Not me, but neighbor almost lost his thumb to a crossbow this weekend. I understand his thumb had to be reattached. Be careful out there...

I hope and pray your neighbors reattachment takes and he gets full use back. I treat the cocked crossbow string like the muzzle end of a gun. Mine has a safety and a double pin insert that creates a mechanical block and I still don't put my fingers near the string.

Yes BE careful, most crossbows have a thumb guard and you have to respect it.
I hope it all works out for your neighbor.

After a few years, and the factories seeing the sharp rise in popularity, many stories came out about this problem. The makers have almost all got designs to limit where you can put your hands. Be especially careful with entry level bows, and getting your kids started in xbows, and train them right!

You can't be careful enough. Sorry to hear about your friend.

No pic of the guy referenced in the OP but here's yours truly after a taking a shot from the treestand where i was over extended and using a makeshift rest:



That was 6 or 7 years ago. Saved the thumb but have no feeling in a portion of it.

He wasn't sharing photos, and not my place to ask. And as Blank said, modern built crossbows mostly have guards in place to keep fingers and hands out of the line of danger. Mine does...but I still treat it with respect.

OUCH

This is my first year with a crossbow. I read about the danger with the string and have been very cautious with it myself and i have pounded it into anyone i have let shoot it that you must keep everything away from that string.

After my first weekend hunting with one, once set up the crossbow is great, but carrying it around is a pain in the azz.

When I worked at Cabela's, I had a few customers bring in crossbows that had been altered and had the thumb shield removed. I refused to work on them, I wouldn't take that risk or ask any of my other techs to do it.

I recently bought a new TEN POINT CROSSBOW and its design is such that you cannot get your thumb into the string channel, very easily, and has a very well placed safety to prevent an accidental discharge.

kmon1 can tell you some stories about thumbs and crossbows. Apparently it happens quite a bit.

The crossbow is the most awkward piece of hunting equipment out there. Even with a sling it's a pain and usually catches on everything!
You have to be careful even taking a shot on an animal and make sure you have plenty of clearance for the limbs as they fly forward or you are in danger of losing some teeth and being knocked out cold, as the stock slaps you upside the head.

Problems with thumbs and being slapped by the stock is a result of most people not familiarizing themselves and or not practicing very much if any!

I’ll throw in being careful when messing with feeders. I’m still not 100% sure if I accidentally hit “test” or the feeder just went off but I still managed a trip to the minor emergency clinic after my finger got hung up in a spinner plate. Finally got feeling back in that finger a year later.

Yeeeeowch!!!!!

My sister in law almost took off her thumb with a crossbow string. Snapped the bone in two and split it open much like Hirogen's picture. She was lucky it didn't get taken off.

Indeed

This thread makes me want to stick with my compound bow.

Yep. Happened to a buddy of mine, they were able to reattach it though.

I've seen and read enough to know I'll stick with a rifle. While it can create even far worse damage, it doesn't seem as awkward to handle safely.

I hunted with my Excaliber Matrix for the first time this past weekend and yes, the crossbow is kind of awkward to move around with and get up into a tree stand. MY type crossbow can be unloaded safely using the cocking rope without any unloading bolts or anything else.
I watched a guy do it on You Tube and I was still terrified to pull that trigger with me holding on to the right end of the cocking rope. I looked at it for 5 or 10 minutes, rewatched the video and got in the proper position with foot and the rope in my hand pulled up and dang if it didn't just click and slowly go to the uncocked position easy as pie.

Not near as much damage as a crossbow string can do but a timely reminder. Probably have field dressed 50 to 75 big game animals in my career and have never done this before. I always take first aid items with me in truck but have left them there. Last night while field dressing a doe, I did this little piece of handiwork. Had to drag that doe about 1/3 mile before getting to the bandages. As I am 71 and use blood thinners, the wound became a real bleeder before I was done. Timely reminder, if you have a first aid kit, put it in your backpack or stand, so its where you need it when you need it. Buddy took deer off my hands when I got back to the truck. Would've been a lot worse if I would have been alone. A little Super glue and I'll be back out there again.

I did the same thing a few years ago using a new knife a son-in-law gave me, cleaning an axis buck. And I've probably cleaned more deer than you.

I ordered this last week. Granted, it's more for cleaning/cutting up a lot of animals on a rack, but adds an added level of safety. Not cheap, but cheaper than stitches.

Looks like a good idea. I’ve poked myself before but never anything serious. One of those deals where your hands are in there where you can’t see and you know immediately, this one is not just a poke. Ask get older, it’s finally getting through my head that hunting solo is probably never a good idea.