On the DVD that comes with the Excalibur crossbows old Bill there tells you that it is a good idea to take the string off your bow over the winter to lessen the stress on the limbs. However now you must take off the compression pads or they may crack. My question is who actually does this? I feel like I want my bow operational the whole year to practice and keep fresh. Also there is always schedule C for the off season. And how long have some of those limbs been sitting in boxes on shelves waiting to be bought? Longer than one winter I bet and the strings stay on. Thoughts on this ?