Feature Story
Crossing Over W
hen I took up bowhunting 30 years ago, I was looking for a way to spend more quality time in the woods. I bought a good compound bow and all the associated gear, and as summer waned, I spent hours practicing so I could place an arrow in the pie plate-sized area required to kill a deer quickly and cleanly. Over the following years, I logged hundreds of hours in tree stands and learned more about deer, nature, and myself than I'd dreamed possible. I was never a great bowhunter, but I treasured misty mornings and frosty afternoons observing the workings of nature with the bow in hand.
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CONSERVATION FEDERATION
It was a source of real grief when a wrist injury forced me to give up bowhunting. I could no longer do the target practice necessary to maintain strength and proficiency with a bow, and I would rather not bowhunt at all than do it badly. I considered switching to a crossbow. I qualified for a medical exemption that would permit me to use one during archery season. However, at that time, work and volunteer commitments left little enough time for duck hunting, firearms deer hunting, and other outdoor pursuits, so I reluctantly hung up my bow. Still, I missed the relaxed pace and contemplative feel of the fourmonth long archery season.
