Why These BowHunting Practice Tips Are Critical!
We as Bow Hunters Owe it to the animal to walk into the woods as confident, and accurate as possible with our Bow, Equipment, and our Shooting! It is our Duty as Avid Bow Hunters to Deliver the Most Humane, and Ethical shot to these Beautiful animals. These Bowhunting Practice Tips will help you do just that! You Spend all year shooting, scouting, and preparing for this one moment on your target buck “The Moment Of Truth” and these tips will increase your chances of success in that moment.
This Article is going to prepare you for every possible outcome. No matter your weapon of choice these tips will help you become the most accurate shooter! Mistakes and bad shots happen, its apart of the sport/Hunting, but it is our duty to do be as accurate as possible to eliminate chances of those mistakes. After Reading, and Practicing what is in this article you will immediately be shooting more accurately! So here are the 11-Best BowHunting Practice Tips 2022!
1. Shoot At Longer Distances
The Best Way to Increase your Overall Shooting Accuracy is by Shooting at Further Distances! I personally will go out to 60-Yards  to start and work my way into 50, 40, 30 as my arm/shoulder gets tired. Shooting at Further distances is going to magnify any mistakes that you may not see from 20-30 yards. Most People will go out to 20-yards and work back to 60-yards, and by then your shoulder is tired and you won’t be as steady at 60-Yards.
Practicing from this distance decreases your margin for error, so naturally you might lose some arrows, or miss the target. The accuracy you will gain from practicing at further distances will be worth losing a couple extra arrows!
It is important that you only shoot 1-2 Arrows at a time, focus on good Form. Shooting at 60-Yards is going to make you 2x More Accurate at 30-Yards, which is where most bow hunting shots are taken. This is a very effective way to practice and after just a week of shooting you will notice that you will be more accurate at closer ranges!
Action: Go out to 60-Yards or the furthest that you can, and shoot 1-2 Arrows each round with proper rest time! When you Start getting Tired Move into 50-Yards, 40-Yards, 30-Yards.
2. Form- Practice Consistent Form
This might be the most important bowhunting practice tip that we give in this article. You must have great form to get consistent shots. It is very difficult to be a Lethal Bowhunter if you are not consistent. This all begins with proper form and shooting mechanics!
The Best Way to work on your form is Blind Bale Shooting! This practice is where you stand about two arrow lengths away from your target, to the point that you won’t miss. You will then practice shooting from this distance, not focusing on aiming at a target, but focusing on your From! Close your Eyes, smooth Draw, Anchor, Release, Follow through! Pay attention to your Grip, Stance, and Breathing. Repetition is your Friend! Develop proper form and shooting mechanics and you will become a more consistent Shooter!
Action: Blind Bale Shoot for your First two Weeks, at least 20-Shots a Day before you start shooting at the target!
–Close Eyes
–Smooth Draw
–Consistent Anchor
–Release & Follow Through
–Grip, Stance, and Breathing
3. Sighting Bow in For Consistency
Having a properly sighted in Bow is going to make you a more accurate bow hunter! Getting your Left and Right Dialed in, and your Up and Down leveled out is going to set you up for success! It is important to have good form and to be shooting consistent before you dial your sights in officially! If you aren’t shooting consistent it will seem like your sights are off. As you shoot and your form improves you might have to adjust your sights accordingly.
Starting out, make sure you are shooting on level ground. If you are shooting on a declined hill you might be shooting low when you move to level ground, or if you sight it in on inclined ground, when you are on level ground you could be shooting high! Sight it in on level ground to make sure your height is leveled out!
Make small adjustments when it comes to sighting your bow in. If you are consistently shooting left, move the sights accordingly.
4. Arrow Consistency
Not all arrows are created equal! There are imperfections with arrows, and they can get damaged throughout the course of practicing. Number each of your Arrows so that you can log in a notebook how they are shooting. If you have Arrow #2 Flying High constantly compared to Arrow #1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, you should note that it is flying inconsistent. This is an arrow that you will not want in your quiver when hunting!
I would shoot about 5-10 rounds with your arrows to make sure they are all flying consistent. Use the arrows that are flying the most consistent to hunt with!
Pro Tip: Don’t Shoot all 6-arrows into the target at the same time. You might Robin Hood arrows, or damage fletchings!
Finalize the arrows that you are going to hunt with the week before season to make sure they are all flying accurate. Make sure to periodically test them throughout the season to make sure they haven’t been damaged, to cause inconsistent flight!
5. Double Check Broad-Heads
Just like Arrows, Broad-heads can have imperfections. They might not all shoot consistently or they might even fly a little different compared to your Field tips! When you buy a New Pack of Broadheads, designate one as a practice tip! Some Broadheads Come with a practice tip! I personally Use Grim Reaper Carni-Four Broadheads and they come with 4-In a Pack! I Will Buy 2-Packs and Designate one out of each pack as a practice Broadhead!
Make sure that your Broadheads are hitting consistent to where the Field Tips are hitting. If they are not, you could either have a Tuning Issue with your bow, or the Broadheads might just fly a little differently. As long as they are consistently giving you the same result that is all that matters! Adjust your Sights if need be, and make sure you go in to your Local Shop to get your Bow Tuned Annually! We use Vance Outdoors!
Make Sure you double check that your Boradheads are flying true during deer season, and each time before you go out and Hunt! Don’t Use the same Broadhead that you are going out to hunt with as the Practice tip!
Pro Tip: If you use Lighted Nocks, make sure to have them on your Arrow with the Broadhead! They can also cause arrows/Broadheads to fly slightly different. Make it as close to the real life Arrow Set-Up as possible!
6. Holding Exercise
The First Exercise that we are going to utilize for our Best Bowhunting Practice tips is The Holding Exercise! This exercise will help improve your overall aiming stabilization, and strengthen your shoulder so that you can hold your bow back longer! This is a great exercise to simulate your target Buck coming into 20-Yards and Stopping right behind that tree you should have trimmed during the summer!
You will be able to comfortably hold your bow back for a long period of time, and still have a steady aim so that you can send a carbon tube into that Bucks Pump house!
Exercise:
- Draw Bow Back & Hold Pin on Target for 30-Seconds Once Your Timer goes off for 3o-Seconds Shoot!
–Practice Holding the Pin or Dot on the Target for the entire 30-Seconds! This will enhance your Stabilization when aiming!
Beginner:Â 3x 30-Seconds: Set 1–@40-Yards, Set 2–@30-Yards, Set 3–@20-Yards |Hold Back, Aim for 30-Seconds, Shoot|
Pro: 3x 1-Minute:Â Set 1–@60-Yards, Set 2–@50-Yards, Set 3–@40-Yards–30-Second Rest between Sets
7. Heart Rate Exercise
This exercise is one that’s gonna require some running! This will get your heart rate up and simulate when you see Your Target buck for the first time, and he starts to come in. When you’re heart is beating through your chest, but you have to calm yourself so that you’re able to make good decisions and a perfect shot! There is no way to simulate the real thing with adrenaline pumping through your body, but this is as close as you can get to it!
The focus point of this exercise is calming your breathing, and keeping proper form! After a few weeks of practicing this exercise you will be able to control your breathing, and make great shots when your heart is beating through your chest!
Exercise: Sprint, not Run, Sprint, from the range you are shooting to the target and back to your Bow! Draw, Aim, Breathe, and Shoot! Keep good form and go through the Progression to make consistent, Accurate shots!
3x@30-Yards
3x@40-Yards
3x@50-Yards
8. Ranging Exercise
The Next Exercise in our Bowhunting Practice Tips is going to help prepare you for those Frosty, November mornings when Bucks are Chasing hard! Your Target Buck or a Buck of Your Dreams Could come running into your life and be gone just as fast! The window of opportunity could be seconds! To help you shoot this deer as fast and ethical as possibly we have came up with this exercise to help you!
Ranging Exercise: Pick a few Random Spots at your Target/Archery Range, and practice guessing the Yardage from where you are to the target. There will be times, especially during the Chasing phase of the Rut, when you will not have time to range find the deer, and you will have to Quickly guess the range, and quickly draw back to get a good shot off!
Pro Exercise: Taking this Exercise One Step Further to help you be prepared for those November days that we Dream of! We have added this realistic Exercise for those chasing bucks in November! This is the Quick Draw Exercise!
–At a random range, Quickly Draw your bow back, and shoot within 3-Seconds! Practice Smoothly Drawing your bow back, with your Pins already on the target so that you can quickly go through your progression and deliver a strike on the Buck of your Dreams! Go through your Full progression, and use proper Shooting Mechanics to be as Accurate as possible!
Pro Tip: This exercise Prepares you for the instance of losing your rangefinder! Make sure you are prepared: I use the Halo XL 450 Rangefinder- It give me precise Yardage measurements!
9. Real Life Practice Scenarios
Practicing Real Life Scenarios is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for the real thing! Think about all of your scouting, preparation, and time that you have spent on your Hitlist! One of the best ways to prepare yourself is to use this Bowhunting Practice tip, which is Real life Scenarios!
- The First Way I practice Real Life Scenarios is by shooting a 3-D Target! This will help you with shot placement, Vs shooting at a Bullseye. I use a Glen-del 3-D Deer Target!
2. The Next Way to enhance my real life Practice Scenarios is only shooting one shot. Shoot your One Shot, Relocate, and then Shoot one time again!
3. Take Awkward Angle Shots! Quartering towards and Quartering Away Shots are some of the most Difficult Shots you can take. The Vitals are harder to hit, and it take good shot placement to be able to hit them! Not every shot you’re going to get is going to be perfectly broadside!
10. Tree-Stand Practice
This Bowhunting Practice Tip Could also go under real life Scenarios, but it deserves it own tip. A lot of Bow Hunters will be shooting their first shots out of a Tree-stand or Blind, when it is their first sit of the season. If we want to be as accurate, and confident as possible we should be practicing and familiarizing ourselves with shooting from an elevated platform or Treestand. You should get multiple shooting sessions in before season! We at FeatherNett Outdoors Use Lone Wolf Assault Treestands With Climbing Sticks!
Shooting At steep angles will help you again with learning shot placement, and gives you a realistic Feel vs shooting from the ground. When in the treestand make sure to wear a safety harness!
Pro Tip: Shoot a Glen-del 3-D Deer Target From the Treestand or Elevated Blind to get the most realistic feel! Pay attention to where your arrows are entering and exiting as if it where a real deer!
11. Full Dress Load-Out
Our Last BowHunting Practice Tip is one that many hunters over look! This is a simple practice that you can do, and one that will have you fully prepared before you go out on that first sit of the year! Getting Fully Dressed in your Clothes, Gear and Practicing is the best way to ensure that you are fully prepared and comfortable shooting, before you go to hunt your target animal!
As the weather gets colder, we naturally wear more clothes, especially when Hunting! When you add more clothes, it can knock off your form, or make it more difficult to draw or hold your bow back! Practice all of the motions fully loaded out in your Hunting Gear! Practice as if it was your target buck walking out in front of you at 20, 30, 40-Yards! Make that shot, and don’t practice until you can hit the shot, practice until you can’t miss the shot.
Product Tip: Arm Guard Sleeve–Keeps the Bulk of Clothing out the way of your bow String when shooting!
Bowhunting Practice Tips Wrap Up!Â
Wrapping up the 11-Best Bowhunting Practice Tips, we hope that you were able to gain some good knowledge, Tips, and Actionable Exercises that you can start implementing today, that will help you become a more accurate Bowhunter! Again, We owe it to the Animal that we pursue to be as accurate as possible walking into the woods so that you can put a lethal shot on them for the most humane Harvest!
The number one Bowhunting Practice tip we will leave you with, is taking Ethical Shots! If you haven’t practiced outside of 40-Yards all year, don’t take any shots past 40-Yards! If the deer is going to come in and give you a 2o-Yard broad side shot, don’t take the 40-yard shot with them quartering to you! Be smart about your shot selection. Use the 11-Best Bowhunting Practice Tips Above, and you will have a very high chance at making a lethal shot on the buck of your Dreams!
What was your Favorite Bowhunting Practice Tip? Do you have a practice or Exercise that we are missing? Drop it in the comments below!
