The string is back. The 18-inch, fletched shaft is on its way. The broadhead hits it mark, and the deer doesn’t go far before falling. It sounds like another successful bowhunt is in the books! Yeah, I gave it away with the arrow length. Some will call it a bolt, and everyone knows this success story was that of a crossbow hunter.

This is sure to spark some debate, but I’d say it’s safe to proclaim in 2024 that the crossbow is officially a legitimate bowhunting tool. Need some proof? You needn’t look any further than the fact that 32 states now allow crossbow usage during regular archery seasons.

Where are Crossbows Legal?

Of the 17 states that severely restrict crossbow use, only one — Iowa — can be considered a whitetail state. Even then, despite its reputation as a big-buck mecca, Iowa is home to only 78,000 bowhunters. That’s a lot, but it pales in comparison to the archery hunters in Missouri (177,000), Wisconsin (253,000) and Michigan (322,000).

The other states have minimal (and in some cases, no) whitetail hunting. These include: Hawaii, New Mexico, Washington, California, Utah, Nevada, Alaska, Arizona, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, South Dakota and Massachusetts. In this list, both Dakotas combine to harvest just 13,000 deer annually.

Oregon is the only state in the country that does not allow crossbow usage during any deer season.

It should also be noted that 11 of those 17 states only allow crossbow usage during the regular gun-deer season, and five only allow them to be used by hunters with physical challenges.

Where Bowhunters Live

Although we don’t know exactly how many hunters use crossbows, we do know that 3.7 million people participate in an archery-deer season at some point during the year. And of those hunters, 97% reside east of the Mississippi.