Stump shooting effects on hunting question

[Zradix]

Hello Everyone!

I've never got around to stump shooting.
I've shot at a couple things on the ground here and there but nothing serious. I'm mostly just worried about breaking/losing my wood arrows as I don't have money to replace.

Anyway, my real question is whether shooting at the ground aka leaves/weeds etc do you find that it messes up your shot when aiming at the vitals of an animal that is 2-3' off the ground?

Thanks  

[Pat B]

Don't make all your shots at leaves on the ground. Imagine that rotted stump as a bedded deer and try that shot or a color difference on a tree trunk at a deer's chest height. It ain't the leaves or stumps your are shooting at it is the imagined game and the shot placement that makes stump shooting a valuable practice tool.
  The fear of loosing precious arrows WILL make you a better shot!!!

[Blackhawk]

There are lots of seasoned veterans (Fred Anderson for one) who say stump shooting is the BEST practice in preparation for hunting.  Put on a judo or blunt and go flinging at tops of weeds, dead stumps, leaves, etc.  The idea is to pick a small spot and shoot from varying distances.

I doubt this is going to "mess" up anything, but most likely will improve your shooting.

[KSdan]

1) Stumping does not always mean shooting at the ground.  Use judo pts. and shoot at leaves, hanging sticks etc.
2) I envision a "button" or 1" dia spot on anything I shoot at.  When it comes to shooting at game- I do the same thing (mentally place a black dot on the spot I am shooting).  My mind never knows anything but shooting at a black button. This is a key element to my shooting that I learned from Jay Kidwell's book.  It prevents a type of mental hang up called "stimulus confusion."  It has changed my shooting and hunting. I only shoot at one thing- year round- a black button.

[cbCrow]

I once read, and don't know where or who, that stump shooting is the best way to learn to hunt. While shootin I practice stalking,shooting from weird angles by turning my body,teaches distance estimation, puts you in the woods, and the list goes on. Just do it!  

[David Mitchell]

Yeah, it is great hunting practice--the best--but more than that it's just pure fun when you do it with buddies.

[ron w]

All of what been said is spot on. Just go have fun and make a game out of it. That log is a bedded deer, that stump a charging bear and so forth. Nobody likes to lose or break arrows. But a fella told me once,"if your not break'n or looking for arrows ,your not shoot'n enough"!! Go have fun and you will become a better shot and hunter.

[buckeye_hunter]

Shooting in a hilly place is good. It gives you a background for the arrows to stick into for easy recovery. Same can be said for shooting into creek banks etc.

Make sure you have your current hunting license with you in case you get stopped by a conservation officer.  DO NOT carry any broadheads with you if no legal game is in season! In Ohio, coyote and groundhog are always open for hunting so we can carry broadheads all year.

And yes I do believe shooting/stumping in the woods is good practice. It is completely different than shooting at a target sitting wide open in your back yard.

[madness522]

I used to stump with woodies a lot and didn't break many.  They are a lot tougher than you  think.  Most of the breaks were from glancing shots where I didn't hit what I was shooting at.  Hitting a leaf is a lot better practice than shooting at a target because as has already been said it makes you focus and helps you shoot from odd angles with uneven footing.  Plus it really is so much more fun that shooting at a target from a "known" distance.

[ChuckC]

If you are shooting from a treestand (most do)  you are essentially shooting at the ground anyway.  Your aim is your aim,  shouldn't matter whether it is up or down or sideways.

Yep, sometimes you lose or break arrows.  

In my mind "stump shooting", that is, walking around the countryside and shooting at 'stuff is absolutely the best practice you can do to get ready for hunting,  short of hunting itself.
ChuckC

[Don Stokes]

Absolutely the best practice, and with judo points it's almost impossible to lose an arrow. I've lost ONE over a couple of decades and literally thousands of judo shots. I've only broken a couple, using hardwood (yellow poplar) shafts. The main judo arrow I'm using now has been shot uncountable times, and I've been using it for several years. I've had to replace a couple of the fletchings, but the shaft is still in good shape.

I don't shoot at stumps or trees, because they can damage your arrow or cause the point to pull or break off. I shoot at leaves, sticks, pine cones, etc. There are enough small bushes and weeds with green leaves above the ground so that you aren't necessarily shooting at the ground. I like to pick an individual leaf on a bush that is a couple of feet tall, so that I'm shooting at the right height above ground to simulate shooting at an animal.

[NoCams]

As Don said above the judos are wonderful points and almost impossible to lose. We shoot carbons and our hunting heads are 175-200 gr. We tried the 3 Rivers Hammers that weigh the same as our 175-200gr broadheads and love them ! They will tend to go a little deeper under leaves than a judo but love the weight range available and they are indestructable. We keep 1 in our quiver during season and stump our way out from the morning hunt and on the way in to our evening stand to stay in practice during season. We actually see more deer cause it slows us down as we slip along rather than walking straight in and out without stopping. Extreme confidence builder when you hit that tiny little spot right before climbing up a tree for your hunt. JMHO

[lodestar]

SHOOT MORE STUMPS! I think it's the best practice money can buy. I have found it to be better than any other form of practice, not to mention you can get out into your area and do some scouting in the preseason to boot. I also shoot an arrow from my treestand once the hunting season starts to give me some confidence, I will sometimes put a little drop of curiosity type scent on my fletching of that arrow to stop dear at the point I want them to stop for a shot.  This has worked for me many a times in the last 30 years of hunting.