The best bowhunters practice during the off-season. That should not be a surprise to anyone because success comes with a desire to maintain a high standard. The best professional athletes train in the off-season. The best professional musicians and dancers do so between performance seasons. A vacation here and there may be taken, but at some point, the training resumes. Moving parts don’t rust.
That is true for top bowhunters who consistently find and kill deer, moose, elk and other game during the hunting seasons. Part of it is the love of archery and skill required. Part of it is knowing you can’t lay off and stay on top. And part of it is the lifelong journey, for many, that keeps them grounded. An errant cast of a fishing lure may still attract a fish. The impact of a rifle or muzzleloader bullet not spot-on perfect still may drop an animal.
An arrow off-course by a few inches? That could spell disaster, either with a miss or wounded animal. No hunter wants that, of course, and that’s why practice is so important. At the range, in the yard, wherever possible throughout the year — it matters. Here is some solid practice advice from six top industry bowhunters.
Mark Kayser
Professional Writer, Photographer
Wyoming
Mark Kayser is a professional writer and photographer with thousands of credits, a TV host, frequent guest on shows and podcasts, lecturer, influencer and industry professional. Formerly with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, he and his wife live in Wyoming.
BW: How long have you been bowhunting and how did you get started?
MK: I started bowhunting the same year I purchased a used Bear Whitetail Hunter at a garage sale between junior high and high school. Unfortunately, I had nobody to mentor me, and I made some major mistakes in my practice. But I did manage to bowkill a small buck that fall, my first deer ever, bow or rifle. That was 42 years ago. I bowhunt a large part of each fall. Since my parents did not hunt, I was self-taught, and I believe that forced me to become a better hunter with improvisation as a main strategy of mine. Although I hunt with firearms, as well, archery hunting continues to be a driving force in the reason I hunt. All of those hours in the field have made me a much better hunter in every aspect.
BW: How many states and provinces have you hunted?
MK: Over the years I have bowhunted in more than a dozen states, three Canadian provinces and Africa. I would probably have visited a higher number of states with my bow except for my passion to bowhunt elk out West and Midwest whitetails. Once I get dialed into locations, I tend to revisit them whenever licensing opportunities allow. I do not look at that as a negative, but as goal-oriented to fuel the hunts that drive my hunting hunger.
To hunt great states for whitetail, elk, mule deer and the coveted species, such as sheep, you need to play the preference point game. I’ve been purchasing points in more than a dozen states, with the help of Worldwide Trophy Adventures, while building my odds to draw some great tags. This only means I will likely be hunting even more states, in highly prized hunting units in the future. I’m not sure what 2024 will bring for tag luck, but I’m setting up my new Prime RVX 32, zeroed with a HHA Sports Tetra RYZ, in hopes I will land a great deer and elk tag somewhere.
BW: How often do you practice, for how long and indoor-outdoor or both?
MK: During spring and summer, in the months before the season, I practice every two to three days. During the winter I practice less, maybe once a week just to keep my form and muscles in shape. Most of my practice takes place outdoors in my horse pasture. I have a range set up out to 100 yards using a Morrell Center Punch wall-style target. Each shooting session, I utilize my Sig Sauer Electro-Optics BDX rangefinder to confirm distances. But I also leave it by my side to practice impromptu distance estimation for unexpected encounters in the field.
That noted, I also practice in my barn when the weather is fierce outside with wind or too much moisture. Having an indoor place to shoot allows me to improve form at any time. Of course, the outside range hones my hunt shots the best. It gives me ample space to shoot a variety of distances and also to set up impromptu shooting scenarios utilizing my Morrell High Roller target moved around to mimic anticipated hunting shots in all types of terrain. I do not shoot in a league or group setting. I guess my lone-wolf freelance work routine continues even out of my home office.
BW: When you practice, is it standing, sitting, from weird angles, a treestand, or all of the above?
MK: Over the years it has become obvious that the two shooting positions I utilize the most are standing and kneeling. In a treestand I try to stay standing as much as possible or stand when an opportunity arises before a buck gets into bow range. My experience is that whitetails can adjust their travel quickly as they come near your tree, especially during the rut. Standing allows you an easier adjustment for a shot than trying to swivel from a seated position. I also shoot many of my elk from a standing position. This occurs from stalking them and having a shot opportunity suddenly appear.
Even so, many elk shots are taken while kneeling, waiting for a bull to walk into a shooting lane. Last season I was standing when I dropped the string on my bull. During the 2022 season I was kneeling in a deadfall when I shot a bull walking through the timber in front of me. If I foresee a hunt on the horizon that includes shooting from a seated position, such as a ground blind hunt, I take a chair to the range or set one in my barn shooting range and practice away.
BW: How many arrows do you shoot each time?
MK: Many years ago I read an article from Randy Ulmer, who is a world-class archer and bowhunter. He said your first shot always needs to be your best because that is how it will occur on a hunt. I can’t recall how many arrows he shot after that, but that is my focus when I go to the range: shoot the first, best shot possible regardless of the distance. Some days I start my shot at 30 yards and on the next range visit I will start at 65 yards. But I always focus on making that first shot a good one before I move on to other distances. Once I get my bow dialed in, I do not shoot hundreds of arrows.
Summer, when I do the bulk of my practice, is also a busy time for me in the freelance writing world of making a living so I move through my range and shoot a dozen arrows before calling it good. I’ll shoot those arrows at all distances and from standing and kneeling positions. As the whitetail treestand season nears, I practice more vertical shots shooting off a high bank in my pasture that replicates treestand heights.
I don’t tout myself as a long-distance archery shooter. I grew up in an era where getting close was the nature of bowhunting, and I love that aspect of in-your-face action. Still, I see the need for distance accuracy, so I practice routinely out to 80 yards with hopes my shot will be 40 yards or less. In the past decade or more, most of my whitetails fell to arrows at 20 yards or less. Most of my elk shots are 40 yards or less, with many at 30 yards. But last year, a surprise meeting with a herd bull set me up for a 50-yard shot. My G5 Montec broadhead, on my Easton arrow, double-lunged the bull, so it is always better to be prepared for a long shot. My biggest bull fell to a bowshot from 62 yards and my largest whitetail fell to a shot from 20 yards. You never know.
Dave Maas
Editor, Writer; Bowhunting World, Archery Business
Minnesota
Dave Maas is editor of Bowhunting World and Archery Business magazines, a professional writer with numerous credits and a former PR professional with one of the industry’s biggest firms. He lives in Minnesota.
BW: How long have you been bowhunting and how did you get started?
DM: I started shooting a lightweight fiberglass longbow when I was 7 with my brother, who is a year older. We often headed to the archery range with Dad, who was practicing with his 50-pound recurve. None of us used sights. Dad bought me a 45-pound-draw Browning recurve when I was 12 (1977), and I hunted with it until the compound bow craze hit in the early 1980s. We all switched to compounds, but then I went back to a recurve during my college years because I missed the challenge. Since then, I've hunted with recurves, compounds and crossbows. Long story getting longer, I guess I've been bowhunting big game for 47 years.
BW: How many states and provinces have you hunted?
DM: I had no idea the actual number; I had to look at a map and count. I think I've hunted in six provinces and 22 states.
BW: How often do you practice, for how long and indoor-outdoor or both?
DM: Back in high school, when I shot a compound with fingers, no peep, and three black metal pins with bright orange tips, I shot several times per week in my parent's driveway at 15-20 yards (not counting Minnesota winters). I shot for hours back then and loved it. I shot a bunch when I switched back to a recurve, too. But when I added a modern compound to the mix, with a peep, release, etc., I lost my fire for practicing with that particular rig. Why? It became too mechanical. I could literally not shoot for a year, pick up my modern compound and keep all my arrows in a 4-inch bull's-eye every time from 20 yards. Today, 95 percent of my archery practice is with one of my two recurves. Almost all of my practice is in my basement; I can shoot up to 18 yards.
BW: When you practice, is it standing, sitting, from weird angles, a treestand, or all of the above?
DM: I practice from standing and sitting, and prefer to shoot from sitting when possible, either from a treestand or a ground blind (pop-up or natural blind). I practice treestand shots from my backyard deck, standing on a stool; it mimics the height of a 15-foot treestand. There's no doubt that shooting at a 3-D deer target from an elevated position is the best practice if you hunt whitetails from a treestand.
BW: How many arrows do you shoot each time?
DM: It depends on the bow type. With my scoped crossbow, I simply confirm that nothing is wrong with the scope or string. One or two arrows usually confirms that everything is good to go. To be honest, the same is true with my modern compounds. I shoot a few arrows to confirm I'm smashing the bull's-eye, then I put it down. My recurves, however, are a different story entirely. I shoot them several times per week, almost all year long. But I don't shoot a lot of arrows per day; typically eight, sometimes 12, sometimes only four.
As for distances: I know I'll be solo among other article contributors in this opinion, but I don't practice at long range. I limit my crossbow range on animals to 30 yards and don't practice beyond that distance. I limit my compound distance on animals to 25 yards. The longest shot on an animal I've ever taken with my compound is 24 yards (once). My next longest was 19 yards. I've killed more than my fair share of whitetails with a compound, and almost all of them have been from 7 to 17 yards. My recurve practice is 7 to 17 yards, but I won't shoot beyond 15 at a deer with a recurve.
I’m a firm believer that bowhunting is a challenge of how close, not how far.
Mike Mattly
Public Relations Professional Owner, Back 40 PR
Iowa
Mike Mattly of Iowa owns Back 40 PR and has been involved with the outdoors industry for almost 3 decades. A longtime bowhunter, Mattly said he’s become “picky about what I shoot on my farm” and has been focusing with his family in recent years on taking out bucks with unusual antlers.
“I bowhunt every year, but I haven't killed any bucks for a few years,” he said. “I am still picky about what I shoot on my farm. I shoot only 170+ or cull bucks. Even in Iowa, 170s are scarce these days. At one point I was fortunate to go 5 straight years with bucks between 170-194 inches. Then I went 3 years with zero bucks!”
BW: How long have you been bowhunting and how did you get started?
MM: I started bowhunting deer when I was a senior in high school in 1987. My dad bought me a Bear Whitetail II. I lived in Illinois then and there were only two weekends to gun hunt deer, so I started bowhunting to give me more time.
BW: How many states and provinces have you hunted?
MM: I’ve been fortunate to have hunted Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma for deer, New Mexico for elk, and Texas for hogs and javelinas.
BW: How often do you practice, for how long and indoor-outdoor or both?
MM: I used to shoot in an indoor league during the winter, but the shop closed. Now I shoot only outside. I start shooting about 45 days prior to season and try to shoot three to four times a week for 30 arrows.
BW: When you practice, is it standing, sitting, from weird angles, a treestand, or all of the above?
MM: I shoot standing, down a hill or off my pond dam, so it's a downward angle.
BW: How many arrows do you shoot each time?
MM: When I begin practicing, I shoot 30 arrows a day. During the season, I try to shoot two arrows a day.
My current setup is Mathews V3, along with Easton Axis 5mm 340 arrows, Wasp Jackhammer expandable broadhead, Mathews Ultrarest and Burris Oracle 2 rangefinder sight. I also use a Ravin crossbow to shoot does during the Iowa late muzzleloader season. I carry my Knight muzzleloader for bucks and Ravin crossbow for does. That allows me to not run off all the deer and still kill does. I fully support allowing hunters to use the best equipment to make quick humane kills. In my opinion, nothing is worse than wounding animals.”
Fred Eichler
TV Host, Author, Guide
Colorado
Fred Eichler is a longtime television show host, hunting guide and lodge owner, author and industry consultant. He and his wife live in Colorado.
Eichler is a longtime traditional archer and consults with Bear Archery, where he helped design the current Fred Eichler Signature recurve bow. He shoots it with custom strings from FirstString along with Easton Carbon Legacy arrows with Muzzy broadheads. He keeps everything in check with a Selway quiver and uses a custom tab from 3 Rivers Archery that he helped design.
BW: How long have you been bowhunting and how did you get started?
FE: I have been bowhunting more than 40 years, and honestly reading “Fred Bear’s Field Notes” is what set the hook. Even though my father was a rifle hunter, at the time he encouraged my passion, and took me bowhunting.
BW: How many states and provinces have you hunted?
FE: I have been very fortunate to have hunted 41 states and 9 provinces here in North America.
BW: How often do you practice, for how long and indoor-outdoor or both?
FE: My normal practice regimen is to shoot one arrow a day and at a different yardage each time. I usually leave my bow by the door. Sometimes I shoot more than that, but to me the most realistic practice is that first arrow of the day. It simulates, more accurately, the one shot you get in a hunting situation. Since I am a bowhunter more than I am a target shooter, I don’t really care where the second arrow goes. It’s more about that first one.
BW: When you practice, is it standing, sitting, from weird angles, a treestand, or all of the above?
FE: I practice all of them. I try to practice every situation I may encounter in the field.
BW: What's the biggest difference in practicing with traditional archery gear and compounds? Mental? Strength? Details? All of the above?
FE: I think it takes more concentration to shoot a traditional bow accurately, but I also think it’s a little easier and less expensive.
Dan Schmidt
Editor, Writer, TV and Podcast Host
Wisconsin
Dan Schmidt is a Wisconsin native and veteran editor, outdoor writer and TV and podcast host. Currently his bow setup is a Mathews Lift 29 set at 54-pound draw weight, Easton Match Grade arrows, SEVR 100-grain broadheads, T.R.U. Ball release, Apex Covert Pro single-pin sight and a QAD UltraRest.
BW: How long have you been bowhunting and how did you get started?
DS: I received a green Indian (brand) recurve for my 9th birthday in 1975 and was hooked. I didn't start bowhunting for deer, however, until 1986. My early influencers were my three older brothers, especially my oldest brother, Roger, who hunted off the ground with a 50-pound Bear Grizzly.
BW: How many states and provinces have you hunted?
DS: I have hunted deer in 27 states and four provinces. Overall, I've shot more than 400 whitetails in my life, and about 250 of those were bowkills.
BW: How often do you practice, for how long and indoor-outdoor or both?
DS: For me, archery is like riding a bike. After you’ve done it for such a long time, the mechanics come back fairly quickly. However, I am far from a competition guy. Nearly all of my practice is done at 50 yards or less, and for three-quarters of the year, I'll shoot six to 10 arrows a day (morning and evening) outside. The older I get, the more I realize it's about practicing real-life scenarios — one shot, tight angle, things like that.
BW: When you practice, is it standing, sitting, from weird angles, a treestand, or all of the above?
DS: All of the above, but the majority of my practice is from a sitting position, because I shoot almost all of my deer from either a chair in a ground blind or while sitting in a treestand or ladder stand. Probably 99 percent of my practice shots are between 27 and 44 yards. I get real specific with those distances, too, because I use only one movable pin.
BW: How many arrows do you shoot each time?
DS: Usually 10 or fewer, but on weekends in summer, well, those sessions can go for a couple hours if we’re having fun. It might not work for everyone, but I really believe that one-pin archery is the way to go if you are just bowhunting for deer. The other key is to get over the “I have to be able to shoot long distances” thing. Some guys are great at it, but I never was. To me, bowhunting is 100 percent about shot placement. You have to be able to hit that money shot every single time.
Josh Honeycutt
Professional Writer, Photographer
Kentucky
BW: How long have you been bowhunting and how did you get started?
JH: I've been bowhunting for approximately 20 years. I started bowhunting when I was about 12 years old, but I had a bow in hand since I was 7. My father and grandfather are avid hunters, and they introduced me to the outdoors at an early age. I've been fortunate to have an abundance of hunting land access my entire life, even back to the beginning. In fact, the best piece of deer hunting land I've ever hunted was where I tagged my first buck. While I don't have access to that farm today, it's remained a staple in my memory, and life, ever since.
BW: How many states and provinces have you hunted?
JH: I've hunted whitetails in numerous states, including Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and more (most of these with a bow). But Kentucky is home, and it's my favorite place to bowhunt whitetails.
BW: How often do you practice, for how long and indoor-outdoor or both?
JH: I don't practice nearly as often as I should, but when I do, it's always outdoors. I'm a bowhunter, not a competition archer, and I want every practice session to benefit that endeavor. Usually, I don't shoot arrow after arrow. Sometimes, I'll shoot a lot of arrows to build strength and stamina. However, as soon as I get fatigued I quit, so as not to develop poor shooting habits.
BW: How many arrows do you shoot each time?
JH: With a heavy workload and family commitments, I find it far more feasible to conduct regular, short practice sessions (10 arrows or less), than long practice regimens. Sometimes I'll go outside and shoot just one arrow. After all, we rarely get more than one shot on wild game, and this makes me focus on each practice shot like it's the real thing.
BW: When you practice, is it standing, sitting, from weird angles, a treestand, or all of the above?
JH: I prefer to practice while standing, sitting (in a ground blind chair and treestand), and even weird angles. Usually I bowhunt from a treestand, and unless required to stand to shoot through a lane, I shoot while remaining seated. It's less movement and I'm more stable that way. I find positioning a hang-on stand at the base of a tree a great practice regimen.
Because I occasionally bowhunt from a ground blind, practicing shooting from a chair inside of a blind is a great idea, too. I occasionally bowhunt from the ground without a ground blind, and so, shooting from a kneeling position (and other odd angles) makes a lot of sense.
BW: What's the biggest difference in practicing with traditional archery gear and compounds? Mental? Strength? Details? All of the above?
JH: I started shooting a recurve 2 years ago. Some people are very analytical and technical in their approach to traditional archery. Despite some efforts, I've failed to master that. Rather, I shoot completely instinctively, and shoot much better that way than certain “aiming” methods.
In my opinion, the biggest similarities between compound and traditional archery include perfecting a good state of mind, maintaining mindfulness of your established process, and continuing in a state of consistency. The biggest differences are understanding just how different shooting form and techniques vary between the disciplines.
