Braxton Taylor
Hunters like easy, or at least easier. That’s not a knock, it’s just our evolution put into practice. This is evident in whitetail hunting in a variety of ways, not the least of which is the push for crossbow inclusion in various states.
While some folks make the argument that crossbows are really no different from vertical bows, anyone who has shot both knows how that’s just not true. Anyone who has been busted drawing a bow in close proximity to a buck also knows this. They are easier, but they aren’t a foolproof weapon.
It’s still entirely possible to screw up while using a crossbow. After a couple of years of watching my daughters hunt with them and listening to some of my buddies who use them, there are some common mistakes that often pop up. Most stem from not really understanding how to use the weapon correctly.
Steadiness Matters
I think the biggest advantage to using a crossbow is how accurate they are. If you sight them in, your job is mostly done. It gets even easier when you start shooting broadheads. With my vertical bows, matching broadheads to arrows is a process, even when my bows are tuned perfectly. With my daughters’ crossbows, I haven’t met a broadhead that won’t fly perfectly.
This can lead to a false sense of confidence in the woods. When you think about the difference between shooting a crossbow at a target on the range, it’s not the same thing as shooting in the woods. Essentially, look at a crossbow like you would shooting a rifle.
If you don’t have a good rest, you don’t have a good shot.
Free-hand shooting is a no-no. While you should crossbow hunt like you would bowhunt, the biggest consideration for a shot opportunity is getting your weapon nice and steady. Even at close distances, without a good rest, you’re asking for trouble. This gets even more pronounced when you start stretching out the shot distance.
Duck, Duck, Grey Buck
Last fall, we filmed one of my daughters shooting a spike buck at 20 yards. That deer dropped about five inches in the time it took for the bolt to zip through him. This year, I filmed her sister shooting a doe at 37 yards. That deer dropped at least 10 inches, which is why I had her aim with the 30-yard hash mark.
Crossbows are loud. Crossbow bolts are generally pretty light. What this means is that you have a noise that will spook any nearby deer, and a projectile that starts out blistering fast but loses speed quickly. While you can hit bullseyes all day long at 50 or 60 yards with your crossbow, stretching out the shot distance on deer can be disastrous. They are going to jump the string, it’s just a matter of how much.
A great way to learn this is by conducting a necropsy on the deer you do shoot. Try to remember exactly where you were aiming when you touched off your shot. Then, look at where you hit and where the exit is. On the doe my daughter just shot, even though we were on the ground and she was broadside, the exit wound was higher than the entrance. That tells you a lot about how much her body moved in the amount of time it took the bolt to get there.
Use a rangefinder to practice at all kinds of distances, just like you would with a vertical bow. Then, shoot for the heart at the very least. This gives you a bit of a cushion when they inevitably drop and can help keep your bolt in the vitals.
Practice Some, Even If You Don’t Want To
After a couple dozen seasons of bowhunting, I’ve taken to shooting one or two practice rounds before I head out for a sit. This is a good way to warm up but a better way to make sure that nothing has changed on my bow throughout the season. The rigors of travel and the lifestyle of a hunter create situations where gear gets beat up. This is true for crossbow hunters, too.
Before I take my daughters out, they fire a couple of shots. While there isn’t as much that can go wrong on a crossbow, there are a few things. They all have moving parts, strings that can wear out, and, generally, scopes. We recently had a situation where the crosshairs of one of their scopes became unmoored from its normal orientation.
I don’t know how it happened, but at first glance, everything looked kosher. When she shot it, everything looked not so kosher. It doesn’t take much to change your point of impact, and when it happens, you want to learn about it on foam, not a live deer.
No one needs to practice as much with a crossbow as they would with a vertical bow, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea not to practice at all. Make sure to shoot a few times each week during the season, at the very least. This is a good insurance plan that takes only a very small commitment.
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