As archery hunters we like to spend plenty to time flinging arrows—we love shooting our bows! I’ve found there is a big difference between dialing in your consistency vs. practicing hunting shots. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, my goal this year is to extend my effective bow range (you can find out how here).  But extending my range will do me no good if I’m not able to effectively execute my shots in hunting scenarios come deer season.

Last year I began to implement more hunting scenario shooting. As often as I could, I’d use my climber and simulate a typical stand set. For me this included climbing with all my camera gear, taking anything I’d take during a hunt into the tree with me to practice. The goal was to make not just my hunting shot second nature. But to also create a system for my set up and tear down, making my assent and descent as effortless as possible (you can read more on my preseason practice here).  Luckily, this year my archery club has elevated platforms and blinds set up with 3D targets at variable yardages. So I’m able to execute plenty of simulated hunting shots at in-between distances. Hopefully all the offseason work at the range will prepare me to execute when the shot opportunity presents itself.

Below is a video from the Guys at Deer + Deer Hunting, sharing a few great tips on how to execute your kill shots in a practice scenario.