Bow season is anywhere from 7 to 10 weeks away depending on where you hunt. That means it's time to start practicing. Over the weekend Becca and I went out to the woods to use our tree climbing gear and saddle stands to do some practice. We don't shoot our bows all year, we like archery, we just need to take a break for a while. However, without fail every year I start shooting my bow in July to ensure that I have built enough muscle and endurance to be able to make the shot when the time comes. I believe the "better" you practice the more successful a hunter will be. In the following paragraphs I will try to answer some questions on how to set up a proper practice session.
How far should you practice?
If you have been around bowhunting for long enough, undoubtedly will have heard some version of how far is it ok to shoot? Or how far should you be practicing from? There is no specific answer to what an ethical distance is. For whitetail hunting in the Eastern woodlands 25 yards is plenty. Usually if you can shoot farther than that you should move closer to where you expect deer.
How far should you practice from?
From what I just said, 25 yards and in. Get really good from your saddle. I have a practice tree in my yard to allow for our family to shoot our bows from the saddle at height.
“Practice at twice your hunting distance” or something to that effect has been repeated nearly a million times. Think about this for a second: do baseball pitchers regularly practice at 120 feet, to improve accuracy? Would professional bowlers build a twice as long lane to practice with? Would a dart shooter practice from 16 feet?
Do we practice farther than 25? Only for fun. Spending more time getting animals closer just makes the shot so much easier, and you are a better hunter because of it. A 15 yard shot is cake on the lawn, but on a chilly October morning with a real 8 pointer staring back at you the difficulty is increased.
Should you practice with more than just your bow?
Most bowhunters don't, but the best bowhunters I met do. How do you plan on getting into a tree for an ambush? What gear will you be using? Do you know how to use it in the dark? What about if your hands are cold? (It's difficult in summer to practice things cold, but cold makes things more difficult the better you are, the easier it is in November).
I'll end this with a story about yesterday. I have been saddle hunting for 8 years now and consider myself good at it. Becca and I went out to the woods for our first practice hunt, we brought out foam life size pope and young buck with us into the woods. We were lucky this year and didn't forget anything crucial, in years past we have forgotten releases, bows, and repelling gear. The bugs were terrible and so was our climbing form. We haven't climbed a tree in six months, and if this was a true whitetail hunt our chances of filling a tag would have been super low.
Problems we encountered: 1. I am a diabetic on insulin and I forgot to bring low snacks, and of course had a low 17 feet in a tree. Thank you to Becca for running to the truck and saving me. 2. Becca's quiver needs replacement. 3. Becca's peep sight needs to be re-tied into the string.
Other than that we accomplished the goal, climbed a tree, shot the bow, got down safely. It was a good first "hunt". We aren't ready.... Yet!