I always grimace a bit when I read or hear someone say that learning to be proficient with a bow is not that difficult and can be accomplished in a short time. I have been shooting bows for over 40 years and bowhunting deer for 39 years, and I am still making mistakes and still learning. That is just in the "archery" (only) area. Bowhunting is a separate area of learning, and the application of what is learned differs from person to person and area to area.

I can take an individual that has never shot a bow, put a compound in his or her hands, provide eyes and hands on instructions, and within a short period of time I can have that person shooting fairly accurate and grouping decently….on a target. However, in most cases, consistency will be inconsistent and far down the road.

Once I instructed a person to (just) shoot a bow with some proficiency and then I walked away, would be like abandoning a person in the middle of a vast forest without a compass, a map, and a sense of direction. Some would immediately become confused, disoriented, and just walk in circles until they gave up. Some would stumble around until they found their way out. However, it would take a long time and most would not fully comprehend how they found their way out.

Learning all that should be known about archery and archery equipment, and hunting large game with a bow, is not an easy task that can be accomplished in a short period of time if a person is to be a fully competent archer, shooter, and bowhunter. It just does not work that way.