Who Practices?

[tradorion]

LabLuvr and 2thDoc love to go back and forth on this issue-

But i am curious- Toofer is right to some degree that a compound with sights is like a rifle- recheck the zero pre-season and (barring a bump or a gear change) kill all year.

But who here shoots regularly just for shits and grins??

Even here on the Santee Delta in mosquito hell i end up shooting one (or more) of my bows just about every week of the year.

When the bugs are too bad i bring a target inside and shoot at about 6-7yds across the kitchen/living room-- with a couple of dents and 2 field points imbedded in the door to prove it LMAO!!

I love hearing and seeing an arrow fly- especially at a critter- but if not- then just flying down range.

So who practices?

T

[treekilla]

I don't have a sight on my bow and have not for the better part of the last ten years. I shoot ten to forty arrows (heat & sweat decide)about twice a week all year.

[cusportsman]

i shot around some in the back yard monday evening, climbed up on top of the old tree house and shot a target on the ground about 15-20 yards away

i've never hunted with a bow but have always wanted to and am gonna try this year, i've only had deeer withing bow range 1 time, how do you guys get them in close enough, i'm in the upstate so no corn piles, but do you guys call them in? i'd like a few pointers

thanks

[tradorion]

CU- sent you a PM about getting in close on deer in that kind of area- if you are still at CU and need some local area tips drop me a note- used to know a few good spots.

One thing i totally left out was SCENT CONTROL- i wash all clothes in scent free soap/baking soda. shower in no scent soap as close to hunt time as i can. and use the scent killer spray like a fiend. have tried scent lok and it seems to do OK just haven't invested much money into it since the old suit wore out. i play the wind as much as i can.

Cover in a tree is a big plus- no climber on the side of a bare oak if you can have a ladder or a loc-on set up inside the limbs or have some sort of evergreen/vines/limbs etc for additional cover.

T

[Stripa Swipa]

lots but not enough I guess....

[Glenn]

I shoot every day. Not necassarily for practice, I just love to shoot. I'll shoot one or two bows a day, anywhere from 100-200 arrows a week during the down months and up a bit now getting geared up for Montana next month.

I'm like you Trad, I just like to see an arrow fly.

[Catdaddy]

I ususlly shoot 4 arrows at a sheet of paper at 20 yds from the upstairs window on August 14th and then start hunting the next day.

Since I bought a Mathews two weeks ago,I have shot quite a few times getting my laser and my 20 yd pin where I wanted it.

I will shoot a field point from the stand on morning hunts right before I come down.

That's about it for me.

[cusportsman]

i too enjoy shooting a bow, about 3 or 4 years ago i won the top archery award at scout camp, just now gonna try and hunt with a bow, this should be interesting, i sure hope it cools off a little by mid-late september

[LabLuvR]

CU,

I hunt up in Newberry a good bit with my bow. This year the acorns wont' amount to much if we have any at all. On hot days pick a good spot out near a creek where it's cool. Focus on good trails to food sources. You will surprised at how many deer you see without them being pressured.

[walt4dun]

Shooting is my stress relief, me and two of my buddies get together and shoot all the time.

I disagree w/ a compound w/ sights being like a rifle. Form is crucial

You need to practice w/ a bow.

You need to practice w/ a gun too.

[rp]

My kids and I practise in the back yard. Or at least we did. The .177 pellets were doing damage to the neighbors' walls, pets and small children. I suppose I was expecting too much to think the pellet trap would work with a 10 & 7 year old shooting.

[skrimp]

We shoot at least a few times a week on average. I try to go to some of the 3d ranges in the area.

[DMP]

Been shooting everyday for about 3 weeks now.

[Candor]

I don't need to practice to kill a deer standing broadside at 18 yards.

I do need to practice to kill a deer slipping through a thicket edge that only presents a few kill shots and those through windows in the foilage at small parts of their vitals.

Practicing gives me the confidence I need to take shots at deer that I would never take if I weren't dialed in.

I am not a "lights out" shooter but if you practice more you will find that you have more killing opportunities.

[2thDoc]

got my bow out and shot the bulls-eye a couple of times and went hunting. are you telling me its not like a rifle? hogwash. Anyone can shoot a fancy bow and hit the bulls-eye if its set up properly. form? heck, what kind of form do you use to look thru the scope of a rifle?

i love to shoot...and i will a bunch during the season and shoot offseason at rabbits with snuffers and fish with the 'curve, but i'm not going to give form too much credit when it comes to a modern compound.

i think my compound, out of the case before the season ans shot a couple of times is, at least, better than the rifle hunters that think their rifle is still sighted in from the year before....

[boondoggle]

I agree with ya toofer. However, I just like shooting my bow a couple of times each after the commute home. It's my little stress release that prevents me from going postal during the DC rush hour. Plus it drives my up-tight neighbor nuts... you can't measure my glee when I hear "The redneck is at it again!"

[Candor]

doc...where form can really come into play is when you are shooting kneeling down on your tree stand leaning around the back of the tree at a tight shot through a muscadine vine. If you have been practicing properly your muscle memory will get you set properly. If not then you may likely change either your bow arm position, your string hand, or your kisser point. There are a number of things that come together to give you consistent repititions. Standing at your target once a year at 25 yards and hitting a target is a piece of cake (most of the time).

One of my things is to to shoot my bow 40 or so times as rapidly as I can pull and release to get my muscle memory correct.

Shooting a compound is not hard but coming from those of us who have been doing this for 15 or 20 years...often there is nothing to it...but conflict favors the prepared hunter and when that buck is out there at 19 yards behind your tree giving you a 3" target you will have the confidence to make a killing shot. Or when he comes by at a full trot chasing a doe and you have a split second to draw and release and don't have time to go through your whole "get set" routine...practice can make a difference.

[Catdaddy]

Or you could just wait until he presents as good shot.


If he doesn't and walks off ,well,he's still in the woods unhurt and not alarmed. There's hope for another day.

[LabLuvR]

Toofer only takes 10 yard shots, that's why he don't need the practice.

I shoot religiously about two months before the season to get my muscles and mind right. I have a bad habit of not picking out a specific hair or point on the target and practicing helps me focus on doing so. Yesterday I was shooting out to around 30 yards and not doing too good. Refocusing on a small spot in the vitals proved to be a huge plus and all my shots were deadly.

To each his own, but practicing can't hurt and all bowhunters should warm up before the season imho.

[Sashimi]

Originally posted by LabLuvR:
Toofer only takes 10 yard shots, that's why he don't need the practice.

I drink religiously about two months before the season to get my belly and mind right. I have a bad habit of not picking out a specific beer in the cooler and practicing helps me focus on doing so. Yesterday I was drinking 30 a day and not doing too good. Refocusing on a smaller spot in the atmosphere proved to be a huge plus and all my air jabs and flatulence were deadly.

To each his own, but practicing can't hurt and all drinkers should warm up before the season imho.

Reformatted to its original intent