Practice Your Hunting Shots

by Jake Schlangen - AC Pro Staff

Most hunting situations require the ability to make accurate shots from less than comfortable shooting positions. The difference between being able to capitalize on these opportunities is often tied directly to having practiced similar situations prior to the hunt. You want to make sure that you are practicing from the same or similar shooting positions that you might encounter on a hunt.

One of the most common mistakes in shooting positions is shooting out of a tree stand and up or down hills. A very common problem is to raise or lower the bow for the angle of the shot, which usually results in a high miss because of a change in the anchor point. The correct way to execute that shot is to always draw back level and bend from the waist to accommodate for the angle. This way your anchor point is kept the same and the shot will hit true.

Shooting from a kneeling or seated position can cause problems as well, especially in seated positions where the tendency is to miss low left for right handed shooters. This is caused by dropping your bow arm after the shot. Most people find that pushing toward the target with your bow arm and holding your bow there until the arrow hits the target is a quick fix for that.