First and foremost I'm a deer hunter. I love to shoot 3D but the ultimate goal is practice for October. I don't usually do much bowfishing but it looks like I may have a little more time this summer.
My question is do you guys think a long summer of bowfishing helps your shooting or creates bad habits?
Rob
As long as you maintain your shooting form it will help as it is more practice, but for me I have a tendency to start shooting too quickly and not get to full draw and anchor. I do great shooting at loafing fish or undisturbed fish feeding in the shallows but I always want to shoot the ones that spook and very quick shots are necessary. It's fun and I usually go 3 or 4 times in the spring but I quickly get tired of looking at carp and a bucket full of fish I can't eat.
rob
since i switched to shooting 3 under and rick welch style
i think the bowfishing helps with my form practice
i dont tend to form bad habits by snap shooting
of course i dont get as many shots at fish but there is always a trade off
kevin
It affects my shooting enough after a long summer on the water, that I switched to a compound for all my bowfishing.
If I think of it as 'not archery' & use equipment I consider 'not bows' I found it really helps me maintain my real bow shooting.
i have been bowfishing with my ig for 15 years, i feel it makes me a better shot. where can you shoot on moving animal often
How can anything that is so much fun, be bad for you? I think it does get you to rush "some" shots, but realistically, sometimes we have to when in the field too. If I used the same bow, it might take me a few shots to settle back in, but ....
I go often. I do not feel it hurts or helps.
If anything, it hurts me. I find myself snap shooting, not coming to anchor, plucking and other bad habits. When I concentrate on form, I do much better.
However, it's too much fun not to go after those carp, so I live with my maladies.
I can't see how it would do anything but help. I've shot carp the same way I shoot everything else whether foam, paper, or mammal.
I think it helps my shooting. I won't take a shot until I have ascertained it is a carp or gar. I don't shoot at shadows to re-enforce the old adage to not shot until you are sure of what you see. Because it is a carp, I don't care if I don't get a shot. I practice waiting for a high percentage shot.
This approach helps me develop the discipline to not rush a shot, to make sure of my target and to practice proper form at a living target.
While I enjoy bowfishing and find it exciting, it does not fully replicate the adrenaline I associate with big game or turkey hunting, so who knows? I have never had a carp excite me so much I thought my knees would buckle!
I'm with Rob on this as well, bowfishing absolutely screwed up my hunting shooting with my recurves big time, in fact it got so bad I almost quit trad hunting due to my poor performance on game. I spent over 2 years working with a clicker and lot's of practice to get back to shooting well again.
I too switched over to a compound for my bowfishing, more specifically Onieda and it has helped be develop a anchor and more consitent shooting with my recurve as well. It also has increased my hits and recovery on big fish as well since I like to concentrate on shooting big fish and not numbers anymore.
Bowfishing with a recurve I tended to snap shoot and half draw all the time which led to a lack of penetration on big fish and with shooting 1000's of shots during the year you tend to ingrain that routine in your shooting so when presented with a pressure situation shot as in hunting big game I would tend to short draw and not settle in to my anchor and shoot low on animals or just fling before I was ready, it was very frustrating.
Since hunting is my main love and bowfishing second I had to make a change to continue to enjoy trad hunting wtih my recurves so I made the change and as I said it has been very benficial to me.
In my case, I think it helped. Having to pick a spot low and usually off the fish forced me to aim and has helped with my snap shooting. I do practically all of my bowfishing walking the bank or wading, stalking the fish which helps with a more controlled shot. I have shot off a boat which can lead to shooting fast. That could cause some issues over time.
I shot half a field course last weekend; that will make you work on your form. :eek:
I have not noticed a problem. Helps keep in shape too.
You still have to pick a spot to hit fish constantly, I would rather shoot carp than 3D shoot for the fact that on the 3D range most shots taken at targets are farther than I would shoot at game.
Good post Rob. I have terrible shooting form, I am a snap shooter with no anchor point and I attribute it to bowfishing. That may be bad on the 3-D range but shooting at a live critter I know it has helped me. Especially from a stand when you have to contort your form in anyway to get the shot.
I love bowfishing, but I agree is makes me a poor(er) shooter. I actually have been avoiding it the last two years. Sort of like donuts, I love them, but they are not good for me. :-)
I also think the heavier arrows, that fly so poorly, cause added problems.
Stone Knife, not trying to argue, but picking a spot, not on the animal is poor practice (for me at least).
Robtatoo, interesting concept of changing weapons...
I've never felt it's hurt my shooting a bit. :archer2:
Love bowfishing & believe it is great hunt practice. You'll find yourself hitting where you look way often! Just not enough time to mess up!
Just read G above. Wasn;t trying to contradict.
We have salt water mullet from the Gulf in our brackish waterways in & around Houston. They're very fast & fun. Also, carp too are skiddish unlike gar which often float like logs on top of the water. Some of our gar (fresh & salt water) can be monsters over 5'!
I went last night for the first time in several years. All the snap shooting at fish wreaked havoc on my regular form for shooting critters and it took me a while to get backon track today.
Bisch
I think bowfishing helps your shooting if you remember to use proper form when out there.
I think bowfishing throughout the year is bennifical to the sport. For me it keeps me sharp on instinctive shooting and its great practice for moving targets. I can see where snap shooting and other bad habits can transfer over to regular shooting and hunting but I feel that if you concentrate on form and continue to practice in the back yard. The benifits far outweight the drawbacks. Not to mention that I feel that bowfishing is quite possibly one of the most fun things to do in this world!