Anyone hunt with a crossbow?

[KDfishbiologist]

I've been leaning towards bow hunting, but being a left-eyed dominant (but right hand dominant) individual, I'm not that coordinated with compound and recurve bows. So I've been looking at getting a crossbow. Anyone here hunt with one? I read in the regs that it's only legal to use a crossbow during firearm season (not archery) here in WA.

[WAPatriot]

Doctors note and you can hunt archery season

[emac]

That is correct you can only hunt deer and elk with them during modern firearm season. But I am pretty sure you can hunt anything else with them during any open season. If you have a disability that prevents you from using a bow you can use one during archery season. I have one and love hunting with it

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[lokidog]

Doctors note and you can hunt archery season

I don't think left eye dominance quite counts as a disability, an oddity sure... but no special permits....   

My son is left eye dominant and right handed, he shot his first deer last year using a crossbow, no problems.  He did shoot lefty, but with a scope, it probably doesn't matter. 

[KDfishbiologist]

Sadly, don't think my odd left-eye dominance (but being right handed) is a true disability, but nice to know I'm not the only one out there! =) Thanks for the advice all!

[JDHasty]

Sadly, don't think my odd left-eye dominance (but being right handed) is a true disability, but nice to know I'm not the only one out there! =) Thanks for the advice all!

We have a couple Exclalibur Matrix 355 and they work pretty well.  We have killed deer w/them.  Same issue you have w/compound bows re: wind.  Tehy are slow to reload, but everything else is pretty much the same.  They are a PITA to pack around in the woods still hunting, but fine for stand hunting. 

Sometimes I grab my compound and sometimes I grab a crossbow during modern season when I am on property or in an area in which I cannot use a modern firearm or ML.   For archery or ML season you have to have the doctor's stamp of approval to grab the crossbow

[Bob33]

Disability eligibility:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/requirements_status.html

[emac]

Sadly, don't think my odd left-eye dominance (but being right handed) is a true disability, but nice to know I'm not the only one out there! =) Thanks for the advice all!

We have a couple Exclalibur Matrix 355 and they work pretty well.  We have killed deer w/them.  Same issue you have w/compound bows re: wind.  Tehy are slow to reload, but everything else is pretty much the same.  They are a PITA to pack around in the woods still hunting, but fine for stand hunting. 

Sometimes I grab my compound and sometimes I grab a crossbow during modern season when I am on property or in an area in which I cannot use a modern firearm or ML.   For archery or ML season you have to have the doctor's stamp of approval to grab the crossbow

Yeah Excalibur's seemed large and not hunter friendly when I was test out xbows. I ended up going with a stryker 380 and love it. Easy to pack around and I do alot of spot and stock hunting

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[Bob33]

I just bought a crossbow to hunt elk in Wyoming this fall. In Wyoming, crossbows are considered legal archery equipment.

I'll report on my experiences.

[lokidog]

Sadly, don't think my odd left-eye dominance (but being right handed) is a true disability, but nice to know I'm not the only one out there! =) Thanks for the advice all!

We have a couple Exclalibur Matrix 355 and they work pretty well.  We have killed deer w/them.  Same issue you have w/compound bows re: wind.  Tehy are slow to reload, but everything else is pretty much the same.  They are a PITA to pack around in the woods still hunting, but fine for stand hunting. 

Sometimes I grab my compound and sometimes I grab a crossbow during modern season when I am on property or in an area in which I cannot use a modern firearm or ML.   For archery or ML season you have to have the doctor's stamp of approval to grab the crossbow

Reloading was a concern when we got one.  We got the Barnett Jackal as it was economical and met the axle length requirement (which now seems to have been removed from the regs). It is a 150lb pull and can be done by me without a cocking device.  I even managed to re-cock on the ground after missing a turkey, got the second one though thirty seconds later. There are better ones out there, of course.

[JDHasty]

Sadly, don't think my odd left-eye dominance (but being right handed) is a true disability, but nice to know I'm not the only one out there! =) Thanks for the advice all!

We have a couple Exclalibur Matrix 355 and they work pretty well.  We have killed deer w/them.  Same issue you have w/compound bows re: wind.  Tehy are slow to reload, but everything else is pretty much the same.  They are a PITA to pack around in the woods still hunting, but fine for stand hunting. 

Sometimes I grab my compound and sometimes I grab a crossbow during modern season when I am on property or in an area in which I cannot use a modern firearm or ML.   For archery or ML season you have to have the doctor's stamp of approval to grab the crossbow

Yeah Excalibur's seemed large and not hunter friendly when I was test out xbows. I ended up going with a stryker 380 and love it. Easy to pack around and I do alot of spot and stock hunting

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Compounds & recurves both have their strong points, I have used both and don't really like packing any of them around.  We like them for stand hunting though and the Excalibur was best fit for both of us. 

[KDfishbiologist]

Sadly, don't think my odd left-eye dominance (but being right handed) is a true disability, but nice to know I'm not the only one out there! =) Thanks for the advice all!

We have a couple Exclalibur Matrix 355 and they work pretty well.  We have killed deer w/them.  Same issue you have w/compound bows re: wind.  Tehy are slow to reload, but everything else is pretty much the same.  They are a PITA to pack around in the woods still hunting, but fine for stand hunting. 

Sometimes I grab my compound and sometimes I grab a crossbow during modern season when I am on property or in an area in which I cannot use a modern firearm or ML.   For archery or ML season you have to have the doctor's stamp of approval to grab the crossbow

Reloading was a concern when we got one.  We got the Barnett Jackal as it was economical and met the axle length requirement (which now seems to have been removed from the regs). It is a 150lb pull and can be done by me without a cocking device.  I even managed to re-cock on the ground after missing a turkey, got the second one though thirty seconds later. There are better ones out there, of course.

I've been looking at the Barnett Jackal since it's a good price and from what I've read is a good starter crossbow until you can invest in something better. Any luck deer hunting with it?

[Stizz]

Sadly, don't think my odd left-eye dominance (but being right handed) is a true disability, but nice to know I'm not the only one out there! =) Thanks for the advice all!

I had the exact same issue. Just go with your dominant eye and lots of practice.

I used to shoot with my dominant hand and non dominant eye...worked ok but had to close one eye, hated that for hunting. I swapped and started shooting with my dominant eye and non dominant arm. At first it felt like trying to throw a baseball with my glove hand, but really it only took 2 or 3 weeks of shooting to get comfortable. In a matter of a few months id already surpassed where i was at shooting with my other arm just from the benefit of aiming with my dominant eye. Now it feels completely natural and i can shoot well with either side.


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[Bob33]

Sadly, don't think my odd left-eye dominance (but being right handed) is a true disability, but nice to know I'm not the only one out there! =) Thanks for the advice all!

I had the exact same issue. Just go with your dominant eye and lots of practice.

I used to shoot with my dominant hand and non dominant eye...worked ok but had to close one eye, hated that for hunting. I swapped and started shooting with my dominant eye and non dominant arm. At first it felt like trying to throw a baseball with my glove hand, but really it only took 2 or 3 weeks of shooting to get comfortable. In a matter of a few months id already surpassed where i was at shooting with my other arm just from the benefit of aiming with my dominant eye. Now it feels completely natural and i can shoot well with either side.


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It's far more common that many know. In our hunter education courses, we have students test themselves, and it's rare we don't have some who learn for the first time they are cross-dominant.

"In a study conducted in the early 1960s, more than 5,000 subjects were tested for eye dominance and almost one third were cross dominant. In that study, 28.6 percent were right handed, but left eyed. Only 3.9 percent were left handed and right eyed. In my experience, females are far more likely to be cross dominant, for reasons as yet unknown. In some groups of females we have trained, as many as one in four were cross dominant."

[KDfishbiologist]

Sadly, don't think my odd left-eye dominance (but being right handed) is a true disability, but nice to know I'm not the only one out there! =) Thanks for the advice all!

I had the exact same issue. Just go with your dominant eye and lots of practice.

I used to shoot with my dominant hand and non dominant eye...worked ok but had to close one eye, hated that for hunting. I swapped and started shooting with my dominant eye and non dominant arm. At first it felt like trying to throw a baseball with my glove hand, but really it only took 2 or 3 weeks of shooting to get comfortable. In a matter of a few months id already surpassed where i was at shooting with my other arm just from the benefit of aiming with my dominant eye. Now it feels completely natural and i can shoot well with either side.


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I had to do that when I was younger shooting rifles with my Old Man. I was always shooting off to one side with his right-handed .270 so I just swapped the gun around and shot with my left hand and I finally hit a deer after 4 years of hunting. Luckily...he was a patient guy Although reloading was a pain in the ass with a right-handed bolt action. Now I'm really interested in archery (crossbow) and just need to build up some strength and get some practice in. Thanks for the advice!