I practice year round. Basically because I love to shoot and I promised my wife I wouldnt take up golf. Because this archery thing to her is expensive. An ethical hunter would practice previous to going out an taking game, not pulling the bow out of the case the morning the season starts, and going from there. Not saying that its not possible to shoot tight groups that soon. But for the sake of the unknown you should test your equipment to the extreme before going out in the field.