What is the best way to unload your crossbow?

[Legnip]

What is the best way to un-load your crossbow? I take a practice arrow and shoot it into the ground from my treestand to un-load. A guy at the office holds onto the string and pulls the trigger. He says it scares him every time he does it. I just broke a carbon arrow shooting it into the ground this weekend. I have switched to aluminum and will add a rubber bludgeon on the end. I think that should fix it. Has anyone found a better way to unload?

[Smoothbore]

I think the practice arrow is the way to go but have done it both ways.

[Bulls eye]

I hunt close to the house so I walk home with mine cocked, no bolt in it of course. Then when I get home I have a bolt with a field point on it and I shoot it into the target. No broken bolts and I can make sure I am still on target after the hunt. There is no WAY I would hold onto the string and pull the trigger!!!!!

[69Viking]

I agree, holding onto the string and pulling the trigger is crazy!
 
I usually make sure the safety is on and the cross bow is over my shoulder (no chance for an accidental fire to hit me) for the walk out of the woods.  Then when I get close to the cabin and there is no chance in seeing a deer I remove the broadhead arrow.  Once I'm back at the house I shoot a target arrow into the layered target I have.  I agree it's a nice way to confirm your cross bow is still sighted in correctly. 

[deerhunter125]

when ever i get done hunting i just leave my crossbow cocked and then when i go out the next night i am ready to go. it doesnt hurt it at all.

[encore]

i don't know if i'd leave it stung that long . just bought a barnett 400 and they say not to leave it strung more than 4 hours

[deerhunter125]

the guy at the archery shop that i got mine at said i can leave it pulled back. i have had it for 4 years now i have only had to replace the string once. other tan that it has worked perfectly

[Dave]

I have a Horton Black Hawk 200 pound cross cow. Broke just about every arrow that I shot into the grown. I have a target I made out of feed sacks that I leave in the bed of my truck. After hunting I shot into my target. Saves a lot on arrows.

[2Poppa]

I hunt with carbons, but keep an aluminum arrow with a field point in the truck.
When I get back, I shoot the aluminum at a slight angle into the ground.

[Ohio farms]

I carry an old bolt with a field tip and shoot it at the end of the hunt into the ground. I imagine if I hit a stone or something hard it could damage the bolt, but never have.
As for leaving it cocked for any length of time, I can't imagine that it is good for the limbs to be under tension for extended periods of time.  I'd get a second opinion on that one.
Carrying it cocked can't be safe. Everything catches on a crossbow when you are walking through the woods. Saftey is something that you strive for to be 100%.  Carrying a cocked crossbow reduces that %.  Be careful.