It's 6AM, have you shot your bow yet today?

[lamrith]

Thread subject probably gives my age away to those old enough to remember similar phrasing from TV ads..

Many bow hunters are actively practicing right now, fine tuning their bow, arrows and form.  These are all very important as hunters.  Working on our consistency, shot to shot to shot is the foundation we need to take game ethically.

But how many practice that "cold bore" shot as part of their daily routine?

When hunting most likely do not shoot their bow each morning as they leave camp to head for their glassing or calling location.  If they are "doing it right" they are far from camp before there is enough light in the sky to see a target, let alone sight pins and be able to shoot.

That means when that big Toad is 40yrds in front of you and seconds and inches count you are cold shooting.  No warm up, you are in a unfamiliar situation likely not standing clean and square in front of the target. You are on your knees, your heart pounding in your ears and struggling not to hyperventilate and you have to make that 1st shot count.  Talk about stacking the deck against yourself!
 
Getting the heart rate and breathing up is not always easy in daily practice, but we can work on the rest easily as part of our daily routine.  One way to work on this is to start taking cold bore shots.  Not shooting groups or even more than one arrow is required.  Just go out before you go to work (if it is light enough), choose a distance and fire one shot.  Better yet do it from odd positions, one one knee, both knees, uneven ground.  I like to go out as soon as I can see my target and pins clearly, before the sun is even over the horizon.  Change it up each day, Just get yourself used to not being in that perfect position and then on making that one shot count.  Clean draw, consistent anchor, float the pin, tickle the release and hold as you watch the arrow arc to target with a resounding THWACK.
 
Maybe shoot a few arrows, each from a different range or stance, but not more than 2-3, the goal is cold shooting.  Good shot, bad shot, curtique what you did right and wrong and work on that in the evening practice.  Then repeat the next morning.

In time those cold shots will become second nature and one less thing to worry about when everything is on the line and you can just focus on getting yourself into position on your game with a clear shooting alley, the rest just happens on it's own.

GOOD LUCK!

[Jonathan_S]

Whenever I have a shot, I feel pretty warmed up...I have blood pressure like Archie Bunker when I go to shoot a game animal.

That being said, my first shot is my best shot generally    This time of year, I'll take my first shot from 70ish, a random shot like 64 or 68 yards. 

I use to do this when I started work at 0800 but now that I get to work at 0545, it doesn't exactly give me ample daylight

[tgomez]

40 yards is my money range!! Dropping him like a sack of potatoes. But I preffer when warming up to start at 20 and work my way to 80 checking all my pins. Basically close to far, same with basketball check the layup, mid-range-3ptr.

[BULLBLASTER]

When I head out to practice at distance I usually try to choose a random range between 50-70 yards for the first arrow. Usually splitting pins but sometimes on a pin.
When at home I like to leave my bow out in the basent for random shots. Only 29 yards since that's the farthest I can shoot in my basement. But I will go shoot one random arrow occaisonaly

[JJD]

Starting in Aug., I fine tune practice broadheads and take one of those arrows out at dawn and at dusk, shoot 1 at a time from varying distances, standing, sitting on a ground blind stool and kneeling.  Up hill, from a tree stand height and on level.  Sometimes I will trot around the house a couple of times before drawing on a target.  I try to mix it up as much as I can.  Only time I will repeat a shot is if I really mess up, to figure out what I did wrong.  I pick a spot, range it by eye and then check my esimate with my range finder.
Nice to be semi retired and can shoot 4 days a week on my own property.    

[Bean Counter]

I haven't shot my bow all year. And there's an AZ OTC deer season starting in a few weeks 

[BOWHUNTER45]

I lived my whole life with a bow in my hand ..I only pick it up when needed  If I can walk out in my yard and put one arrow in the bulls eye from 30 to 50 then I need not to worry !  Like riding a bike ..once you learn how , you do not forget    Now if you need to practice then you best get after it 

[JJD]

Just kinda surprises me how fast my muscles get out of shape if I don't shoot on a regular basis.
My job these days is not very physically demending.

[passing-thru]

I think I posted about this before, but as of Aug first I practice exclusively with broadheads. Each morning I do a "cold shot" I have one of my kids run my target out to field. It is setup at undetermined range (furthest maintained spot is about 70yrds) that is first shot I take. After that I shot few at determined ranges and from different angles. I also try to shoot last week in what I think I will be wearing opening morning. That way if there is anything that might catch string or hinder draw I have it taken care of. Several years ago I drew on a bull who had no idea I was in county, only to hit release on my GPS and have it drop to ground spooking him out of area. 

[predatorG]

Good stuff gonna have to try it. One of the benifits of being in high school is I can shoot as much as I want in the summer

[BIGDOG253]

I think I posted about this before, but as of Aug first I practice exclusively with broadheads. Each morning I do a "cold shot" I have one of my kids run my target out to field. It is setup at undetermined range (furthest maintained spot is about 70yrds) that is first shot I take. After that I shot few at determined ranges and from different angles. I also try to shoot last week in what I think I will be wearing opening morning. That way if there is anything that might catch string or hinder draw I have it taken care of. Several years ago I drew on a bull who had no idea I was in county, only to hit release on my GPS and have it drop to ground spooking him out of area.

I'm only shooting practice broadheads this time of year too. I can shoot out to 50yards in the driveway so every morning I shoot a couple arrows at random distances before work.

Thats a good idea to shoot with the gear on too 

[BULLBLASTER]

Why do you guys only practice with broad heads? I shoot them all out to the farthest distance I will shoot then put them up until right before hunting. Right before hunting I will shoot them all again. But in between its field points. Saves target life and broad head life.

[BIGDOG253]

Why do you guys only practice with broad heads? I shoot them all out to the farthest distance I will shoot then put them up until right before hunting. Right before hunting I will shoot them all again. But in between its field points. Saves target life and broad head life.

For me, I used field tips to sight in my bow (new bow this year) all summer. I start shooting broadheads only about a month before the season opener. When I put the practice broadheads on and started shooting, I was consistently shooting a little low and to the right and all distances. Made a minor adjustment to the sight and have been shooting dead on. Some people see a lot of difference when going from field tips to broadheads. 

[BIGDOG253]

Saves target life and broad head life.

I forgot to mention that. Yeah, I will probably need a new target after this year.