November 04, 2010
You really can't simulate a hunting situation during practice at home, or even at the shooting range...
By Randy Ulmer
You really can't simulate a hunting situation during practice at home, or even at the shooting range. In a typical year, you might get to shoot at two or three animals all season -- and that's not really a whole lot of practice.
The two things you can't practice outside of a real hunting situation are drawing on a live animal and aiming at a live animal -- especially one that just might move at any second. So when I'm out hunting, I try to draw and aim at every legal deer that comes by within shooting range.
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Because I'm trying to practice doing things right, I like to go over my entire shot sequence each time I draw back on an animal. I make sure to check for a good shot angle and to determine which pin to use and exactly where to put it
I like to go through all the motions, just as if I were going to shoot the deer. By doing this, I learn what I can get away with and, more importantly, what I cannot get away with. Just as in any other sport, you'll do better when you're actually playing for real, because you've done it so many times before in practice.
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Now, just to get my heart rate up and get me excited, I like to imagine that the deer I'm drawing on is a big buck just to make myself a little nervous. I try to decide when I'd actually draw my bow, and when I'd take the shot -- things that cannot be practiced at the shooting range. As the deer moves on through, I keep watching to see if the particular time I chose to shoot ended up being the best shot opportunity, or if I should have waited.
The one thing I've figured out is that I usually have a lot more time and a lot more opportunities than I first thought possible. This experience typically makes me a little more patient the next time around.