Just starting out with crossbow hunting and confused about where to start? You’re in the perfect place because we have covered all the basic must-knows.
Crossbow is the perfect way to begin hunting or to simply freshen up your instincts for the hunting season; however, as a beginner, you may be confused about where to start. You don’t have to worry about scouring the Internet for tips and tricks because we’ve got you covered.
From each step of the process to start crossbow hunting for you to any questions, you might have about cocking, read on to see everything we have compiled for you.
How to Choose a Crossbow
Finding a good starter crossbow for hunting is not an easy process, but we are here to make it simpler for you. One thing you should keep in mind is, that buying a good quality crossbow that will last long-term is a smarter choice than getting caught up in the latest and greatest versions every year. Here are a series of questions you can ask yourself:
Does the Crossbow Have a Noise Dampener or Silencer?
This feature is essential for a hunting crossbow. Silencers and noise dampeners help reduce the sound you produce and decrease your chances of scaring away deer.
Will its Size Let Me Manoeuvre in the Wild?
You may have to carry your bow for quite some time till you reach a suitable spot for hunting, so size is something you should definitely take into consideration while shopping for a crossbow.
Are the Draw Weight and Power Stroke Suitable?
The crossbow you get has to be powerful enough for the game you aim to hunt, so it is vital to ensure that the specifications of your weapon align with your hunting goals. For deer, the general guideline is 150+ pounds, whereas it can vary up to 200+ for grizzly bears and moose.
8 Things to Keep in Mind While Crossbow Hunting
1. Knowing the Laws
You don’t want to get out to hunt, face an unforeseen circumstance, make a bad decision, and face trouble.
Crossbows aren’t legal everywhere, and even in places they are, certain restrictions may be in place. You must thus fully understand the regulations of your hunting area.
2. Rain and Wind Are Not Your Friends
Rain can affect the accuracy of your crossbow, and so can wind. You have to make sure your rail stays dry if you’re out hunting in rain.
If there’s a lot of wind, you should take shots from a sheltered area where trees are blocking most of the wind to maintain accuracy.
3. Scent Free Is Your Friend
Since you’re crossbow hunting, you’ll need to get up close and personal with deer, and breezes can disperse your odor and affect your hunting experience.
Rubber boots, avoiding odiferous foods, and maintaining personal hygiene can go a long way toward scent prevention and control.
4. Using Food to Your Advantage
Apples, corn, brassicas, turnips, and clover, as well as most of the vegetation that grows in their native land, are deer’s favorite treats. You shouldn’t forget that deer are slaves to their stomachs, and they’re looking for food all the time. Therefore, you have to be around food sources during the rut.
Nothing works better in crossbow hunting to get deer together in a certain area than food. If baiting is legal in the area you’re hunting in, it could be something you can take advantage of.
5. Only Take Good Shots!
This may seem like we’re asking too much, but only taking good shots will augment your success to new highs. You should only shoot deer when they are where you want them to be.
Since you’re new to crossbow hunting, that shot will most preferably be a broadside shot when they are slightly quartering away from you so you can tuck that arrow from behind the shoulder.
If you spot a good buck and are not able to get it in the right position, remember that it is still an experience in nature that you got to enjoy!
6. Keep Learning
You need to fully accept that no matter where or how you’re hunting, you will lose deer. It’s not the end of the world, and you shouldn’t get discouraged. You have done everything you can do if you go into hunting season by preparing all your crossbow equipment.
Such incidents can be an opportunity for you to re-evaluate and make sure you make the right decisions going forward. When you look back to the deer that you have lost over the years, you should be able to tell what exactly went wrong in each case.
7. Closer Is Better
Crossbow hunting is all about getting close to deer. This chance to get personal with deer is actually many hunters’ favorite part. Being five yards from a deer is truly an experience you can’t beat.
You shouldn’t get carried away with all the hype about taking long shots (why do rifles exist?). Great crossbow success can be achieved by shooting at 40 yards or less.
8. Accuracy Is Everything
There is nothing more important in crossbow hunting than accuracy. An accurately placed shot will take care of a deer 30 to 40 yards away easily. If you place that arrow exactly where it was supposed to go, you will also have a shorter blood trail.
A small saying by Ted Nugent, ‘Aim small, miss small,’ sums it up pretty well.
Just because you have a nice broadhead and you think you can cut a big hole in a deer, it does not mean it’s okay to take a shot that’s haphazard or when your crossbow is not sighted in.
All About Cocking Your Crossbow
Did you know that beginners usually have the most queries about cocking? That’s exactly why we decided to dedicate an entire section to it.
When You Should Cock Your Crossbow
It depends on where you are hunting. You should absolutely not go into your blind or get into your tree stand with an arrow in your crossbow. You should put the arrow in the quiver instead and you can keep it cocked as long as you have your safety on. If you have an arrow in it, carry it directed away from you.
It is totally okay, on the other hand, if you leave your crossbow uncocked in the woods until you get to your blind or treestand.
You should cock the crossbow before you get into a treestand. Put the safety on without an arrow, tie your rope around the stirrup, and hoist the crossbow up into the tree stand. You should be very careful about not bumping those strings anywhere.
How Long You Should Leave Your Crossbow Cocked
You can leave it cocked all day long and it won’t falter your accuracy. You should, however, avoid leaving it cocked overnight or all season, as that is unnecessary.
How to Uncock Your Crossbow
You should put the cocking rope back on the crossbow, take the safety off, hold on to it tight, fire the crossbow, and gently let the limbs relax and go back to their original position.
With compound crossbows, however, your only option is to fire them.
Cocking a Crossbow in a Treestand
You should put your foot out in front of you, put the stirrup on, and just cock it. You should get your shooting rail out of the way before doing so. Being in good shape is generally quite helpful in this process.
Putting a Rifle Scope on a Crossbow
You could put a rifle scope on a crossbow, but a crossbow is not made for that! Crossbow manufacturers do everything they can and put a lot of effort into research and development so that your experience in using their product is efficient and successful.
Sticking with the manufacturer’s instructions will bring you good success.
The Type of Target You Should Buy for Your Crossbow
You should opt for a good quality target that will last for a while, so Styrofoam and thinner targets are not ideal choices. A high-quality block target can be sufficient for years even if you shoot broadheads at it.
Other Accessories You Need for Your Crossbow
The must-have accessories for crossbow hunting are:
● Scope
These are essential to ensure you have clean and precise shots. Make sure you find the perfect one in case your crossbow does not come with a scope.
● Bolts
These are shorter arrows and often have fletchings and vanes. Your bolts should have a weight of more than 460 grains to let you shoot perfectly.
● Quiver
Your quiver must be resilient enough to let you carry broadheads. You can attach it to your crossbow or on your belt.
● Slings
Your future self will be thankful every time you want to drink water or bring your binoculars out for investing in a sling.
To Sum It All Up
Cocking your crossbow, making the shot, not sulking over a missed shot—you now know every little detail that should be in a beginner crossbow hunter’s head. A lot of perseverance, a tiny bit of luck, and determination to not give up will ensure success in your crossbow hunting journey.
