It's quite impressive to see a beginner put a bolt in the bull's-eye at the first-ever pull of the trigger. With a compound bow, even once it's tuned and properly sighted-in, it still takes countless more hours to become proficient at hitting the target at various ranges. Not so with a crossbow! Just cock it, drop a bolt onto the rail, shoulder it, aim, and pull the trigger -- it's as simple as that! And since shooting technique with a crossbow is akin to that with a rifle, it's extremely easy to hit the bull's eye on each and every shot. That quality alone makes the crossbow an excellent choice for beginning archers.

That first morning, we spent several hours at White Oak's 3-D practice range shooting the various models of Horton crossbows. Not because we needed the practice -- simply because it was fun!

Later that afternoon, my guide dropped me off at the trail that led to my assigned stand for the evening hunt. I was eager to try out my new equipment in a real hunting situation. It was at this point that I discovered a few things about crossbows that are less than favorable. First of all, the crossbow is somewhat bulky, comparable in weight to a hunting rifle. However, a well-designed sling did make it easier to carry in the woods and aided in getting into and out of the stand.

Another disadvantage I found with the crossbow is the fact that it takes considerably more room to maneuver into position and aim at an approaching deer. Not only do you need a few feet of clearance in front of you for the stock, but also a couple of feet clearance from side to side to account for the width of the horizontal limbs. If you prefer hunting from a confined tree stand, a crossbow may not be your weapon of choice.

Fortunately, I didn't have long to wait before a herd of deer came trotting down the ridge I was on. The group slowed to a walk and seemed to tiptoe across the cleared lane in front of my stand. Earlier I had used my Nikon rangefinder to get a fix on the distance to the trail the deer were on, which was 25 yards. Carefully I eased the Horton 175 to my shoulder and waited for a fat, mature doe that was bringing up the rear to step into the lane. As if scripted, the big nanny stopped broadside directly in front of me. Clicking off the safety, I found her shoulder with my sights and squeezed the trigger.

A loud thwack confirmed that the bolt had found its mark. The big doe bolted forward, made a sharp right turn and collapsed not 30 yards from the spot at which the bolt (which was now sticking in the ground) had hit her.

Not only was it my first deer taken by means of the horizontal bow, but it also turned out to be the first whitetail ever harvested by crossbow at White Oak Plantation. Just icing on the cake!

WHY CROSSBOWS?
So it's pretty obvious as to why hunters take to using crossbows. They're readily mastered and more deadly than a bow in most hunters' hands. But why did the wildlife managers opt to go along with the change of status on these weapons?