Thanks to the new accurate system of requiring hunters to register (online or by phone) their deer harvested in Michigan on a regular basis during the various deer hunting seasons, the DNR can keep daily and accurate tabs on matters. When I talked to a Wildlife Biologist at the Bay City DNR Office on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 10:30 am to check on matters, a total of 295, 054 deer had thus far been harvested. Due to the ongoing January 2-31 extended late archery deer season, the total number of the deer being harvested statewide is still steadily climbing.
There is no question that a very popular hunting tool being used in the Lower Peninsula during the ongoing extended late archery deer season, in which any deer, antlered or antlerless, can be tagged with the appropriate tag, is the crossbow. The Upper Peninsula has restrictions regarding crossbows during the late archery deer seasons, but this is certainly not the case in the Lower Peninsula with its burgeoning deer population which the DNR is striving to bring into check. Damage to agriculture, landscaping on properties (even in urban areas) and vehicle- deer collisions are at an all-time high. Seeing road killed deer, even within city and village limits has become an all-too-common sight.
Since first allowed in 2009 for hunting during Michigan’s archery deer seasons, the crossbow has become very popular due to its handling characteristics which are much like with rifles and if you are a relatively decent shot with a rifle, it doesn’t take long to get acquainted with a crossbow. This has brought in a record number of “bowhunters” (devoted conventional vertical-bow-users question that term), which has had a noticeable impact on harvesting more deer during the archery deer seasons. Not only are handling characteristics of crossbows a part of the equation, but so is the acute accuracy they allow when used appropriately. Despite some hype which claims accurate shot-placement out to 100 yards, crossbows are shortrange hunting tools and in my opinion, a 50-yard maximum range offers the most dependable efficiency. Having taken my share of whitetails with a crossbow since 2009, my longest kill was 42-yards, with most of my deer being taken at 30-yards or less. It is purely a matter of hunting ethics, and when performed with proper shot placement, a crossbow featuring plenty of penetrating power with sharp broadheads does a very efficient job.
Author’s longtime friend, Bob Walker, shown with his predator harvest using a crossbow.
Longtime and devoted bowhunter Bob Walker of Kingston, has been at it for more than six decades and has seen the steady transition of archery deer hunting, which began with using a traditional recurve bow and wooden arrows. Then the high-tech compound bow using sights and aluminum arrows came about during the 1980’s, and he fully appreciated the let-off factor when drawing the bowstring back, as well as the increased accuracy provided by bow-sights. This was Bob’s cup of tea for bowhunting from then on, that is until the crossbow came into the picture in 2009. Bob’s curiosity got the better of him, and he had to give it a try.
Already a seasoned and exceptional shot with a rifle, it didn’t take Bob long at all to get fully acquainted with his scoped crossbow. He was thoroughly amazed with its consistent accuracy, which was always enhanced when using a shooting rest, something which is impossible with conventional archery tackle. He has since taken an impressive number of Michigan whitetails and readily admits that by ethically adhering to his crossbow’s close-range limitations, it is usually a done deal when he “locks-on” to deer, which was not always the case with conventional archery tackle that requires drawing the bowstring back for an offhand shot with only two points (both hands) of contact – (shoulder held crossbows offer twice as much contact).
A true advantage of a crossbow is its ability to be “cocked and locked” at the get-go. The only disadvantage is that it is a one-shot option, because crossbows are usually a bit slow to reload, and I can reload a muzzleloader a whole lot faster than I can a crossbow. Yep, folks, it is best to take care and make that shot count, which is a fact I always appreciate with any hunting arm.
The crossbow has a long history which dates to 6th Century BCE in China and began with simple bows affixed to a stock. From then on it would go on to be developed into a powerful weapon for both war and hunting. It would eventually make its way to Europe in the 10th Century and would remain popular for both war and hunting well into the 17th Century. Only when the advent of firearms in the 15th Century did the crossbow begin to lose in popularity.
Crossbowmen in the military were often known as “arbalists” because their powerful bows created from steel required a special tool, such as a goat’s foot lever or cranequin (pulley system) to cock the crossbow. The projectile was always called a bolt or quarrel, never an arrow.
Not much has changed regarding today’s crossbows, other than the materials used in making them. Due to their compact and powerful bows (aka prods), they still require something to assist in cocking them, such as cocking ropes and winches (I use both – depending upon my ongoing back issues). I know of some muscular sorts who state they can do this with their bare hands, but doing so can affect the crossbow’s accuracy by rolling the bowstring with the fingers during the process. Nope, folks, I’ve never considered even trying it. Being a bit long in the tooth, I need all the help I can get!
The Pope and Young Club does not recognize trophy big animals taken with a crossbow, but the Boone and Crockette Club does. The Bolt and Quarrel Club, established in 2020 due to the steadily growing popularity of the crossbow in the hunting arena, solely recognizes trophies taken with a crossbow.
I’m really enjoying participating in the ongoing extended late archery deer season using my new compact and lightweight “Mag Air” Excalibur crossbow. I fully appreciate its accurate performance, and I know it will very efficiently do the job if I play my role in a proper manner.
Yep, folks, these days bolts and quarrels work for me!
than 40 years and has had his weekly radio show, “Tom Lounsbury
Outdoors” for more than 20 years. Tom grew up on a farm in
Michigan’s Thumb, and it is where his first outdoor adventures began
as a kid accompanying visiting pheasant hunters into the field during
the “pheasant hunting heyday” of the 1950’s and 1960’s. It is a passion
he still has to this day and being the 4 th generation to own the family
farm, he has put most of it into conservation programs with a focus on
wild pheasants, which in turn helps all wildlife.
Being an outdoor communicator, Tom appreciates all the outdoor
adventures he experiences in different places, and especially the
people he meets in which to share them.
- Predator Hunting At Night - January 22, 2026
- Archery deer hunting using both arrows and bolts (aka quarrels) - January 22, 2026
- Walking on top of the snow is a lot easier than wading through it - January 5, 2026