Hunting practice

[Don Stokes]

It's getting close... Over my lengthy love affair with the bow, I've gone through several phases. First I just wanted to hit the target. Eventually I figured out how to do that, but I didn't know as much as I thought I did. I started hunting with a fiberglass Bear longbow in the early 60s, wood arrows and Bear broadheads that I could buy ready-made at the Western Auto store. I actually killed a deer 13 years later, with a recurve and aluminum arrows. I graduated back to a longbow and wood arrows after a stint with high-tech, and now I'm back to a recurve (still with wood) for the extra oomph with the poundage I now find comfortable. I did my time with target shooting and 3D, where conditions are controlled and pinpoint accuracy is the goal. I was good at it, but these days it doesn't appeal to me.

Now successful hunting is my only goal. These days I practice exclusively with a judo arrow, roving. I vary everything; stance, draw length, anchor point, over open ground and in the woods. I judge my shots by kill or no kill, and anything within 4" of the target is a kill. I find this to be much more satisfying that shooting repetitively at a known-distance target and stressing over my groups. I've killed more deer since taking this approach. I feel that I know my limitations better, and I think I shoot better under real-world hunting conditions.

Just wondering if others out there have taken this approach.

[onemississipp]

Barry Wensel uses that method, heard him on a podcast and it surprised me. I’m not 100% sure but I think I heard him say he has never shot a target.

Got me to thinking..


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[Doug_K]

I shoot targets for tuning, form, and treestand practice. Roving is definitely better practice for hunting.

[Possum Head]

I’m not much for shooting dots but 3D is ok but my favorite hunting practice is from a tree with broad heads shot into a painted styrofoam target. Stumps are a blast too

[Cmane07]

I do a lot of that as well.  I have a deer target I shoot regularly, but whenever I get frustrated with it (grouping etc.) I pick up the judo and start shooting random stuff.  It is definitely a confidence booster for me.  I'll also start shooting from an elevated position in the next couple of weeks.

[Sam McMichael]

Most of my practice is on a 3D deer target in the back yard with some work on a dot target. Mostly I concentrate on form, particularly my lousy release. Sometimes my back tension is lacking and I tend to pluck the string. Actually, I really enjoy 3D shoots both for the shooting and for the social contact. Plus, I buy most of my gear at the various shoots. Roving is also excellent, but honestly, most of the spring and summer is so hot, I have difficulty staying out. Early season is still in the 90's.

I have shot only the longbow since the 1980's, and my recurves mostly collect dust. I have been wanting to get into primitive bows with stone tipped arrows for a while now but need some good points. I have a bunch of bad ones and a small handful of good ones. Matching arrows with my bows is not easy, but it seems cane arrows are not as finicky about spine. Maybe something good will come of this. I have obtained a really nice sinew string. I sure hope it works out. Don't you just get itchy as the season gets close?

[Mark R]

Roving with blunts or judo's is my favorite, also being in N.E. Il. I can justabout go to a different weekend 3D shoot from spring till fall and then some. When  I go to the local outdoor Range I usually shoot at plastic water bottles with rubber blunts and every time I hit it it moves to a different spot, so no distance or spot stays the same. I soon get bored at shooting stationary targets in the same place unless I'm working on tuning arrows or a different bow than I.m used to. That being said as long as I can shoot a bow keeps me happy.

[Stumpkiller]

Definitely.

Stumps, bunnys and especially squirrels.  You harvest grey squirrels regularly you are ready for whitetail.

Just getting out and taking odd shots at stumps where you have to find the window through cover or shoot from an odd angle or position will be a HUGE help come deer season.

[Don Stokes]

Stumpkiller, I find whitetails to be easier to get than squirrels!

[old_goat2]

I shoot 3d a lot, I live in the Denver Metro, way easier and quicker and cheaper for that matter for me to shoot 3d than go stumping. I don't worry too much how I do there though because I do way better shooting in the woods than I do shooting at foam! If I could shoot 3d as good as I can shoot a leaf on the ground from my treestand or chop a weed in two from the ground, I think I could be somebody in the archery world! I pretty much won't even try to shoot a group because it causes target panic to set in for me! I do find though that when I shoot 3d with somebody that's a really good shot, I concentrate more and do better at it!

[Markp]

I do both.  However, I like having a mulefat blunt, one that is tuned to the bow, for hunting season.  In Arizona, we get one antlered deer per year.  So, if I get close to a doe, or a smaller buck, I wait and see if I could have made the release.

[kenneth butler]

Interesting to see someone mention shooting Mulefat. All i have gathered seems to be pretty weak in spne. What weight bow do you shoot and how do they spine out? Do you have to use a larger diameter? I love bamboo and cane but not having a lot of luck with Mulefat. >>>----> Ken

[Trenton G.]

My favorite way to practice is to go the 3D range and shoot targets from weird spots. I hate shooting from the stakes. They are always clear, straight shots. I go look for shots where I need to crouch down and shoot through a hole in the brush, or thread the needle through some trees. Of course I always make sure that I have the range to myself, which isn't a problem 98.6% of the time that I'm there. 

[Don Stokes]

Trenton, I used to shoot with a predominantly traditional club, and their 3D shoots were set up for difficult shots, with trees and bushes in the way so that you had to get creative to get the shot off. They got lots of complaints from the high-tech guys in the club who had to rely on sight pins and such. Much fun!

[amicus]

Don,

Im glad your back. Nice to read your posts.

If I remember right you wrote about an experience with a squirrel. I hope it was you. It was a funny story about a squirrel following you around while you were chasing elk.

Take care

Gilbert

[Don Stokes]

Thanks, amicus. I did write about hunting elk with a longbow in Longbows and Recurves magazine, one of several articles I did for them, but no squirrels entered the picture. There was this high-altitude hilarious joke about a chipmunk, but that one wasn't publishable.

[slowbowjoe]

Most of my practice is roving... uphill, downhill, short, average, and longer shots. Standing, kneeling, sitting, shooting thru tight spots. Also shoot a 3-d target and straw bale; but not for too long a sessio.
I shoot better, and gain more confidence, on the roves.

[pavan]

This is the time of year that I spend a good deal of time working on getting my fast fluid accuracy to over 30 yards.  Rabbit, dove and squirrel season is here, I shoot at every clear shot that i can get.   Small game does not always give one much time to mess around, especially grounded doves.