My old boss used to say practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.
That sounds great, but how do you practice for the moment a giant buck steps into bow range? You can’t fully recreate the tension, adrenaline and split-second decision-making that come with having a whitetail—or several whitetails—inside shooting distance.
Getting off a shot is a small victory by itself. The real goal is making a clean, confident shot that puts down a deer within easy tracking distance. Can you really prepare for something like that?
One thing is certain: Good bowhunting practice has to go beyond standing on flat ground and repeatedly shooting a block target at 20 yards.
As someone who’s taken several very nice bucks with a bow, I can tell you there are multiple things you can do to make your bowhunting practice more realistic. You don’t have to do all of them, but if you’re not doing at least a few, you’re relying too much on luck to help you seal the deal.
Better Bowhunting Practice: Quick Takeaways
- Don’t rely only on flat-ground practice at 20 yards.
- Use 3D deer targets to practice picking a real aiming point.
- Take one cold shot without warming up to simulate a real hunt.
- Practice in low light so you know how your peep and pins look at dawn and dusk.
- Learn to judge yardage even if you carry a rangefinder.
- Shoot from the position you’ll actually hunt, whether that’s a saddle, ladder stand, lock-on or ground blind.
- Practice longer than your hunting range, but don’t neglect close shots.
Bowhunting Practice as Close to Real as It Gets
There’s a reason professional sports teams schedule scrimmages. Practice drills matter, but they don’t fully prepare you for live action. Unfortunately, you can’t call up a neighborhood buck and ask him to participate in a scrimmage hunt.
The closest thing most bowhunters can experience is an archery simulator. If your local pro shop has a TechnoHUNT or BIGshot simulator system, it can be one of the best forms of bowhunting practice you’ll find before deer season.
Archery simulators feature video footage of live deer projected onto a large screen. You shoot your own bow and arrows, with the only major difference being the use of special blunt points.
You never know exactly how the animal is going to move or how long it will stay in view, so you have to make the same decisions you’d make from a stand. Each scenario offers at least one good shot opportunity, but you still have to recognize it and pick the right aiming point.
After the shot, the screen marks your arrow’s impact, stops the motion and shows the deer’s vitals. You’re awarded points based on the result, with heart shots earning the most points, followed by lungs and then body hits. Bad shots and unethical angles don’t earn anything. It also teaches you that trying to force a perfect heart shot sometimes results in missing all the vitals. Take the double-lung shot if it’s offered.
You can shoot these simulators alone, but they’re a lot more fun with a group. When my dad was still with us, he and I shot several leagues at our local bow shop, and we often went just for fun.
The more you shoot an archery simulator, the more instinctive your shot selection becomes. You learn where to aim, but you also learn when to shoot. Some situations require you to hold at full draw while a deer stands behind an obstruction. Others require a quick shot before it disappears behind cover. All of them require you to focus on the vitals, and that aiming point changes based on the animal’s angle.
I shot these simulators so often that my shot selection became almost automatic. I don’t have to think long about where to aim or when to shoot, and that’s exactly what you want in a real hunting situation.
Your brain can go haywire when you’re staring through your peep at a giant buck. The more realistic your bowhunting practice is before that moment arrives, the more automatic you’ll be when it matters.
Make the First Arrow Count
Hook & Barrel contributor P.J. Reilly is an avid bowhunter who has taken great bucks throughout the East and Midwest. As part of his job as Lancaster Archery Supply’s Technical Writer and Video Host, P.J. tests all the latest bows and gear.
Out of all the fancy gadgets, he says one of the most important things he uses is a beat-up 3D deer target.
“I have a 3D target in my backyard at all times. As bow season draw closer, I go out and take one shot without any warm-up. My goal is to put that arrow into the vitals with that one shot.
“Obviously, I am imitating the hunting scenario where I’m on stand or in the blind for several hours, and then I’m presented with a shot opportunity. I have no warm-ups on a hunt. I have to make a good killing shot, cold.”
P.J. said his target offers other more realistic challenges like not having defined aim points. Just like a real deer, you have to pick a spot and aim correctly. But there are other advantages.
That kind of bowhunting practice forces you to aim at a deer-shaped target instead of a bright dot, bull’s-eye or foam block.
“Something else I like to do is to practice shooting at a 3D deer very early in the morning and at last light in the evening,” he said. “Those poor light situations change how you see the target through a peep sight and can cause issues where your arrows hit higher or lower than you want.
“The sight pin is so much brighter than the target in poor light that it can distract your aim and you don’t paste it precisely where you want. Practicing in poor light teaches me to recognize that and to pay closer attention to where my pin sits on the target.”
Try This: The One-Arrow Drill
- Before your normal practice session, walk outside and shoot one arrow at a 3D deer target without warming up.
- Your goal is simple: put that first arrow in the vitals.
- That single shot does a better job of imitating a real bowhunt than shooting a full group after you’re already loose and settled in.
Why Trigonometry and Physics Matter for Bowhunters
I knew pretty quickly in high school that my future profession would involve as little math as possible, and as Hook & Barrel’s web editor, that’s certainly the case. But just because I don’t sit around doing complex equations all day doesn’t mean geometry and math don’t play an important part in many of my activities, and that includes bowhunting.
Even though we don’t write out the formulas and figure exact numbers, bowhunters are constantly dealing with and making adjustments for shot angles, elevation, speed, energy, weight and distance in a constant dance with trigonometry and physics.
Bowhunting practice is still the best way to learn how different factors affect a shot. But there are tools that can help.
“Knowing the distance to a target is one thing, but yardage alone doesn’t tell a bowhunter where to aim when other factors come into play,” said Leupold’s Eric Overstreet. “We’ve built technology into our rangefinders to help bowhunters overcome these challenges.”
I’m currently testing a Leupold RX-5000 in preparation for the quickly approaching bow season, and Overstreet was helping me understand just how far rangefinders have come.
“Twenty years ago when people were asking if a particular rangefinder adjusted for uphill/downhill shooting, they were unknowingly asking if the rangefinder had trigonometry capability. When bows, sights and heavy aluminum arrows limited shooting distances to 60 yards, trig worked well—typically out to 70 yards and up to 20-degree angles, give or take. Trig solutions are great for the average shooter, but if you are an above-average shooter who practices at longer distances or takes part in 3D events like Total Archery Challenge, you really want physics solutions as part of your shot calculations. We’re building that technology into several of our rangefinders.”
Overstreet explained how Leupold’s Precision Cut Archery feature allows bowhunters to input their arrow velocity, arrow weight and peep height to enable accurate shot solutions out to as far as 175 yards, and at any elevation or atmospheric conditions. PCA also can provide shoot-to distances based on your individual sight tape.
That kind of detailed process isn’t something you can neglect until the last minute. It takes time to compile your statistics, enter them into the rangefinder and then get used to incorporating the technology. It’s a true next-level solution for long shots and challenging hunts where distances can be longer than typical 25-yard whitetail scenarios.
And even if you don’t want to go that far and simply use a rangefinder as a point-and-click instant solution, you’ll want to get familiar with it and know its various settings and functionality well before you head afield.
RELATED:3D Archery for Bowhunters: The Closest Rush to the Real Thing
Learn to Judge Distance When Deer Don’t Follow the Script
A quality rangefinder is one of the most useful tools a bowhunter can carry, but even the best optics can’t stop a deer from taking three more steps after you range it, or from rushing into an opening before you have time to hit the button again.
Things happen quickly when you have a whitetail in sight, and trying to range a buck can cost you a shot opportunity, not to mention all the movement required to raise your rangefinder, get the distance, lower it, get your bow in hand and draw.
Make bowhunting practice harder by shooting at challenging distances and from challenging angles. Make your best guess at distance, and then check your guess with your rangefinder. Combined with a realistic 3D target, practicing this way will give you the confidence to make good yardage calls from a stand.
Reilly practices for exactly those situations by placing 3D targets at random distances and then attempting a shot.
“I like to practice judging distance and taking shots at 3D targets,” he said. “Many times on actual hunts, I’ve come to full draw on a deer after I’ve ranged it and it moves to a different distance. Now I have to adjust my aim on the fly, without going back to the rangefinder.
“Having some ability to judge distance helps in those tough situations. I once had a buck rush in so fast that I never had time to range it. I stopped it in a clearing, drew my bow, judged the distance at 40 yards and sent an arrow straight through the buck’s heart, all without ever using a rangefinder.”
Like P.J., I’ve had bucks rush in and catch me completely off guard. A few of those hunts still bother me because I guessed wrong and sent an arrow over a back or under a belly. Practice helps you minimize those moments.
That’s also why I spend 15 minutes or more at first light using my rangefinder to test the distance to various landmarks around the stand—a distinctive tree, a big rock or a stump. I only need three or four such marks to cover a lot of area around the stand. I know that if a buck is within one of those, I already have the distance, give or take a yard or two, and can choose the correct sight pin with confidence.
Practice From the Position You’ll Hunt
Saddle hunting has been one of bowhunting’s hottest topics for the past few years, and its many benefits mean that popularity is likely to keep growing. Shooting from a saddle takes some getting used to, which is why experienced saddle hunters almost always recommend practicing before you head afield.
That’s great bowhunting practice advice, but the logic isn’t limited to saddles. It applies to climbers, lock-ons, ladder stands and any other setup that changes your shooting position—even ground blinds.
Today’s faster bows have reduced some of the impact-point challenges that come with shooting from elevated angles, but they haven’t eliminated them. More importantly, shooting from a tree simply feels different. You have to set your feet, bend at the waist, clear your stand or saddle setup, and make a controlled shot from a position that may not feel anything like shooting on flat ground.
In an ideal world, you would have a tree in your backyard where you could install the type of stand you normally use, along with an easy way to climb up and down. Always use a full-body safety harness and a lifeline-style rope any time you leave the ground.
Practice a round of arrows from that setup a few times in a row. The climb itself will elevate your heart rate and help simulate some of what happens in a real shot situation. Do that consistently, and you’ll feel much more comfortable by deer season.
You don’t have to shoot from an elevated stand every day, but once per week is a solid goal if you start around July 1. Follow Reilly’s advice and use a 3D target when possible, then move the target or move yourself before each round of arrows.
If you don’t have a suitable tree available, an elevated deck won’t be nearly as beneficial, but it can still give you some experience shooting from higher than ground level. Just make sure you have a safe shooting lane and a reliable backstop before sending the first arrow.
Practice at Distance, But Don’t Forget About Short Shots
One of my favorite bowhunting practice rituals is shooting at distances much longer than I would actually attempt while hunting. A bowhunter’s effective range varies depending on how much they practice and how well they know their equipment.
My personal effective range limit is 40 yards. It used to be a little more than that, but I don’t hold as steady as I used to, I can’t see as well as I used to, and I don’t practice as much as I used to. So 40 it is. That’s the limit of where I know I can put an arrow within about a 3-inch circle pretty much every time.
Nevertheless, I like to practice at 50 yards. It’s challenging, it makes me concentrate more, and it makes me feel more pressure. Those are all great things for preparing for a shot at a live deer. Plus it makes 25-yard shots feel super easy.
As the former chairman of a whitetail record-book organization, I can tell you based on talking to hundreds of hunters whose deer made the record book, that more than 80% of trophy bucks are taken at 25 yards or less. Usually less.
That’s why Tyler Jordan of Realtree Outdoors says practicing at short distances is important, too.
“Limiting practice to shorter distances, like 20 yards or less, is a great strategy for when you’re getting going again,” he said. “This approach allows me to focus on form and technique without the added pressure of longer shots immediately.
“Shooting shorter distances helps me to focus on my aiming and release. I shoot only 15-25 arrows a day to avoid fatigue and allow for focused practice on each shot. This routine can reinforce muscle memory, ensuring that each draw and release is consistent. I like to do this for the first week or two before I start moving back to longer shots. Building that muscle memory is crucial.”
None of this means there’s anything wrong with standing on flat ground and shooting a pile of arrows at 20 yards. That kind of practice builds muscle memory, confidence and trust in your equipment, and every bowhunter needs that.
Just don’t stop there. Once your bow is dialed and your form feels solid, start practicing the moments that make real hunts harder: awkward angles, fading light, uncertain yardage, elevated shots and one-arrow pressure. That’s the kind of bowhunting practice that helps when a deer finally steps into range.
