When my Father-in-Law's cancer returned and the realization hit him that he would not beat it this time....Hewas dying(and he knew it) he wanted nothing more than to hunt with me one more time. I bought a Ten Point crossbow for him, set it up (never owned or even shot a crossbow before) and read the directions on how to crank the string back load and un-load it etc... Sighted it in for him and let him practice with ita few times. He was a natural marksmanso it didn't take him long to hit where he was aiming. I then bought him aground blind because he was too weak to climb, bundled him up nice and warm and even bought one of those little propane heaters to help keep him warm in the cold late season (January). We went together and hunted a small tract of land close by that I've bow hunted before. He was too tired to make the trip to his own hunting property down in southern Illinois. The property we hunted was loaded with deer and I ended up killing a doe, I had already taken two bucks that year so I didn't have a tag but I'd seen some nice ones that day. When I made my way back to him to help him out of the woods, I asked him if he'd seen anything and told him about my kill. I didn't even need to tell him because he saw the blood on my clothes (from field dressing) and new I had made a kill, he just sat their and smiled. He said he'd seen a couple does and a nice buck just out of range. I asked why he didn't shoot the doe(s) and he answered he was holding out for a buck. He was so happy to be hunting and in the woods that he literally cried a little while explaining the close doe encounters he'd had and the excitement of the possibility that she (the doe) might of had a buck in tow. For a short time, he didn't think about his situation, all that disappeared and he was hunting, with me again..........He died three months later.

I gave the brand new crossbow to a charity that helps other hunters with the hopes it might bring someone else that same joy it did my Father-in-Law. A joy he would have never experienced had crossbows not been considered archery tackle. Personally, I don't care where they put crossbow hunters, gun season, bow season, their own season, I'm just glad Illinois sees them as archery tackle, it allowed one more day in the woods for a proud hunter.