Bowhunting Practice: Putting it all together
“There is no glory in practice, but without practice, there is no glory.”
If you ask anyone who bow hunts how they can be successful, more times than not they will tell you that having the correct setup, knowing the animal, and practicing a lot with bring you the success you are looking for. You can’t just pick up a bow and expect to be an excellent shot, hitting bull’s-eye after bull’s-eye. This is where bow hunting practice makes everything come together
Most of us are now stuck (quarantined) at home, so what do you do now?⠀
Well, if you've been following along this past month you'd know that we've been covering topics on how to get your bow setup and choosing archery items for your intended purpose.⠀⠀
For some, shooting their bow is a time to relax from the days hectic onslaughts and wind down. In fact, Fred Bear once said "Nothing clears a troubled mind like shooting a bow".⠀
Archery practice is something all of us bow hunter need to do regularly. I helps keep our shooting form, improves our accuracy, and aides in the situational awareness of hunting wild game. There are really three main places you can practice.
Backyard
If you have the space or if you are confident in your shoot, then backyard shooting is as good as it gets. Its hard to beat walking outside when you get home from work or after a meal an flinging a few arrows at a target. No long drives or crowds to worry about just you and the outside.
Indoor Ranges
If you’ve ever been to an archery shop, which I hope most of you have, you would have noticed that most archery shops have an archery range in them. While they are usually reserved for customers who interesting in firing a few test shots, they also serve another purpose. If you ask the shop owners, most of the shops have an open range time where you can come an practice! What else could you ask for? An indoor archery range with archery experts within walking distance to help you out if you have any questions or need a few things adjusted.
On top of that, most archery shops have leagues in which people usually get together one or two nights a week for some friendly competition. When a bunch a bow hunters or targets archers get together, there is usually some great advise that can be shared and some wild stories to with it. So for those of you looking to maybe get out of elements, or if you don’t have enough room in your back yard, visit your local archery shop and get shooting!.
Outdoor Ranges
One of our favorite places to go is to an outdoor range. More specifically a local archery center just north of Grand Rapids, MI. They have both an indoor range and an outdoor range with 25+ targets ranging from turkeys, alligators, and even a T-Rex. Outdoor ranges get you out of your normal routine by introducing different elements to the shot. Instead on a normal flat backyard 20yd shot, an outdoor range presents shots from 20-50 yards with elevation changes and distracting items like foliage and shot placements.
Last year we put on a collaborated 3D shoot along with HuntWise App and The Michigan Chapter of Back Country Hunters and Anglers at the West Michigan Archery Center in Rockford, MI. It was a great event held right before the Michigan 2019 Archery Season. We allowed everyone to come and enjoy the outdoors and to collaborate with other hunters from around the area.
We’ll hopefully be putting on another event towards the end of the Summer this year, so be sure to check back in for updates of the event!!
Challenge for you!
Get outside and practice! The next hunting season starts today and what better than to start practicing. Utilize the three different places to practice to help better yourself. Challenge a few friends to a shooting competition and post it to social media! be sure to tag us @bowgahunting.