New to archery... will I be ready by fall?

[NullPointerException]

As the title implies, I'm hoping to be ready to hunt by mid August. I have taken a few introductory lessons with a recurve and will be stepping up to a compound as soon as I heal (I had my gallbladder removed last Wednesday).

Realistically, with a coach, will I be ready by fall or am I setting my expectations too high?

 

[ntodwild]

I am no professional archer but have been archery hunting for over 17 years (going on 30 years of hunting). My .02 is not professional advice, rather what has worked for me in the past and every year prior to season.

You will be absolutely fine as far as being able to shoot a compound bow with a "good" amount of accuracy (Able to hit a paper plate at 40-60 yards with a high percentage). On that note......You do not need to practice at those distances even 10% of the time. Your goal should be to work on "repeatable" form and good solid fundamentals at 20 and 30 yards. This should be 90% of your practice. If you can consistently repeat solid groupings over and over at these distances it means your muscle memory and form are in line with sold archery skills. If form and muscle memory are solid at those distances they will be solid at longer distances. Whatever you do don't blow your shoulder out by pumping up the poundage you think you can handle while hunting. Keeping your poundage low will help you work on form and practice more. As season gets closer, slowly work your poundage up. This will allow those muscles in your shoulder and chest that are rarely used to develop over time. The goal is to practice as much as you can without over taxing yourself.

I know its not possible for everyone but I own 3 bows that are set up for me. One of them is actually set at 45lbs (this is relative. I hunt with a 66lb bow) and it is my go to bow for about 3-4 weeks as I start my practice for the season (I don't shoot all year. No particular reason). My sole purpose with this bow is to focus on my form and build that muscle memory back into my shooting without blowing my shoulder out. It allows me to throw 30-40 arrows down range 3-4 days a week giving me a high practice load without loading my muscle and tendons. In turn the repetition allows my fundamentals to come into form. Repetition is the key.

Never shoot when you're tired. It throws your fundamentals and form off. Accuracy is a function of repeatable form and fundamentals. When you get tired just put the bow away till your next practice session. You have all summer to build strength.

The one thing you will not be ready for, even with all the practice: the nerves, adrenaline and pump your gonna feel when that animal walks right out in front of you and gives you a perfect broadside shot. 17 years and I still have to focus on my breathing, talk my nerves down before I take a shot. It surely gets easier after 17 years but it's always there in the moment (It's what most archers would say is the addiction. NOTHING LIKE IT!).

As stated. I am no pro on this by any means and I am sure there are plenty of "actual" comprehensive plans out there.

Good luck to you and don't get hung up on perfection. Your hunt will be better for it. Enjoy all the little things while you are in the field including drawing your bow and missing a great opportunity (It will happen). Archery hunting has a learning curve that builds as the years go on. I learn something every year.

 

[danwolf]

I've never been coached but have had some pointers along the way, these modern bows are more accurate than us. Having consistent a anchor point, peep and sight alinement etc.. help tremendously. Develop good habits from the start and the accuracy will follow. Hope you have a speedy recovery and enjoy shooting when the time comes, I think you'll be fine.

 

[Arcola]

Obviously you'll have to assess your progress on your own. But I would think with a few lessons on form and daily practice you should become comfortable at reasonable distances by then. There are too many theories on what type of practice routine is "correct". Find what works for you, and commit to it. Good luck.

 

[Rzrbck918]

As the title implies, I'm hoping to be ready to hunt by mid August. I have taken a few introductory lessons with a recurve and will be stepping up to a compound as soon as I heal (I had my gallbladder removed last Wednesday).

Realistically, with a coach, will I be ready by fall or am I setting my expectations too high?

Yes. You can easily be ready to hunt with a compound. Working up to a couple dozen arrows a day, you'll be ready to go at whatever distance you practice at.

 

[NEWHunter]

If the bow is properly fit to you and set up, you have a knowledgeable person helping you with your form, and you practice enough, you should absolutely be ready to hunt this fall with one of today’s newer compounds. Getting comfortable and field ready at 25-35 yards is easily doable. Ranges beyond that will be more dependent on practice and abilities in my opinion. Good luck and have fun

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I agree with everyone who has posted. But I would say that if you are new to hunting as well as archery, you should be reading about game behavior and habitat and wind/scent control. Talk with hunters or read posts in this forum to learn about how to hunt and stalk. Watch Randy's you tube videos to see how it is done. You are me about 3 years ago. I was ready to shoot arrows my first season, but I made all sorts of mistakes my first 2 seasons because I didn't know much about hunting. To be successful you will need to be a complete hunter and not just an archer. Good luck.

 

[brettlapp]

I'm in your boat. I'm new, I haven't even bought a compound bow yet... in fact, in Montana, I'm required to have a bow safety course. So, I took the online course, and I have a field day next Saturday. I might buy a compound this summer, but unless I draw for Cow Elk on Archery, I will just practice and hold out until next year when I've got more experience under my belt.

Cheers!

 

[SaskHunter]

All depending on how well you heal but you should be fine. Practice as much as you can at 20 yds to work on your form and "routine". Make your way up to 60 yds and you'll see where/how comfortable you are, keep shooting during the season too. I personally won't shoot at a deer past 50 yds. If you are not confident, DON'T GO BOW HUNTING, I guarantee you that the last thing you want is to take a bad shot at a deer and wound it. I've passed on plenty of deer while archery hunting because something "didn't feel right", there's too many things involved in taking a good shot while archery hunting, if you are not confident, you will most likely fail.

In late 2015, I messed up my back, I couldn't shoot my bow and spring bear season was approaching fast. I shot my first arrow of 2016 on a target at 20 yds the first day of the season before heading out to my tree stand. It hurt like a bitch but my bow was still sighted in and that was enough for me, I have been shooting/hunting archery for years and was confident I could do it in the tree stand, worst case scenario, I wouldn't shoot like I have done many times before. The next evening, I shot a boar at 20 yds, I'm pretty sure I groaned as I drew my bow but the shot was good and he didn't go 40 yds. The dressing/packing out was a whole different story though...

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

I think you should be ready. Like others have said, repeatable results will be key. If you can get to the point of being comfortable and confident, then go for it.

 

[nhn2a]

Can you, yes. Will you ... well that depends on how much effort you put into it between now and then. When I first bought a bow about 5 years ago, it was two years before I felt confident enough with it to hunt an animal but that was mainly because I didnt have a lot of time to practice. Back then I bought a bow, some precut arrows, and would shoot but had awful groupings and really had no clue what I was doing. It wasnt until I took the time to really learn what I was getting into and to learn the basics of archery and the equipment I was using that I improved to a point where I felt confident in my skill set. Since then I've spent hundreds of hours practicing, studying, and tweaking my bow and arrows but now I'm extremely comfortable in my skillset.

 

[JohnCushman]

You're the only one who will know if you're ready....

 

[CampRipleyLF]

practice, practice, practice! You can easily be ready for the fall but that will be up to you. Put more time in and when you think you have put enough in, give it some more. Only you will be able to judge if you are ready. Good luck this fall!!

 

[Pucky Freak]

Short answer: absolutely.

Being able to shoot the bow correctly/proficiently is further down the list of priorities in becoming a capable bowhunter. I missed my first 6 deer, hit 1 of my next 3 (the one in my profile pic, 3 yards), then hit 2 of my last 2. Why did I miss? It was not due to lack of proficiency, but rather because I overlooked other, more important aspects of bow hunting.

Knowing what I know now, here is what I would have prioritized if I could do it all over again:

1. Safety. Always walk with arrows in the quiver, practice basic tree stand safety, learn how to adjust your bow correctly, always use the correct arrows, trigger release safety, etc.

2. Learning what constitutes an ethical shot for the game you will be pursuing. For whitetails, this means broadside to 45 degrees quartering away, standing still to slow walk, double lung penetration, and animal unaware of my presence.

3. Use the correct tips. This is usually specific to the species you are hunting.

4. Practice in the conditions you will be hunting. Consider clothes you will be wearing, hunting from a blind or treestand or around vegetation/obstacles, shooting while seated or standing, etc.

5. Dial down the extremes. Hunt 10 lbs less than you are capable of pulling back, and take shots 10 yards closer than what you can hit during target practice. There are many reasons for this, and it is very important. This is probably the most ignored advice by beginners, and leads to the most botched shots and missed opportunities than anything else. Peer pressure makes wannable he-mans and robin hoods out of the best of us.

6. Ok, finally proficiency with the weapon you are using. This is easy. Let's say your very first time shooting the bow you can hit vital zone groups 90% of the time at 25 yards. Congratulations - you are now ready to take shots at your quarry of choice at 15 yards or less. Practice, coaching, and adjusting your equipment will extend your range. This doesn't make you more ready, it just lets you take further shots.

 

[NullPointerException]

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

My work is cut out for me. I'll keep everyone posted as to my progress.

 

[Sampson67]

I would suggest Blank bale before you even worry about Distance. Stand in front of the Bale 6 - 8 feet as warm up every practice session. Practice and concentrate on form and the process of pulling through the release and how you are manipulating the release you are using. This process will help you in preventing target panic by developing that muscle memory others have referenced. The when you have that down back up and shoot at a target and focus on sight picture

 

[jlong17]

I also just picked up a bow this winter... and I plan on hunting this fall. I have been shooting everyday since I purchased it, gradually increasing weight. I recommend watching the "School of Nock" on Youtube. John Dudley does a great series, and provides instruction to build on week by week. In addition to strength training, don't forget to stretch hahah. I think you should have a ton of respect for the sport, but to be honest as of right now for me, it doesn't seem like a fall hunt is out of the question. Good luck!!

 

[p_ham]

I'll second the school of nock videos. I have been shooting bows off and on since I was a kid and the videos helped me identify some issues I had.

I dont shoot a ton of arrows a week, between 120 and 160. Most of my shooting is done in the garage at 7yds. I have noticed my steadiness and accuracy have skyrocketed out to 70yds since starting this.

3d shoots are great practice and a ton of fun.

 

[cheeser]

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Alright, so you or someone you know wants to get started in archery. What equipment do you actually need in a beginner bowhunting setup?

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[Brian in Montana]

I didn't read all the posts on this thread, but I'll just say that in my opinion you can certainly get to a level of proficiency with a modern compound bow by August. Practice smart, not necessarily hard. Learn some things about good form and work those. Most of my bow kills happened around 30yds so I'd recommend you get accustomed to that distance before hunting season.

Speaking of hunting season, you can have great shooting fundamentals programmed into muscle memory, but using those skills in a hunting situation is very different. There's always a little branch in the way or the deer won't take that one last step or turns quartering toward at the very last minute. Shooting fundamentals is an important tool but there is a lot of art involved in bowhunting.