lowered its head I clicked the safety off the Exomag and sighted it through the Vari-Scope. It walked closer. It stopped, ears perked in my direction boring holes though the blind with its eyes. I saw nothing but those eyes. When it turned broadside to walk to my right, I focused on the kill-zone and squeezed the trigger. I watched the Muzzy fly - mesmerized by the arrow's flight.

The deer immediately bolted. I sat still looking in the direction it disappeared saying again and again, "Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord." Trying to listen above the cacophony of squirrels which all jumped up off the ground and back into the trees where they perched protesting. I gathered my gear while I waited. Darkness had fallen by the time the blind opened and I set off to blood-trail the deer.

I looked for an hour with no luck. Finally, I walked back to the house to fetch my exwife and youngest son to come help. We began an ever-increasing radius search until finally, I found blood a lot farther away than I thought on some blackberry bushes beneath some powerlines. I called the others over and we set off in pursuit. The blood was thick and foamy. I knew I had hit a lung and from the amount sprayed, the heart too. Not 10 yards away from where I first found the blood lay a set of green eyes shining in the flashlight.

I went to it and was shocked to discover it was an 8-Point buck! It was perhaps the happiest moment of my life. I knelt before the deer and prayed anew to the Great Spirit for gracing me with so noble a beast and thanking the buck for allowing me to feed my family.

Since then, hard times have fallen upon me and my marriage has been dissolved. In the dissolution, my exwife sold my ExoMag at a yard sale she held. It hurt me deeply as I attribute my 2007 success in large part to it. The ExoMag had been through so much and so many disappointing hunts. It had weathered the rain and snow and my disappointment again and again...yet always shot true when I practiced. - and shot true at my moment of truth.

I was saddened when I logged on these 3 years later to find they no longer make the ExoMag. It seems I will only have it in my memory now. I did order a Y25, though (which has basically the same specs)...perhaps it is my way of showing how much I cherish the history I had with Excalibur by holding on to a piece of theirs.

[Boo]

Welcome back!

[agingcrossbower]

Great Story! You know you listen to all the big buck stories and the pacel I hunt here and look what I saw there and you forget that not all have the opportunities some of us do. It makes you want to thank God even more for the glimpse of a deer or the sun shining off that big rack out of the corner of your eye. That story really brings you back to earth and keeps your feet grounded. Thanks for sharing.

[one shot scott]

Great post. I enjoyed reading it! And welcome to the forum MarkMarine!

[MarkMarine]

Thank you for your kind responses. It is good to be back among those who appreciate crossbow hunting. I began building crossbows in the early 70s while in trade school from the old kits you use to be able to buy. Attitudes have changed much since - and that is a good thing.

I do have one question for any who may be willing to answer: On the Exomag I had Excalibur's Vari-Zone (I believe it was Max-Zone if I remember right). On this Y25 I ordered, it has a regular peep sight. Can anyone tell me more about the peep sight that come with this crossbow? My eyes are not what they once were...unfortunately, neither is my budget LOL So I am leery about investing in a scope unless input deems it more of a necessity than a convenience.

Any thoughts?

[Boo]

A good scope is a good investment in that it will allow you to do things that you may not be able to do otherwise. Making a precise chip shot through a smallish opening, getting a slightly better look at an animal, more precise shots at varied distance etc are all what a scope can do. The Varizone is a good scope for the money and it is warranted for life (more or less). Used ones come up for sale from time to time and you may be able to convince someone selling a bow to sell the scope separately. Price? Probably $60 to $80. Personally I prefer rifle scopes for their better durability and light management.

[MarkMarine]

Boo,

Thanks for your response. I believe I read elsewhere you use a Burris? Notwithstanding, do the riflescopes you use allow for rangefinding applicable to crossbow trajectories?

Mark

[Boo]

I use Leupold, B&L 4200s as well as Burris. I guess they can if you use the upper and lower posts but I don't. I set my crosshairs at about 2" high at 20 yards which puts me good to go to 30 yards. It's the KISS principle for me. I'm always afraid that I'm going to confuse the various marks some day. Besides, I like the clarity of better optics during low light.

[Pinpoint]

That was a great read!!! Thanks for sharing your story and welcome. I have not yet harvested an animal with my cb but your story definately inspires to keep on trying!!

Thanks again!

[flightattendant100]

I have just gotten back my Leupold compact 2.5x that I had Leupold reset the parallax to 25 yrds.They are very small, light, and gather light like you wouldnt believe.You can pick these up on e-bay or gunbroker for a smidge over 100.00 and Leupold gets 15.00 to reset the parallax.Leupolds also carry a lifetime to anybody warranty,so buying a used one is no big deal.But the best part about their warranty is that you will never have to use it.I have become very spoiled to their quality.I am looking forward to this coming season to try this latest one out.

[vixenmaster]

Congrats on the 8 pt & welcome to the forum. Older i get the better i like my scopes

[Cossack]

Welcome back to the brotherhood of the horizontal bow.

I shoot bows of different speeds, the two mentioned below and a faster 'off brand' (compound). That makes using a single crosshair reticule to guesstimating shot placement from bow to bow tricky to remember. The solution: LumuZones of my Excals and a Hawke MAP on the compound. The power ( speed ring) can be changed on the LumiZones so the aim points match the trajectory of the two Excals. Using a heavier arrow in the compound, causes its to match the aimpoints in the MAP at comparable distance. Long story short , all three bows shoot exactly on at 20,30,40 and 50 yards with their same respective aimpoint. Nothing to remember, just aim and shoot. At nearly 70, that's a good thing.

[Hoss]

Welcome LeatherNeck OOOoooooooRrrrrrAaaaaHhhhhhhhhh!

[MarkMarine]

Oorah - GET SOME!

Thank you for all the responses. Judging from them, this old Marine needs to rub a few pennies together and see if he can find a scope.

Deer and antelope indeed should play, but those unfortunates bound & doomed to a set routine deserve to be set free...with a Bolt-Cutter.

[Brenjen]

Great read! That story could have easily been told by any one of a thousand hunters I'm sure; one thing I'll never forget from my first archery kill was the sound of the arrows impact, that sharp *CRACK* as the arrow found it's mark....good times.

Heck I didn't get my first kill until I was, let's see 30'ish? And I have hunted every year since I was seven & most of those have been archery, muzzleloader, then modern gun, then back to archery again! Spending sometimes as many as 40 - 50 days in the field per season (not always but there have been a few like that).

Finding a decent place to hunt is the hardest part if you don't own or lease a place. It sucks to be a peasant in this new roman empire, it surely does.