I wouldn't leave it cocked. Unless you are disabled there in no reason not toun-cock your bow.
There would be strain on the bow for no reason, and if someone found it that didn't know what they were doing theres a good chance of a dry fire, or worse, someone could lose a finger.
__________________
"guns aren't for killing people, guns are for killing dangerous and delicious animals"
- Homer Simpson
All bows should be decocked eventually. Dan is correct about extreme temperatures. And yes tschaef brings up a vaid point about safety. I have no problems leaving mine over night as long as no one can come in contact with it. Yes safety is a concern but so is the health of my bow!
__________________
OHA Life member, NRA member, DVC# ON 452
I wouldn't leave it cocked. Unless you are disabled there in no reason not toun-cock your bow.
There would be strain on the bow for no reason, and if someone found it that didn't know what they were doing theres a good chance of a dry fire, or worse, someone could lose a finger.
Don't know how this quote thing works, lol, guess it's time to try it as this is an excellant point. If any of ya'll use the Excal type rope cocker, uncocking is an absolute breeze using it. Just put it on the cocked bow, work all the slack to your strong arm side, make sure the other handle is tight to the hook, put your other side foot in the stirrup, double check all, make dayam sure you took the arrow out, and while pulling hard on the strong side handle, trip the trigger w/ other hand. Gotta tell ya'll it took me awhile to try this w/ Emax, but it is truely a piece of cake, you will not believe how easy it is until you try it. Of all the xbow trivia and lore I've picked up over the years this one impresses me the most!!
I use the four hour rule or end of that morning or afternoons hunt . A warden told me a cocked crossbow in a vehicle give to look like you are doing something illegal, even if you are not and better to decock the crossbow for safety reasons and a clear legal picture.
__________________
Terry
What This Country Needs Is More MOXIE!!!!!
Commit Thy Work To God
Hunting is part of the heartbeat of life, without it, life is not the same.
My heart belongs to my family, but my soul belongs to the woods
I was told the same thing as moxie was. Game warden told me once that if I was on my way home after the hunt and pulled over to watch a nice buck cross the road or such and he pulled up behind me he would have a hard time not thinking I was getting ready to poach. Its to simple to just keep a old arrow and unload in the ground then to not uncock it. Also as mitch said safety of others is a must!
Edit: Sorry it was not mitch, it was tschaef
__________________
Hunting is like Marriage, you get out of it what you put in it. Sometimes you score and sometimes you don't, but its always fun going out!
moeskeeter, I leave my ten point Xbow cocked over night in my box stand also. From Friday night until Saturday morning when I climb down for lunch. I then decock it and recock it after lunchthat afternoon in my standand decock it againwhen I climb down at dark away from my stand but before I load it into my truck. It sounds like too much trouble but I don't like the chance of deer hearing me shoot it at dark on Friday night. And I like leaving itLOCKED up in my box stand for the easy walk in on Saturday morning without it. LOL. Ain't noth'in but a thang! If it breaks, it breaks.
BBO
how long
