Originally Posted by
cayugad
As my father used to say... I boiled then horns for over two hours to tenderize them and they still are not fit to eat... Nice deer. Congratulation on your buck!!
Did you get a pass through with that bolt? Also what is your "effective" range with that weapon? I hurt my shoulders bad a few years back and can not pull my bow anymore, silently or without a lot of fan fair. I thought I would ask the doctor if I could have a cross bow permit (yes we need doctors permission to use a cross bow, or at least used to.. never know, they change the laws every year) and then get back to bow hunting. I miss fall days hunting.
I agree completely- can't eat the the horns. I am pretty much just a meat hunter (though I wouldn't pass up a chance at a nice buck).
I did get a pass-thru- it was a quartering-to shot, arrow entered at the junction where the neck meets the chest, passed through the chest cavity diagonally and exited right behind the front off-side leg. I have almost always gotten pass-thrus with a crossbow.
In Ohio crossbows have been legal for regular bow season for a very long time, and many people use them. I use them mostly because I don't have easy access to a bow range to practice with a regular compound. A crossbow takes very little practice each year to stay good with.
To answer your question, a crossbow's range is about the same as a compound. I prefer as close as possible. Crossbows are pretty loud, so you run into problems with deer jumping the string at longer ranges, especially if they are on edge. All the deer that I have taken were 25 yards or less. I did take a 35 yard shot at a nice buck one year, but misjudged the range and shot under him. I also took a turkey at 37 yards with the x-bow, but I rather suspect the hand of God guided that arrow to hit the mark.
I also love bow season in the early fall- it's such a nice time to be out in the woods.