Practice with a Twist
Busy schedules limit the time to practice with any hint of regularity. Yet, the quality of bow shooting practice could be the most important element in a bowman's hunting or shooting success. When asked about practice, most bowhunters will respond with an answer measured by time. But, the mechanics of your shooting techniques are as important as how much you practice. When you do fling a few arrows at a target, try to make it resemble a true bowhunting situation. No matter your choice of archery gear, practice is important and it will improve your skills. For those who choose to shoot traditional equipment instinctively, practice is crucial.
You may have a great bow, the best gear, and eye-catching arrows, but more importantly; you must know what your bow, and yourself, can do in virtually any shooting circumstance. Instinctive bowhunting skills can only be sharpened through practice and conditioning. The bowhunting situations and awkward positions you may find yourself in must be duplicated in practices.
Consider the training, or practice, Olympic athletes go through in preparing for an event that may last less than a minute. I am not suggesting bowhunters should go to the extremes these athletes do. However, like these athletes, bowhunters should be prepared for that single moment of opportunity. Practice can give you the confidence to make THAT shot!
Many hunters describe their performance as lucky or unlucky. I believe luck is the moment when opportunity and preparation meet. You can be among the best archers, but if you see no deer within range, you can't make a killing shot. In the same reasoning, there can be deer all around your stand and if you can't make a good shot, you will not be successful.
I've taken only a few deer with my bow. But, I have spent a lot of time bowhunting. I've been blessed with many shooting opportunities and I learn each time I go out. This past year I practiced a lot from the ground where I do most of my hunting. Prior to the season I set up a ladder stand in the side yard but only practiced from it a few times.
My first bowshot this year was from a ground blind just before sunset. A doe, responding to my fawn distress call, approached from down wind, stepped into an opening, and then paused to sniff a scent bomb. Perfect! A broadside shot at less than 20-yards! I drew, released, and.......my shot went over the doe's back and into the hillside. I couldn't believe I missed! After all, hadn't I practiced countless hours for a ground shot like this?
The next day I found my arrow and my answer. My arrow had cleanly sheared off a 3/8" diameter sapling just in front of where the doe had stood. The arrow had been deflected upward and over the doe's back. That sapling was the only obstacle between the doe and I, and I hit it! Would more practice have changed the outcome of this shot? Probably not. But, it did teach me a few things. First, know your surroundings in intimate detail before it all fades together in the dwindling light of dusk. Second, expect the unexpected.
Two other opportunities I had were at the Tar Hollow Hunt. I was hunting out of a morning treestand and rattled in an eight pointer. He came in very cautious from behind and to my right. My shooting stance was shaky at best as I tried to twist and draw. He approached well within 15 yards and my arrow went over his back. Classic treestand miss!
The second opportunity came the very next morning. Same treestand, same situation, different deer. I rattled in a bigger eight pointer who came is so fast I barely got my rattling antlers put down! But he also approached from my right backside. I had to twist even more for a shot at this big boy. I was unable to get to full draw because of my contorted body position. My arrow went 4" under his chest! Looked great right to left, just too low. Without a doubt, more practice from treestands would have greatly improved my readiness for these opportunities.
Did you know the Bible tells of an incident in which target shooting with a bow and arrow saved a man's life? This story about Jonathan and David is told in I Samual: 20. David was in fear for his life at the hands of Saul, Jonathan's father. David and Jonathan laid out a plan to warn David if indeed Saul meant to harm him. Their agreed upon signal would take place on the archery field. In verse 19 Jonathan instructs David to hide behind a specific rock, then says to him in verse 20: "I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. (v21) Then I will send a boy and say, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say to him 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,' then come, because as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger. (v22) But if I say to the boy 'Look, the arrows are beyond you', then you must go because the Lord has sent you away." Imagine - missing targets on purpose!
The next time you see me on the archery range, if my twisted and contorted shooting stances make you think I've fallen out of a treestand, don't worry! I'm just practicing for next season's unexpected opportunities. And, if you promise not to laugh at my unusual form, I promise not to claim I'm being spiritual when I miss!
See you beyond the Woods .......
Roger Fugate
Lord of the Harvest Archery newsletter (May-99)
