Sooooo this goat hunt….This my 49th season, I've killed 100 whitetails as well as elk, mule deer, moose, my goat…
Sooooo this goat hunt….This my 49th season, I've killed 100 whitetails as well as elk, mule deer, moose, my goat…
I would like to give you a little encouragement. I own several G. Fred bows and other trads I am 70 yrs old shot them for 4 decades but no longer shoot my recurves or my longbows because Its too damn hard to pull them back.I’m not gonna tell you of the scradillion deer I killed (I guess I just did). I have missed a few deer including a boomer back in 80 something. I have also wounded a few.I am entering my 5th season of traditional bowhunting. I compound hunted for about 15 years before going traditional and I was pretty efficient with a compound. I have had a rough start to this season as I gut shot two does that I did not recover and shot another doe in the shoulder last night.
I looked over my hunting log and over my last five seasons hunting traditional I have taken 21 shots. I have killed 8 deer, wounded 8 deer and missed 5. That makes me 8 for 21 or 38% recovery rate. I never shoot past 20 yards at deer and only 3 of my 21 shots have been over 15 yards. When hunting I wait for broadside or quartering away angles. I practice almost every day at minimum every other day.
I know that many guys will not talk about this honestly because it is embarrassing and it also makes bowhunting and traditional bowhunting look bad. I get that. I know some very experienced Trad hunters that are excellent shots who also wound and miss a significant amount of deer every year.
My question is this, what is a realistic shot to kill ratio for traditional bowhunting? Obviously we strive to do a 100% but if I am going to keep hunting trad I need to move forward with realistic expectations.
Thanks in advance.
Well because of spell check and not proofreading it seems to imply I shot my own goat. The edit is mountain goat.Sooooo this goat hunt….
If you have any 3D shoots near you, they can be great practice for judging distance and also most Trad guys are eager to watch you shoot and offer up help. We have a local 30 target range and can go anytime for $10 to shoot. It's great for watching others and critiquing their shots.I am entering my 5th season of traditional bowhunting. I compound hunted for about 15 years before going traditional and I was pretty efficient with a compound. I have had a rough start to this season as I gut shot two does that I did not recover and shot another doe in the shoulder last night.
I looked over my hunting log and over my last five seasons hunting traditional I have taken 21 shots. I have killed 8 deer, wounded 8 deer and missed 5. That makes me 8 for 21 or 38% recovery rate. I never shoot past 20 yards at deer and only 3 of my 21 shots have been over 15 yards. When hunting I wait for broadside or quartering away angles. I practice almost every day at minimum every other day.
I know that many guys will not talk about this honestly because it is embarrassing and it also makes bowhunting and traditional bowhunting look bad. I get that. I know some very experienced Trad hunters that are excellent shots who also wound and miss a significant amount of deer every year.
My question is this, what is a realistic shot to kill ratio for traditional bowhunting? Obviously we strive to do a 100% but if I am going to keep hunting trad I need to move forward with realistic expectations.
Thanks in advance.
This is how I shoot out to 30. Beyond thirty I use the tip of the arrow and gap. Point on is like 38. I actually tested, somewhat, the shooting in the dark. It wasnt completely pitch black but was getting close. I could just barely make out the cluster of white dots on the target enough to have a reference for where center was. I shot a dozen shots from 15-20 yards and all were in a baseball sized area except one and it would have been in a softball. This was a marked improvement over my shooting that day before it got dark. I had not been shooting bad per se just not as well as I expect. What I think I did better and what my take away was, if I just focus on center and break a clean shot, the arrow will go where it is supposed too. In full light our eyes are seeing other stuff and may steal that focus somewhat and that may lead to not breaking a clean shot.i see this argument on occasion but I don’t know anyone that believes they can shoot in the dark “instinctively”. Also, it’s been a while since I have read Howard Hills book but, I believe he coined the term splitvision and he describes it as consciously seeing the arrow and target but not necessarily using the gap for aiming. What I have always called instinctive and have heard people like Tom Clunn and many others agree is trying to not see the arrow at all and focusing on the target alone but, most of us realize the arrow is in our peripheral vision and our brain is using it to adjust for the shot.
But as far as your accuracy/distances in the comment above I mostly agree with you. I know some people that don’t miss at 20 yards instinctively
It wasnt completely pitch black but was getting close
I am curious to try that. Did you just point a small light on the target from close to the target? Or was the light facing back to you and you shot at the light?I'd be curious of your results if it was pitch black. I have shot in 'almost' pitch black conditions and was able to shoot really well but, when I tried to shoot at a small light on the target in total black conditions (couldn't see my hand in front of my face) I didn't do nearly as well. I attributed it to my brain could still see enough of my bow, arm, arrow, etc. in the sight picture to execute the shot in the 'almost dark' conditions but, had no reference in the total black out conditions. That's been my experience anyways.
I am curious to try that. Did you just point a small light on the target from close to the target? Or was the light facing back to you and you shot at the light?
From what I hear them stoggies are too expensive to waste anymore.Small mag light close to, pointed at and focused into a small spot on the target. The almost dark time we stuck a lit cigarette into the middle of a straw bale target but, those were my younger days. lol
You soooooo should have made something up...Well because of spell check and not proofreading it seems to imply I shot my own goat. The edit is mountain goat.
That could have had legs for sure.You soooooo should have made something up...
I hate to keep coming off as the naysayer contrarian, but I agree but disagree a bit here.I started my more serious trad journey mainly shooting after dark. My daughter was young and that was when I had the time. I think it helped learning to drill in on a spot.
I hate to keep coming off as the naysayer contrarian, but I agree but disagree a bit here.
Like yourself, having a kid put a damper on my daytime shooting. I found myself shooting a lot in the late evening, still do really. I found my groups would shift to the right about 3” vs daytime shooting. I wild often shoot left edge of assuming point during the day, but low light I’d be right on the spot.
For me, I believe it was the lack of visual cues that helped my brain calm down. I find I could generate the feeling of getting on target and executing a shot. All I could see well was my bow, the target was not my center of focus. I shoot with intention and confidence in low light. In daylight, target panic can creep in and I can fight the urge to “burn a hole” or focus on aiming. In low light, I aim initially, then let my conscious focus move to getting to anchor and transferring my hold to my back and relaxing my arm.
Yes, it’s an alignment issue. However, I believe without the visual references of the bow and target I am able to obtain proper alignment without the anxiety of target panic. I might otherwise lock up off target or not quite get to proper back alignment with the visual reference.Shifting groups left or right, for me anyway, means I'm not getting my head in line with my shot.