Recently I hunted boar again in Maine as you can see from recent articles. These were mixed breeds that are part Russian Boar.
A few years back I took a larger boar (female) that was said to be Russian.
Below the meat of the Russian boar was more beef like with fat marbled throughout.
These Russian pork chops when grilled were the finest tasting meat my wife and I have ever experienced in our lives. OMG, my wife went bananas over the meat which is why she sent me off to get another one. The meat of the latest boar was not as fatty as this one and it tastes great but not quite as good as the first.
We think that it is the fat marbling that drove our taste buds insane when fire grilled to a blackened crust below.
For my wife and I, pork will never be the same. This wild boar meat was a true culinary experience. My latest boar meat is still over the top as compared to domestic pig. So I will go hunt one up instead of the pork at the grocery store. Just shoot a fat one!
It was inevitable to shoot an arrow with a 3000 lb air blast ever since Lewis and Clark used a 45 cal Air Gun in their expedition. These air bows shoot an arrow at around 400 to 450 fps. What are they good for in hunting? Air Bows are not really bows at all they are rifles that shoot arrows instead of bullets. I like the innovation! In time you will see these used in urban areas where the deer and wild pigs are thick as ticks on a hound dog but … Today they are only legal in just a few southern states. Today they are a novelty and do not yet compete with the crossbow or compound. I predict that few states will allow them in archery season ever, but great for those with disabilities. They are very accurate because the air is jettisoned at the front of the arrow thus there is no “archers paradox” where the arrow bends.
Hunting and Fishing for me is a Way of Life. I roamed the woods in Salem, New Hampshire as a 6,7 and 8 year old boy. Robin Hood was my TV hero as was Davy Crockett played by Fess Parker. Freedom was grand! I was selling “shiners” at the age of 8 to local fisherman. In the late 1950’s there were beaver ponds everywhere. Wildlife was thriving behind my home and I wanted to be a part of it. The rules of life at that age were simple during the summer, go play and be home in time for dinner. I made my first bow and arrow at the age of 7 using maple saplings and string from the kitchen drawer.
Since then I have killed numerous deer with rifle and bow and had the duty to do the butchering too where I learned first hand where cuts of meat came from. In the same way, I clean and fillet my own fish!
You are what you eat!
Several years back I recall walking down the beef isle at the local grocery store when NAFTA ( a government run trade agreement) was in effect. There was a sign in the store that said the beef was from North America. That meat could have been from Canada, USA or Mexico. The quality of the meat in my mind was suspect if I did not really know where exactly the meat came from and what it had been fed including drugs and hormones. Questions in my mind arose long before this but I use it as an example.
I was always fishing and hunting and very happy with the God given natural food from field and stream. I trust it without reservation. Nature is Organic!
I reflect on my father was a simple man who liked to till the earth and grow his own food and harvest his own meat whenever possible. He was a child of the Depression in the 1920’s and 1930’s. He trusted himself, enjoyed the process of hunting and gathering. He passed the hunting gene to me in a much larger way. Ever since I shot, killed and ate my first deer taken in Northern New Hampshire in my teens, I have relished the though of providing naturally harvested wild meat and fish for my family but could not get enough of it.
Understanding were your food comes from at a young age is very important!
I understood it at a very young age that something must die in order for me to live was paramount. Beyond this, the culinary aspect of preparing your well earned harvest was of great importance. I learned to cook and eat very well.
Recently I fed some venison and wild boar to my very young grand kids and we talked about where food comes from. The kids reacted positively and enjoyed the meat.
The PSE Thrive 400 Crossbow is seen as best in class by others besides me like “The Fearless Tactician” website below say it is best performer in its price class in the $400 dollar range. Having looked on the internet, the Thrive is still NEW out there but according to the article it beats nearly 40 other crossbow models below including some Barnett’s, Ten Points and even Excaliber’s. Wow! That is sayin’ a lot!!!
I have shot compound bows of all kinds since they became popular in the early 1970’s I can say they have come a very long way indeed especially in crossbow technology. I did a search for reverse cam technology employed in the Thrive and found that it increases speed yet keeps its accuracy. The string coming from the inside of the cam provides at least 2 or more inches of arrow acceleration. That’s big! I measured the bolt speed with my chronograph at 377 fps at 10 feet with a 400 grain bolt. In round numbers, at the face of the bow, I estimate 380 fps. I did not know how close to 400 fps I would get. That is about 95%. Fine with me!!
As a hunting weapon I tested the Thrive 400 on Wild Boar and it was simply fantastic in speed and accuracy. I could had taken a much larger boar and still got such powerful exit wounds with the 4 fixed blade 100 grain Muzzy.
Crossbows in general do not cradle well in ones arm but this crossbow was able to cradle in the crook of my arm sufficient to walk somewhat comfortable with its 32 inch length, 6.7 pounds in overall weight and 18.25 inches axle to axle.
It is camo’d in Kryptek Highlander and blends with surroundings just fine for its size and small profile as seen by game from the face of the bow.
I like the illuminated scope very much as it was designed specifically for crossbow use and is marked for longer ranges. I did not use the illumination feature but at dawn and dusk it will be used to the hunters benefit.
This crossbow on a solid front and rear rest, it can be used beyond 40 yards but in a tree-stand or on the ground in a hunting situation and no rest, I expect 30 yards or less to be max range for most shooters.
The Crossbow comes with four 400 grain Thunder Boltz bolts and a Heavy Discharge bolt. The arrow points are 100 grain threaded bullet points and the nocks are half moon. The point insert is brass for great strength.
On my recent boar hunt, I drove a broadhead through my wild boar and it stuck in a birch tree so deep that we could not recover the broadhead. The nock of the arrow popped off the shaft due to the tremendous remaining energy. I closely inspected the arrow for damage and you should too.
Energy for this crossbow delivers nearly 140 ft-lbs and would be great for elk and moose.
Canada, I believe does not allow crossbows last I checked, but rules may change. The PSE Thrive 400 is great and powerful Crossbow for those who do not compromise on speed and energy!! The bolt drop at 40 yards is also quite a bit less at these fast speeds making ranging error less a factor.
I chose the PSE Thrive 400 Crossbow with a 4×32 illuminated scope to test because of my PSE knowledge over decades of quality compound bow manufacture and its use by friends in 3D archery. This crossbow utilizes reverse cam technology and, very modest cost MSRP ($449) yet high level of CNC machined quality. I was hopeful that it would be accurate too.
If you do your homework you can see that the cost of the best crossbows were over $1000 dollars. If that was all there was to choose from, I would have to pass on them.
For the broadhead test, I shot it with a Muzzy 4 blade 100 grain and it was the same point of impact as the 100 grain field points.
On Safari years back, I successfully hunted African Gemsbok and Red Hartebeast with these Muzzy broadheads. I love’em!
Now, on with the test with broadheads on wild boar at “Skinner Bog” in Maine; owned and operated by Jeremy Bilodeau. I have hunted Russian boar previously with Jeremy with my TC Encore Rifle in 30-06 Springfield. It is a very family friendly hunt and where Jeremy is also my friendly guide.
We rode Jeremy’s 4×4 down a snow covered trail and parked. Jeremy said, “These boar can be anywhere so load your crossbow.” Reaching in my pocket for the string loader device I was able to get my foot in the stirup and pull the 175 lb needed to load the bow. You have to use your back muscles and finally your arm muscles to load it. It is not an easy pull but wow does it shoot a fast bolt (arrow) at around 400 fps.
I noted how firmly the PSE Thrive crossbow held the nocked arrow and broadhead as I moved through the woods. I like that!!
We sat in a blind for an hour waiting for them to come to some food and even used some hog squealing to call them but to no avail.
We decided to use the “go to them mode.” I took the quiver off the bow and asked Jeremy to hold it. Jeremy noted that the quiver broadhead cover was coming loose, (the only thing we found that could be better) some adhesive should fix that.
Below we spotted them!
We began a stalk on some boar napping in the cold morning sun. Suddenly they heard us as the snow crunched beneath our feet. They nervously awoke and began to scatter. These boar are younger but still hefty in size from 100 to 250 lbs.
The PSE Thrive is not heavy and is easier to carry than I anticipated. I like the stock of the bow and its camo. It handles well.
The snow crunching beneath our feet awakened a pig pile of these oinkers and they slowly scattered around in the forest.
One of them stepped from the group and turned broadside at around 30 yards!
The trigger of the Thrive is a crisp 4 to 5 lbs!! Excellent!!!
At the shot, the crossbow recoiled slightly and the bolt was headed for the boar so fast that we could barely see a blur.
It hit the boar with a slap sound and the boar ran slowly up the wooded ridge. We approached where the boar was hit and found the arrow and broadhead embedded solidly in a tree behind the boar. It was a solid hit and a pass thru shot. We saw that the boar was walking slow and bleeding. The shot was further back than I liked so we hurried crunching snow beneath our feet hoping to intercept the boar for a second shot in the video clip below.
The Muzzy 4 blade passed through him like a hot knife through butter. He still ran some more! The blood trail was huge and wide. You would have to be blind to miss it! The boar ran a good 50 yards before piling up.
These wild boar are tough and so is the PSE Thrive! What a great test and a great crossbow for a great cost effective price for many hunters! I have seen it on sale too!!
A crossbow such as this can add to your hunting season in many states. I give it another A. Just glue the quiver cover on and you are good to go.
This week my twin brother Rich took his 300 Blackout to The Blue Rooster in Arizona and put some wild oink in the freezer on the cheap. Wild pigs abound and are sizable. Hunt Cost; $299
Rich and wife Ruth are retired and living nearby so this was a local treat for him. Like me, he handloads, so he had some loads already worked up. The 300 Blackout is a great semi-auto round for larger game and bullet weights that are normally 110 to 130 grain but can be much higher. Energies are well over 1300 ft lbs and good medicine for wild boar and wild pigs.
Accommodations are very wife and family friendly says Rich.
