For most of my life, I hunted many species all around the world with rifles, muzzleloaders, and pistols. The challenge of precision shooting, the thrill of the hunt, and the pursuit of big bucks kept me in the woods season after season. But after years of wear and tear on my shoulders and hands—not to mention a few injuries along the way—I had to face a hard truth: I needed to find a new way to keep hunting effectively, especially as I wanted to get into the early season whitetail woods. That’s when I decided to try a TenPoint Turbo S1 Crossbow. I discovered a level of accuracy, efficiency, and enjoyment I hadn’t expected. In this article, I’ll share my journey from firearms hunter to crossbow enthusiast and how the TenPoint Turbo S1 has kept me in the woods earlier in the season and longer, doing what I love.
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It All Started with a Question from a Seminar Attendee
“Have you ever hunted with a bow or a crossbow?” asked one of my seminar attendees toward the back of the room. Before I could respond, he added, “I have seen a lot of articles, photos, and television shows with you hunting with handguns, muzzleloaders, and rifles. But, I cannot remember you ever hunting with anything having to do with an arrow or bolt.”
I smiled and replied, “I used to bowhunt, then grew up!” I hesitated as some in the crowd snickered while others looked at me questioningly! “Shot my last deer with a bow and arrow back in 1984!” I hesitated again, then added, “Initially, I hunted with a recurve, then a bow with all those wheels and other contraptions on it. Matter of fact I wrote several articles for “Bowhunter Magazine” and other bowhunting publications back when. During my early days as an outdoor writer, bowhunting publications paid $25.00 to $50.00 per article. Gun hunting publications paid $350 and more. Both took the same time to write and do the hunt. At the time I was trying to feed my family on a wildlife biologist’s salary, which was rather meager. It didn’t take me long to decide to leave bowhunting and concentrate on hunting with firearms, especially handguns, muzzleloaders, and rifles.”
Growing up in the gravel hills north of the Colorado River in southern Texas, after a long summer of hauling hay and digging post holes by hand, I saved enough money to buy a crossbow from an ad in the back of an issue of “Outdoor Life”. I could not wait to get it and shoot it!
Why I Gave up Using a Crossbow
My first two shots widely missed the bails of hay I had set up in front of our barn. Both bolts left holes in the barn’s tin wall and went on to break two one-gallon jars filled with molasses. This I learned when I retrieved them. On my third shot, the bow of my crossbow cracked and then broke completely. This ended my potential early career as a “crossbow hunter”. Incidentally, back then, crossbows were either mostly not legal or relegated to being used during the regular firearm season. Over the years, a lot of things have changed, especially with the quality of the crossbows themselves, plus bolts and broadheads. Changes also occurred in many States where crossbows could finally be used during archery seasons.
Why I Started Using a TenPoint Turbo S1 Crossbow to Hunt
I will state upfront that I have not been a bowhunter, but I certainly appreciate and respect those who do hunt with sticks and strings! That said, I seriously considered hunting with a bow and arrow a few years ago because of the early season opportunities it provides to those who hunt with archery equipment. I have long said the best time to take a truly big whitetail buck is the earliest possible legal season, which usually equates to archery hunting.
Then, too, the results of numerous helicopter crashes during my career as a wildlife biologist who spent considerable time in helicopters each year doing aerial game surveys, and also a few “mule wrecks” which hunting the backcountry, pulling a compound bow, even with a decent break-over, has made it difficult for me to pull back any vertical bow. And even though I hate to admit it, advancing age beyond three score and ten has not helped my ability to be a “complete bowhunter”!
Enter Stan Christiansen, a friend and true whitetail fanatic from Kansas. Stan had taken numerous monster whitetails with a bow but then switched to a crossbow because it became uncomfortable to hunt with his vertical bow. Not only has he taken many fine North American big game animals with a crossbow, but he’s also taken elephants and other dangerous animals in Africa, as well as buffalo and other animals in Australia. While hunting whitetails with him, he handed me a TenPoint crossbow with three bolts. “Got a target set up in the backyard. Go shoot those three bolts from the 40-yard marker. Hold dead-on!”
I did as he suggested from a tripod rest designed for a crossbow. All three bolts were nearly touching each other in the center of the bullseyes! It had my attention.
Fast forward to a recent black bear hunt in Alberta, where I shared camp with fellow writer/biologist/friend Brad Fenson and a friend of many years who has long been in the outdoor/hunting business, Mark Sidelinger. During a morning sight-in session, I watched Brad put several bolts shot from his TenPoint crossbow into a very tight group at 20 and out to 50 yards. Very Impressive!
Mark noticed I was smiling and sidled next to me. “Ever think about hunting with a crossbow? Surely is fun and a whole lot easier than it used to be. If you’re interested, I can help you procure a TenPoint, which, in my opinion, is the best crossbow there is.”
I was interested, for reasons previously stated, and knowing I intended to again hunt black bears during the Oklahoma archery season in the fall of 2025 on the Choctaw Hunting Lodge and whitetails on my own lease.
The first week of October 2024, I hunted black bears on the expansive Choctaw Nation lands with a TenPoint crossbow borrowed from Nicole Vickrey, Dusty Vickrey’s wife, who, along with Dusty, manages the property and their fabulous guest facilities. On that hunt I spent five days hunting from before daylight till dark in hopes a bear would come into my bait. The last afternoon, very late a big bear appeared. But it was impossible to see black crosshairs against a black body. I was not able to take that bear. However, that experience lead me to want to learn more and do some hunts with a crossbow. But with a lighted reticle scope.
I Acquired my First Crossbow – A TenPoint Turbo S1
True to his word, Sidelinger helped me procure a TenPoint Turbo S1 crossbow, topped with a TenPoint scope with a lighted reticle, ideally green in color. He also helped me procure a handful of TenPoint ProElite 400 bolts, which Mark suggested I tip with 125-grain Sevr Titanium Hybrid 15 mechanical broadheads based on his hunting experiences.
Once my crossbow arrived, I called my friend Luke Clayton. Luke and I have been doing a weekly radio show together for over 18 years, now also a podcast called “Catfish Radio with Luke Clayton and Friends”. Like my weekly “DSC’s Campfires with Larry Weishuhn” podcast, both can be heard on Spotify, Applepodcasts, outdooraction.com, carbontv.com and many other places. Luke and I have also written a couple of books together, “Campfire Talk” and “Poor Man’s Grizzly”, these two books along with my “Deer Addictions” will soon be available on Outdoor Specialty Media’s website, as well as through www.larryweishuhn.net and www.catfishradio.org. Luke has long hunted with archery and crossbows. I asked him numerous basic questions about the crossbow after thoroughly reading the instruction booklet that came with the crossbow. His comments, suggestions and assistance were greatly appreciated.
After setting up a target, I sighted in my crossbow at 30 yards, which would be an appropriate distance I hoped to shoot while hunting whitetails on my lease in western Texas. It took but a few shots to be properly sighted in and to make me comfortable shooting it. I was impressed!
Visiting with Brad Fenson, Luke Clayton, and Mark Sidelinger, I knew the TenPoint crossbow was extremely accurate, even at much longer ranges than I was planning to shoot it. Starting out, knowing I should be able to get within 30-yards of either a whitetail deer or a black bear, I saw little reason to shoot at distances beyond that yardage initially. I verified to myself by shooting that if I got within a 30-yard shot, I could easily keep my bolts within the vitals of the animal I would be shooting at.
My First Hunt with A New TenPoint Turbo S1
Fast forward to the last week of January 2025. I invited Jeff Rice and Luke Clayton, with whom I co-host our weekly digital television show, “A Sportsman’s Life” which airs on CarbonTV.com and our YouTube Channel of the same name, to hunt with me on my western Texas lease.
Our goal beyond having a great time and eating well was to shoot some does and management bucks that I had on my quota based on the Texas Managed Lands Deer Permit. This Texas Parks and Wildlife Department permit allows the hunting of whitetail deer through the end of February. Quotas for bucks and does on individual properties are based on current deer numbers, buck-to-do ratios, fawn survival rates, long-term goals and objectives of the property, and range conditions. My hope was to take several does and a management buck for each of us.
As it worked out we saw very few does other than at extremely long range, running away! Bucks were a totally different matter. Each of us saw as many as ten to fifteen bucks per day. Luke, Jeff and I each used Vineyard Max attractant, which is also really good for deer! In Texas, it is legal to bait deer. Baiting gives the hunter time to truly evaluate any buck due to age and antlers before deciding whether to pull the trigger or pass. Vineyard Max worked to perfection!
I suggested we primarily target bucks with darkly stained tarsals (hocks), which indicates that a buck is at least four years old or older in our area. I also suggested concentrating on older deer with 8 points or fewer antlers. Both Jeff and Luke took really nice and appropriate management bucks. I held off taking a buck until the last morning, having passed numerous really nice, though younger bucks.
Reaching my hunting area, the weather turned from heavily overcast to a dense misty rain. I hunted an area where I had seen several nice bucks that we baited in with Vineyard Max. Both were good management bucks and a nice, ancient 10-point warrior.
When it got light enough to see, using my Stealth Vision Rangefinding binoculars, I took a serious look at a nice 10-point. But he looked like a youngster. I also ranged several bushes and trees around my stand so if a buck I was interested in came in, I would already know the range.
Just then a small racked 8-point strode in. He was small of body, likely only 100-pound live weight. His small stature and rack reminded me of a Carmen Mountains or Coues whitetail, both of which I have hunted and dearly love doing so. I quickly looked at these “hocks”. They were dark. No doubt he was at least 4-years old.
The buck stopped and started feeding on the Vineyard. Max, ranging, told me he was 30 yards away. Slowly and cautiously, I moved my face to where I could see the scope’s illuminated reticle. I settled the 30-yard crosshair right behind the deer’s right shoulder. Then, just as if I was shooting a rifle, I took a deep breath and, while letting it all out, pushed the safety to “fire”, then gently tugged the trigger.
At the shot, the buck jumped straight up, turned, and ran to my right. I watched as he disappeared into the mesquite and junipers. I knew he had been vitally hit. Normally, I would have been self-filming my hunt. But that morning, because of the imminent threat of heavy rains, I had left my video camera back at camp. Had I filmed the hunt, I could have replayed the shot and known exactly where I had hit that buck.
I waited a few minutes to load another bolt, then walked to where the buck had been standing. I found the bolt about 20 steps beyond where it had hit the deer. It was caked with frothy blood! Hit confirmed; I picked up the blood trail. About a hundred yards later, I found my buck!
I was ecstatic. My first whitetail with a crossbow bolt. I knew it would not be my last, and I am now looking forward to using my TenPoint Turbo S1 crossbow on a black bear this fall or possibly even during the upcoming Spring bear season.
Because of his diminutive size, it was easy to drag my buck to the nearest pasture road, where I would pick him up with my Jeep. Back at camp, I asked Jeff Rice to photograph my first buck with a crossbow.
The old sage, “You can’t teach an old dog a new trick!” certainly did not hold true with me. With the ease of loading and unloading a bolt from the TenPoint, its supreme accuracy, and opportunities to hunt during early archery hunting seasons, I will soon be hunting with my crossbow again. How about you? Is it time for you to procure a crossbow?
So…those of us who have had shoulder or hand pains because of having lived a most interesting life, who just might be looking for a new hunting technique, or in my instance, simply another hunting technique, but not wanting or being able to shoot a traditional bow, the crossbow is perfect.
I still ponder one question regarding hunting with a crossbow… Why did I wait so long to start?
Editors Note:
Larry Weishuhn, affectionately known as “Mr. Whitetail,” has spent over six decades shaping the hunting and conservation world. From his early days roaming the wilds of Colorado County, Texas, to becoming a renowned hunter, author, television host, and wildlife biologist, his life has been defined by a deep passion for the outdoors. With adventures spanning the globe and a steadfast commitment to ethical hunting and habitat conservation, Weishuhn has cemented his legacy as an icon in the hunting community. Join us as we delve into the remarkable journey of a man whose influence continues to inspire hunters and conservationists alike.
Link to many stories that Larry has written:
- North American Deer Hunter – link to story list
- North American Outdoorsman – Link to story list
