Hunting vs targets; the difference

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[Samdemarais]

Yup, been bow hunting for 8 years and still have not killed a buck. Can shoot targets like a wizard though and have Iron will broadheads…..

 

[Kevin Dill]

Gaining accuracy on targets only proves you can be accurate on stationary objects while shooting when and how you prefer. It's like the first bench on a much longer hike up the mountain.

Taking that accuracy and applying it to a hunting situation is literally where the rubber meets the road. Emotions. Stress. Self induced things. Awkward angles and positions. Variable light and visibility. Distractions. Moving targets. Alert or wary animals. Weather effects. Personal experience and confidence. All of these and many more things WILL affect accuracy and shot outcomes. Some of these variables can be reproduced in practice, but many cannot. Only shooting at live animals will teach you what that's like and how to get it done....or fail at it.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to kill animals. Typically, accuracy suffers as shot-importance increases. You can bust a Dixie cup at 20 yards but blow an easy shot on a nice relaxed buck at the same distance. We all know about choking at the critical moment. An average doe has you excited but manageable. A very big buck walking directly at you puts you in the pressure cooker and your heart races wildly. How do you manage that and turn extreme stress into success?

 

[Foggy Mountain]

Guys you can begin to simulate some of the stress/pressure in practice. I believe it’s imperative. We can’t learn to shoot under stress while shooting at an animal. Not saying anyone did. This is a forum right and sometimes people assume your intent incorrectly.
Once someone can shoot well a simple tic tac toe game, board drawn on a brown piece of cardboard. Play with a buddy. Best 2-3. Who ever wins country is better, has better team, buys a soda for the other, hotter wife etc. Point is you’d want to beat him plus you’d be shooting at blank spots. Another is 3D on a rocky ground, you miss you break an arrow. That’s pressure. find ways to make shooting pressure filled that’s one step towards beating buck fever.
Not knocking the video or any posters just a comment about shooting at game and helping shoot under pressure.

 

[5MilesBack]

There's no time for pressure if you've got a quick shot routine and you shoot enough through the year to make that second nature. Once I have a distance in my head I'm a pretty quick shot with my compounds. No time for my brain to ruin a good shot. I would think that traditional would be even quicker.

 

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[Rob5589]

Goes to show that stuff happens in the heat of the moment. If you follow the hunter (Matt Zirnsak) you'll know he is a high level shooter to boot.

 

[oldgoat]

I hunt where you only get, if you're lucky, one or two chances a season, I typically screw the pooch the first chance and do much better if I get another turn to bat! And it really has nothing to do with antler size, shot a fork horn right in the antler at gimme range a couple years ago, still not sure on that one, really thought I was executing the shot, had enough time before he presented a shot to calm down too, don't know if he ducked or I just sucked! Probably the latter!

 

[SliverShooter]

Around 15-18 years back there were constant threads on a Traditional Bowhunting forum I belong to arguing which broadhead is best, along with how unethical one was if his/her broadheads were not scalpel sharp. Though a one should use a good broadhead and keep it sharp, neither are the primary, or first thing one should worry about when hunting, regardless of the weapon. That is when I wrote and added the quote below my signature on most sites I am a member of:

The broadhead used, regardless of how sharp, is nowhere as important as being able to place it in the correct spot. (I’ll add at the ”moment of truth”)

Walt Francis

There is a lot more to being a good hunter, and killing animals, then the equipment used.

 

[ledflight]

Animals walk, targets don't. Took my first shot on a moving target yesterday. Put it right where I wanted but I just overestimated her speed (slow!).
Second miss this season.

 

[Newtosavage]

Anyone can put insane amounts of pressure on themselves, whether that's in a hunting situation or in a target situation. It's no different. Folks here are just more familiar with "high pressure" hunting situations.

Ask an archer like Brady Ellison about high pressure target situations - trying to close out a match at the Olympics, needing a 10 at 70 meters on a windy day surrounded by thousands of spectators all cheering for the other guy... or John Demmer trying to close out a match in the spotlights of the Lancaster Classic shootoff knowing he's being viewed live by thousands across the globe.

Most folks who think hunting is more stressful think that because they have never been in a high stakes target competition after spending years preparing for that one final shot.

Go watch the YouTube video of Levi Morgan choking in his final shoot-off with Alex Wifler in Vegas. (warning - it's tough to watch!) Everyone knows Levi has taken more big bucks than the rest of us combined, but all he needed was a couple 10's to win Vegas (after shooting over 100 consecutive 10's) and he couldn't do it. No knock on Levi - I think he's great - but it illustrates my point.

WE decide where the pressure comes from. If we decide that's hunting, then that's where we'll have trouble. If we decide that's target, then that's where we'll have trouble. If we decide that's telling our wife about our latest hunting purchase, well.... LOL

I find these hunting vs. target shooting discussions to be insincere and usually ill informed to be honest. Don't knock one or the other until you've tried them is how I usually respond. Either one can be equally stressful if you've spent years putting yourself in a position where one shot can mean that much to you.