Anyone make it a point to include cross over (right handed shooting from left shoulder and vice versa) shooting in their practice regime?

Those who still hunt them the old-fashioned way know that often times, you find a deer approaching your stand from your weak side. The ability to make a cross over shot so that you need not swivel in the stand can make all the difference in being able to get off a shot without being detected in close quarters.

Yup being ambidextrous with rifle, shotgun and bow has helped bring home the critters many times. That didn't come natural but can be developed through lots of practice to become effective. Lots of shooting from both sides with a BB gun helped get there

I need to practice lefty shooting.
I have had several chances at deer through the right window in a tight blind where swiveling would require a lot a noisy shifting and moving, an easy shot for lefty.

What is "the old fashioned way"?

No.

I never had an issue switching hands.

yes, why wouldn't you. It's something I developed as I got older. Realizing its benefit I want to kick my dad in the nutzzzz for not starting me out shooting from both sides, a problem my boys won't need to endure.

I can say from experience the hardest and easiest obstacle to overcome in switch shooting is remembering to use the opposite eye when taking aim at the target.

Close up with little or nothing to hide you from wary eyes and a powerful nose.

I have shot with the opposite hand/eye at the range just messing around. I have never heard of it from anyone as recommended for hunting situations, and I wouldn't recommend it either. I think its a bunch of BS and I think encouraging shooters to attempt to make shots at game animals with the wrong hand/eye is bs.

The point isn't to develop a skill for taking "off hand" shots just to stroke the ego, but as an effective way to get off a clean and ethical shot when excess movement would likely alert the animal.

I'm sure many would agree that with enough practice, a person can be equally accurate in close up situations shooting from either shoulder.

Loincloth, with a red plaid flannel shirt

Very easy for me to shoot a rifle from the weak side if I have a rest. Now a shotgun is a whole 'nuther story.

this has got to be the most ignorant line of thinking I've seen you post on the inerweb....... shooting support side is no less ethical or risky than shooting strong side...

No one is suggesting blindly trying a shot they've never attempted.....

You can call me ignorant or whatever you want. Politically incorrect is probably a better descriptor though. I make my mind up based on what I know and see, I'm not one you will see floating along freely with the crowd anywhere, but it doesn't mean I'm ignorant stupid or anything in between. I see it as foolish to recommend people practice/prepare for shooting with their non dominant hand/eye. Can it be done? Probably. Can I do it? Probably. Would I try? No.

With enough practice it can be done. There were 13 whitetail deer, a blackbuck and fallow buck that shooting left handed helped me get and I am right handed. Then again I should have been shooting left handed all along since I am right handed but left eye dominate. I shoot equally bad from either shoulder it is just awkward mounting the gun left handed still even though I have been doing it for 40 plus years. Just having fun on the skeet course with friends one day and one of them cannot shoot off his left shoulder for crap I switched shoulders at each station and shot a straight. So I know it can be done at least for me with enough practice.

there is no probably...... its a certainty. If you practice switching between strong and support side is like nothing at all. Shooting is a learned skill, it doesn't have anything to do with "dominant" sure its easier learning and practicing with your dominate side what the fun in that

Adding a little humor to the discussion, it can be frustrating trying to decide which side to choose as you ready for a shot while listening to footsteps approaching from behind. Naturally, you want the gun pointed to the correct side once the deer becomes visible at 20 yards or less. As I've gotten older, I find it more difficult to identify the offset direction of sounds directly behind me.

Let it walk by then shoot it from the appropriate shoulder with a quartering away shot after you identify the critter as one you want to shoot

I've been hunting for 20 years and have killed around 100 or so deer and have never Been in a situation where switching hands would have made a difference in me getting a deer or not.

And I've killed several "the old fashioned way"

Murphy's Law often finds the deer getting a little wary, especially if it's an older buck, and returning back in the direction he came. This can be especially true for a wary and mature Tom when he doesn't see that hen that's been calling him for the past half hour.

Yep. Here's a 5 shot group that I shot left handed (I'm right handed). The red bull is 1/2 inch in diameter.

I know I've killed at least three shooting from my off shoulder. It's not a hard deal and I agree hunters should practice it. As posted above, the hard part is remembering to use the correct eye (which with practice I'm sure becomes habit).

I won't say how long I hunted and shot right-handed only because I never could see through the scope with a left shoulder aim. It was only after having to pass on a nice buck that would have easily busted me that I took the time to realize I was using the wrong eye. I'm sure a little less ego as I got older made me realize there's no shame in recognizing your strong side doesn't always work in any situation.

In my cases, it was never (and would never be) a 'hey, watch this cool trick'. In each case the deer was hard in the wrong direction, two of them with eyes on me already. There was no way to move without them blowing out. Only one was in the last few years, the other two were many years back when we hunted really hard and needed the meat. None of them were beyond 75 yards and all shots were with good rests.