"A Good Morning in the Woods" by Gary Smith Jr.

On November 6^th my alarm sounded at 4:30 a.m. and I awoke ready and eager to get into the woods.  This crisp morning started out much like many others during the season, but it would prove to be a truly memorable morning.  My dad had shot a buck the prior weekend, which I personally taped out (green scored) at 158 inches.  If this didn’t stoke my desire to get into a treestand, then nothing would!  Not only that, but I had only been able to hunt on the weekends because of my schedule.  Needless to say, this was a highly anticipated day!

Gary Smith Sr. with his 158''

As I threw on my ScentLok suit, I began feeling like it would be a good morning.  To my surprise, I opened the door to a crisp, snow-covered lawn that added to my excitement.  I jumped in my Dodge and drove to the spot I had dreamed of being at all week.  The spot is a little sapling thicket that I had overlooked the first year I had hunted this particular farm.  Following a gut feeling, I scouted it the weekend before and was amazed at all the buck sign for such a small area of woods.  It appeared that every buck in the county had been through it.  It was a no brainier where I would be hanging my new Lone Wolf climber on this day.

As I slipped through the woods and inched closer to the tree that I had picked out the weekend before, my adrenaline began to rise.  I felt like a child the night before Christmas because I was worried that I wouldn’t make it to the tree before daylight.  Even though I arrived an hour-and-a-half early, I was stressed because I felt like I was an hour late.  Finally, I strapped the belts of my Lone Wolf around the tree, ascended to my usual 30-foot mark, strapped my Hunter Safety System harness to the tree, and patiently waited for daylight to appear.

Soon enough daylight was upon me and it was like a switch had been flipped inside of me.  I was now in predator mode, awaiting my prey.  After being fooled numerous times by the elusive squirrel, making sounds of what I thought to be hoofs headed towards me, I saw distinctive movement through the brush up ahead.  It was deer and they were headed my way! After watching them come out of the thick brushy bottom, I saw that it was a mature doe and a button buck.  They fed on the opposite side of the tree at about 30-yards. I had numerous shot opportunities at the two of them, but they weren’t going to fill my hunger on this day.  I had planned on sitting all day, anticipating a buck, so I let them pass. Little to my surprise, they got about 40-yards directly behind me and bedded down.

As I waited on other deer to funnel through the woods, I decided to pull out my Primos “Can” bleat call to see how it would affect the deer bedded 40-yards behind me.  As I watched them through my binoculars, I turned the call making two to three long bleats and nothing appeared to happen…or did it?

Gary Smith Jr. with his nine-point buck

As I was watched through my binoculars, I heard some corn stalks snap from the standing cornfield that was 50-yards in front of me, but I had my back turned to it as I was watching the bedded deer behind me.  Ever so slightly, I lowered my binoculars and slowly peered my head around to see a nice buck exiting the cornfield in front of me.  He was oblivious to me being there, so I grabbed my Hoyt Maxxis 35 off the hook.  After that, my instincts took over. I predicted which trail the buck would take past me and ranged a tree in an opening with my Nikon rangefinder at 33-yards.  I lowered my rangefinder and looked back at the buck that had never stopped coming down the trail.  He was approaching my opening in a hurry! With little time to gamble, I took one last look at the buck and decided he was mine.  I quickly drew back my bow to my anchor and the adrenaline started pumping as the buck steady walked into my opening.  As his vitals cleared the last tree I put my G-5 site pin directly behind his front shoulder and grunted with my mouth.  The buck stopped dead and looked up at me.  I focused on a spot and pulled through my Carter release, executing a perfect shot.  As the bow broke over, I knew the arrow was in route to my focus point.  I saw my green Nockturnal nock illuminate and my two-blade Rage broadhead bury behind the buck’s front shoulder with a loud wallop. The buck dropped to the ground and jumped back up, only to make it ten yards to its demise.

Gary Smith Jr. with his late-season doe
taken with a TenPoint

The minute after the buck dropped I got the feeling that every hunter can relate to.  I was on cloud nine! My wishful plan had connected with a big ten point that was lying 40-yards from me.  As every other hunter would do, I started making phone calls and shared my blessed day with everyone, including my father who rushed down to the farm to help me drag him out of the woods. It truly was a morning to remember!

To learn more about TenPoint Crossbows view www.tenpointcrossbows.com

"My 18-point Buck" by Gary Smith Sr.

With our hunting trip already scheduled, my good friend Ray and I visited the property, in Medina County, Ohio, a week earlier to scout the premises.  Like many hunters, we set up a game camera to hopefully get an indication of what was lurking in the woods.  We knew there was a long week of anticipation ahead, but we left with a good feeling that next weekend would be filled with excitement.

Gary Smith Sr. with his 18-point buck

A week later, on October 30^th, we returned to the property for what we hoped would be a successful weekend.  The excitement that I took with me the first morning was soon lost, as I didn’t see anything for quite some time.  As lunch-time approached, we retreated from our stands and checked the camera.  The camera revealed eight events, each of them included the same 4-point buck and a few does roaming at night.  We were disappointed in the findings, but they would not deter us from having a successful weekend.  We returned to the woods that evening bound and determined to find us a trophy buck.            

After returning to my stand, I sat patiently for a few hours before two does came out of the thicket behind me.  Shortly after, I could hear what sounded like a much larger deer rustling and thrashing around in a thicket.   It was difficult to make out its rack, though, because it blended in with the thick brush surrounding him.  Then, all of a sudden, he ran off.

No more than 20 minutes passed before I again saw movement in the same thicket.  Once again, though, I couldn’t make out the size of the buck, but I knew by the sounds that it was a good size.  The next thing I knew a large bodied deer with antlers is running straight at me! When he reached 15 yards of my stand I pulled back the string of my Hoyt Ultratec and tried my best to place the pin behind his shoulder.  After taking the shot, I waited about 30 minutes to get out of my stand.  By this time it was getting dark, so we decided to leave him and come back in the morning.



Scored a 158''



The next morning, my buddy Ray, my son Gary Jr., my wife Cheryl and I went back to look.  After struggling to find a blood trail for quite some time, I decided to go off on my own and search for the buck.  As it turns out, the arrow had passed through the buck and the intestines had plugged a hole, preventing us from seeing any type of blood trail.  When I finally found the buck, roughly 50-yards from my stand, I could not believe it!  An 18-point buck that my son, Gary Jr, scored at 158''!

To learn more about TenPoint Crossbows view www.tenpointcrossbows.com

Mogadore, OH.  TenPoint Crossbows’ CEO & Chairman Rick Bednar has been named one of the 25 most influention people in the hunting and fishing industry by Outdoor Life.

           

The Outdoor Life 25, now in its fourth year, recognizes men and women who have had a significant positive impact on hunting and fishing, moving the sports forward and making them more enjoyable.

“The Outdoor Life 25 is one of the highest honors our magazine bestows,” said Todd Smith, Editor-in-Chief of Outdoor Life. “We look for people whose work has had a real and lasting effect on the outdoor community, and this year’s list of honorees is an unbelievable example of the innovation, hard work, and good deeds that are taking place in the world of hunting and fishing. The contributions of this group are immeasurable and we’re proud to honor their work.”

In recognizing Bednar, Outdoor Life focuses on his leadership and contributions he has made to the crossbow industry, stating, "Largely thanks to Bednar's innovations, the crossbow industry has boomed recently, with more states (and sportsmen) recognizing the crossbow as a legitimate hunting tool."

“I’m happy to receive this honor on behalf of my entire staff.  It’s not possible to run a successful company without great people working together to make good things happen,” Bednar said. “My father, who was a part of all this for so many years, would have been elated.”

This year's honorees will be highlighted in the magazine's December-January issue.  For a complete list of the honorees please visit www.outdoorlife.com/ol25.

"Colby`s First Deer" by Colby Simon

Colby Simon is the 7-year old son of TenPoint Customer Service Manager Sabrina Simon.  Here is the story of his first deer ever, told through his own words...

"I started practicing with my Wicked Ridge crossbow like late September this year.  I practiced in my back yard.  I shot at a bag target first, and then I shot at a foam deer target.  I shot at the bag a few times, and it was like the bottom left, the bottom right, and then the top too.  Then I was shooting at the deer target and I shot high.  Then I shot it at the kill zone.  I practiced a lot of times before I went hunting.

                  

Colby Simon with his first deer.
Taken in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.

It wasn’t my first time, it was like my thirteenth, but this was my first deer!  The first time I went out I went with my dad in a blind and it was really cold out.  I saw a couple squirrels and chipmunks then we went back to the cabin.   Then I went out with my mom in her tree stand.  I saw a lot of birds and squirrels and no deer.  That was it for that day.

Then on the last day I went hunting I  was  in  a  tripod  stand when  there  was  two  deer  coming  in. Me  and  my dad  waited  15min  for  the  deer  to  come  in.  There was a tree branch in the way.  One deer was in front of the other one.  Then one went right and one went left.  I took the shot at the right one.  It was a button buck.  He ran up the hill and died.  Me, my mom, my dad, my brother, my papa Denny, and friends tracked him down.  Then we field dressed him.  We carried him to the field and took lots of pictures.  We got it checked in and then hung it on a hanger thingy.  Then I went to my aunt`s to go trick-or-treating.  The next day my brother got an 8 point.

The End"

The Simon brothers after a successful Halloween weekend hunt.
(Colby on left, Casey on right)

To learn more about TenPoint Crossbows view www.tenpointcrossbows.com

"Casey’s Biggest Deer Yet!" by Casey Simon

Casey Simon is the 9-year old son of TenPoint Customer Service Manager Sabrina Simon.  Here is his story through his eyes and told through his words from their Halloween weekend hunt...



Casey Simon with his eight-point buck
taken in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.



"The last couple of weekends we hadn’t got or even seen anything but come this Halloween weekend of bow season, my brother got his first deer! That weekend me and my dad’s friend Steve were having a contest to see who got the biggest deer. He got a 7 point the same night that my brother got a button buck. I thought he was gonna win because we didn’t see anything all bow season. The next morning I was sleeping in the tripod stand and my dad woke me up when a deer came in. Now, I thought it was just coming in but it was already at the corn. I had to wait a few minutes so it would move it’s leg and I could get a good shot. The buck started quartering away so I had to aim slanted. I aimed a little high because it was 27 yards away. I made a slow steady shot and made the shot right through the heart. He ran about 10-15 yards and he’s a nice 8 point buck. We called my mom as soon as we could. We waited and waited until she finally showed up (she was just down the road). She got into the field when me and my dad had got bored. My dad asked me “do you want to go where it walked or just walk up the hill?” I said “just walk up the hill “. We went up the hill and then we field dressed him and took some pictures, dragged him down the hill, put him in the truck, and took off. We took him to the cabin, then we took him to check him in at the dutchess shoppe. I’m gonna get a full head mount for 1 of my Christmas presents.

THE END"

The Simon brothers after a successful Halloween weekend hunt.
(Colby on left, Casey on right)

To learn more about TenPoint Crossbows view www.tenpointcrossbows.com

"For My Grandfather" by Matt Fought

On Sunday, October 31st 2010, Halloween morning, Jacob Hout, TenPoint Crossbows R&D Technician, and I went out to the woods in Portage County, OH with plenty of excitement and high expectations. With the Rut just around the corner, and a sudden increase of the number of scrapes and rubs in the area, we knew it was only a matter of time before we would see a nice buck up on his feet during daylight hours. While Jake had tagged out on his buck two weeks prior, he decided to come along and observe what I hoped would be my shot at harvesting a 2010 buck.

Employee Matt Fought with his

2010 ten- point buck

After making the trek out to our spot a good forty-five minutes before first light, I settled into my stand just on top of a ridge line funnel, a well-known spot where bucks like to skirt, scent-checking for does. Jake took to a tree in his climber just north of where I was sitting. With my anticipation running high, the first two-and-a-half hours seemed like forever, as we did not see any movement.

Then, at roughly 8:30 a.m., this 3 ½ year old ten- point buck came from the north end of the ridge and headed south toward us. He closed the distance in a hurry and I allowed him to walk just past me at 20 yards, providing me a broadside shot. After taking aim, my TenPoint Turbo XLT sent my Easton XX75 arrow tipped with a Spitfire Maxx right through the pump station. The deer made it only 50 yards from the spot he was hit, crashing within sight, making it a quick and easy recovery.

This particular hunt was extra special to me, with the passing of my grandfather this past August. My grandfather, Henry Fought, was an avid hunter himself and he, along with my father, started my passion for the great outdoors by taking me hunting at an early age. This hunt reminded me of all the great memories I had with him in the woods, so I would like to dedicate my buck in his name to honor him. Before my grandfather passed, he harvested this buck (shown below) during the 2009 season with a 1995 TenPoint HuntMaster.

Henry Fought with his

four-point buck killed in 2009

Thank you, TenPoint, for allowing my grandfather to continue his passion for hunting with time-tested equipment and for bringing together three generations of Fought hunters to create memories that will last a lifetime.

For more information on TenPoint crossbows visit http://www.tenpointcrossbows.com/.

To learn more about TenPoint Crossbows view www.tenpointcrossbows.com

"A Great Day at 7 J" by Jacob Hout

On Thursday, September 23^rd 2010, Jack Loser, owner of J&D Strings (left),  Russ Beavers, Tenpoint Crossbows production manager (right) and I, Tenpoint Crossbows R&D Technician (center) took off for 7 J Outfitters in Sundance Wyoming for what would be the first antelope hunt for each of us.

The way our trip started, our odds for success looked pretty dim.  Due to a cancelled flight, the six hour trip from Ohio to Rapid City, South Dakota ended up being a twenty one hour trip.  It was after midnight when we got to 7 J Outfitters and we were not going to be able to hunt the first morning of our two day hunt.

On day one of the hunt we got up at daybreak and instead of being in our blinds, we had to put our bows together and sight them in. 

Our guide, Jimmy Wells, picked us up around 7:30 a.m. and took us down the road about an hour and a half to the 100,000 acre cattle farm where he has had great success with antelope.  The drive was amazing, scenery was great and the number of pronghorn in every field we passed had me excited and ready to get in my blind.

First, we dropped off Jack at about 9:30 a.m.  I got set up by 9:40 a.m. and Russ about fifteen minutes after that.  At the time I was sure that Russ was hunting the same water hole I was, but out of a different blind. 

For about the first hour I was watching antelope bucks chase does off in the distance until I lost sight of them.  Only fifteen minutes later I noticed two nice bucks behind me chasing each other around what I thought was Russ’ blind.  Eventually the larger of the two bucks chased the other off as they both disappeared into the sage brush.  I was a little confused because I still thought Russ was in that blind.  Why hadn’t he taken a shot?  I wasn’t sure if he was sleeping off the rough day before or just being too picky.

Another few minutes passed when I noticed a very large buck tailing a doe in my direction.  My palms started sweating and I could feel my heart racing, but the doe took off and headed down toward the other blind.  I started yelling toward Russ under my breath as I watched the buck and the doe in front of “his blind” for about ten minutes.  Why didn’t he shoot?  Suddenly, the buck started acting nervous and kept looking beyond my setup.   I slowly turned around and there was a buck at about fifty yards circling the water hole.

I had my Turbo XLT set up with a Steddy Eddy monopod system, so I felt confident taking a 50 yard shot.  As I took aim, though, I heard the sound of stampeding antelope, so I backed off.  Two bucks and eleven does came barreling toward the water hole.  By now I was shook up like never before.  I took aim at the closest buck, and I am pretty sure the biggest of the three, and made a perfect 28-yard shot.  The buck went less than ten yards and piled up on the bank of the watering hole.  I was excited, relieved and, by this point I had figured out that Russ wasn’t in the other blind.

The rest of my time in the field was spent taking pictures and impatiently waiting for the guide to call and check up on me so I could give him the good news.  A couple more bucks and a handful of does wandered by my blind over the next few hours, so I got some very good photos of them.

About Three o’clock I finally got a text from Jimmy.  I gave him the good news and he told me he would be there in about 15 minutes.  After the 15 minutes passed, I got another message that read “Jack shot one as well so I will be just a little bit longer”.  I thought to myself how great it was to get two out of three on the first day.

After a few minutes that seemed like hours, Jack and Jimmy showed up.  We got some trophy photos of our prairie goats and started loading them up when the two way radio beeped and interrupted our conversation. 

It was Russ.  “Does any one have a radio on?  I got one on the ground” He said. 

The three of looked at each other in disbelief.  Jimmy smiled and replied, “Good job, let me check on the other two guys to see how they are doing and I will be right over”.  I loved his reply because it led Russ on when he had no idea that we all shot one. 

The three of us arrived at Russ’s blind, and he saw that both of us had also harvested bucks, there was a short period of hand shakes and congratulating.  To top everything off, as we were taking pictures, another buck walked up to the watering hole.  What a great way to end the perfect hunt.

We spent the rest of the trip doing a little sight seeing, relaxing and enjoying the fantastic food and hospitality that Jeff and Debbie Smith (owners of 7 J Outfitters) provided us.

Debbie did ask me not to advertise the fact that we all tagged out on the first day because it doesn’t typically happen that way.  Love must have been in the air the day of our hunt the bucks and does sure did not have us on their minds. 

My personal opinion is that Russ and I were just rewarded for our patience in the airport the day before.  Maybe it was just luck but, who cares.  This was the best hunt I have ever been on, and I highly recommend 7 J Outfitters to anybody.  They are great people with a great setup and the properties they lease have a ton of game on them.  Thanks again to Jack and 7 J Outfitters for making this trip everything that it was.

To learn more about TenPoint Crossbows view www.tenpointcrossbows.com

TenPoint and Wicked Ridge Earn Highest Honors in Outdoor Life’s

Turbo XLT

Suffield, OH.  In an extensive test of ten leading crossbow brands, published in its September 2010 issue, Outdoor Life Magazine selected TenPoint Crossbow Technologies’ new Turbo XLT for its top honor, the Editor’s Choice Award.  Wicked Ridge Crossbows, TenPoint’s new entry-level crossbow brand also ranked among the highest rated models with its popular Invader model.  The Invader was ranked among only four of the models that received 4-star ratings.

All ten crossbow models were rated on ergonomics, safety, ease-of-cocking, fit-and-finish, balance, trigger feel and price/value.  The Turbo XLT was the only model to receive six A-ratings, including four A+’s.  In addition to its 4-star rating, the Invader joined the Turbo XLT as the only other crossbow to receive an A-rating in trigger feel.

Invader

"While I can’t say we were surprised our Turbo won the Editor's Choice Award and our Invader was one of the 4-star winners, we are, nevertheless, highly honored, especially considering the test was a project conducted by Outdoor Life," said TenPoint and Wicked Ridge CEO Rick Bednar.  "We work hard every day to design and build the best crossbows and to deliver the best customer service in the industry."