To be a successful bow hunter, consistency is the name of the game. Being prepared may be the difference between success and failure.
There are many things to account for when it comes to bow hunting: You start with your marksmanship, and you then move to stand set up. Clothing and gear cleaning, scent elimination, and storage then soon to follow.
Your archery skills are the first thing you should address before you attempt to bow hunt. You should be pulling your bow out in the spring and shooting on a regular basis to develop a shooting style that is comfortable for you. Remember to relax your grip on the bow, gently squeeze the trigger, and follow through on the shot. A bow sling will allow you to shoot the bow with an open grip. This will prevent you making a poor shot, because you squeeze the bow on release, and torque it without one. A smooth trigger pull is also important. Put your sight on the target, and slowly apply pressure on the trigge, with the sight radiating around the center. The shot should surprise you as it breaks. This is the feeling of a perfect shot. If you punch your trigger, you will be pulling your bow off the target with the shot. With a relaxed hand, the bow will smoothly rock forward on the release. Only grab the bow once the arrow has hit the target. This will ensure you are doing nothing to shake or cant your bow on the shot.
You must then determine your maximum effective range. Shoot targets and site in, out to your farthest sight pin. Shoot ten arrows. If any of them get outside of a six-inch circle, you will be risking a bad shot on an animal if you try a shot at that distance. Set up your stand sites to suit your personal shooting distance. This will help you prevent making a poor shot.
Stand preparation is nearly as important as how good a shooter you are. If you can’t get an arrow to the deer, it doesn't matter how good a shot you are. Your stand location is dependent on natural deer movement. Set up in a place with intersecting or heavily used trail systems. Use a compass and determine what wind you want to hunt the stand in. The side of the tree you put the stand on is dependent on wind, and where your trails are. Right -handed shooters want to be set up so that their left shoulder is pointed at where you want to take your shot. Lefties should do the opposite. This will help you feel comfortable on the shot. Be prepared to shoot in all directions, though, as deer will sometimes show up where you least expect. You can use surveyors’ tape to mark out yardages on trees. This will prevent misjudging yardage and making a bad shot. You then can clear shooting lanes. This will prevent arrow deflections.
Your clothing should be taken out at least two weeks before the season starts. Wash them in scent-free detergent, and dry them outside. Leave them outside as long as possible. Preferably just hours before your hunt. Pack them away for transportation in a scent-tight storage bin. The bin should have also been washed and set outside to become as human scent-free as possible.
I like to use a backpack to carry all of my odds and ends. Wash and place it outside like your clothes. Get all of your gear from calls to binoculars out, and spray them down with a scent eliminating spray. Leave them outside as long as possible. When the time comes to head out, load your clothes pack into the bin, and don't open it until it is outside of your vehicle at the hunting location. Spray down and proceed to your stand. Remember to only hunt the stand under favorable wind conditions.
If you haven’t been shooting all summer, get in as much practice as you can. Remember making a good shot is the first step in becoming a successful bow hunter. Do your best and never give up. Bow hunting is difficult at first, but it gets easier with time. Never stop learning and always seek out new hunting locations.
This will prevent burning out stand sites. Oct. 1 is the opening day of bow and fall turkey season, and good wishes and don't forget to prepare for season.