Practice like you hunt?

[pdk25]

I frequently see people offering the opinion that when you are tired your should put the bow away and come back later so you don't develop bad habits.  I actually have a slightly different take on it.  I like to shoot up to the point that I am getting tired enough that maintaining good form and concentration is very difficult, then shoot a little more.  I find that if I really buckle down I can still shoot good groups, but I have to concentrate so hard there is probably smoke coming out of my ears.  I do this in preparation for a couple of scenarios.  First, when I am on a stand I want it to be extremely easy for me to draw the bow back, regardless of whether I've been sitting for several hours in frigid weather.  Second, I've only hunted out west a few times but each time I was hiking up steep stuff like crazy.  I never new if just over the next rise I would find deer or elk.  One time I had to bend over and run on a logging road for almost a mile to try to head a small herd of elk off.  I can promise you that I wasn't my normal well-rested self.  I like to practice to near exhaustion to replicate these scenarios, then when I am rested it is easy as can be.  Just wondering if I am the only one who feels this way.

[TomMcDonald]

Sure, I've been considering running a field course, something similar to orienteering.

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

Two different kinds of tired.  When you shoot repetitively you fatigue the muscles used for drawing your bow and maintaining good form.  If you continue to shoot past exhaustion you develop bad habits because you develop poor muscle memory.  If you play golf it's the same concept as the golf swing, to get consistantly good form you need to have good muscle memory.  That's why it's better to shoot 10 perfect shots then to shoot 100 with poor form. Your muscles remember the movements you make when you're doing it.

[JDice]

My approach is a merger of all the comments made so far:

I believe that, for the most part, traditional hunting is about 1 well placed shot - made under whatever conditions exist at the time & place. While I do practice shooting groups that is shooting practice - my hunting practice (in prep for a 2010 elk hunt) is done while wearing hunting clothes/boots including a fully loaded pack while running a circuit through 4 (or so) different targets. The ground is rough - including ditches, grades, heavy brush, etc. I run (at different paces) from target to target, stop at an unknown distance from each target and shoot a single arrow. The shot is made in different positions (kneeling, bending over, leaning around a bush/tree, standing in a ditch, etc while shooting.  

I won't pretend I shoot as well as I would like - but - I will say that my hunting shooting is much better than it was before I started using this approach. I can also say that my pack is much more effectively loaded now.

[TomMcDonald]

Muscle memory is a different concept.
Say for instance you're a body-builder, you build up your muscles and it takes you a year to get to a certain point of muscle growth.

Then you give up and your muscles shrink back to where you started.

After that you decide to take up body-building again and this time around it only takes you 6 months to get to the previous amount of muscle growth. THAT'S muscle memory.

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

Muscle memory can best be described as a type of movement with which the muscles become familiar over time.
 Straight out of the dictionary

[Buckeye Trad Hunter]

In addition to my previous post, you are also correct about muscle memory Tom.  Both are correct definitions but different types. (also found in dictionary)  

[DeerSpotter]

Gordon gave the best advice, there's been many times when I have used the old habits from the (other bow) and thought I could go out there and shoot for an 1½ hour, and then I wonder why I'm sore, or shaky,

Now the pattern is, no more than three arrows in a group.  And no more than 10 groups, and it works out fine.

But to run yourself to exhaustion I don't know what that would be gaining, unless a course you're training for elk hunting.  Or a specific purpose that achieves a goal.

But if I practice like I'm in the woods, a lot of times I pull out and read from the New Testament, but of course it has camouflage on it !  So I could incorporate that into my practice also !


Carl

[TomMcDonald]

Originally posted by Buckeye Trad Hunter:
In addition to my previous post, you are also correct about muscle memory Tom.  Both are correct definitions but different types. (also found in dictionary)    

cool. I didn't mean to come across trying to dominate. Thanks for the insight.

[BLACK WOLF]

The title of this post is exactly what I recommend.

If you're gonna hunt...practice like you're gonna hunt...which means putting yourself in situations that imitate the situations and circumstances you would take a shot at the animal you're gonna hunt.

That could mean taking a shot out of breath, moving target, 5yrds., 30yrds., uphill shot, downhill shot, on your knees, broadside, quartering away, etc. etc.

The more situations a bowhunter can get comfortable and confident in...the more a they increase their chances of making good use of the opportunities given to them.

Ray  

[Lost Arra]

Deer hunting practice:
Bundle up
Sit in a treestand until frozen
Shoot one shot

Elk:
Load pack to 45-50#
Hike 4 miles
Climb steep hill
Shoot one shot

I shoot multiple arrows for fun.
I shoot one arrow for hunting practice.

[pdk25]

I agree Lost Arra.  Sometimes it is just more convenient to shoot alot rather than loading up a pack and hiking 4 miles for each shot.

[d. ward]

If you fellows would read the post about the P&Y buck dude DID NOT shoot.For whatever reasons.It was under his treestand I beleave it says...But as mentioned several time in this post.Pratice pratice pratice.If you pratice like your hunting I beleave he would have shot the P&Y buck without a second thought.If you are a bowhunter pratice like you are a bow hunting.My wife thinks I lost it sometimes when I'am laying flat on the ground trying to stick me 3d....But thats cool she ai'nt gonna be out there.I am.......bowdoc