Prepare For Fall Archery Season Now
Three years ago I began my journey to becoming a bow hunter. Beginning with the purchase of a used, bare-bones compound bow from a person in desperate need of money, this love affair with archery has continued to blossom. As soon as I made my way home with that used Bear Whitetail II I began researching everything I could find that might help develop my shooting skills. As soon as the first arrow departed the bow string, I was addicted to the sport of archery. To this day I continue to hone my skills practicing as often as I can.
My first season spent in the woods I was certain that I would get a deer, but I soon found out that it wasn't quite as easy as I had thought. My goal was not to take down a trophy deer, rather it was simply to take a deer.... any deer! I took advantage of every opportunity to get away from life and into the woods each time to no avail. My children would accompany me to the hunting locations I had picked out, making it more difficult for a beginning hunter, but it didn't matter....I was in the woods enjoying the tranquil and uninterrupted sounds of nature.
While heading back to the pickup with my daughter one evening, three bucks appeared out of nowhere about 60 yards in front of us making their way from a corn field to some woodlands on the other side of the path. The deer appeared and were gone so fast that I couldn't even imagine having gotten off a shot, but this was the most exhilarating experience I'd had up to this point...
After this experience, I decided it was time to upgrade my bow. This time I purchased a brand new Bear Anarchy HC. I then proceeded to give my old compound to my brother. As Christmas neared, my brother and I made our way to a new location that was further off the beaten path in hopes that the two of us would be able to spot a deer more easily than if I was to be hunting by myself.
As sunset was approaching my brother decided to head back closer to the truck. Shortly after his departure, I had my first real opportunity at killing a deer. At first I saw only one doe, but then more appeared. I remember thinking "there's no way this is real....this must be some sort of dream," but they just kept coming. I have no idea how many deer finally appeared that evening, but there were several. Even with all the hours of practice I had put in, I wasn't ready for this moment. Spotting a huge doe in the group, I took aim....hear pounding so hard I thought it would burst. I began to sweat as if it was the middle of July even with a temperature in the low 30's. The deer knew something wasn't right, but couldn't seem to figure out just what was wrong.
I made my move to release the arrow and with that a stampede was under way. Deer scattered to all different parts of the woods. Releasing the arrow I missed my intended target and stuck my arrow into a tree on the other side of the logging road below me, but I had made my first shot at a deer! This crazy encounter taught me an important lesson - ensuring that you are prepared for deer requires committing to regular practice sessions all year long.
Through more research I discovered that I was not alone. Many hunters get nervous when a deer comes into sight. In order to succeed you must be able to condition yourself to control this emotional response. The method I have learned to use to calm the nerves when a deer is in my line of fire is to practice shooting at 3D targets while imagining they are real deer. I try to think about how I should position myself in order to gain the upper hand on my prey, and go through the motions that I would follow if it was an actual hunt. This can insight the emotions that would be felt in the field making it necessary to calm yourself in order to make an effective shot.
To gain even more confidence in myself and my equipment I will practice from a stand or some other elevated place. Doing this can not only hone your hunting skills, but also enable you to become more relaxed while in your deer stand. Try using these methods the next time you are practicing for that big hunt and you just might find yourself to be more comfortable while hunting in a tree stand and better able to control your emotions when that monster buck appears in your line of sight.
If you enjoyed this post you might like "Achieve Pinpoint Accuracy With Your Compound Bow."
- Any day in the outdoors is a good day!