Late Season Bowhunting Practice [Video]

Slim to none.

That’s the amount of time many bowhunters practice once hunting season cranks up. With all our focus on punching tags, we tend to let our daily practice routine crash and burn. Sadly, the result is missed shots and blown opportunities. And it only gets worse when the late season arrives. Cold weather and bulky clothes can wreak havoc on our shooting form in the late season. It happens every year. Hunters wait all year for the opportunity to drop the string on a good buck, only to fail in the final weeks of season because of their inability to make the shot happen. Don’t let it happen to you. Take the time to prepare for your late season bowhunts. Here’s a look at some late season bowhunting practice that will help you stay ready when the opportunity arises in the final days of the season.

Watch the video here…

Keep Your Shooting Muscles in Shape

Fitness nuts will tell you, “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” That’s why they stay in the gym all the time. They want to keep their body performing at peak levels. The same should apply for archers and bowhunters through the hunting season. We’re setting ourselves up for failure if we don’t practice and stay sharp through the hunting season. And even more so in the late season. Cold, frigid temperatures can be brutal on your body, making your feel weak when trying to draw your bow. Long hours on the stand in cold temperatures have been the culprit for many hunters that were unable to even draw their bow when they had deer below their treestand. Make sure you spend time every couple days taking a few shots to keep your shooting muscles in shape.

Spend time on the practice range, even in the late season, to keep your muscles in shape.

Practice in What You’ll Be Wearing in the Late Season

Consider it a dress rehearsal. You need to practice in the same heavy, bulky camo you’ll be wearing on those late season hunts. Can you make the shot in those heavy garments? Can you even get to full draw? Does your bow string slap the sleeve of your heavy jacket? Are you noisy when you draw with all your extra layers on? These are just a few of the questions you need to answer before the shot opportunity comes your way.

Make sure your late season practice is realistic. Bundle up in the clothes you’ll be wearing in the late season while practicing to eliminate any surprises.

Practice From an Elevated Position While Wearing Your Bulky Camo

Practice from the ground is great, but you need to be sure to climb into a stand and practice a few shots while bulked up in your late season camo and gear to stay sharp and make sure everything is smooth and steady once you’re in an elevated treestand scenario. Practice those close quarter shots and steep angles. Again, things change in a hurry when you’ve got a lot of extra gear on your body. Make sure you can pull it off while twisting and turning in a treestand.

Practice from an elevated position while wearing your bulky layers and harness.

Practice From a Ground Blind

You might be surprised at how many hunters struggle to get their bow to full draw when hunting from a ground blind. It’s a scenario that far too many hunters fail to practice. They’re use to shooting a bow in a standing position on level ground, but fall apart when they are placed in a situation where they have to shoot from a ground blind chair, or on their knees. Don’t get caught off guard here. Make sure to practice while sitting in a chair, as well as from a kneeling position in a ground blind. Can you make it happen? Will your arrow clear the window? Can you shoot accurately from awkward positions in the ground blind?

Ground blinds are a great tool to use in the late season, but can you make the shot while seated inside?

Late Season Bowhunting Practice – Conclusion

Hunting the late season can be tough. There are a lot of variables that come into play that can make or break your chances for success. The key is to eliminate as many road blocks as possible prior to your opportunity to make the shot. Take the time to work on the scenarios mentioned above and you’ll be better prepared for your final sits of the season.

Brodie Swisher

Brodie Swisher is a world champion game caller, outdoor writer, seminar speaker and Editor for Bowhunting.com. Brodie and his family live in the Kentucky Lake area of west Tennessee.