I don' t see the need for a guy to " practice" much with a compound bow. Traditional equipment is a different story. But unless you are a tournament shooter or just love to shoot, I don' t see the need for hunting. When the season ends on December 31, I hang my bow up and don' t pick it up again until around August and then I shoot a couple times a week until October 1st, and then I hunt. Hunting is what gets the meat and the horns. As long as I' m grouping well at 20 yards consistently, I' m good. I do shoot a couple 3d' s in September as well.