Summer archery practice often looks about the same. Walk outside, grab your bow, shoot a few dozen arrows at a target, make a sight adjustment if needed, and repeat until opening day arrives.
There’s nothing wrong with that kind of practice. In fact, if you’re like me, it’s one of the most enjoyable parts of getting ready for the season, whether you’re shooting by yourself or with friends. More importantly, it’s necessary. You need to know your equipment, build confidence, and know that you can consistently put an arrow where you want it to go.
But there’s a difference between being good at shooting a bow and being prepared to shoot a deer with a bow.
A real hunting situation rarely looks like standing square to a target in the backyard with your feet perfectly positioned and nothing in the way. You may be twisted around a tree, bundled up in several layers, dealing with a steep angle, working around branches, or trying to draw your bow without being detected. Then there’s the adrenaline and elevated heart rate that come with having a deer within bow range.
Shooting at a target all summer can build your shooting skills, but it doesn’t necessarily prepare you for those real world challenges. That’s why it’s worth taking your summer practice a step further and making some of your sessions hunt specific.
Practice Around a Tree
If you hunt from a treestand or saddle, put a tree into your practice routine. Don’t just stand in front of your target and shoot. Practice shooting while positioned beside a tree and simulate the way you will actually be sitting or standing when a deer approaches.
Shoot around the tree from different angles; practice shots favoring your strong side as well as your weak side. Turn your body the way you may have to when in a hunting situation; this can reveal something you may not discover during normal target practice. You will see that certain shots feel completely different when you have to work around a tree.
If you hunt from a tree saddle, this becomes even more important. Practice rotating around the tree, getting into shooting position, and maintaining a comfortable anchor point without overextending yourself. You can do this in the backyard, or from a tree.
Practice Your Worst Shooting Angles
Most bowhunters naturally practice the shots they enjoy shooting. For example, I like to stand in my driveway at home, place my block target at the end, and shoot at 20 and 30 yards. I could do that every day of the week and still enjoy it. However, that’s not necessarily the end all, be all of practice. Instead, routinely practice the awkward shots.
Three to four nights a week during the summer, add some variety to your shooting practice by turning your body slightly, shooting from a kneeling or seated position if your hunting setup allows it, and practicing shots that require your upper body to rotate while your lower body remains stationary. The goal isn’t to become comfortable making irresponsible shots, but to learn which positions allow you to maintain proper form and which ones don’t. That knowledge can be extremely valuable when a deer gives you an unexpected opportunity in the field.
Put Your Hunting Clothes On
This is where the typical “shoot in your camo” advice can be taken a step further. Don’t just put on a camouflage shirt; instead, put on everything you normally hunt in. Wear your base layers, jacket, bibs, gloves, and whatever other clothing you expect to wear during the season. Put on your safety harness or saddle, wear your hunting boots, carry your pack, and then shoot.
Extra clothing can change the way your bow feels at full draw. A bulky jacket can interfere with your string path or anchor point. Gloves can affect your grip and release. A backpack can change how you move your shoulders. Finding those problems in August is much better than discovering them when a mature buck is standing 20 yards away.
Practice Getting Into Position Quietly
One of the most overlooked parts of bowhunting is everything that happens before the shot. A deer walks into range, and suddenly you have to move. This is why it is important to practice getting your feet positioned quietly, rotating your body without bumping your bow into the stand, and reaching for your release with as little movement as possible. Spend time practicing these movements so they become smooth, quiet, and natural when a deer finally steps into range.
Use a 3D deer target as your “deer” while you remain still. Have a friend stand to the side, when they give you a signal, slowly move into shooting position and draw your bow. Don’t worry about how fast you can do it. Instead, focus on how quietly and efficiently you can make the necessary movements. Imagine yourself in the woods when practicing.
Practice the Shot You Will Actually Get
Target practice often produces perfect opportunities because you control everything; hunting doesn’t. A deer may stop slightly behind your open shooting lane; it may be quartering away; or it may step behind a limb. You could have only a small opening between branches. Instead of always shooting the center of your target, create small “shooting windows.”
Place your target behind limbs, brush, or other safe obstacles and practice identifying the open lane before drawing. The purpose isn’t to encourage shooting through obstacles; it’s the opposite. You’re teaching yourself to recognize the difference between a clear ethical shot and a shot that isn’t there.
Practice From Elevated Positions
If you hunt from a treestand, don’t make every practice shot from ground level. Even a modest change in height can alter the way a shot feels. Practice from a raised platform or another safe elevated position where you can simulate the shooting angles you’ll encounter from a deer stand.
More importantly, practice thinking about where your arrow will enter the deer from that angle. You want to develop the habit of considering the entire shot, not just the distance to the target.
Practice After You Get Your Heart Rate Up
A deer encounter doesn’t always happen when you’re sitting perfectly still and completely relaxed. You may have just climbed into your stand. You may have packed a treestand or saddle into the woods. You may have walked several hundred yards to your setup. Get your heart rate up before some of your practice sessions.
Walk quickly, climb stairs, do a few bodyweight exercises, or move around for several minutes. After that, pick up your bow and shoot a few carefully selected arrows. This isn’t about seeing how accurately you can shoot while exhausted. It’s about learning how your breathing, concentration, and shot process change when you’re no longer standing in the backyard completely relaxed.
Practice From Different Distances
You should absolutely know your bow’s effective range. But don’t make every practice session a test of how far you can shoot. Instead, shoot at the distances you are realistically expecting to encounter while hunting.
Mix them up. Shoot 18 yards. Then 27. Then 23. Then 30. Don’t always tell yourself exactly how far the target is before you shoot. And, don’t always shoot at exactly 20, 30, and 40 yards. This helps you become comfortable with judging distance rather than simply memorizing the sight picture for a handful of predetermined yardages.
Practice When You Don’t Feel Perfect
Not every practice session should be about building confidence. Some should be about identifying weaknesses and correcting the small mistakes that can creep into your shot. If the first arrow doesn’t feel right, don’t simply keep shooting until you eventually hit the center of the target. Stop and evaluate your grip, timing, clothing, pin control, and head position. Those small details can make a big difference in the field. Summer is the perfect time to identify and correct them, when there isn’t a deer standing underneath you ready to bolt out of the area at any moment.
Make Practice Look More Like Hunting
Summer archery practice shouldn’t just be about putting arrows in the bullseye. It should prepare you for the shot when it really matters. Practice from your hunting position and wear your hunting gear. Work around trees, awkward angles, and realistic shooting lanes. Practice moving quietly and shooting with an elevated heart rate. When October arrives, you won’t be standing in the backyard. You’ll be in a tree with a deer in range, and hunt specific practice can help make sure you’re ready when the moment comes.
