Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

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Rich M
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Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby Rich M » Thu Oct 22, 2020 3:14 am

Do you-all keep shooting through the season or maybe just a couple shots each week to keep the muscles trained?


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greenhorndave
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Oct 22, 2020 3:20 am

I’m more of the latter.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby DhD » Thu Oct 22, 2020 3:20 am

I practice draw every time I set up. If it starts to become hard to find my anchor point or anything feels unnatural I head to the range before my next hunt. Usually only takes a few shots to get back to form, and off to the woods again. Don't know if this is the right approach but it seems to work for me. I practice 10+ hours a week for a couple of months leading up to season so that I can take this approach.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby Lockdown » Thu Oct 22, 2020 3:22 am

I shot my bow Saturday. For some reason I was 2” left at 20 yards :think: got it dialed back in and confidence is high once again.

Definitely feels good to KNOW you’re good to go.

With a couple of my shots, I pulled the shot left, plus my sight was off and I hit 4” left. That’s enough to matter.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby mauser06 » Thu Oct 22, 2020 3:25 am

I try to keep shooting regularly. I didn't my first season of 2 and learning that muscle memory and precision degrades fairly quickly. Can I still make a shot on a deer? Probably. But confidence is huge when making a shot. With my 2nd shift work, I try to shoot every day before work...on days I'm off, it's before I hunt. When the rut heats up and I start grinding, that's when I end up slacking. This year I learned I can get about 18yds in my basement....so I can shoot down there when I get home.


Also, it's a good idea to verify nothing has moved. In and out of the truck, through the woods, up and down the tree...lots of opportunities for something to go wrong...one day after a hunt I went out back the next day and went to draw my bow. Realized on the way out the night prior my fiber optics must have snagged on something. I was able to save enough pins to keep hunting until I got more fibers. Which I now try to keep on hand. Lessons learned.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Thu Oct 22, 2020 3:31 am

I will usually shoot mine a few times each day when I'm at camp. Or, before I go out.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Oct 22, 2020 3:59 am

I shoot one shot every day. If you sit on stand all day with cold muscles nothing is more important than that first initial shot. Make it count and put everything into it. During the season I dress with whatever I will be wearing that particular day for that practice shot.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby headgear » Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:02 am

I shoot 2-3 times a week all season, just a few arrows.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby DhD » Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:04 am

In a timely fashion, today was a go to the range day. I've shot two groups, this is the second one. Ruined a fletching. I think I'm good to go.
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I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby knapptime » Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:19 am

I'll usually fling a couple before heading into the woods to make sure my sights didn't get bumped around in the car. It's never been an issue for me, but it helps me stay confident in my shooting and it's good to practice while I'm wearing all my hunting clothes.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby DhD » Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:30 am

knapptime wrote:I'll usually fling a couple before heading into the woods to make sure my sights didn't get bumped around in the car. It's never been an issue for me, but it helps me stay confident in my shooting and it's good to practice while I'm wearing all my hunting clothes.

Practicing in your hunting clothes is a great idea. I also like to take a few seated shots when I do make it to the range.
I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby knapptime » Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:42 am

DhD wrote:
knapptime wrote:I'll usually fling a couple before heading into the woods to make sure my sights didn't get bumped around in the car. It's never been an issue for me, but it helps me stay confident in my shooting and it's good to practice while I'm wearing all my hunting clothes.

Practicing in your hunting clothes is a great idea. I also like to take a few seated shots when I do make it to the range.


I really should practice shooting in hunting situations more. Dressed in camo, from a tree or from a kneeling position, backpack on my back, at an unknown distance, etc etc etc. There's just so many situations that I might come across, and I never think to practice them until I'm already in season. Not that I can't just trust my mechanics in these situations, but a little extra confidence goes a long way.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:47 am

I’m at 5 times a week avg right now. But I’m not hunting yet. Leave for CO with the boy tues. Still not hunting on this one playing guide/Sherpa with my brother, his boy, my son, and my brothers buddy who has never hunted. This is going to be a challenge. But we will have blast no matter what happens. I figure with so many inexperienced hunters and me not having any tags they will kill everything on the mountain they have a tag for!
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby treeroot » Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:53 am

I shoot daily all season. More than once I've had an issue with my bow during season. Dragging it through brush, mud, falls up and down from the stands, crawling you name it can loosen/ break and tweak things. Already had to fix it once this year.
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Re: Its Mid-Season - Who's Still Shooting Their Bows?

Unread postby Huntress13 » Thu Oct 22, 2020 5:45 am

I shoot one or two at the target frequently before heading out. And I draw when I get on stand. When it's cold out I draw occasionally throughout the sit.
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