Becoming a better Game shot

[Rob5589]

A larger peep can certainly help, especially in low light. Those 1/8" peeps are a poor choice for hunting. I had to go to a verifier peep about 4 years ago to clear up the pins. Something to consider, depending on your visual needs. Aging eyes suck for archery.

 

[Beendare]

JJ, so that post 18 is “The rest of the story@ eh? Grin

very honest comments.... thats refreshing, kudos to you sir. This honesty is a good start. I would probably trust more of the guys on this thread than I would some of the bow shops advice.

You are getting some great advice.
I think you realize now Dialing in A Hunting set up is different than a target set up with FP’s. Whatever gear you chose confirm perfect arrow flight and make sure its durable and foolproof in the field.

...

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I re read it.....You may have mistaken my statement. I AM NOT GOING BACK to PA. My story was reverting back to my PA upbringing. I've never blunted a deer. Never will. But the old timer in the archery shop stated that he did it a ton in the 80s. My Michigan buddy has/had up to 5 tags per year maybe. Multiple doe and buck tags. Tipped tons of deer by age 18. I am way behind.

And my aging eyes are great....way out there. The reading books are getting further away. And my close focus blows. Really hit my shooting this year. Certain light conditions were easy. Others were hard. Anodized peep may refract too much light inside of it at certain sun angles.

Regardless...a good handful of things to change if I archery hunt next year. Think going to New Zealand sponsored by Gold Tip for 3 weeks chasing feral goats would do me a world of good becoming a better game shot. Prolly not happening tho.

 

[Wrench]

If you are still in the sheep creek area, I can come up this spring and put on some neighborly competition....maybe thump some bears and see what goes wrong.

 

[Beendare]

Aging eyes? If your pins are blurring with a small peep a bigger one only makes it worse, You might want to try a verifier (peep)

 

[5MilesBack]

Think going to New Zealand sponsored by Gold Tip for 3 weeks chasing feral goats would do me a world of good becoming a better game shot. Prolly not happening tho.

Where do we sign up for that one? I'm already packed and ready to go, and have all the time I need. I'll even take my GT Kinetic XT arrows if that makes them happy.

Yes, aging sucks. I had Lasik in 1999 and the Dr told me that I'd need reading glasses sooner than normal because of that. However, close vision never really became a problem until two years ago, I'm 54 now. It all depends on the light for me. In bright light both the target and pins are clear......as long as the wind hasn't dried out my contacts. Every blink can change that and what I actually see.

I use a Hamskea Raptor peep to eliminate any peep glare, it really does help. I also use a peep that matches the large guard on my Spot Hogg sight......so that's a 3/16" for me. If I had a shorter draw length (32 1/2") I'd need a 1/4".

There are a lot of variables with bowhunting, but if you can eliminate all the possible shortcomings with your setup, your form, and your shooting........then all you have to do is execute the shot when it comes.

 

[Marble]

The only thing that has helped me be a better shot at game is shooting at game. Expereince in the field, learning how to put it all together over and over again helps. I go after rabbits, squirls (I shoot at a lot of squirls), coyotes, turkeys, stumps with bonkers at distance.

I do not use my good arrows for this stuff. I use my extras.

 

[OXN939]

I re read it.....You may have mistaken my statement. I AM NOT GOING BACK to PA. My story was reverting back to my PA upbringing. I've never blunted a deer. Never will. But the old timer in the archery shop stated that he did it a ton in the 80s. My Michigan buddy has/had up to 5 tags per year maybe. Multiple doe and buck tags. Tipped tons of deer by age 18. I am way behind.

And my aging eyes are great....way out there. The reading books are getting further away. And my close focus blows. Really hit my shooting this year. Certain light conditions were easy. Others were hard. Anodized peep may refract too much light inside of it at certain sun angles.

Regardless...a good handful of things to change if I archery hunt next year. Think going to New Zealand sponsored by Gold Tip for 3 weeks chasing feral goats would do me a world of good becoming a better game shot. Prolly not happening tho.

First off, props to OP for acknowledging the challenges with moving from target archery to hunting and taking a moment for introspection. A lot of guys seem to shrug marginal shots off and just not worry about it, rather than diagnosing like this. Solid work on that.

One item that I think is new to this discussion would be target selection during practice. I decided to pick up a 3D Whitetail target this year to get some more realistic reps in, both in terms of shot placement and ranging. Sure enough, I had a shot on a decent buck this year that didn't allow me to use my rangefinder. When I saw the buck give me a shot opportunity, I knew it looked exactly like the 31 yard shot I'd been practicing on my target. LRF said 32 when I checked the distance after the hunt. Solid quartering double lung shot.

Thesis is this: if you're a 3D guy who gets hundreds or thousands of reps in shooting at coyotes, javalinas, yetis and elk, you might consider paring your target selection down to just the game you're planning to hunt in the weeks approaching season. I know this helped me punch a tag this year.

 

[ClintIsKING]

2 things that helped me when I first started out was 1) Don't hold the bow with a death grip. Grip it and put your finger tips on the front side of the grip 2) Not sure if its any different in shooting contests but once you shoot, wait a second or two before dropping the bow. Starting out I shot a few deer and every time I would shoot, I would immediately drop the bow and try to look where I hit. I think that split second was causing my arrow to dip after seeing the deer and saying "I didn't aim there". So when practicing I got in the habit of holding my release hand to my face for a second or two after shooting.

As for judging distance buy or try to borrow a range finder and when in your stand look at certain trees or stumps so you can judge off of that. "Ok, that tree was 20 yards and he's a little behind it so maybe 23 or so". Or just pace out some trees to get a rough estimate.

Just my two cents on things I was doing and maybe can help and by no means am I as accomplished as some of the people on this site.

 

[Gearqueer]

This is my experience over the years on whitetails only:

I’ve noticed that most long tracks and lost deer are from high hits. I think there are several factors in play, mostly being the deer “jumping the string.”

I aim at the lowest acceptable point in the vitals. If I miss low I can live with that. If I do my part the deer normally drops right into the arrow just perfect.

I listened to a Wired To Hunt podcast this summer with one of the Drury brothers. He does the same thing I do, but more so.

Over a decade ago I guided the biggest archery/bowhunting personality around right now. This was after he was a famous target archer and had just started his first TV show. He wounded a deer that we never found, and it wasn’t because he couldn’t shoot. It happens in bowhunting. You’re asking the right questions. Good luck!!


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[Walking Birds]

I’d give the same advice I’d give a person new to deer hunting, go chase small game. Spend some time chasing rabbits and squirrels around with a bow, they’ll get you tuned up in a hurry

 

[Elk247365]

Remember to keep breathing deeply through your nose as game approaches.