When I first started shooting a stick (recurve), I took 2 years off so that I could take my time and learn to shoot the bow. I took a Buck my first season hunting with the bow, but I really didn' t come into my own with the bow until I started mixing small game hunting and roving (stump shooting). My ability to shoot more accurately in a much wider variety of shooting situations improved dramatically as did my ability to sneak in on my target animal. Patience and lots of practice time will pay off with big dividends for you.