U
ntil recently most bows
were just sitting around
collecting dust. Now,
most have been broken
out, visually checked and
strings waxed.
Over the past several weeks
conversations have centered
on the upcoming early ar-
chery deer hunting season
which makes its grand open-
ing on Oct. 1. Many of these
discussions, which get ex-
tremely lively at times, debate
the correct amount of arrows
to shoot during individual
practice sessions. It’s interest-
ing to say the least and some-
times downright humorous.
Across all sports and from
people of all levels the same
question is always asked.
How much should I practice?
Does doing too much hurt
rather than help?
For some reason we think
time spent doing something is
the answer to achievement or
attaining a desired level of
skill or knowledge. I tried that
in my college days. I figured
time spent in the library,
whether studying or visiting,
was a better value than sitting
in my apartment or local bar.
Some bowhunters think the
same. They figure their skill is
dependent on the number of
arrows they shoot each week.
So is there a magic number
that makes you a great shot?
Maybe 1,000 or 2,000? If so,
does shooting 500 make you
only half as good?
Some bowhunters are of
the opinion that flinging
shafts until your arm falls off
is OK, because that means
you’ve practiced a lot and a
lot of practice is good. This
may be plausible if hunting
season is still months away
and you’re only trying to build
muscle and not concerned
with developing accuracy. Oh
sure, there are different
strokes for different folks and
although sending hundreds of
arrows downrange may work
for some people, for most it
doesn’t and only leads to de-
veloping bad habits and form.
Then there is the other side
of the coin which I think is
laughable. Some archers un-
fortunately think taking only
one shot a day is the best way
to prepare for the upcoming
season. They mistakenly be-
lieve “you only get one shot
while hunting so why not
practice that way.” If that was
the case, why doesn’t a place-
kicker on a football team only
practice kicking the pigskin a
couple times during practice
sessions? After all, they usu-
ally only get that many
chances per game? Why do
baseball players practice hit-
ting ball after ball when they
only step up to the plate three
or four times in an entire
game? I guess the one-shot-a-
day theory may be OK, as
long as you throw in addi-
tional practice sessions.
There is a big difference be-
tween target archers and
bowhunters. Paper punchers
may spend hours practicing,
but their bows are lighter in
draw weights. Plus, missing a
paper or foam target is not
near as bad as missing, or
worse, wounding a live ani-
mal.
Some of the best hunters I
know have a specialized rou-
tine. When shooting at dots
20 yards away, they may
shoot a couple dozen arrows.
Then there are days when
they will push the 50-60 ar-
row mark, but this involves
more elaborate practice ses-
sions that might include
shooting from elevated stands
or a 3-D course, giving their
muscles time to recuperate.
They also mentally dwell on
how they can improve.
There is no doubt most eth-
ical shots taken in the woods
are inside of 30 yards. But an-
other good practice method
includes setting your target at
60 or even 70 yards. Why do
this when you would never
consider shooting this far? Be-
cause practicing at these long
distances makes shooting at
20 or 30 yards seem like a
chip shot and you won’t be-
lieve how your shorter dis-
tance accuracy improves.
No matter what kind of
practice you have going on,
one thing to become cogni-
zant of is don’t force it when
things just don’t feel right.
Stop, put the bow up and try
again the next day.
“I only shoot until it stops
feeling good,” says Mark Clay-
ton, an avid bowhunter who
has collected a mature buck
every season over the past 22
years. “For me this equates to
somewhere between 30 to 40
arrows,” he added.
David Burns is another
long-time archer who has
many respectable deer under
his belt. He too keeps his
practice sessions reasonable.
“I will shoot several dozen ar-
rows each day starting several
months before season,” he ex-
plained. “If you start shooting
too many at once I think you
do more harm than good.”
If you’re starting to get seri-
ous about bowhunting, don’t
go overboard and consider a
reasonable approach to your
practice sessions. You’re al-
ways better off to shoot a
manageable number of ar-
rows and concentrate on each
individual shot.
12
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column
Practice—what is the correct amount for you?
■
There are several
schools of thought
about how to
improve your bow
accuracy
John Martino
OUTDOORS COLUMNIST
Submitted photo
WINNERS:
Mat Temme and Dennis McKee took a share
of first place at the inaugural Kokomo Reservoir fall bass
fishing classic.
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MARTINO
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