[QUOTE1. I'm currently seventeen, do I need any licenses to shoot? Not hunting licenses, I don't think I'll be ready for that any time soon, just in general.
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You dont neeed a license to own or practice with a bow, its not a firearm.You may need a case to transport it in a vehichle, laws are different everywhere so check them where you live.
2. I've got the bow, some arrows, a trigger, and an arm guard. I know I want a sight, but what else do you recommend?
I suggest if you want to avoid a lot of headaches and have your bow shooting properly you take it to a sporting goods store that services bows.Have it set it up to fit you properly, and ask questions there.Other than what you have listed you will need an arrow rest, sight, a string loop, and a peep sight.Dont buy the cheapest crap they have, but you dont have to break the bank on accessories either.Most mid priced items are a pretty good bet for a beginer.
They will adjust the draw length, draw weight, and cut your arrows to fit.I dont know where your bow was purchased but if you can find out and it was purchased at a sporting goods store near you often times they will do this for free as long as you bought the bow and accessories from them.If not there will be a small charge for it.
I dont like to recomend specific brands for things in here because everyone has thier own favorites and its just a personal preference, look at lot of stuff before buying anything and find things you can afford that fit your needs.
3. How often do you practice, or should I practice, to get my skills up to par?
You need to practice often but if youve never shot before you need to learn the basics.From your post I dont know if theres anyone there you can shoot with to help you out in that regard.
Shooting a bows all about repetition, doing the same thing, the same way, every time untill it becomes natural.Bad side is if you shoot it wrong, the same way every time that becomes natural and it will affect your accuracy, and once you develop a bad habit in shooting its realy hard to undo.I was just like you, I never picked up a bow untill I was in my early 20s, at the time nobody had them and I taught myself to shoot.I praticed religously for hours every day.But I picked up a bad tendency to drop my arm as soon as the arrow was off and try to see where the arrow was going, I still do it to this day if I dont think about not doing it first.
If nobody in your house shoots I would find someone who does and have them help get you started, if not you can PM me and I will give you some basic advice concerning form and sighting your bow but it wont be the same as hands on training.
4. Anything else, any advice at all you can think up for a Rookie? I've been trying to get into archery for 7 years, and I finally wore 'em down, but I'm getting into the game a little late.
If you plan to hunt with it once you have the bow set up, shooting good, and have the basics down to where your shooting consistant groups have fun with it and practice from every possible shot angle you can, shoot standing, sitting, kneeling, from the ground, elevated stands, different yardages, unknown yardages, anything you can think of.This will really give you a good feel for your bow and what you and it are capable of and in hunting things can be pretty unpredictable.This will give you practice for those times things happen fast and not as you planned and you will be better prepared for whatever comes up.