How accurate is good enough to hunt

[fedora]

Is anyone from Utah?  I just moved here and would love to shoot some 3D, Squirrels (they don't have a season, can you beleive that)or go for a stump shoot.  I have noticed that when I have the ability to shoot a variety of targets (3d, stump, small game) I do improve.  Hell I once shot a woodpecker off the side of a tree about 20 years ago, but that has been a long time ago.  

Also I have been reading about the clock method and resently changed to a deep hook.  WoW, last night I ruined an arrow from 15 yards, you couldn't tell if it was one arrow or three.

George

[LocDoc]

It took me a long time to figure out the difference between shooting arrows at a fixed target .vs a live animal. I could hold my own on a target range, missed animals more than I care to remember. I no longer practice shooting my bow, I TRAIN. Idea I learned from Roy Marlow's book. I train on long range shooting (50+ yards for form and keep my trajectory imprinted in my mind), and blind bale work for form fine-tuning. I also keep written records now as well. I spend more time working on the mental game of this sport as well, focus and concentration. For fun and to break up the 'training' I chase squirrels and stump shoot. I've realized Opening day is 'game on' and everything leading up to that needs to geared toward 'a win'. To answer the original question, only you can answer whether your accuracy meets your personal standards within your established range limits.

[Cable Guy]

Hey George, I lived Park City, and down near Orem for a couple of years and also saw people targeting squirrels too, they said the state considers them vermin, and so there is no season.
Squirrel shooting is a weekend thing down there......Kind of wild huh.

[fedora]

I take it you don't live in Utah anymore?  That is good info to know.  I am trying to figure out the laws and regs and where to hunt.  This is the first time that I moved and do not have a place to hunt.  I am in the Military and usually hunt on the installation.  Great hog hunting at Fort Benning.

[zetabow]

It's funny that one of the greatest Bowhunters of modern times 'Howard Hill' was also a great Field Archer yet nobody in America is much interested in this type of shooting.

Indoor and Field rounds are not hunting but they do give the Bowhunter a very important skill, shooting Discipline

I imagine our friend Mr Hill wouldn't have spent his energy shooting these Field\\Indoor rounds if it didn't add something important to his shooting ability.

[graysquirrel]

zetabow you are absolutely correct.

Also most reason people miss up close is because they don't practice up close.  A month before season opens 90 percent of my practice is 15 yds and in from all different angles.  The goal is keeping all arrows in the kill zone of a deer size animal.

[thunder1]

Wow. A lot of good information in here. Now you have to decide for yourself what to do. But the one truth in all of this is practice, practice, practice. Practice shooting at a lot of different distance, angles and shooting positions. When I first started 10 yard groups almost never happened. Now it's a different story.

[zetabow]

Greysquirrel no Bowhunting allowed where I live so my time is devoted IFAA Field\\3D and Indoor rounds.

I'm pretty decent out to 60 yards and deadly out to 50 yards with my Longbow\\woodies (6" groups at 50 yards), Fita 3D is close to IBO with an average  distance around 20y with 33ymax (I'm current Fita 3D world IFAA European Field champ so 6" groups isn't an exaggeration), of course this doean't mean it would make me a good bowhunter but I would say it's a pretty good place to start.

[shakeyslim]

practice like chuck says and you will be fine!
 nfaa and ifaa are fun but hard to crossover into hunting exp imho