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December 9th, 2020, 09:59 AM
#1
Considering the switch
After traipsing around the woods for 5 years now with a compound and having some success and some misses. I started doing the math on how many times the opportunity to draw back has presented itself, and it's overwhelmingly low. Where I hunt I journal about 1-2 deer every 10 sits. Some of those encounters vanished before ever materializing into an opportunity due to shot preparation, or swirling winds, and other times it's been an encounter where the chances of success would have been much greater with a crossbow, and thus I've started shopping.
When I started I was pretty adamant about using a compound, I love to shoot and practice. However with a growing family and time to be afield becoming exponentially harder to find I would like to be able to capitalize a little bit more frequently.
Anyone else gone through these feelings? Also what bows do you recommend? If anyone is looking to upgrade let me know what you have.
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December 9th, 2020 09:59 AM
# ADS
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December 9th, 2020, 10:11 AM
#2
Originally Posted by
ride.lift.shoot
After traipsing around the woods for 5 years now with a compound and having some success and some misses. I started doing the math on how many times the opportunity to draw back has presented itself, and it's overwhelmingly low. Where I hunt I journal about 1-2 deer every 10 sits. Some of those encounters vanished before ever materializing into an opportunity due to shot preparation, or swirling winds, and other times it's been an encounter where the chances of success would have been much greater with a crossbow, and thus I've started shopping.
When I started I was pretty adamant about using a compound, I love to shoot and practice. However with a growing family and time to be afield becoming exponentially harder to find I would like to be able to capitalize a little bit more frequently.
Anyone else gone through these feelings? Also what bows do you recommend? If anyone is looking to upgrade let me know what you have.
I own a crossbow ,compound and 3 traditional bows. I bought the crossbow for the same reason that you stated. It certainly does make it easier to get an arrow in a deer, by a huge margin.
That said, I haven't picked up the crossbow in years, for me it really took away a big part of the hunt. I generally stick with my compound late season but if I ever come across the time to get enough practice in I will certainly be out with my longbow.
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How is it one careless cigarette can cause a forest fire, but it takes a whole box of matches to light a campfire?
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December 9th, 2020, 10:20 AM
#3
That's along the same line of thoughts I have, hunt with the compound until the late season and then utilize the xbow when the season is winding down.
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December 9th, 2020, 11:12 AM
#4
Has too much time on their hands
Same as you, I made the switch after getting busted a couple of times and also after hitting a deer in the spine when it saw me draw and jumped the string when I released.
I just don't get enough chances at deer to wait for the next opportunity. I've logged around 100 man-hours on the deer stand this fall already and I've only seen the one deer that's in my freezer.
By far the best deals going are on the used Excalibur crossbows. They won't be a huge investment either if you decide to go back to mainly compound.
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"where a man feels at home, outside of where he's born, is where he's meant to go"
- Ernest Hemingway
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December 9th, 2020, 11:15 AM
#5
If you want to still hunt with an X-bow, you will want one of the newer narrow ones (or a vertical one - seen some youtube videos on those).
I have an older excal and if your not on a trail, its awkward to carry in the brush.
Generally, I only hunt from stands, but have done a bit of bush walking and its not fun.
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December 9th, 2020, 11:34 AM
#6
I have different thoughts than most, not sure... but if you're nothing but a meat hunter and don't have the time to put in at a range or target with either a compound or traditional bow than a crossbow is the way to go... However if you love the outdoors and enjoy the challenge of getting up close and personal to your quarry, to me hunting with a compound bow is the way to go. You've got to know your limitations regarding distance you feel comfortable with shooting at as well as a lot of other factors. It's always been about the hunt for me and not about the killing...
If I tag out that's a bonus, if I don't I've enjoyed my time in the stand and at the range...
I
SkyBlue Big Game Blueticks
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December 9th, 2020, 11:46 AM
#7
Originally Posted by
Bo D
I have different thoughts than most, not sure... but if you're nothing but a meat hunter and don't have the time to put in at a range or target with either a compound or traditional bow than a crossbow is the way to go... However if you love the outdoors and enjoy the challenge of getting up close and personal to your quarry, to me hunting with a compound bow is the way to go. You've got to know your limitations regarding distance you feel comfortable with shooting at as well as a lot of other factors. It's always been about the hunt for me and not about the killing...
If I tag out that's a bonus, if I don't I've enjoyed my time in the stand and at the range...
I
You would probably change your mind if you were always hunting down The South Road. LOL
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December 9th, 2020, 12:04 PM
#8
I did the same thing this fall. I have a compound but love my new to me crossbow. Same model I sold years ago.
So much easier to point and shoot. Less movement than the compound.
It was a good move as I got a nice ten point on my second sit of the year.
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December 9th, 2020, 12:10 PM
#9
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December 9th, 2020, 12:18 PM
#10
Got a couple irons in the fire on an exocet and a equinox at the moment. I missed out on a great deal on a Phoenix. They do seem to be selling quite quickly from the classifieds right now.
I'll probably be holding it against myself more than anyone else would be haha Nothing against hunting with that type of equipment at all, just wasn't the direction I originally intended to go. Yet, success with a vertical proves to be a far greater challenge than I perhaps anticipated.