I go stump shooting and small game hunting as often as possible. I don't count it as practice time, even though it IS great practice. I do it because it's one of my favorite things to do with a bow in my hand.

If you can hit them from the ground you can hit them from a tree.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> Well, ALMOST. Anyway. I put a stand up in the back yard to practice out of. For a change of scenery I put a ladder up and climb up on the roof too. I have a lot of old centers from hips targets and just throw them out and shoot at them. One arrow at each one. When I retrieve my arrows I give the targets a kick to a new location and climb back up. I also practice some straight down shots. I have a 3D deer but I don't shoot to much at it because it's a pain to move it around. I do it,.... but not as much as the throw targets. I've done it for years so usually only devote a couple trips up the ladder or into the stand with a quiver full of arrows each practice session near deer season. It's OK, but I hunt from a lot higher than my practice stands are... so it's not perfect. It is good in that form changes when shooting from above will become very obvious. I shoot more still from the ground, but that's just to keep muscles in tune.

By shooting any chance I get. Right now I am in an indoor league and that keeps the eyes and hands coordinated. Then come Spring we will move outside for 3-D, and I have my own target so I will be pounding it every chance I get!

Der Jagd Meister
aka [email protected]

[Deleted by Admins]

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>If you are suposed to pick an area to shoot at on a deer,what is the diffrence between that and shooting at a small dot on a target bag or a dirt clod on the edge of a field.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

A big difference! My adrenaline gets to pumping harder when that small spot I'm shooting at is on a deer's ribcage. Best training I've found for that is being in a shoot-off in a 3D tournament and having to shoot a 10 at 50 yards for the win.

Lots of great advice above. Good Luck to you in your bowhunting.

I like to make my practice as close to the &quot;real&quot; thing as possible. I shoot 1 arrow at a time, there are rarely ever second shots on a deer or elk and I am not a 3-d competition shooter, therefore, I like focusing on quality over quantity in shot practice. Everytime I shoot I visualize a real buck making his way to me for a shot. Often I hold at full draw for a minute, then shoot. I wear the same clothing as I wear when in the field, especially my liner face mask and my liner gloves. I shoot from the ground and a tree since I hunt natural ground blinds, pop-up blinds and stands. I try to shoot a lot at low light. I move my 3-d targets all around and shoot at many different angles as well. My cousin and I will will play a game sometimes. We each get one shot to kill the animal. We play it like &quot;Horse&quot; on the basketball court. No second chances.

Lastly I never end on a poor shot. I make sure my last shot of the session is a clean kill shot.

Good Hunting!
Shed

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I shoot more still from the ground, but that's just to keep muscles in tune.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>


Thats the most important factor in eliminating the chances of becoming an x-bowhunter because of shoulder surgery! I practice as often as I can , however I can. If I leave the bow sit for a month , I can sure feel it in my shoulder muscles when I shoot for the first time.
I think any type of practice is good!


>>>---Doug--->

Benhuntin,
I was like that several years ago...only shot a few arrows a day cause I got tired and sloppy. Then my wife said something that made sense(which doesn't happen very often).

When you start getting sloppy, concentrate more. Eventually you WILL overcome! The first week shoot one extra arrow, the second week shoot two more the third week shoot 3 more the 4week shoot 4 more the 5 week...You get the picture.

After doing this my groups became so tight I was busting knocks when I'd shoot my 2nd arrow, If I shot 3 at the same dot I'd ruin an arrow.

Try it I hope it helps, it sure helped me!

FOOLPROOF?
Never underestimate the power of a fool!

What if the &quot;Hokey Pokey&quot; really is what it's all about?

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Benhuntin,
I was like that several years ago...only shot a few arrows a day cause I got tired and sloppy. Then my wife said something that made sense(which doesn't happen very often).


<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>
Good advice. Thats another reason I only shoot
a couple of arrows at a time. Once Im loosened up and shooting
good, I start busting too many nocks. Alot of my practice is also
drawing the bow and concentrating on the target without shooting.
I will hold the pin in place for about 30 seconds and then let down
without shooting. I also do this a couple of times while up in my
treestand.

I shoot allot, and as often as possible. I always try to end a session with 5 good shots. That leaves a positive feeling in my mind.
Two things about holding on target and not shooting. One: it can be hard on shoulders and back. Two: remove the pressure of making a good shot; and the rest of the sequence is left out. Ever notice how easy it is to aim when you're not intending to shoot? This is not to say we should never let down. There are times when it's necessary. And we must be prepared, and able, to do it in a controlled manner.

Phil.
&quot;Could you guys be quiet, my dad's trying to shoot.&quot;<img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>