I've done it!

I am now an official, card-carrying member of the Crossbow Craze.

The Craze began in May -- at least in Tennessee. That's when the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission voted to legalize crossbows for everyone during all deer seasons. Until that time crossbows were only legal for those who had an official "doctor's note" verifying they were legally handicapped.

There has been much turmoil and gnashing of teeth within the archery community regarding crossbows. Many traditional bow hunters feel that crossbows offer an unfair advantage and violate the intent of those who established special archery-only deer seasons.

Here is just one comment posted on the TNDeer Forum. "Bowhunting to a true bowhunter is about respect. Respect for the game we hunt. Respect for the learned skills that we aquire. Never... NEVER will you get that respect from another bowhunter by taking the easy crossbow route. So don't go beating your chest and shouting "look what I did" when you point the crossbow at a deer and pull the trigger. My 6 year year old grand-daughter could do that!"

On the other hand, many (including me) believe that crossbows are not substantially advanced enough to provide the overwhelming advantage others claim. And even if it does, so what?

We (or I) also believe that it is critical that we do everything possible to ENCOURAGE newcomers to the hunting ranks -- that we must offer every available opportunity to expand our ranks rather than restrict them.

Why did I want a crossbow?

I cut my teeth as a bowhunter, taking up my first stick and string more than 40 years ago when I was about ten years old. My father, Robert Simms, was one of those "pioneers" who successfully lobbied the then-Tennessee Game & Fish Commission to establish a special season exclusively for archers. It was a decade or more before I ever attempted to hunt deer with anything but a bow & arrow. In other words, I bleed bowhunter.

As of late however, I've grown lazy. As I ease into my later life as a hunter, the "urge to kill" has lessened. And to be quite frank, I simply was not willing to put the time or effort into practicing with my regular bow and arrow to be satisfactorily proficient. If I don't do that, I don't belong in the woods during bow season -- and I haven't been.

One advantage of crossbows that I freely admit is "consistency." Crossbows eliminate the critical need for practice to build strength and a consistent, smooth effective release. A bow that is "cocked & ready," equipped with a trigger mechanism, enables consistency. I don't believe the same degree of practice is essential.

Don't get me wrong … practice is important no matter what your weapon of choice. The game we hunt deserves that. But is it essential that I spend the same number of hours on a range to effectively shoot a crossbow as a traditional bow?

The clear answer is "no."

The First Time Out

I have just returned from my first time on the range at Choo Choo Archery with my new crossbow. It was indeed, a learning experience. But after a couple of hours, I left the range shooting 3 or 4-inch arrow groups at 20 yards, off hand. From a rest I was slapping arrows consistently.

My weapon of choice was a Horton XL Explorer equipped with a 3-dot, Red Dot Sight. My arrows of choice are Horton's Lightning Strike MX Aluminum equipped with 100-grain points.

Lesson One

The first thing I learned about crossbows from the folks at Choo Choo Archery is to buy a rope cocker. There are a variety of cocking devices available and some type is almost essential with the heavier weight bows. With my 150-lb. Horton Explorer, a cocking device isn't essential, however it serves two purposes. Number one it takes the strain off your shoulders and back, important when you are target shooting and taking LOTS of shots. More importantly however, the cocking devices guarantee that you cock the string into the trigger mechanism consistently every time.

Cocking the bow by hand, it is difficult to put equal amounts of pressure on each side, risking the chance of the string being off center which can dramatically affect accuracy.

Lesson Two

The second thing I learned is that the small set screws on the Red Dot scope are for fine tuning only. The "Dial-A-Range" device on the Horton Explorer (and other brands) is necessary for the "gross adjustments" necessary on the first sight-in effort. The "Dial-A-Range" mechanism makes gross, but consistent sight adjustments. Once you get in the ballpark of "off by a few inches," the fine-tuning set screws take over.

The first time I turned on my Red Dot scope (that do require batteries) I was shocked at how closely-spaced the 3 dots were. However I quickly discovered that with the flat trajectory of a crossbow (the Horton XL Explorer 150 shoots 270 ft./sec.), it only takes slight moves to make gross adjustments.

With the 3-dot Red Dot, you sight in the top dot at 20 yards, the 2nd dot will be pretty much dead-on at 30 yards, and the 3rd dot is for 40 yards.

Horton recommends crossbow shooters never take a shot beyond 40 yards. Can you shoot farther?

Yes.

Can you do so consistently, and will the deer still be standing there when the arrow arrives?

Probably not.

That is the complaint of many traditional bowhunters -- that crossbows will attract inexperienced hunters who will be inspired to think they can take those long shots at 50 yards and beyond. And the end result will be an increase in the number of wounded or un-retrieved deer. It's a legitimate concern -- although I believe the same concern exists for inexperienced traditional bowhunters as well.

It's Not a "Distance" Game

Do NOT join the "Crossbow Craze" if you're looking for range. We don't want you.

A crossbow is another chance, and for me, another REASON to get in the woods. But I have no intention of shooting at a deer that I wouldn't shoot at with a traditional bow & arrow.

Tom Hackney has a problem with his hand, and has had the "doctor's excuse," allowing him to deer hunt with a crossbow for two years.

"I've only shot at one deer with my crossbow that I wouldn't have shot at with my regular bow," Hackney said. "It was 30 yards away and I could only see a small part of the rib cage through the brush. I knew I could hit it with my crossbow but probably never would have tried it with my regular bow. Every other deer I've shot at with the crossbow has been closer than that. I've killed five or six deer with it so far and in most cases, they've taken two or three steps and gone down. I had one that went about 40 yards and that was only because it was going downhill."

Lesson Three

Last lesson from the "things I've learned file." My bow arrived with a set of silencer pads and string silencers. String silencers can only be installed on "compound-style crossbows" with the use of a professional bow press. The folks at Choo Choo Archery told me, "we'll be glad to do it for you, but they won't stay in. There's so much force from a crossbow that no matter how well they're installed, they'll come out within ten shots or so. And they really don't help that much anyway."

I immediately posed the question on the TNDeer Crossbow Forum. TOW responded, "I agree with them. The string silencers do not stay in for very long at all. They are a waste of money." Kansas said, "They can shoot off and put your eye out though. If it does stay in, it will slow down your bow. There isn't a lot of noise that gets dampened on the string anyway." I got similar confirmation from Horton Representative Ottie Snyder and bowhunting expert/outdoor writer John Sloan.

Case closed - don't fool with string silencers on crossbows.

Retailers Are "Lovin' It!"

Retailers are making hay off of the Crossbow Craze. One wholesale sporting goods salesman I know placed a major order on the day the TWRC passed the new rule.

I asked Terry Moore, owner of Turk's Archery Shop how many he's sold. Terry just gave me a sly little grin and said, "more than ten."

The folks at Choo Choo Archery say they've done well off the craze. Today only two crossbows hung on the wall. They say most are leaving the store as soon as they get them in.

Are the buyers traditional bowhunters who are switching -- or are they newcomers to the sport?

Both retailers say it's a mixture of both, but that chances are there will be new hunters in Tennessee's woods on September 24th.

I will be among them and I can't wait!