5 Mishaps That Can Ruin Bowhunting Success

My job as this magazine’s Technical Editor is to analyze bowhunting equipment and determine how well it performs in the field. These evaluations also include user error, and in the past few seasons, I’ve recognized plenty of my own mistakes and how they impacted my success.

Here are five mistakes I’ve fallen victim to and the steps one can take to avoid them.

Rangefinding Boo-Boos

I’ve written about this topic before; however, it warrants repeating because it still continues to happen. Typically, I’m fast and smooth with my rangefinder. I wear the unit around my neck when I anticipate bowhunting action. Otherwise, I sometimes store it in my hip pouch. This system works perfectly for me.

The problem I’ve found is not deploying the rangefinder fast enough, but the issue is also picking up the wrong reading to the target. Where I typically hunt, the animals living there are ultra-wary. They don’t stick around long, and this can cause issues — particularly when staying low to the ground while operating the rangefinder.

When I’m crawling up on game, there are countless obstacles jutting out from the understory. My rangefinder’s beam wants to pick up on these protruding objects, so the initial reading isn’t always accurate. This causes me to double/triple-check my rangefinder’s reading for validity…something I don’t always have time to do.

This past season, I was antelope hunting in Arizona. The country was open, with few swells in the terrain for effective crawling. I’d routinely close the distance to 100 yards or so from nice bucks, but getting closer than that was difficult. Doe antelope were shuffling everywhere around the bucks, too, increasing my chances of getting busted. The situation demanded quick action — without getting spotted.

On one occasion, as a shooter buck followed a doe at the edge of my effective range, I snapped the distance to the lead doe, then drew behind a small juniper. The buck slowly trailed behind her and then stopped. I aimed, executed a good shot, and then watched my arrow sail just under the buck’s chest. I knew right then and there that my rangefinder’s reading was completely wrong.

To overcome such an error, it’s important to exercise discipline by double/triple-checking your rangefinder’s readings. This is done by aiming the optic’s reticle on various objects, or actually waiting for the target animal to show up, so you can get a clear reading off its chest/head/antlers before drawing and shooting. It’s much more ethical to pass on shooting opportunities when the exact distance is unknown.

Awkwardly Adjusting A Moveable Sight

In the past five years or so, I can recall several bowhunting moments where I found myself fiddling around with my moveable bowsight just prior to a shooting opportunity. Each time, I felt like a complete idiot as I moved my sight to one distance, only to change it again as I watched the buck or bull move to a different location. In many ways, you must learn to “set it, and then forget it,” by aiming a little over/under with the sight pin — depending on the circumstances.

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Like most serious bowhunters, I enjoy using a slider-type sight for increased shooting precision. The problem is, sometimes shots appear rather quickly and you must then set your sight and get to full draw in a flash, so you have added time to aim and shoot correctly. Precision is great, but there’s something to be said for smooth speed in the bowhunting woods. Bottom line: Learn to adjust your slider-type sight in a rush.

To do this, visualize real bowhunting scenarios while practicing in your backyard. Get used to rotating your sight as fast as you can prior to shooting an arrow, but make sure the process is fast and effective.

Also, every moveable sight comes with a locking lever/knob. Determine if locking your sight for a particular distance is required prior to shooting. I’ve found with some sliders, I can turn the knob to the correct distance and then shoot, without locking it or fear of it changing to a different distance. Some of these locking levers make an audible click as well (a potential game-spooker), so if you can bypass this step, do it. Practice each step until it becomes swift and second nature.

Zeroing-In Too Quickly

I often read about archers claiming to sight-in their hunting bows in a matter of an hour or two, all the way out to 50 or 60 yards. Interesting.

I’ve been practicing archery for more than three decades, and I’ve never been able to do this — at least not with any degree of confidence. In my experience, zeroing-in a hunting bow takes much longer, and a lot of this time has to do with shooting form when my muscles are tight/cold.

As a bowhunter, you want your first shot striking the bull’s-eye — not your 5th, 10th, or 25th arrow. The only way to do this is to zero-in your sights over the course of several days, while your muscles are somewhat stiff…the same way they’ll be when hunting.

This is particularly important when using broadheads, whether fixed-blade or mechanical. I insist on shooting the actual broadheads I’ll be hunting with, too, minus dull blades. In my experience, even so-called “practice broadheads” can vary in weight and blade-surface area compared to their sharpened brothers, causing different impact points, especially way downrange. For this reason, I prefer to shoot the actual broadheads I’ll be hunting with at least once or twice into an approved target, just to make sure I’m hitting dead-on.

Another common mistake is forgetting to check shooting distances with the rangefinder you’ll be hunting with. Despite repeatedly covering this topic in my own articles, I often fall victim to this step, especially when switching to a new unit for the upcoming year. My backyard targets are all marked (or known), so I don’t always verify these distances with my rangefinder. This is a big mistake that could cause missed shots in the field.

Overanalyzing The Shot

When I was younger and less experienced, my expectations were fairly low. I practiced a lot, thought about hunting all the time, and when I found myself in the woods, I simply reacted. In other words, when it felt right, I went with it because I didn’t know any better. Armed with this attitude, I made some amazingly successful shots.

Nowadays, I tend to overanalyze things. I’m older, more experienced, and very cautious. I insist on perfection. This is good, but only if it doesn’t become a hindrance. Sometimes, it’s best to listen to your instincts and just go for it.

On some of my recent bowhunts, I found myself reacting too slowly when faced with a less-than-perfect shot opportunities, and now I regret it. By all means, I say assess the shot to determine if it’s an ethical attempt, but if things look good, don’t second-guess yourself. Trust your gut, and you’ll probably find yourself more successful as a result.

Relying On Shoddy Gear

Several seasons ago, I went afield using a particular mechanical broadhead. The heads performed well during my accuracy/durability tests. However, the blade-capturing system proved flimsy when still-hunting and stalking with a nocked arrow — it didn’t take much for the prairie grass/twigs to pop the blades open. This caused me a lot of frustration, and a loss of focus.

To avoid inferior gear in the woods, be sure to meticulously test out your shooting tackle, clothing, footwear, optics, and anything else that you feel the need to carry into the woods in an effort to fill more tags. These tedious run-throughs should come months before opening day. Insist on using only the best gear you can afford and nothing else…and then take good care of them!

Making mistakes in the bowhunting woods is never fun. But they will make you a better bowhunter in the long run — provided you pay attention and learn from those mistakes.

I’m still trying to do just that!