Proper off-season crossbow storage is important to protect your expensive tool and help ensure that next season, it will be good to go. There are three basic things that need doing – clean it up, lubricate it, and store it securely. Follow these steps:

1. Clean it up: Using a microfiber towel moistened with purified water, clean off dust, mud and dirt. Solvents may degrade the camouflage coatings. Let it dry completely.
2. Even though you check all screws, bolts and nuts regularly during the season (you do, right?), give them a final tightness check.
3. Lightly oil all metal parts to prevent rust. I like to use cotton swabs so that I can apply the oil precisely, keeping it off the camouflage and string and cable system.
4. Lightly oil the trigger mechanism, axles and cams. First, put the bow on safe, add a single drop of oil, then work the safety back and forth a few times. Use a single drop of oil on the top of each cam where the axles and bearings go through, wiping away any excess and keeping it off the string and cables.
5. Wax the bowstring and cables: Use bowstring wax on areas of the string and cables that are not covered with serving material. I do this with bare fingers, vigorously working the wax into the exposed areas. You can also lightly wax served areas, but a better product is Scorpion Venom Target Arrow Release Fluid. The Scorpion 3 Star Bow Maintenance Kit contains Anti-Venom Bowstring Cleaner, Polymeric Bowstring Cleaner, and Cam and Servicing Lube, which will help keep string, cables and cams in good working order.
6. Clean the flight rail and barrel cutouts: Use the microfiber towels and purified water to lightly wipe any debris and dirt off the entire length of the flight rail, removing any rail lubricant as you go. Cotton swabs will help remove any debris that’s worked its way down into the flight groove.
7. Optic maintenance: Make sure dust and dirt are whisked or blown off the lenses before cleaning them with a mild solution of water a dish detergent – better than commercial window cleaner, which can damage the optic’s coatings. Use a microfiber towel or cotton balls. When done, protect the lenses with a scope cover.
8. If you have a cocking mechanism like the TenPoint ACUdraw, remove the covers, check that the unit remains securely mounted to the stock, check all bolts and tighten if necessary, and check the cord for fraying. You can use string bowstring wax on the cord if it is slightly frayed but no strands are broken. Lightly oil metal parts, bolts, etc.
9. What about arrows? Make sure they have been wiped clean and are moisture free, too. Store them so that the fletches are not crushed up against each other to avoid warpage over time. Check the nocks for cracks, remove any lighted nock mechanisms and store separately, and lightly oil arrow point threads for prevent rusting.
10. Store the crossbow in a case – both soft-sided and hard plastic cases will do – in a cool, dry place. Dampness in a garage or shed can encourage rusting, and excessive heat can result in string and cable rot. Put it where it will not inadvertently get banged about.

All this can be accomplished in less than an hour. Doing so is cheap insurance that will protect your expensive investment for years to come.