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So what did I learn from my first bow hunt? |
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Bow hunting tips for first timers
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Doing a lot of post mortem on the situation, I decided that sometimes we learn more from our mistakes than our success. Maybe some other first-time hunters could gain from this experience and I have some recommendations to make.
- It might be a good idea to be in a hide before your actual first hunt as an observer. I think it would have helped a lot if I knew what the procedure in the hide was and observed it before. Simple things you never thing of such as when does the more experienced hunter actually take the shot. How much time is available to take that shot? Just in general get a "feel" for what it is going to be like. I know three people in a blind are not ideal but one learns a lot from just observing sometimes.
- It definitely is completely different shooting at targets VS shooting at an animal. In my opinion, the problem with aiming at an animal is that it does not provide a clear-cut point of reference such as when you shoot at a target. There is no red dot to aim at. Maybe one should go to a 3-D shooting range a couple of times for practice sessions before embarking on the first hunt.
- Don't be too hard on yourself when you miss - I am my own worst enemy as far as this is concerned - rather take the opportunity to learn something from it. It happens in the best of families and it is better to miss completely than to wound an animal. My line was good - I was just 2 inches below the heart - if it did hit the target it might have been a clean kill. In retrospect I think I dropped the bow after having taken the shot, driving the arrow towards the ground, follow-through after the shot is not the only thing, it is everything. Some more practice as far as this is concerned is required.
- Last but not least and this I learned from Ann although I am quite sure that I was not focusing on the animal - good advice though - focus on the bow's sight and placement of the shot - not the animal. She said sometimes one focus on the animal, not pointing the sight in the correct spot.
All-in-all it was a good experience and I feel confident that the next hunt will go much better. I just need to focus on training and perfection in the art of archery - the rest will come by itself.
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Self catering