Crossbows are becoming increasingly popular among hunters of all ages. Previously restricted to older hunters or hunters with health difficulties, several states have lifted the limitations, and anybody can now hunt with a crossbow.
Crossbows differ from conventional recurve and compound bows in that they are pre-cocked, generally include a scope, and are fired by pulling a trigger like a gun rather than with your fingers.
The crossbow has more force and range than a regular bow, giving the hunter more confidence while shooting from a distance. Furthermore, the use of optics and the ability to handle as readily as a weapon make it a fantastic choice for deer hunting. To know more about hunting, check out where do you shoot a dear with a crossbow?
BROADSIDE SHOT
Broadside is both the most conventional and the most sought shot in hunting. When each side of the deer is facing squarely toward the shooter, no angle is required to perform an ethical shot.
When a hunter is set up parallel to a highly frequented deer route or travel corridor, this scenario is most common. This shot provides a clear path to both the lungs and the heart, which are considered the deer’s primary critical organs and should be practiced by all hunters.
When shooting a broadside deer from the ground, aim for the lower center mass about an inch or two beyond the front shoulder. This offers you some wiggle room if the deer leaps the string (which happens more frequently with crossbows since they are noisier) and drops down, causing the bolt to shoot high, or if you misjudge the distance and the bolt goes low. When shooting from a tree stand, you must account for any angle caused by being above the deer and consider not just where the arrow will hit the deer, but also where it will depart.
The greater the angle, and the higher on the deer’s body you must aim, the closer the deer is to you in the tree stand. For a broadside shot, whether you’re on the ground or in a tree stand, the orientation should be the same—right behind the front shoulder.
QUARTERING AWAY SHOT
The quartering away shot is a close second to the broadside shot in terms of popularity among hunters. The quartering away shot is fired while the deer is angling away from the hunter, with his back end closest to the hunter and his head turned away. This injection provides a strong path to the lungs, liver, and maybe the heart. When taking this shot at a deer from the ground, you’ll need to correct for the animal’s angle, but this time it’ll be a horizontal angle.
The hunter should aim the crosshairs further back on the deer’s body for the point of contact of the bolt, with the distance from the shoulder blade varying depending on how sharply the deer quarters away from the shooter.
Keep in mind that the deer may be at an angle that makes this an unethical shot. To make an ethical kill, hunters must exercise caution while selecting a shot. If the angle is too steep, crossbow gear you risk just striking one lung, making the deer’s recovery much more difficult.
Overall, this is one of the greatest shots available to a hunter. Fully exposed vitals allow a skilled shot to take down a deer swiftly and put meat in the freezer.
QUARTERING TO SHOT
If a hunter decides to take it, the quartering to shoot should be completed flawlessly. Fortunately, the accuracy and ease of usage of a crossbow make this shot a little simpler to perform successfully. Many hunters may pass a deer that is quartering to get a better look at it either broadside or quartering away at some time during the encounter.
The quartering away shot is the converse of the quarter-to-shot. The deer is approaching the hunter at an angle in which its head is closest to the hunter and his back is farthest away. Due to the deer’s shoulder blade, the quartering to shot does not provide a particularly clear route to any of the vitals.
This shot is particularly difficult to execute from a tree stand because the hunter must shift his aim point to the upper front of the shoulder, towards the base of the neck, where there is very little room for mistake. A poorly placed shot on a quartering deer will result in a lengthy tracking effort, and the animal’s death might take a long time, or worse, the deer may never be retrieved. If you strike the shoulder blade, there is a potential that no vitals will be hit and the deer will be injured.
CONCLUSION:
Crossbow hunting is an excellent method to extend the deer season. Most locations have extensive crossbow seasons that go from September through January. Knowing what to look for when the moment of truth arrives can provide a hunter with peace of mind and guarantee that they make the most of their deer encounters each season. When that moment arrives, take a deep breath, stay calm, and fire a nice shot. You’ll be rewarded with venison and, ideally, a trophy for your wall.
