 "HOW
TO SHOOT YOUR BOW BETTER"
Use Carbon Arrows, Keep Your Bow at Arm’s Length,
and Don’t Let Your Ego Cause You to Miss Deer
EDITOR'S NOTE: Allen Conners of Gadsden, Alabama, the
winner of the title of World Champion Target Archer
numerous times, the Archery Shooters Association Shooter
of the Year award, the Cabela’s Championship and
the Buckmasters World Championship, Conners also loves
to bowhunt. He originally became a target archer to
improve his bowhunting skills and shoots target archery
when he can't go bowhunting, his first and foremost
priority. Hunting with a bow requires a great amount
of precision. To make an accurate bow shot, you have
to have your bow, arrows, broadheads and shooting skills
all finely-tuned, as John Stiff mentioned yesterday.
Conners says that over the years he’s learned
that the little things, the forgotten or overlooked
aspects of bowhunting, often cause archers to miss their
shots when they have bucks in front of their broadheads.
 Use
Carbon Arrows:
I shoot both aluminum and carbon arrows in 3D tournaments,
but I hunt strictly with carbon arrows. I believe the
carbon arrows provide a more-forgiving shot than the
aluminum arrows do. I find the carbon arrows offer a
flatter trajectory and have a deeper penetration than
the aluminum arrows. With a carbon arrow, you often
can make a lethal hit on a deer you may have missed
with an aluminum arrow.
Keep Your Bow at Arm’s Length:
When you get into a tree stand, you always should keep
your bow at an arm's length or in your hand. You don't
want to have to bend over and reach for your bow, stand
up to get your bow or reach beside the tree to find
your bow. The less movement you make in a tree, the
less likely that the deer will see you and the more
time you'll have to prepare for the shot. In many states
where hunters pressure deer from tree stands, deer will
look up constantly in the trees for hunters. So to get
off an effective shot,  move
as little as possible. Then you'll be less likely to
have to rush your shot. If a deer comes into your kill
zone quickly and you have your bow in your hand, you
will have much more time to draw your bow and get set
for your shot than if you have to make a lot of movement
to pick up the bow. During first light and the last
hour of daylight, I keep my bow in my hand with the
arrow nocked. Then if the deer appears, I only have
to clip on my release, and I'm ready to shoot.
Don’t Let Your Ego Cause You to Miss Deer:
Oftentimes a bowhunter will have some type of problem
with his bow or his shooting that he just can't seem
to solve. Often he'll continue to shoot poorly, believing
that if he shoots long enough and tinkers with his bow
enough he will solve the problem. However, a hunter
wastes valuable time if he waits until hunting season
to try to solve his problems. If you have any problems
with your bow or your shooting, as soon as you determine
you have a problem, go immediately to a reputable pro
shooter or the dealer of an archery shop. Let  him
help you evaluate the problem, and then tell you how
to best solve it. The best tournament shooters in the
nation often will ask other archers on the pro circuit
to watch them shoot and tell them what they're doing
wrong. The best pro shooters learn from other pro shooters
how to shoot better. Many times an experienced archer
will notice shooting problems you won't see as you draw,
hold and release. Another pair of experienced eyes often
will find and solve your shooting problems more quickly
than you will. Don't let your ego that says, "I
can solve all the problems I create," cause you
to miss a deer. If you don't consistently shoot accurately,
more than likely your shooting form or your equipment
has some small problem that the trained eyes of a professional
will see. A professional will help you solve this problem
quickly, easily and usually inexpensively. Then you'll
shoot your bow better every time you hunt or practice.
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