Caribou Gear

Archery how much do you shoot?

Inside of 10 yards the angle definitely makes pretty small window to get both lungs. I honestly prefer 15 to 25 yard shots when in a stand over 12’ though it doesn’t always work out that way.
The anticipation is pretty high in those opportunities to say the least. I love bowhunting!
 
Practice a couple of times weekly throughout the year, 10 arrow sets focusing on form. Tend to add another session or two for the last couple of months, usually from my saddle setup for realism. Hasn’t helped, can tightly group arrows out to 40, and yet always seem to find a way for something to screw up my shot so far (whitetail). Have drawn back on a few elk inside range, but never fired a shot as I’m careful not to take anything that I’m not comfortable.
 
Nothing usually Jan-March due to snow, and it's nice to take a mental break.

Then 2-3 times a week April and May in the back yard.

Then probably every other day or close to daily till hunting season, easy to just step out back and shoot 10 clean arrows when the targets are ready to go.

Edit: Will say, my favorite time to shoot is right after taking the dogs for a walk in the am when the family is still sleeping. 530ish when the sun's coming up. Great time of year.
 
I've bow hunted for 50+ years. Have never really been a big fan of shooting a bow for competition of fun, it's just a tool that gets me a lot more hunting time.
These days I start practicing in Aug or Sept 3-4 times per week, and maybe only shoot a dozen arrows each time, to get ready for the Oct 1 opener. Also continue to do some periodic shooting like this throughout the hunting season to stay tuned up.

Been shooting the same setup for several years, sights haven't moved, arrows the same, etc. and I won't shoot at game over 30 yards. This works for me I consistently kill deer every season.
Probably as important as the practice is the 50 years experience so I don't get so worked up at time of the shot, and the fact that I keep shots short.

For new guys entering the sport, I recommend lots of shooting practice and having some self restraint to keep shots in the field short and only at broadside animals.
 
I usually start dusting off the bow in late spring sometime when it's too muddy to hike/bike and I've had enough skiing. At that point I just try to make sure pins are on and get back into the swing of things, so I don't shoot that much. Midsummer I'll start getting more reps in - I shoot a few nights a week generally, anywhere from a few arrows to a couple of dozen. I'll also throw my pack and bino harness on a lot of the time. Come August, I shoot less, but really focus on the first shot and sometimes I'll only take one shot, which can be very good or very bad for me mentally, but I like to have that stress of knowing I have to make that one shot. Caveat...I am a new bowhunter and haven't killed anything other than a grouse!
 
Honestly, I improve very little from practicing. A decent amount of my shots are just shooting to get dialed in due to some equipment repair/ replacement.
My rodeo:kill ratio has improved drastically over the years not due to my shooting ability, but due to shot discipline.
 
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