Long Range Crossbow Hunting - 2
SCENARIO # 2: SUCCESSFUL 98 YARD ARCHERY HARVEST
Early in archery season I was hunting on the ground in a thick hide of cover overlooking a soybean field. As twilight approached I knew it was just a matter of time before deer would emerge from the woods and begin feeding into the field. While I scanned the field, out of the corner of my eye I caught some movement and quickly realized a couple of deer had quickly entered into the field approximately 60 yards away from me.
Immediately I observed that each of the deer had antlers. And to my surprise, they weren't alone. Suddenly my body and senses moved from a state of rest into alert mode, as I began to get ready to apply all the techniques that I had trained for. A bachelor pack of seven or eight bucks all entered into the field, one after another. They began nipping the heads off the fresh-green soybean plants as if they had not eaten for quite some time.
As they quickly grazed further into the field, I rapidly scanned each of them with my Swarovski Rangefinder to determine body size and maturity. I observed at least four mature bucks, but focused on the largest one.
Once I realized that I wanted to take a shot, to my surprise the herd of deer had doubled their distance between me and them. I ranged them to be approximately 120 yards away, uncomfortably too far away for my current skill set with the PSE TAC 15 crossbow.
Light began to fade and I quickly realized the deer weren't getting any closer. Instead of becoming resolved that I would simply have to wait for another day and another opportunity, I realized I needed to do something to make the most of my present situation. I decided to belly-crawl into the soybean field to close the distance. The 16 to 24 inch soybean plants offered perfect concealment to cover my movement. Once I reached a slight drop-off in the terrain which offered a better view of the field, I triple-checked the distance between me and the mature buck I had focused on with the Swarovski Laser Rangefinder. The distance measured 98 yards.
Given the time I spent at the target range earlier in the year, I knew my skill set was adequate for this distance. With light fading, it was now or never.
With the Zeiss Conquest on 6 power zoom magnification, I settled on the "10" mark on the Rapid Z 1000 ballistic reticle, which equated to 100 yards for the PSE TAC 15 crossbow. Lying flat in the prone position, just as I had practiced, I rested the front of the crossbow securely on the Harris bipod, held the rear of the crossbow firmly and anchored both elbows firmly on the ground. I settled my breathing and peered through the scope at the mature buck. There was little-to-no movement. I confidently squeezed the trigger. Quickly after the arrow took flight I heard an audible and solid "thud" which confirmed a good hit. I lifted my head from the scope and watched as the herd of deer ran across the soybean field and disappeared just over the horizon.
Once I realized I had shot the biggest buck I've ever encountered in the wild, buck fever began to set in. Adrenaline surged through my veins and my heart began to beat rapidly. I did my best to contain myself but remember looking down at the PSE TAC 15 in awe at what this finely-tuned piece of equipment had just helped me accomplish.
My mind raced with excitement as I struggled to decide if I should crawl back to get my gear or go to the point of impact to begin tracking the mature buck. Knowing I was hunting on public property and there was a chance that I would encounter other hunters, I decided to begin tracking the buck. Once I reached the point of impact, I began looking for my arrow or signs of a solid hit. In the fresh soybean field it was difficult to see the ground. I struggled to find a positive sign of a hit. I noticed a flashlight beam from another hunter enter the field and begin quickly traversing across the field. The hunter was doing his best to avoid my activity in the field. But once I realized he was inadvertently heading toward the area in which the buck ran, I started walking toward him and flagged him down with my flashlight.
Once I reached him I told him I had shot a mature buck and was looking for signs. The other hunter offered to help. I briefed him on the long-distance shot, the impact, and where the mature buck ran after the shot. At first he raised an eyebrow at my farfetched story in disbelief, but he still continued to offer his assistance.
I returned to the point of impact and the other hunter began looking for signs of where the buck ran. He saw the signs before I did, a good trace of blood on the broad green leaves of the soybean plants. Together we followed the trail of blood. I think he was nearly as excited as I was, when we both came up on the downed buck and realized how big it actually was. He was the first to point out that my arrow had nearly passed through the entire length of the deer, from tail-to-tip. The arrow was protruding nearly 3/4 of the way out of the front chest. I hit exactly where I had aimed and caught most of the essential vitals. Given the 100 yard shot, the PSE TAC 15 clearly had enough foot pounds of energy to deliver the vital blow. The other hunter was so excited at the buck and my long range shot that he called his other buddy who was returning from the stand to deliver the news. Both of them stuck around to assist with field dressing the deer, helped be drag it out, and then even offered their truck to transport the mature buck back to my house (since I was driving a small two-door hatchback).
Buck: 6-point
4 non-typical points measuring over an inch at base
Spread: 20 1/4 inches
Base Circumference: 6 inches
Weight: 175 pounds (approx.)
DOH: 15SEP11
Time: Evening
Distance: 98 yards
Crossbow: PSE TAC 15
Scope: Zeiss Conquest 4-14x40 Target Rapid-Z 1000
Rangefinder: Swarovski 8x30 Laser Guide
In the weeks and months to come, unbeknownst to me, word began to spread on the online forums of my long range shot with the PSE TAC 15 crossbow on the mature whitetail buck. It wasn't until a year later when I encountered another bow hunter in the field and explained the success I had the previous year that I found out that my story was known to more people that I realized. When I told the hunter he immediately responded, "That was you? You've become somewhat of a legend!"
He then directed me to a couple of forums online where my story was being discussed. I navigated to the online forums and to my surprise the two hunters (complete strangers) who had helped me take care of my buck a year earlier, had vouched for my story when others were questioning the credibility. There was even a low quality smartphone picture of my buck lying in the soybean field. I decided to post more information to show how plausible it is to be successful at making long range harvests with the PSE TAC 15 crossbow.
STEP 5: SELF-ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT:
Ancient wisdom suggests, "The unexamined life is not worth living." In other words, no one is perfect. Self-assessment of one's strengths, capabilities, weaknesses and desire to get better at what you seek to accomplish is a key aspect of success. By all means I do not claim to have a direct pipeline to truth or be the most accurate marksman. In fact, I am quite understanding and sympathetic to those who critique my tradecraft. Criticism is a common tool I use for self-improvement.
CRITIQUE 1: LONG RANGE HUNTING IS UNETHICAL:
I've experienced both naysayers and cynics of my tradecraft. I don't wish to engage in an ethical debate on long range shooting, but will say that I've studied the long range shooting tradecraft for some time now, which has now translated over to this weapon system for archery hunting. But I understand long range hunting is not for everyone without the proper training, equipment, field-time and skill set. Hunting at any range can be unethical, whether it's 20 or 100 yards. There are a number of factors involved, e.g., physical capabilities, equipment, skill-level, practice, shot choice, timing. It is every hunter's responsibility to ensure the decisions made in the field are done efficiently and ethically. This is probably one of the reasons I've decided to switch in the first place from a vertical compound bow to the PSE TAC 15 crossbow. Growing up hunting with a vertical compound bow, I've wounded deer while hunting at 20-30 yards and that just doesn't sit right with me. I've found the compound bow, while considered an advancement by some, still has its limitations to a very unique skill set and short distances.
Based on my own self-assessment, I could not master the compound bow to enjoy archery hunting enough to make the needed shots in the field. I needed a platform that I was more comfortable with and that was capable of matching the opportunities presented to me while hunting. The PSE TAC 15 crossbow helped me accomplish this objective. Its consistent accuracy and knock-down power, matched with my particular skill set allows me to make more calculated and ethical decisions in the field. And knock-on-wood, I've never wounded a deer utilizing this method.
Early in archery season I was hunting on the ground in a thick hide of cover overlooking a soybean field. As twilight approached I knew it was just a matter of time before deer would emerge from the woods and begin feeding into the field. While I scanned the field, out of the corner of my eye I caught some movement and quickly realized a couple of deer had quickly entered into the field approximately 60 yards away from me.
Immediately I observed that each of the deer had antlers. And to my surprise, they weren't alone. Suddenly my body and senses moved from a state of rest into alert mode, as I began to get ready to apply all the techniques that I had trained for. A bachelor pack of seven or eight bucks all entered into the field, one after another. They began nipping the heads off the fresh-green soybean plants as if they had not eaten for quite some time.
As they quickly grazed further into the field, I rapidly scanned each of them with my Swarovski Rangefinder to determine body size and maturity. I observed at least four mature bucks, but focused on the largest one.
Once I realized that I wanted to take a shot, to my surprise the herd of deer had doubled their distance between me and them. I ranged them to be approximately 120 yards away, uncomfortably too far away for my current skill set with the PSE TAC 15 crossbow.
Light began to fade and I quickly realized the deer weren't getting any closer. Instead of becoming resolved that I would simply have to wait for another day and another opportunity, I realized I needed to do something to make the most of my present situation. I decided to belly-crawl into the soybean field to close the distance. The 16 to 24 inch soybean plants offered perfect concealment to cover my movement. Once I reached a slight drop-off in the terrain which offered a better view of the field, I triple-checked the distance between me and the mature buck I had focused on with the Swarovski Laser Rangefinder. The distance measured 98 yards.
Given the time I spent at the target range earlier in the year, I knew my skill set was adequate for this distance. With light fading, it was now or never.
With the Zeiss Conquest on 6 power zoom magnification, I settled on the "10" mark on the Rapid Z 1000 ballistic reticle, which equated to 100 yards for the PSE TAC 15 crossbow. Lying flat in the prone position, just as I had practiced, I rested the front of the crossbow securely on the Harris bipod, held the rear of the crossbow firmly and anchored both elbows firmly on the ground. I settled my breathing and peered through the scope at the mature buck. There was little-to-no movement. I confidently squeezed the trigger. Quickly after the arrow took flight I heard an audible and solid "thud" which confirmed a good hit. I lifted my head from the scope and watched as the herd of deer ran across the soybean field and disappeared just over the horizon.
Once I realized I had shot the biggest buck I've ever encountered in the wild, buck fever began to set in. Adrenaline surged through my veins and my heart began to beat rapidly. I did my best to contain myself but remember looking down at the PSE TAC 15 in awe at what this finely-tuned piece of equipment had just helped me accomplish.
My mind raced with excitement as I struggled to decide if I should crawl back to get my gear or go to the point of impact to begin tracking the mature buck. Knowing I was hunting on public property and there was a chance that I would encounter other hunters, I decided to begin tracking the buck. Once I reached the point of impact, I began looking for my arrow or signs of a solid hit. In the fresh soybean field it was difficult to see the ground. I struggled to find a positive sign of a hit. I noticed a flashlight beam from another hunter enter the field and begin quickly traversing across the field. The hunter was doing his best to avoid my activity in the field. But once I realized he was inadvertently heading toward the area in which the buck ran, I started walking toward him and flagged him down with my flashlight.
Once I reached him I told him I had shot a mature buck and was looking for signs. The other hunter offered to help. I briefed him on the long-distance shot, the impact, and where the mature buck ran after the shot. At first he raised an eyebrow at my farfetched story in disbelief, but he still continued to offer his assistance.
I returned to the point of impact and the other hunter began looking for signs of where the buck ran. He saw the signs before I did, a good trace of blood on the broad green leaves of the soybean plants. Together we followed the trail of blood. I think he was nearly as excited as I was, when we both came up on the downed buck and realized how big it actually was. He was the first to point out that my arrow had nearly passed through the entire length of the deer, from tail-to-tip. The arrow was protruding nearly 3/4 of the way out of the front chest. I hit exactly where I had aimed and caught most of the essential vitals. Given the 100 yard shot, the PSE TAC 15 clearly had enough foot pounds of energy to deliver the vital blow. The other hunter was so excited at the buck and my long range shot that he called his other buddy who was returning from the stand to deliver the news. Both of them stuck around to assist with field dressing the deer, helped be drag it out, and then even offered their truck to transport the mature buck back to my house (since I was driving a small two-door hatchback).
Buck: 6-point
4 non-typical points measuring over an inch at base
Spread: 20 1/4 inches
Base Circumference: 6 inches
Weight: 175 pounds (approx.)
DOH: 15SEP11
Time: Evening
Distance: 98 yards
Crossbow: PSE TAC 15
Scope: Zeiss Conquest 4-14x40 Target Rapid-Z 1000
Rangefinder: Swarovski 8x30 Laser Guide
In the weeks and months to come, unbeknownst to me, word began to spread on the online forums of my long range shot with the PSE TAC 15 crossbow on the mature whitetail buck. It wasn't until a year later when I encountered another bow hunter in the field and explained the success I had the previous year that I found out that my story was known to more people that I realized. When I told the hunter he immediately responded, "That was you? You've become somewhat of a legend!"
He then directed me to a couple of forums online where my story was being discussed. I navigated to the online forums and to my surprise the two hunters (complete strangers) who had helped me take care of my buck a year earlier, had vouched for my story when others were questioning the credibility. There was even a low quality smartphone picture of my buck lying in the soybean field. I decided to post more information to show how plausible it is to be successful at making long range harvests with the PSE TAC 15 crossbow.
STEP 5: SELF-ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT:
Ancient wisdom suggests, "The unexamined life is not worth living." In other words, no one is perfect. Self-assessment of one's strengths, capabilities, weaknesses and desire to get better at what you seek to accomplish is a key aspect of success. By all means I do not claim to have a direct pipeline to truth or be the most accurate marksman. In fact, I am quite understanding and sympathetic to those who critique my tradecraft. Criticism is a common tool I use for self-improvement.
CRITIQUE 1: LONG RANGE HUNTING IS UNETHICAL:
I've experienced both naysayers and cynics of my tradecraft. I don't wish to engage in an ethical debate on long range shooting, but will say that I've studied the long range shooting tradecraft for some time now, which has now translated over to this weapon system for archery hunting. But I understand long range hunting is not for everyone without the proper training, equipment, field-time and skill set. Hunting at any range can be unethical, whether it's 20 or 100 yards. There are a number of factors involved, e.g., physical capabilities, equipment, skill-level, practice, shot choice, timing. It is every hunter's responsibility to ensure the decisions made in the field are done efficiently and ethically. This is probably one of the reasons I've decided to switch in the first place from a vertical compound bow to the PSE TAC 15 crossbow. Growing up hunting with a vertical compound bow, I've wounded deer while hunting at 20-30 yards and that just doesn't sit right with me. I've found the compound bow, while considered an advancement by some, still has its limitations to a very unique skill set and short distances.
Based on my own self-assessment, I could not master the compound bow to enjoy archery hunting enough to make the needed shots in the field. I needed a platform that I was more comfortable with and that was capable of matching the opportunities presented to me while hunting. The PSE TAC 15 crossbow helped me accomplish this objective. Its consistent accuracy and knock-down power, matched with my particular skill set allows me to make more calculated and ethical decisions in the field. And knock-on-wood, I've never wounded a deer utilizing this method.
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