my question is, does the sound of a crossbow (any reasonable distance away) spook the other deer in the group??? (my previous whitetail hunting was with a recurve bow in TX/OK/AR. i've never hunted anything with a crossbow, but i refuse to let this "newly aquired disability" force me to quit hunting deer/feral hogs.)

fwiw, i have "a new friend" who is a tomato farmer in Fairfax County, VA (just outside of DC.),who has a "surburban deer problem". in point of fact, the deer are destroying his livelihood!
(the farmer's wife counted 62 deer in his tomato patchAT ONE TIME Friday morning! she says, "SCREAMING OBSCENITIES & chunking dirt clods" doesn't even phase them anymore!)

so, i've been "INVITED" to come "clean out his eaters" & bring a friend(s), 24/7/365! (he has a depredation/crop damagepermit from the G&F folks.)

imVho, this will NOT be hunting. instead it will be SHOOTING (NO gun hunting is allowed in most of that county, due to population density) !
(my buddy, Gary, said, "given how many deer that fellow has & how UNAFRAID they are, perhaps you should just walk up to them & say: Why not save us all some time & just GO GET IN THE !@#$% TRUCK??" -- i HAD to laugh at that.)

free dixie,sw