Lifestyle
Which States Allow Crossbow Hunting During Archery Season?
By Live or Die Here Research Desk · May 13, 2026
31 states now allow crossbows during archery season for all hunters. Here is the full map — full-inclusion states, disability-permit holdouts, and which states changed laws in 2024-2026.
Most hunters assume crossbow access during archery season is a patchwork of disability permits, age exceptions, and partial-season windows. That was true in 2010. In 2026, the map looks different. Thirty-one states now allow crossbows during the full archery season for all hunters. Eleven more have opened access in the last two years alone.
The change is real and accelerating. Here is the current state.
Full Inclusion States
These states allow all hunters to use a crossbow during any open archery season. No disability permit. No age minimum. No separate application.
- Wyoming
- Montana
- Idaho
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Wisconsin
- Minnesota
- Iowa
- Missouri
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Florida
- North Carolina (except 2-week traditional archery window)
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- South Dakota
- North Dakota
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- West Virginia
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
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Ravin Crossbows
Hunting Wyoming elk or Kansas whitetail? Ravin's R500 is rated at 500 feet per second.
See Ravin crossbows →About this sponsor
Ravin sells it on rifle-style accuracy and HeliCoil cams. Those are Ravin's specs, not our test results. If your move comes with a hunting license, price this one first, and check the season dates on this page before you buy.
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