Practice techniques

[Titan_Bow]

Susequehannok,  I've heard of that as well.  I think he talks about that in his book.  Somewhere I remember reading about shooting at a lit candle in the dark.  I do alot of "form" practice, where I will stand 5-10yd from a good backstop, close my eyes, and concentrate on coming to draw, hitting a solid anchor, and releasing.  This really forces you to concentrate on form.  This has really helped my shooting over the last few years.  I still suffer from "target panic" a bit, but this has really helped me.

[recurve shooter]

When you are in that Zen Zone there comes a time you "feel" the arrow flight before you release and you know where the point of impact will be immediately on release.  And that can be distracting.  Mark Baker, the guy that did the muzzleloader training for the stars in the movies "The Patriot" and "Last of the Mohicans", really said it best in an article he wrote about 9 years ago..."Aim small, miss small".

and that explains why i shoot at impossibly small things like bottle tops on strings, those little apples, and a vine about a quarter of an inch thick on the side of a rotten tree. even when i miss (which i admit is offen) it is usually by less that 2 inches.

[JW_Halverson]

Yeah, explains why my buddy, Barry, has a record of shooting perfect "field goal" arrows between buck's antlers!!!   

But when he's roving around shooting yucca plants he can pick a stem or leaf and cut it every time.

[Susquehannock]

Yes Titan,

I think you are right. I believe I read about him shooting at candles or small lights in the dark.

[hawkbow]

I try to shoot every day... hard to do with work.. at least 150 arrows each time ... no substitute for practice.. seems to work for me .... i can't rely on good form, most of my shots while in a huntin situation do not exactly allow for perfect form during the shot.. happy hunting Hawk 

[Titan_Bow]

Hawk, when I say shooting for form, I guess I really mean the draw, anchor, release aspects.  If your bow arm, release hand, anchor point, etc. are all in tune, it doesnt matter what the rest of your body is doing.  I agree that hunting situations rarely allow for proper field archery type form, but whether I'm hanging out against my treestand harness, twisted back around the tree, or knelt down in the sage with my bow parallel to the ground, if my bow arm is solid, I have a good solid anchor point, follow through the shot,  the arrow is going to go right where I want it to.

[hawkbow]

I agree brother... happy hunting HAWK

[Pat B]

With trad archery form is the most important thing to learn, and learn early. Once you have ingrained the form into your psyche your instincts can take over when time for the shot comes. Ideally you want everything to happen without you having to think about anything except where the arrow WILL go!
   Shooting every day gives you the experience to do this. I try to shoot every day but it is not always possible...and lately I can tell from my shooting. Generally when I do shoot, 25 or 30 arrows a day is all I shoot. More than that, I start getting sloppy.  Just before hunting season I will shoot one arrow a day from an elevated stand(front porch) at a 3D deer. Sometimes once in the morning and once in the evening. I practice from the elevated stand, from the ground, unknown distances, around and through opening in bushes, up hill and down and one most don't ever think about...straight down. This is not a good shot to have to take. I have tried it once and made the shot but generally it is a low percentage shot. By practicing shots you will probably never have to take keeps your shooting sharp.
   I took a shot at a running deer a few years ago. I would never take a shot at a running deer but instinct took over. I'll never know if the shot was good because a gum tree jumped in front of the arrow.  ...but the shot felt good!  Even if you don't intend to take a particular shot, add it to your practice routine. You never know when your brain will take over and make the shot.    Pat