Mission Crossbows Rule as 8-Year-Old Drops His First Deer

My nephew Joey is 8 so it was fitting that it was Nov. 8, in the 8 o'clock hour when he took aim with a Mission MXB-360 crossbow and got his very first deer—a 3-point buck. As it dropped in its tracks at 8:18 a.m. Saturday, a new hunter joined our ranks while sitting alongside his dad in a ground blind in Virginia—and while his happy aunt got to film the whole thing.

I'm very thankful that Joey's Uncle Phil Phillips and I have a place in Virginia because the state permits youths to hunt at any age providing they are with a licensed adult—unlike in his home state of Maryland where kids must be age 12. In being raised in a hunting family, Joey gets to understand and appreciate at an even younger age the importance of hunting and conservation, safety and ethics, and where hunters' all-important dollars go.

Of course, an important part of the hunt is the tool you use and, in this case, I can't say enough about Mission. Joey and his older brother, Andrew, 11, have Mission Menace and Craze compounds, respectively, but they don't yet draw enough weight to hunt deer. Fortunately, Mission packs a powerful punch with its crossbow line. Joey used the lightweight and quiet Mission MXB-360, which assembles in no time so you're out drilling your bag target that much faster. As for its accuracy, one bolt was all it took as Joey fired a well-placed shot.

Next up: Joey will be coming along with Andrew and Dad Joe when they visit Aunt Karen and Uncle Phil's place again soon so Andrew can put the Mission MXB-Dagger to the test. At just over 6 pounds, it's Mission's lightest, most compact crossbow to date. Venison backstrap, anyone? The boys also love venison jerky so they've already been on High Mountain Seasonings' website with Dad a few times to pick out a few new Jerky Cure and Seasoning Kits.