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One thing you are quickly going to learn with the crossbow is if you are hunting out of a climbing tree stand, chances are you are only going to get one shot.
Even the muzzle loading rifle, you have a chance to load and fire a second shot, but probably not with the crossbow.
The only reason I keep my quiver attached to the crossbow is to take a field point up the tree with me. At the end of the hunt, I replace the hunting arrow with a target arrow and shoot it into a pre-arranged spot on the ground.
This is the only acceptable way to uncock a crossbow, one of many questions asked by new horizontal bowhunters.
Even with one of the mechanical cocking devices, attempting to cock a crossbow in a tree stand is a little too risky and isn't recommended by the American Crossbow Federation.
Add a little buck fever to the recipe, while trying to bend over in a tree stand and you might find yourself dangling 20 feet above the ground and field testing your safety harness.
So the best and safest way to climb a tree is to tie off your haul string so the crossbow is pointing down and then haul up the crossbow, with the safety on and cocked.
Don't install an arrow until you are situated in your stand. You will find that a crossbow safety is much harder to release that a rifle, just due to this reason. However, in the presence of game, the safety catch is still simple to disengage.
Never climb a tree with your crossbow slung to your back cocked or otherwise.
The crossbow is generally a sit and wait type of weapon. So it isn't a good idea to walk or stalk game with a loaded crossbow, as in case of a fall, you might land on a dislodged arrow.
Never dry fire a crossbow to uncock it as it will in fact damage your weapon. What many new hunters don't realize is you can sit in your stand from 6-8 hours and not worry about your crossbow being cocked and on safety.
It is designed to withstand a full day's hunt. You only need to shoot it into the ground at the end of your hunt. It is a good thing as it allows you to take a practice shot at a leaf on the ground and give yourself a little more confidence for the next day's hunt.
Then, you just lower your crossbow uncocked.
As with a regular bow, make sure your quiver completely covers and secures the extra arrows with broad heads.
Most crossbows are designed to disallow the forward hand from reaching up and the fingers getting in the way of the released bow string when the crossbow is fired.
However, you can still get into trouble if you don't develop a shooting style that keeps your fingers in the safety grooves on the firearm.
This is just one of those inherent safety protocols you have to learn about a crossbow that is different from any other weapon.
As you know, you don't want to get your fingers caught in the chamber on an auto-loading shotgun, the same principle applies to the crossbow in this case.
These are just some of the things you need to know that make crossbow hunting a new and exciting sport.
So, read that new book "Today's Crossbow" and ...
Pass it on.
John Simeone is an outdoors writer for Louisiana Road Trips Magazine, along with being a member of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association. He can be reached by e-mail at fptopgun@bellsouth.net.
One thing you are quickly going to learn with the crossbow is if you are hunting out of a climbing tree stand, chances are you are only going to get one shot.
Even the muzzle loading rifle, you have a chance to load and fire a second shot, but probably not with the crossbow.
The only reason I keep my quiver attached to the crossbow is to take a field point up the tree with me. At the end of the hunt, I replace the hunting arrow with a target arrow and shoot it into a pre-arranged spot on the ground.
This is the only acceptable way to uncock a crossbow, one of many questions asked by new horizontal bowhunters.
Even with one of the mechanical cocking devices, attempting to cock a crossbow in a tree stand is a little too risky and isn't recommended by the American Crossbow Federation.
Add a little buck fever to the recipe, while trying to bend over in a tree stand and you might find yourself dangling 20 feet above the ground and field testing your safety harness.
So the best and safest way to climb a tree is to tie off your haul string so the crossbow is pointing down and then haul up the crossbow, with the safety on and cocked.
Don't install an arrow until you are situated in your stand. You will find that a crossbow safety is much harder to release that a rifle, just due to this reason. However, in the presence of game, the safety catch is still simple to disengage.
Never climb a tree with your crossbow slung to your back cocked or otherwise.
The crossbow is generally a sit and wait type of weapon. So it isn't a good idea to walk or stalk game with a loaded crossbow, as in case of a fall, you might land on a dislodged arrow.
Never dry fire a crossbow to uncock it as it will in fact damage your weapon. What many new hunters don't realize is you can sit in your stand from 6-8 hours and not worry about your crossbow being cocked and on safety.
It is designed to withstand a full day's hunt. You only need to shoot it into the ground at the end of your hunt. It is a good thing as it allows you to take a practice shot at a leaf on the ground and give yourself a little more confidence for the next day's hunt.
Then, you just lower your crossbow uncocked.
As with a regular bow, make sure your quiver completely covers and secures the extra arrows with broad heads.
Most crossbows are designed to disallow the forward hand from reaching up and the fingers getting in the way of the released bow string when the crossbow is fired.
However, you can still get into trouble if you don't develop a shooting style that keeps your fingers in the safety grooves on the firearm.
This is just one of those inherent safety protocols you have to learn about a crossbow that is different from any other weapon.
As you know, you don't want to get your fingers caught in the chamber on an auto-loading shotgun, the same principle applies to the crossbow in this case.
These are just some of the things you need to know that make crossbow hunting a new and exciting sport.
So, read that new book "Today's Crossbow" and ...
Pass it on.
John Simeone is an outdoors writer for Louisiana Road Trips Magazine, along with being a member of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association. He can be reached by e-mail at fptopgun@bellsouth.net.
