Originally Posted by
warbirdlover
Interesting. I have had just the opposite experience. "Some" of the best bow hunters were the best target shooters, mainly because they had their "form" so perfected and could apply it to hunting situations. But, being a good shot doesn't make you a good hunter. It just could help you be a better hunter maybe. Bottom line is any bowhunter needs to practice all summer (deer targets or whatever) to be able to skillfully hit the kill zone repeatedly. What I hate to see is the hunters who grab the bow and shoot 10 arrows the day before the season and call themselves ready.
I was a good target shooter but quit bowhunting because I just didn't have the patience it takes to sit there all day with the bugs biting me. I can sit in a comfortable box stand rifle hunting though. And I fell out of a tree stand climbing down and really wrecked my my ankle and to this day HATE tree stands.
Got a kick out of your discription of target shooters hunting equipment. That might be very accurate, LOL.
The original message put forth is very good. As Warbird said, the information is available and solid. Whether a person chooses to use the info is his own choice. Winners don't win by accident.
The comparison between shooting targets and hunting is also solid. Yes, they are two different venues, but the discipline of shooting the bow is the same in that the upper torso has to be kept in alignment to duplicate the shot no matter whether shooting level, up, or down hill if you want to hit the same spot.
True things can be different sometimes for hunting, but with diligent practice the mind and body will become disciplined, the muscles will develop memory and know what a proper shot feels like. So much so that it becomes even easier to vary a little for those awkward shots that hunting demands at times.
Train the brain and the brain will train the body. Following a consistent shot sequence rewards you with confidence. With this confidence in hand a person doesn't need things as lighted nocks and such to know where their arrow hit. It's right where the pin was when the bow went off. Too many people get concerned about where their arrow hit instead of how it got where it's at.
As to deer jumping the string? Different set of circumstances, but sometimes it's better to have a slower more quiet bow. And it's not always the noise the bow makes, but the kind of noise, but that should be in a different thread.