What do you do to prepare

[Wildlife]

Slinging any arrows yet?

Just wondering how often you guys get out and practice target shooting your bows?

I practice pretty much every chance I get between now and throughout my entire deer bow season. I start off by focusing on my rhythm & technique first. Trying to perfect them before moving on to improve my accuracy, which that tends to improve naturally afterwards.

Also, as I have become a bit older now and not quite the young buck like I used to be. I'm someone that does suffers from arthritis nowadays in both my chest & back area from a bad auto accident years ago that nearly killed me. Not my fault btw.

Between cutting, splitting and stacking wood for the winter time currently and my bow target shooting, both strengthen those muscles I haven't used much over the Spring and Summer months. Helps prepares me for my hunting season.

So yes, my bow target shooting has truly become very beneficial for me in more ways than one, both mentally & physically. Real therapy, which is awesome!

I try to fire off at least a dozen arrows a day from different lengths & angles between now and the season opener. Usually by the time the season rolls around, it truly becomes second nature for me where I don't even have to think about it while targeting any kind of deer. It's an automatic reaction for me.

So, I would love to hear and/or see what you do to prepare and/or do to get in shape for this years bow season.

Show'em if you got'em, thanks!

 

[bowhunter1023]

I've been shooting almost daily since late May. I spent a lot of my time shooting blank bale to work on form. I also try to shoot with an elevated heart rate. Most of my shooting takes place from 40-60 yards. This was my last group at 60 on Thursday. Sadly, I have to restring my bow, so I'm about to start all over again!

 

[Wildlife]

Nice shooting!

Sorry to hear about you having to restring your bow, however better now than into the season. I suppose that's one way to look at it.

Thanks for sharing and btw, I will be providing my scouting report mostly likely tomorrow. That's when I pull my cards from my cams.

 

[jagermeister]

I'm dedicating myself to hunting with my recurve this fall, so practice is more critical than it ever has been for me in years past. Since mid July I've been shooting 10-20 arrows a day. I'm shooting instinctive, so I'm still not perfect...but I'm definitely seeing progress. 0-15 yards I am dead nuts consistent. 20 yards is where it starts to break down though. Little by little I'll train that muscle memory and it'll come together.

 

[Wildlife]

I'm dedicating myself to hunting with my recurve this fall, so practice is more critical than it ever has been for me in years past. Since mid July I've been shooting 10-20 arrows a day. I'm shooting instinctive, so I'm still not perfect...but I'm definitely seeing progress. 0-15 yards I am dead nuts consistent. 20 yards is where it starts to break down though. Little by little I'll train that muscle memory and it'll come together.

Cool!

Next time out, grab a pic of your bow and results. Love to see it! I haven't shot a recurve since I was boy shooting my fathers. That's the first bow I started off with back in the day.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[xbowguy]

Braydon slung a few today. He shot real well. Said "I'm ready PaPaw".

 

[jagermeister]

Cool!

Next time out, grab a pic of your bow and results. Love to see it! I haven't shot a recurve since I was boy shooting my fathers. That's the first bow I started off with back in the day.

Thanks for sharing!

Did quite a bit of shooting last night and I'm finally finding my sweet spot for those 18-20 yard shots. I'm really looking forward to shooting a deer with this bow.

 

[MoonLab]

Good shit, bud

 

[giles]

It was fun to watch you at the summer shoot, Jim. You get real “locked in” with that in your hands. I’d hate to be what you lock onto!

 

[jagermeister]

It was fun to watch you at the summer shoot, Jim. You get real “locked in” with that in your hands. I’d hate to be what you lock onto!

That's the frustrating part I'm trying to work on. When I'm "locked in," I usually make a good shot. But maintaining 100% focus for each and every shot is proving to be more difficult than it sounds. Just the slightest break in concentration throws the whole shot process out of whack. That aspect of frustration is also the same reason why I enjoy shooting this bow way more than my compound. When you get it right, it's so much more satisfying.

 

[giles]

I did watch you break the process a few times when not in the zone. That will be the hard part with a live target. Sounds to me like you have it all figured out, just down to tweaking the process.

 

[Wildlife]

Awesome!!!

Keep us posted throughout your progress. Beautiful recurve & arrows too! Got me curious about the possibility of getting me one now.

Best of luck this season & thanks for sharing!!!

 

[jagermeister]

Awesome!!!

Keep us posted throughout your progress. Beautiful recurve & arrows too! Got me curious about the possibility of getting me one now.

Best of luck this season & thanks for sharing!!!

Thanks. Been a very fun process so far! If you're even the slightest bit curious, I'd definitely recommend picking one up. Even if just to mess around with. They are fun to shoot.

 

[Wildlife]

Thanks. Been a very fun process so far! If you're even the slightest bit curious, I'd definitely recommend picking one up. Even if just to mess around with. They are fun to shoot.

Thanks, I just might do that!

I just walked back in from letting some arrows fly in the late darker conditions and I have to say, I'm starting to pull off some 'Robin-Hoods'. I thinks it's time for me to cut down the number of arrows I use before I start ruining them.

No more than two arrows at a time going forward now!

 

[Chass]

Finally got the bow out, it's been too many months and I still have a long way to go. I'd like to not take the compound out this year but we will see.
Second pic is my first round, first pic is the 5th set I threw. Got it tightened up, but throwing them high.

 

["J"]

Lots and lots of practice for that muscle memory....

 

[Wildlife]

Finally got the bow out, it's been too many months and I still have a long way to go. I'd like to not take the compound out this year but we will see.
Second pic is my first round, first pic is the 5th set I threw. Got it tightened up, but throwing them high.

Nice!

Good luck with that!

 

[Wildlife]

The rain is cutting into my evening practice at the moment, so I went ahead and changed out all of my Mathews Roller Dampers & String Stops from Black to Red. My bow is about 10 years old now and it's seen many hours in the field and I've never changed them out before. I wanted TOO change up the look a little bit. Going for more of a RED BLOOD theme this season. Whatdoya think???

Not TOO gay is it?

 

[Chass]

The rain is cutting into my evening practice at the moment, so I went ahead and changed out all of my Mathews Roller Dampers from Black to Red. My bow is about 10 years old now and it's seen many, hours in the field and I've never changed them out before. I wanted TOO change up the look a little bit. Going for more of a RED BLOOD theme this season. Whatdoya think???

View attachment 63456

Not TOO gay is it?

I'm not a fan of red, but I think I'd do this if I had orange dampeners in front of me!

 

[Wildlife]

Finally was able to get out before round two of the rain around here.

The problem is, I didn't take my advice from the other day. I shot my first 5 arrows from 30 yards and messed up one of my Blazer vanes out of the five - darn it!

No worries though, I still have plenty more arrows left in my arsenal.

After that I said to myself; "The hell with it, let's see what I can do from 60 yards today."

I'll take it! There's room for improvement and we still have plenty of time. Also understand that I wear oldman glasses regularly these days, but not to shoot my bow. I see much better in the brighter daylight conditions for those distances.

So who else is letting their arrows fly lately? Anybody?

Come on fellas, let's see'em, show'em off!