Write to John Pitarresi at 60 Pearl Street, New Hartford, N.Y. Information on crossbow regulations and safety also is available on the DEC web site at. Ī crossbow is a good option to extend your time in the fields and woods. Also, you are well-advised to find a video on crossbow operation and safety, like this one from crossbow manufacturer Ten Point. In any case, as with firearms and other bows, safety is the most important factor in the use of crossbows. I’m not sure it takes any less time to become a good hunter with one. I don’t think there is any doubt it takes a lot less time to be proficient with a crossbow. Much has been argued about the merits of crossbows versus compounds and other bows. Your archer buddy can let a half-dozen or more arrows go before you get the crossbow cranked up and loaded a second time. Several of my buddies are like Robin Hood with their bows at 40 yards. If she's keeping it a buck about the wheels, I'll just toss Nature the keys and hop in the back seat with Morgan so I can keep her in my scope. I’ve got to get better at longer shots, although I’m not sure I’d take one. I’ve gotten so I’m pretty good with it at 30 yards and in. I can assure you that is not a good experience. Have I ever accidently dry fired my crossbow? Yes, I have. Of course, when a suitable deer appears, it’s aim, tick the safety off – obviously very important and something you might overlook when confronted with a big buck – and squeeze the trigger. I want the procedure to become, not automatic, but solidly engraved in my brain as a good habit. I try to pick it up the same way every time, and keep everything in order – cock it, remove and store the cocking device, place the bolt or arrow, never letting my hands or fingers wander above the safety That’s a very good idea for whatever hunting implement you use. I try to practice with it as much as possible. As such, I treat it as if it were a shotgun or a rifle. The horizontal limbs make it a bit clumsy, as noted above, and the fact that once it is cocked it isn’t going to be uncocked until you pull the trigger is a little unnerving. It takes a lot of getting used to, both in simply carrying it and in operating it. If that buck comes by this season, it might be a different story, because I’ve practiced quite a bit and have a better idea on distance and accuracy. The very first hunt I took it out, I had a buck hanging with me for I don’t know how long – it seemed like forever – before his suspicions led him to bolt down the ridge without ever giving me what I thought was a makeable shot. And once you get into that light, it’ll shine brighter than. But once you go through that tunnel and keep going, eventually you’ll see the light. Its hard to go through a tunnel when you cant see the light. Its hard to look at the future in a positive way when the present is negative. I have had a crossbow the last couple of seasons. Keep grinding, keep working and one day it will pay off. It’s a great opportunity to spend extra time in the woods. It begins November 6 in the Southern Zone. But age is catching up with a few of us, and some have turned to the crossbow.Ĭrossbow season was this past week in New York’s Northern Zone.