Just because your bow can be dialed up to 80+ lb draw weights doesn’t mean that’s optimal. \u00a0I would much rather pull 60lbs with good form than 80lbs shaky. \u00a0When that trophy buck presents itself you’re only as good as your equipment. \u00a0With a compound bow most men should stick to 50-60lbs and women should choose 40-50lbs. \u00a0Stronger people can increase the draw weight a bit.<\/p>\n
You can kill just about anything in North America with 60lbs. 40-50lbs is going to take down any whitetail. If you can pull 80lbs comfortably than more power to you, but the added weight is entirely unnecessary.<\/p>\n
Work Out In The Offseason<\/h4>\n
Don’t go into the hunting season without any functional strength. \u00a0Too many bowhunters wait until a week or two before the season to bring out their bow. \u00a0That’s definitely not the right way to do things.<\/p>\n
Pulling back a bow uses muscles that most people don’t frequently use. \u00a0Even guys that spend 5 days in the gym still need to practice pulling their bow.<\/p>\n
Don’t wait until hunting season and expect to go out and bring in a nice whitetail. \u00a0You really need to start practicing right now. \u00a0Focusing on two things, your overall accuracy and getting used to the bows draw weight.<\/p>\n
Purchase Your Equipment From an Archery Pro Shop<\/h3>\n
If you’re an absolute beginner you should avoiding buying most of your equipment online. \u00a0Instead you’re going to want to hit up your nearest archery pro shop. \u00a0There’s a lot that goes into setting up and tuning your first bow. \u00a0Initial setup isn’t easy and it should be left to experienced archers.<\/p>\n
Avoid buying equipment from the beginner chain stores. \u00a0The nearest Dicks Sporting Goods or Cabelas might have a special going on, but they don’t train their staff properly. \u00a0Your average store employee simply doesn’t have the skills required to properly fit you with a bow.<\/p>\n
Instead you should look out for the local ma and pop stores that have employees that actually hunt. \u00a0Yes you may pay a bit more that one of the big chain stores, but you can be sure you will get a proper fit. \u00a0Buying your bow from a chain store is like trying to pick out food for your vegan girlfriend. \u00a0Chances are you have no idea what you need and nobodies going to be their to help you.<\/p>\n
Leave Bow Setup to The Pros<\/h4>\n
A good archery pro should be able to set you up with the proper draw length and fine tune the bow for your specific needs. \u00a0It really isn’t all that difficult when you know what your doing, but it’s a fairly delicate procedure to get right.<\/p>\n
It really is worth doing things right the first time. Believe me, you will save money in the long run if the store employee is actually an archer himself. \u00a0Hunters love to brag about their latest conquest and sharing all of their favorite pieces of gear.<\/p>\n
Practice Shooting Your Bow at Targets<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Bow-Hunting-Basics-Target-e1543879278982.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Ok so now you have your bow and all your gear. \u00a0How do you get started? \u00a0Every beginner needs to start off shooting at targets.<\/p>\n
A well made target like this cheap Black Hole Archery Target<\/a> is the way to start off. \u00a0It’s going to be your new best friend, able to withstand 5-10k shots before needing to be replaced. \u00a0Just make sure you don’t accidentally get a youth model that can’t handle heavier draw weights.<\/p>\n At some point you’ll probably want to switch to a good 3d target to further improve your accuracy. \u00a0Target shooting is great for honing in your skills, but 3D shooting helps you master those angles. \u00a0Field Logic’s GlenDel Buck<\/a> is the perfect 3d target to practice on.<\/p>\n In most states the bowhunting season lasts a very long time. \u00a0It’s important to remember to continue practicing throughout the season. Quit practicing for a few weeks and you’ll be surprised just how much strength you lose in your arms. \u00a0Your peak accuracy will drop and things will start to get shaky.<\/p>\n You need to practice from different angles to perfect your kill shot. \u00a0Remember that you need to be just as accurate from a tree stand as you are from the ground.<\/p>\n Looking down on a buck from a above is completely different than hunting from the ground. \u00a0Get up into your tree stand before the season actually starts to practice. \u00a0Try to master those weird angles behind you before you actually face a deer.<\/p>\n So you always practice from 10 yards and you’re an excellent shot. \u00a0Move the target out to 20 yards and your arrows are sure to spread. \u00a0You need to practice from different ranges so you get a good idea of the distance you’re shooting from.<\/p>\n When I talking about ranges it’s not just to improve your shooting ability. \u00a0You should also make a point to practice judging different distances so you know your effective range. \u00a0Most hunters find that 30 yards is going to be close to their effective killing range. \u00a0If you’re an absolute beginner it might be even closer.<\/p>\n Try not to overestimate your effective shooting range. \u00a0Even though I can effectively shoot out to 30 yards I probably won’t take that shot. \u00a0I prefer keeping my shots at 20 yards or less.<\/p>\n Could I kill a deer at 30-40 feet? Yes I almost definitely could, but bow hunting shouldn’t be about chance. \u00a0You shoot only when you know you’ll get a kill. \u00a0That trophy buck deserves the best shot you can give him, not a long drawn out death.<\/p>\n It doesn’t matter how much you practice, we all eventually make a mistake. \u00a0Hunt long enough and you’ll eventually stick a buck that you can’t recover. \u00a0It will make you sick to your stomach thinking about what you could have done differently.<\/p>\n Make sure you’re very picky about your shots and do everything you can to track a wounded deer<\/a>. \u00a0Do yourself a favor and buy a blood tracking light like the Primos Bloodhunter<\/a>. \u00a0Blood tracking lights make finding a blood trail so much easier.<\/p>\n Scouting throughout the summer and early fall is crucial to your hunting success. \u00a0Prepare just like you would during the regular hunting season. \u00a0Get out all your camo and wash it like you would during the regular hunting season.<\/p>\n Spray on some Scent Killer<\/a> and get ready for the regular hunting season. \u00a0Check out my post on Homemade Deer Lures and Cover Scents<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you’re not into the whole diy route(cutting out tarsal glands isn’t for everybody) you can also try out a commercial cover scent. \u00a0In the past I’ve had a lot of success using Tink’s Bandit Coon Power Cover. \u00a0Raccoons go just about everywhere so a coon cover is a pretty safe bet. \u00a0Just put on a dab or two will do wonders.<\/p>\n No matter what you do practice makes perfect, and scouting is no different. \u00a0Practice, practice and more practice along with preseason scouting. \u00a0Practice setting up your blind or tree stand and get everything ready. \u00a0After a while it should feel like second nature.<\/p>\n Don’t get frustrated if you don’t connect on your first outing. \u00a0Bow season is normally very long so it’s no surprise that most hunters go home empty handed. If hunting was easy it wouldn’t be worth doing. Practice the basics and you’ll eventually get that buck of a lifetime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bow hunting isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s on of\u00a0the most challenging hunting skills to master. \u00a0It might take your round scouting and practice to master the gun season, but that isn’t going to transfer to your bow hunting skills. \u00a0Bow hunters need to practice longer and become one with their equipment. Beginner Bowhunting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[13,7,8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nContinue Practicing Throughout The Season<\/h5>\n
Practice From a Tree Stand<\/h4>\n
Practice From Different Ranges<\/h4>\n
Know Your Effective Bow Hunting Range<\/h4>\n
What if You Can’t Recover a Deer?<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Primos-Bloodhunter-Tracking-Light-1024x676.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/p>\nScout Before and During The Season<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rangetoreel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Scent-Killer-Deer-Cover-Spray-e1543879184804.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPractice Makes Perfect<\/h4>\n