For years I have had a negative outlook on crossbows. Being a bow hunter, compound (vertical) or traditional (recurve and longbow) bows were, in my opinion, the only way to archery hunt. In my mind, using a crossbow was considered cheating, and I never viewed people (or anyone who wasn’t under 15 years old or handicapped) who utilized crossbows as legit bow hunters. I will humbly admit I have been wrong this whole time.
This is my 8th year of bow hunting, and in the beginning I was an avid shooter. I competed in archery tournaments locally and out of state almost every weekend, and the little free time I had consisted of practicing. I loved shooting and, to no surprise, the more I practiced the better I became. My success as a recreational shooter significantly contributed to my success as a bow hunter. That is, until my health
limited my practice time. The less I practiced, the more my skills as an archer drastically declined. I didn’t want to admit it but, being stubborn, I continued to push through and act oblivious to my situation. Even in competitions, I continued to compete in higher classes thinking I was as good as I used to be, only to be embarrassed and leave competitions with my score card ripped to shreds from disappointment. I didn’t want to accept that my health was limiting me, and I kept fighting until eventually my body wasn’t able to do much of anything. I was in full swing with Lyme treatments, and they were working; but ultimately the side effects were so limiting that I had to put archery and hunting completely on hold.
I’ve been on Lyme treatments for two years now, and during this 2020 hunting season I was finally feeling well enough to get back out there. I started shooting again, but I felt like I was completely starting over. Turkey season was coming up, so I wanted to focus on getting stronger and more accurate again with my compound bow. With Lyme, some days are good and some days are terrible. I would go out shooting and one day be able to draw back my bow and shoot accurately enough to ethically hunt, and the next day I wouldn’t be able to draw my bow back at all. It was frustrating, but my mind was set on going hunting with my compound bow, and I wasn’t going to accept anything less.
A week before archery turkey season opened, Gary decided to purchase a crossbow. I was so upset at him. Back when Gary hurt his shoulder, we owned a really nice crossbow, but he decided to sell it once he was healed up. I honestly didn’t think we needed another one, especially given the fact that when you resell bows and crossbows you lose money. I was convinced I was strong again, and I thought it was a completely unnecessary purchase.
Well, we finally had the chance to go turkey hunting and the birds roosted in a perfect spot. I was actually feeling well enough to go out hunting, and I knew we had a good chance of success. As we were getting gear packed and ready the night before, Gary insisted on bringing his new purchase with us. At that point I didn’t care, I was just ready to finally get out there and hunt again. The next morning, we went out for our hunt. We had a great setup, and as the sun started to rise the turkeys started gobbling and strutting. We began calling with hen vocalizations followed by some gobbles, and before we knew it the turkeys were in our decoys. It was my turn at the first shot, so Gary had the camera ready and rolling. Three mature toms came in and started fighting with our jake decoy, and I was preparing to draw back; or at least I thought I was. I had been practicing and trying to build back up my muscle memory all for this moment. But I couldn’t. I attempted to draw back several times with the turkeys in our decoys, but I had no strength. Finally, feeling so defeated, I looked at Gary and asked him to hand me the crossbow.
It was a perfect shot; the kind we strive for because it’s our job as hunters to be as ethical as possible. And that means a quick clean shot. For a moment, the harvest didn’t feel real to me. I’ll be honest, I didn’t feel accomplished…just because I had used a crossbow. I was so disappointed in myself for not being able to pull my bow back, but even worse the reality kicked in confirming that my health is still limiting me. But then I woke up from my “negative Nancy” slumber and realized how lucky I was that we had a crossbow, and I decided to appreciate the mere fact that hunting on private ground and this opportunity overall was a blessing. I got a taste of humble pie, and it was honestly the remedy to the negativity and judgement I had been feeling. The end result of using a crossbow vs. a compound bow was no different – Gary and I were both able to successfully harvest turkeys that morning. The experience was just as enjoyable. We were able to put food on our table, and most importantly we were out enjoying the outdoors. I had forgotten that the real purpose of all this is to get outside and enjoy nature!
We as human beings judge each other so much; I myself am embarrassed to admit that I thought using a crossbow was below me. But it doesn’t matter what products you use, as long as you are being safe and ethical when you are hunting and enjoying nature. Stop yourself next time you judge someone because they are shooting a specific bow brand, or not wearing ‘cool’ camouflage. From one outdoor enthusiast to another, I welcome, support and will advocate for you because you love this lifestyle. And I am happy and grateful you’re getting out there.
#solitudeboulevard #crossbows #nojudgement #bekind #supportive #encouraging #outdoor #outdoorlifestyle #archery #bowhunting #hunting #turkey