Practice for Fall Hunting

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. That’s what we are told, and I am here to tell you how true that statement is.

It’s almost time to get out there and hunt for the whitetail of your dreams. Your scouting should be completed by now, your stand locations, assigned. Your stands should be up and tiny laneways cleared for an arrow to cleanly and humanely take an animal.

Now is the time to take that last important step and really hone your shooting ability. Some readers will be consistent at 10 yards. Others will find they are consistent at 20, 30, even 40 yards or more.

There is more to consider when it comes to shooting consistently and accurately. Many shooters are happy with hitting a paper plate at different distances, but some hunters will never be satisfied with that.

These hunters are not happy until they can group their arrows tightly into a very small circle on that 12-inch paper plate. These outdoor enthusiasts will never take a questionable shot.

These ethical hunters not only have a love for bow hunting, but also have a resolute respect for the animal they are pursuing. These hunters might not score on a nice whitetail every year, but they can go home after a long day in the field and be satisfied with just enjoying the outdoors.

When it’s time to practice, I have found that having a shooting buddy with you can help immensely.

When your shots are all over the target, your “buddy” can watch your shooting form closely and possibly isolate a problem that could improve your aim. It can also be fun to shoot alongside a friend. We would often play a game while we are practicing.

There is a basketball game that we used to call PIG. Someone would make a shot, and you had to stand in the exact same spot and shoot in the exact same way. If you missed, you took a letter. Once you took enough letters to spell PIG, you were eliminated.

We introduced this game in our bow hunting practice times. The same rules applied except instead of a basketball, we used arrows.

We would pick random distances (because we all know a deer does not always stand broadside at 20 yards). When one of my friends hit the specific target, we all had to go to the exact spot and shoot in the exact way he did and score or take a letter.

Believe me when I tell you that some of those shots were absolutely crazy. Things like down on one knee or twisting around so that your back is facing the target.

One of my friends, I will not say who (Tom) once took aim at the eye of a 3-D deer and after his shot, we all had to hit it as well. Some days I wanted to change the name of the game from PIG to Superkalifragilisticexpialidocious just so I could stay in the game longer.

For those who never heard that word, it comes from Disney’s Mary Poppins. Yeah, my hunting buddies didn’t think much of it either.

Crazy as this may sound, it forced us to concentrate on a small target. In the long run we all became better shooters and had a blast while we were improving our shooting skills. Aim small, miss small. It is true that the smaller your target, the more you will be forced to concentrate on it. In real hunting situations, too many beginners will see the deer come into range and just shoot at the whole animal.

Usually, they have no idea of exactly where they hit the deer. Everything happens so fast.

You should never just shoot at the whole deer. Or even at the 12-inch area we call the breadbasket. Rather, pick a small spot on that deer. Pick a hair in the middle of that 12-inch breadbasket and concentrate on that—and only that.

Try to stay calm and follow through with your shot. If you do, chances are you will be eating venison for dinner.

Another big practice problem is that, often times, the shooter will shoot way too many arrows. After 10 shots or so, the muscles will tire and you’ll not be as accurate as you were earlier.

A good habit to get into, especially this close to the season, is to go out every day after work and limit your shots to no more than 10 arrows. Maybe even limit your shots to five, but make every one of those count.

Target panic is a major problem for beginners and veteran hunters alike. It has happened to me and just about every other hunter I know.

You’ve practiced and are accurate. But once in a while, an arrow goes flying and might miss the target altogether. What the heck was that? How can that happen?

In bow shooting, it’s the same as shooting a rifle. Once you are settled in and have your sights on the target, you need to squeeze the trigger and let the moment the arrow releases be a surprise.

Every once in a while, I still have an arrow fly off target because I punch the trigger instead of getting a nice smooth, steady squeeze. I know it, and I must constantly remind myself of that fact. For me, it’s still a work in progress, so you are not alone if you have target panic.

Whitetail season is right around the corner, and I do hope you have a successful year. After all, with all that practice under your belt, it should be a piece of cake. Right?

Well… maybe not a piece of cake, but at least you’re prepared. Good luck!

Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@fishgame.com