How to Hunt Deer with a Bow Effectively
Article Written By; Kevin Fleeman,
An anatomy of effective bow hunting can divulge the entire synchronous secrets behind success with a bow. Numerous views indicate the mechanism as a completely physical function of aligning sights to shoot arrows through vitals and it is sharpened through practice and practice. Absolutely true, but there is more associated to these than act itself. You must know the following associated steps if you want a deer hunting success with bow- be you an experienced archer or let alone, a novice one.
Practice during adverse situation
This may seem to be a “no brainer” but many hunters are careless to take time to practice during the off season at all. It is particularly necessary to practice when it is windy weather as this is likely to be the most familiar scenario you will face in the field. Along with the wind, practice in the snow and rain as well.
You may think it is time consuming and uncomfortable but it will improve your skill during any offensive period and ease your task in a favorable condition.
When practicing, think it as a real scenario. Make sure that you shoot in different distances. It will help you fix your maximum accurate distance when you will really encounter those conditions.
Place Tree stands on right position
When bow hunting, success is often considered in mere feet. Being 12 inches apart from your position can make difference between having a clear shot and not even getting your target seen. Think about a reasonable trail range wherein you actually plan to hunt. Your trail range should be within 20 yards or closer. Observe the wind and set stand accordingly so that it is not scented by deer on the way. Several cut and clear lanes may help find deer by scouting for droppings, trails, feeding and bedding locations. Try to do this trimming early.
Kickoff slowly
It is no good driving your limits at the very beginning of deer hunting with bow. Slow kickoff is the best way to judge your proficiency. Shoot at small directions first to get the perfect shot at those distances.
This strategy will help you identify the farthest distance where you can shoot an accurate shot. While in the field, it will also help you estimate your Effective Kill Range (EKR), a dimension at which point you would like to take a deer down without jumbling shots.
Make the best use of bow sight
The accurate process of sighting in a bow maximizes the chances when shooting the target. It allows the hunters to recoup for arrow drops because of the pull of gravity over distance caused by the finger print procedures when targeting. You will need the proper installation of your sight. Generally sights are fixed to the riser and protected with couple of screws. To attach sights they have pre-drilled holes. So avoid overtighten the screws. It ought to be at a right angle to the bow. Set all the sighting pins adjusted to the mid-point. Also set up the target and identify your range.
Shoot perfectly from a higher stand
First you have to know how to shoot from a higher standing when you really want to hit your very first target of buck. Otherwise you will fail to do it successfully. You should bear in mind that the trajectory will change if you take a shot from a higher position. That’s why shoot some dummy targets until you achieve a perfection of this skill. Once you get skilled, the higher position shooting will be no more a difficult task.
Know your maximum EKR
Appropriate Effective Kill Range (EKR) depends on shooting distance and hunters’ comfort zone. EKR is determined by arrow speed factor and kinetic energy at impact. As the arrows go downrange, the trajectory decays because aerodynamic drag and gravity interrupts its flight. So determine how your bow performs at various distances and decide how far you can perfectly shoot at game.
No one can confirm your EKR but yourself. For some, it is 40 yards and for others it is 20 even 10. Limit yourself to the distance you decide in accordance with your bow performance and your shot perfection.
Ask Questions
If you are not clear why your bow is hitting erratically, do not hesitate. Ask for help from more experienced archer. It is especially necessary if you are a novice archer making your very first hunting. You can access to the best information about your property you are hunting from the landowner, for example. You can also ask someone out there who knows better about your hunting arena.
Play the wind
What if archers knew the wind direction on a given day that an image was captured? It might reveal the possibilities when you decide when and where you will hunt on a particular day.
You should find an area that will give a hindrance on the downwind side of your tree stand location. Moreover, setting up several tree stands might be a solution for any possible wind direction.
Practice shooting in low light scenario
It is good to practice your shooting when it is close to sunset or dawn of the day. Whitetail deer is often appeared during the sunset when it is really hard to use bow sight due to a dimming light. In spite of having a low light feature of bow sight, this practice will make you perfect in such condition when you do not need to flub with your bow in the field.
Use the right equipment
This may seem an ambiguous heading a bit, but it is important. This does not mean that you need any special brand of equipment; rather it means that you need to know your equipment, how it performs and its limitations during these situations. Select the equipment that can improve your success rate.
It is good to use a vein not more than 3 inches long and it must have a 3% helical that will help your arrow to cut the wind immediately, spin the arrow more quickly and keep it on a flatter trajectory.
About the Author
Kevin Fleeman is the founder of Selfpatron.com that site is dedicated to the sport of hunting. We have a deep respect for nature and for the environment and we therefore take the sport of hunting very seriously. Selfpatron.com provides guides on how to hunt effectively, answer reader questions, and reviews of the latest hunting gear.
