Newborns and Practice

[varmint101]

Good luck at whatever you end up doing!  No shame either way.

Here's where my lil girl and I are at now lol.

 

[ALW]

Erik, congrats on the baby.  I know where you are coming from.  I have a 4 1/2 year old boy and twin 18 month old girls.  Absolutely now free time anymore.  I used to shoot a lot more than I do now.  From the sounds of it you are a good shot.  I don't think my shooting is nearly as good as  yours.  Probably never has been and that hasn't been helped with very limited shooting time.  I have just switched to taking extremely high percentage shots.  15 yards and under for me.  The deer I took last year was 5 yards.

I think what you've been told above is good advice.  You may have to shoot less, but make those shots count.  You could switch to the compound as well.  Nothing wrong with that.  Just have fun and limit your shots to what you feel comfortable with.

Good luck, and again congratulations on the newborn.  They are a true joy.

Aaron

[pktm]

Congrats on your new hunting partner. Best advice is to make every minute of practice serious work on form. Put a clicker on so you won't cheat, you will see the difference rather quickly.

[J. Cook]

Congrats on the new addition!!!!  We had our firt in 2007 and I went from being a work-out-a-holic to not having been in the gym in the last year and a half.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  You'll find time to practice somewhere...but NEVER give up your time with that baby for a bow or any other hobby.  So my advice, is to enjoy shooting when you can, but don't let that become THE priority in your life.  Enjoy that baby!!!!

[mrpenguin]

Thank you to everyone for your advice!!  Its great to know there are some awesome dads out there!  Thank you also for all the encouragement.  It helps tremendously.  I think I will adopt short practice sessions focusing on every arrow.  I want to get to just one shot a day at my 3D target and have that shot be at a random distance, and 100% lethal every time... then I will be ready.  Again thanks gents... it is truly a blessing to have this awesome forum with such great company!!

[kbetts]

Just went through the same thing.  With two months to turkey season, I had to move back into my house after renovations and get mom and baby situated.  I did most of my practicing after dark under the glow of a security light.  I made sure I shot at least a half dozen a night, one at a time and never two from the same spot unless I missed.  When it came crunch time on day one I sent a 2018 through the neck of a walking turkey at 20 paces.  The darkness I practiced in made it easy to get used to the dark blind.  It all came down to how bad I wanted it.  I was determined to make it happen and lack of daylight was not going to keep me from practicing.

[nightowl1]

I tie on a sight with some sinew and secure it with barge cement. Never could master instinctive shooting to a distance i was satisfied with.

I will tie a feather on my bow and use the quill as my sight. Looks pretty cool and hard to argue with a self made sight from nature. Helps me stay consistent. Sighted in for 20 yards and learn the gap to 30. For each his own but I don't feel any less "traditional" or however you describe it by using it

BTW congradulations... we just had a baby girl so i understand the priority shift... great stuff

[Mo. Huntin]

Right on bud. I second the shooting at night with a light, I done that a lot.
If you are going to cut back on your shooting I would get one of the rubberband exercisers to keep your muscles strong eough to pull your bow easily, if it is very heavy.  I am kind of tight so I went to the pharmacy and bought some of that rubber tubing and it works great for me, I got enough I can double it.  Congrats

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Congrats on newborn, I am on my 3rd. It all started when I took my first one on a 3D shoot, I carried her in the carseat, set it down and shot, picked it up and walked to next target. with my second I had to get the older one a bow,
as far as regular practice, I sneak out and shoot my course in the backyard (I have 10 targets)
The shining a light on a target is effective and even helps focus and concentration.

[Rick P]

Cant believe no one else seems to have said this. As soon as the little one can hold his/her head up put him/her in a baby pack and hunt with them! Gunther was 3 weeks old the first time we had him out ice fishing and less then 2 months old the first time I harvested an animal with him. Since it's dark 24/7 in the winter I have always practiced under lights for part of the year. Getting in practice time and hunting time is allot easier when it's a shared activity. At 2 1/2 Gunther already knows to stay behind me while I'm shooting, keep his mouth shut when game is about and is a fanatic outdoors men. My wife Tracy isn't far behind him. This is all irrelevant if you are a "finally got away from the nag and the dang kids kinda Dad." But for my family shooting and hunting together makes perfect sense. No the wife and kid do not hunt Bear and Dall sheep with me, that would be unsafe and even a dedicated family man needs an occasional brake.

[Brian Krebs]

I agree with Jmatt1957 - practice one shot.

 I just went through a different bow; different arrows; different finger tab adventure. I practiced with a friend; who is in your position- he just can't get good enough to feel he is ready to hunt.

 He practicing with as many as a dozen arrows; and for hours and hours everyday.
 I only had 6 practice arrows ( with field points) and we shot 6 for hours each night; every night for about 3 weeks. At the end of this adventure in shooting; my fingers had blood blisters under blood blisters - I shot them to bare flesh. I got worse and worse and worse at my shooting.

 I then let my fingers heal; and got a new damascus glove; and started shooting- my first arrow was dead on. I keep shooting one arrow; letting my fingers get the blood moving in them again; and then on to shoot another single arrow; at an unknown range; and I am impressing myself again.

 When you get a shot at an animal; you will have no practice shots to warm up as it approaches (although I do carry a rubber blunt tip arrow and practice while hunting when I can).

 Your going to get one shot; and make that shot count. Practice for that one shot.
 It works.