Full Confidence
Have you ever attained full confidence in your shot placement with your bow? You’ve practiced nocking your arrow, your finger placement, your draw and release until you’re sure there’s no improvement to be made. The purpose of your practice may be different than another’s, either way for all archers, that practice is just as important. Are you practicing to place first in an archery competition or are you practicing to accomplish the most effective shot on an animal?
It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting a Bear Grizzly Traditional Bow, a Bear Archery Persist Compound Bow, or a TenPoint Havoc RS440 Crossbow practice will improve your odds. Practice does not guarantee no mistakes will be made, a perfect shot and hunt is not the rule ever!
Getting Geared Up
Please tell me if you’ve ever experienced anything like what I am about to tell you. After reaching the point of confidence in his shot placement, a man gets geared up with his Bear Archery Persist Compound Bow, and his arrows with the same weighted broadhead as he practiced with. He heads out for opening day deer archery season.
He’s already scouted out his spot and knows exactly where he’s going to plant himself. After driving as far as he is able, he accomplishes the rest of the dark walk on foot. He quietly makes his way there to find his planned spot to be even better than he remembered, especially since the wind was in his favor.
After setting his gear down followed by himself, it’s time to get his weapon of choice ready for business. He removes one of the Easton Hunter Classic 6.5 400 Spine Arrows from his quiver and nocks it to assure his readiness if and when the whitetails move in.
More to Enjoy Than Just the Kill
He doesn’t just wait, that would make for a very boring sit. I’ll explain; there’s more to enjoy than just the kill and this man knows that. I don’t care how many times you’ve abode in the same place, there’s always new things to observe and enjoy.
He begins to notice daylight making its appearance and knows it’s that much closer to go time! As the light fills the space around him, he begins to see silhouettes of what may be the very whitetail he’s after. He makes a conscious effort to relax and wait for more clarity as well as the legal shooting time to arrive.
Only a few minutes later, it’s light enough to make out the silhouettes and yes they are deer, a few does to be exact. This first hunt is not about the size of the rack, but about acquiring a freezer filler. He chooses the biggest one, when the deer are focused on another deer coming in, he takes advantage of their distraction and draws.
Heart or Lung Shot?
Most assuredly after all that practice and sure confidence this is going to be a perfect heart or lung shot, right? He’s pretty sure of it and so are you right? Until now that is. Let’s find out!
He places his thumb on the Stan Onnex Clicker Thumb Release with his sights set on a perfect behind the shoulder shot. When he releases, he knows right away it wasn’t as smooth as all those practice shots had been and expects failure to be the outcome. What do you think happened? I guess you’re right that’s a silly question, anything can happen.
Did the Shot Count?
As he watched the target deer in hopes that in spite of his mistake the shot would count. The arrow pierced her neck and she dropped after stumbling only ten yards! This bow hunter experienced the success he was confident he would achieve but not in the expected course.
I would almost say his mistake may have served him well. Most archery shots require some tracking, in this case, there was no tracking necessary. The moral of the story is not to cancel out the importance of practice, but to be aware, not everything goes as planned and sometimes it’s from mistakes we make.
It’s not time to quit but keep pressing and practicing for the next unknown adventure.
