“Have you ever hunted with a bow or a crossbow?” asked the seminar attendee toward the back of the room. Before I could respond he added, “I have seen a lot of articles, photos and television shows with you hunting with handguns, muzzleloaders and rifles. But, cannot remember you ever hunting with anything having to do with an arrow or bolt.”
I smiled then replied, “I used to bowhunt, then I grew up!” I hesitated as some in the crowd snickered, while others looked at me questioningly! “Shot my last deer with a bow and arrow back in 1984!” Hesitated again then added, “Initially I hunted with a recurve, then a bow with all those wheels and other contraptions on it. Matter of fact I wrote several articles for “Bowhunter Magazine” and other bowhunting publications back when. During my early days as an outdoor writer, bowhunting publications paid $25.00 to $50.00 per article. Gun and gun hunting publications paid $350 and more. Both took the same time to write and do the hunt. At the time I was trying to feed my family on a wildlife biologist’s salary, which was rather meager. Didn’t take me long to decide to leave bowhunting and concentrate on hunting with firearms, especially handguns, muzzleloader and rifles.”
Growing up in the gravel hills north of the Colorado River in southern Texas after a long summer of hauling hay and digging post holes by hand I saved enough money to buy a crossbow from an ad in the back of an issue of “Outdoor Life”. I could not wait to get it and shoot it!
My first two shots, widely missed the bails of hay I had set up in front on our barn. Both bolts left holes in the barn’s tin wall and went on to break two one-gallon jars filled with molasses. This I learned when I retrieved them. My third shot, the bow of my crossbow cracked, then broke completely. This ended my potential early career as a “crossbow hunter”. Incidentally back then crossbows were either not legal or relegated to being used during the regular firearm season.
Over the years a lot of things changed, especially with the quality of the crossbows themselves, bolts and broadheads. Changes also occurred in many States where crossbows could finally be used during archery seasons.
I will state up front, I am not a bowhunter, but I certainly appreciate and respect those who do with bows and arrows! That said, I seriously considered hunting with a bow and arrow a few years ago because of the early seasons provided to those who hunt with archery equipment. I have long said the best time to take a truly big whitetail buck one knows about, it the earliest possible legal season, which equated to archery hunting.
Then too, the results of numerous helicopter crashes during my career as a wildlife biologist who spent considerable time in helicopters each year doing aerial game surveys, and also a few “mule wrecks” which hunting the back country, pulling a bow, even with a decent break-over, has made it difficult for me to pull back a bow. And even though I hate to admit it, advancing age beyond three score and ten has not helped my ability to be a “complete bowhunter”!
Enter Stan Christiansen, a friend and true whitetail fanatic from Kansas. Stan had taken numerous monster whitetails with a bow, but then switched to a crossbow because it become “uncomfortable” to hunt with his bow. Not only has he taken many fine North American big game animals with a crossbow he’s also taken elephant and other dangerous in Africa, as well as buffalo and other animals in Australia. While hunting whitetails with him, he handed me a TenPoint crossbow with three bolts. “Got a target set up in the back yard. Go shoot those those three bolts, from the 40-yard marker. Hold dead-on!”
I did as he suggested from a tripod rest designed for a crossbow. All three bolts were nearly touching each other in the center of the bullseyes! Hmmm…
Fast forward to a recent black bear hunt in Alberta where I shared camp with fellow writer/biologist/friend Brad Fenson and a friend of many years who has long been in the outdoor/hunting business, Mark Sidelinger. During a morning sight-in session I watched Brad put several bolts shot from his TenPoint crossbow into a very tight group at 20 to 50-yards. Impressive!
Mark noticed I was smiling and sidled next to me. “Ever think about hunting with a crossbow? Surely is fun and a whole lot easier than it used to be. If you’re interested I can help you procure a TenPoint, in my opinion the best there is.”
I was interested, for reasons previously stated, and knowing I intended to again hunt black bear during the Oklahoma archery season in the fall of 2025 on the Choctaw Hunting Lodge (www.choctawhuntinglodge.com), but also whitetails on my lease.
The first week of October 2024 I had hunted black bear on the expansive Choctaw Nation lands with a TenPoint crossbow borrowed from Nicolh Vickrey, Dusty Vickrey’s wife, who, with Dusty manages the property and fabulous guest facilities.
On that hunt I spent five days hunting from before daylight till dark in hopes a bear would come into my bait. The last afternoon, very late a big bear appeared. But it was impossible to see black crosshairs against a black body. I was not able to take that bear. However, that experience lead me to want to learn more and do some hunts with a crossbow, but with a lighted reticle scope.
True to his word, Sidelinger, helped me procure a TenPoint Turbo S1 crossbow, topped with a TenPoint scope with a potentially lighted reticle, ideally green in color. He also helped me procure a hand full of TenPoint ProElite 400 bolts, which Mark suggested I tip with 125-grain Sevr Titanium Hybrid 15 mechanical broadheads (www.sevrbroadheads.com) based on his hunting experiences.
Once my crossbow arrived, I called Luke Clayton. Luke and I have been doing a weekly radio show together for over 18 years, now also a podcast “Catfish Radio with Luke Clayton and Friends”, which like my weekly “DSC’s Campfires with Larry Weishuhn” podcast can be heard on Spotify, Applepodcasts, outdooraction.com, carbontv.com and many other places. Luke and I too have written a couple of books together, “Campfire Talk” and “Poor Man’s Grizzly”, these two books along with my “Deer Addictions” will soon be available on Outdoor Specialty Media’s website (www.outdoorspecialtymedia.com), as well as through www.larryweishuhn.net and www.catfishradio.org. Luke has long hunted with archery and crossbows. I asked him numerous basic questions about the crossbow after thoroughly reading the instruction booklet that came with the crossbow. His comments, suggestions and assistance were greatly appreciated.
After setting up a target, I sighted-in my crossbow at 30-yards, which would be an appropriate distance I hoped to shoot hunting whitetails on my lease in western Texas. It took but a few shots to be properly sight-in, and to make me comfortable shooting it. I was impressed.
Visiting with with Brad Fenson, Luke Clayton and Mark Sidelinger I knew the TenPoint crossbow was extremely accurate, even at much longer ranges. Starting out, knowing I should be able to get within 30-yards of either whitetail deer or a black bear, I saw little reason to initially shoot at distances beyond that yardage. I felt and was shown by shooting, if I got even closer than 30-yards shots I could keep my bolts within the vitals of the animal I might be shooting at.
Fast forward the last week of January 2025. I invited Jeff Rice and Luke Clayton, with whom I co-host our weekly digital television show, “A Sportsman’s Life” which airs on CarbonTV.com and our YouTube Channel of the same name, to hunt with me on my western Texas lease.
Our goal beyond having a great time and eating well was to shoot some does and management bucks that I had on my quota based on the Managed Lands Deer Permit. This Texas Parks and Wildlife Department permit allows hunting of whitetail deer through the end of February. Quotas for bucks and does on individual properties are based on current deer numbers, buck to doe ratios, fawn survival rates, long term goals and objectives of the property, but also range conditions. My hope was to take several does and a management buck for each of us.
As it worked out we saw very few does other than at extremely long range, running away! Bucks, were a totally different matter. Each of us saw as many as ten to fifteen bucks per day.
Luke, Jeff and I each used Vineyard Max (www.vineyardmax.net) attractant, which also happens to be really good for deer! In Texas it is legal to bait deer. Baiting gives the hunter time to truly evaluate any buck due to age and antlers before deciding whether to pull the trigger or pass. Vineyard Max worked to perfection!
I suggested Luke and Jeff, like me primarily target bucks with darkly stained tarsals (hocks) which in our area indicates a buck is at least four years old or older. I also suggested the concentrate older deer with 8-points or less antlers.
Both Jeff and Luke took really nice and appropriate management bucks.
I held off taking a buck until the last morning, having passed numerous really nice, though younger bucks.
Reaching my hunting area, the weather turned from heavily overcast to a dense misty rain. I hunted an area where I had been seen several bucks, baited in with Vineyard Max, both management bucks, but also a really nice, though ancient 10-point.
When it got light enough to see, using my Stealth Vision Rangefinder binos (www.stealthvision.com), I took a serious look at a nice 10-point. But he looked like a youngster. I also ranged several bushes and trees, so if a buck I was interested came in, I would already know the range.
Just then a small racked 8-point strode in. He was small of body, likely only 100-pounds live-weight. His small stature and rack reminded me of a Carmen Mountains or Coues whitetail, both of which I have hunted and dearly love doing so. I quickly looked at this “hocks” they were dark. No doubt he was at least 4-years old.
The buck stopped, started feeding on the Vineyard Max, a ranged 30-yards away. Slowly and cautiously I move my face to where I could see the now lit scope’s reticle. I settled the 30 yard “spot” right behind the deer’s right shoulder. Then just as if I was shooting a rifle, took a deep breath and while letting it all out pushed the safety to “fire”, then gently tugged the trigger.
At the shot the buck jumped straight up, turned and ran to my right. I watched as he disappeared into the mesquite and junipers. I knew he was vitally hit. Normally I would have been self-filming my hunt. But that morning because of the eminent threat of heavy rains, I had left my video camera back at camp. Had I filmed the hunt, I could have played back the shot and known exactly where I had hit the buck.
I waited a few minutes during which time I loaded another bolt. Then walked to where the buck had been standing. I found the bolts about 20 steps beyond. It as bloody with frothy blood! Hit confirmed, I picked up the blood trail. About a hundred yards later I found my buck!
I was ecstatic, my first whitetail into which I had put a crossbow bolt. I knew it would not be my last, and am now looking forward to using my TenPoint crossbow on a black bear in the fall, or possibly even one during the upcoming Spring seasons.
Because of his diminutive size it was easy to drag my buck to the nearest pasture road, where I would pick him up with my Jeep.
Back at camp I asked Jeff Rice to photograph my little buck.
The old sage, “You can’t teach an old dog a new trick!” certainly did not hold true with me. With the ease of “loading and unloading” a bolt from the TenPoint, its supreme accuracy, opportunities to hunt during early archery hunting seasons, I will again soon be hunting with my crossbow. How about you? Is it time for you to procure a TenPoint crossbow?
So…those us us who have had shoulder or hand pains because of having lived a most interesting life, who just might be looking for a new hunting technique, or in my instance simply another hunting technique, but not wanting to shoot a more or less traditions bow, the crossbow is perfect.
I do have one question regarding hunting with a crossbow… Why did I wait so long to start?
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