For most bowhunters, summer is practice season. We spend weeks, or even months, shooting in the backyard, tuning our bows, checking to see how broadheads fly, and working on our form before opening day arrives. Then hunting season gets here, and something happens. The practice sessions stop.
There are stands to hang, cameras to check, deer to scout, and hunting opportunities to take advantage of. Before long, weeks can pass without a bowhunter shooting an arrow unless it is at a deer. That is a mistake. If you want to be as prepared as possible when a mature buck finally steps into range, don’t put your bow away between hunts. Shooting throughout the season, even if it’s only a few arrows at a time, can help keep your form, confidence, and accuracy where they need to be.
Don’t Let Your Practice End on Opening Day
One of the biggest mistakes a bowhunter can make is treating practice like something that only happens during the summer. We spend months getting ready for opening day, but our shooting doesn’t suddenly become less important once the season begins. In fact, it could be argued that it becomes even more important.
Shooting a bow is a skill that benefits from repetition. The more consistently you shoot, the more natural your shooting process becomes. Drawing the bow, finding your anchor points, settling into your sight picture, and executing the shot should become second nature. You don’t necessarily need to shoot 50 or 100 arrows to stay at the top of your game. A few well placed arrows can be enough to remind your body what a good shot feels like.
Keep It Simple
During hunting season, finding time to shoot can be difficult. That’s why I like keeping a small, portable target around. You don’t need a full size target sitting in your backyard all year to stay sharp. There are plenty of smaller targets that are easy to throw in the truck, carry into deer camp, or keep in your hunting gear. I keep the Rinehart Field Target in my truck all season; it is a round, ball shaped target with a rope handle attached. These smaller targets can be especially useful when you’re traveling to hunt. Instead of arriving at camp and immediately spending the evening getting everything ready for the next morning, take a few minutes to shoot. Set the target at a reasonable distance and send a few arrows downrange. You don’t have to turn it into a full practice session to reap the benefits.
A small block style target that is also portable and doesn’t take much time to set up is also ideal. I keep one of these targets inside my garage, so I can easily shoot and then put it away. Shoot an arrow or two, pay attention to how the bow feels, and make sure you’re comfortable with your grip, anchor, and release. If everything looks good, put the bow away and get ready to hunt. Those few arrows can go a long way toward building confidence.
Shoot Before You Hunt
Another great opportunity to practice is right before a hunt. If you’re hunting private property where it’s safe and legal to shoot, carry a small target with you and shoot a couple of arrows before heading to the stand. This can serve as a quick tune up for both your equipment and your mind.
Maybe you’ve been sitting in the truck for an hour drinking coffee and thinking about the hunt. A couple of arrows can help you transition from thinking about the shot to actually executing it. It also gives you a chance to catch something that doesn’t feel right.
Maybe your anchor feels different. Maybe you’re rushing the shot. Maybe your first arrow hits a little farther from your intended point of impact than expected. It’s much better to discover those things before you’re sitting in a tree with a buck standing 20 yards away.
Don’t Chase Groups During Season
There’s another advantage to shooting during hunting season: You can focus on quality rather than quantity. During the summer, it’s common to shoot large groups at different distances. That’s great for building confidence and getting your bow dialed in. During the season, however, I prefer keeping things simple. Shoot a few arrows and make them count.
Concentrate on the same things you would during a hunting situation. Come to full draw smoothly, find your anchor, settle your sight, pick a small spot on the target, and execute the shot. Don’t worry about shooting a huge number of arrows just to say you practiced. If your first arrow is a perfect shot, you may not need to shoot 20 more.
Practice From Hunting Distances
Your backyard practice throughout the hunting season doesn’t have to look exactly like your summer practice. Once you’re confident your bow is still shooting properly, spend some time shooting at the distances you’re likely to encounter while hunting.
For many whitetail hunters, that means concentrating on shots inside 30 yards. You can also change your shooting position occasionally. Shoot standing up, kneeling, or from an elevated position if you have a safe way to do it. The goal isn’t to make practice complicated, but to occasionally introduce conditions that resemble the situations you’ll encounter in the field. One of the most important things to remember is that hunting shots aren’t always taken under perfect conditions. Your heart may be beating faster. You may be wearing several layers of clothing. You may be twisted slightly around a tree. You may have limited room to draw your bow. Practicing throughout the season helps keep your shooting process familiar even when the circumstances aren’t perfect.
Don’t Forget Your Broadheads
If you make any changes to your equipment during the season, don’t assume your broadheads will automatically hit exactly where your field points do. Any time you change arrows, broadheads, rest, sights, or any other important equipment, shoot your setup before hunting.
Even if everything has been shooting perfectly, it’s a good idea to randomly check things such as your broadhead flight. A few arrows into a target can provide a lot of confidence.
Practice Can Make a Big Difference
You don’t have to turn every day of hunting season into a practice day. That’s not the point. The point is to avoid going weeks or months without shooting your bow. Think of it this way, do you think Tom Brady won a Super Bowl, then didn’t pick up a football until it was game time the next season? No, he kept his skills sharp by practicing all year.
Keep a small target handy, shoot a couple of arrows in the backyard, take it to deer camp, and if conditions allow, shoot before heading out to hunt. It might only take five minutes. But when the moment you’ve been waiting for finally happens and a mature buck steps into range, you want your shooting routine to feel familiar, not something you have to remember after weeks of not touching your bow. Summer practice gets you ready for opening day, but continued practice keeps you ready for the season.
