Hello Everyone, I'm new to the forum. Just recently bought my first bow last spring. I have a bag target hanging up in my backyard. My yard only allows me to shoot out to roughly 25 yards, so I spend most of my time practicing at the short distance. My question is, what are some drills/techniques that you use to work on all aspects of shooting? Do you have certain days where you just focus on form rather than actually shooting? Thanks in advance
Always work on form. That is #1 in my book. If you are consistent your accuracy will follow. I do several shooting drills myself. You need to prepare as though you were actually in the woods hunting. That being said, you need to take into consideration several factors of being in a tree stand such as lack of space, inadequate foot room (tree stand platforms are usually small), obstacles (branches, tree stand rails ect.) and of course shooting at an elevated position and it's effect on your arrows flight. The same can be said if you hunt from a blind. You need to practice from a blind. Once again these are just my personal techniques and are in no way shape or form perfect. This is just what helps me. I am a volunteer firefighter, our best training comes from cutting real cars for extrication purposes and entering real burning buildings for fire suppression. You can sit in a class room with a book all day long but until you get your hands on what you are dealing with you cant possibly expect to be 100% prepared.
I look at it as the same way we do in the military, train as you fight! Therefore, put yourself in different shooting situations like DVFD said. If you plan on shooting from a blind, practice shooting sitting and from inside a blind and same for if you plan on hunting out of a tree stand. Work the different aspects and angles you will encounter!
Like DVFD said, shoot from an elevated position when you can. If you have some to work with, have them move the target around for you. Sit down and turn your back to them as they move it. Then, act as if it is a deer that walked in. Range the deer if you don't know the yardage. Look for other eyes in the area. Stand slowly. Reach for your bow while watching the target. Hook on your release. Look for other deer in the area. Draw when you are ready. Pick a spot and shoot. Repeat the process and shoot from a seated position.
An exercise I found MOST helpful for me this summer was to shoot tennis balls using Swickey Judo heads. I'd put them out at 15, 20 and 25 yards and I pounded them all summer. Way more fun than shooting targets.
Judo points for me too, only i shoot ground squirrels! http://forums.bowhunting.com/bowhunting-talk/65478-pest-control-judo-points.html#post982153
Plenty of pictures out there of guys in flannel shirts and blue jeans sitting next to big deer. So really it all depends on where your at, how long are you going to be out, the weather and a ton of other personal variables. Me personally, I can't stand being cold and despise being wet. Wet equals cold.
