Thought it might be interesting to see at what point before big game season that you get really serious? At what point do you stop shooting multiple bows and stick with just one, practice with broadheads, ETC. in general just prep. youself and your gear. For me its about a month, i pick ONE bow and stick with it, dig out the old practice broadheads and shoot them religiously, and fine tune my gear until it all comes together, for that one possible shot. How bout you?
i really dont slow down a heck of a bunch all year, but in april or may i start making sure i shoot at least a few arrows pretty much everyday, and start working out harder. cant be too ready for elk season!!
I was born ready!
Always ready never know when you will get a call , I may shoot several bows in a season and it has never hurt me. I can be packed and on the road for a weeks hunt in about 20min.We hunt year round here Tx. heck I got hogs across the street so Im always ready.......
,,,,,Sam,,,,,
I stay ready to hunt all year! Thers always something to hunt, Ie: bunnys, squirrels,woodchucks, turkey, coyotes and deer! I stump for pratice everychance I get and scout for the deer while at it! Staying in tune with the woods is just as important as pratice with the bows! I have two bows I shoot everyday! since I've learned to get my broadheads really sharp I shoot them once a week, but really don't need to,I just do it to make sure everything is in tune still!! But a month out from deer season I''l get all my gear out and wash,repair or replace if needed and resharpen all my broadheads and knives if needed!!
I shoot all year, most days. However, I shoot a variety of bows even on the same days.
About a month out from big game season I narrow my bow choice to "the one" and set up arrows to fit it. In fact, I will begin this process this weekend.
This year I may do something a bit different. I intend to work equally with two bows, number 1 and a back-up. I'm hoping to hunt with both instead of just one. Both are recurves and the same arrow set-up will work.
One is a metal , non-custom riser and the other is a highly customized, all wood TD curve.
Always ready to hunt. Seriously, I stay at a point where I am ready pretty much all the time. The only things that I do not have ready at a moment's notice is enough food or propane for a couple weeks. Quick trip to the store and it is on!
I have one bow I love more than any other I have ever shot. I only shoot that bow, so shooting is always ready to go.
I get serious about deer season prep when squirrel comes in(Aug.). Always shooting and tweaking gear.
Rob
I know what you mean.It used to be two weeks before when i was a kid but ive learn its all about the shot and that takes alot of practice.Im hopeing its three months cause thats all i got left.I try to shoot all year long but with work and family it gets tough.Ive been really thinking about it lately so im with you on this one.
I hunt hogs year round. i use different bows at various times of the year. They are all bows that i am quite familiar with and they shoot very close to each other. i don't have a problem switching between them, but i shoot daily. i take the bow out that i am currently practicing with at the time.
I shoot pretty much all year. I slack off a little when the fly fishing starts warming up around mid February through May, but still shoot some. From about a month ago through the end of the seasons I'll shoot, stalk, workout, etc a lot.
I shoot 3D every month and shoot at the house a couple days a week. I have a 3D bow and hunting bow. I have several dozen arrows tuned with broadheads ready to go. I usually put the 3D bow up in july and just shoot my hunting bow the rest of the year.
I shoot all year long. I have 1 bow that I use most of the time but I can pick up any I own and be ready to hunt with it the same day.
I shoot just about every day, and I work out regularly; when you are eligible for Medicare, it makes sense to not get too out of shape. I stick with the same bow, and mix hiking the mountains with stump shooting along with my backyard targets and my normal workouts. Since I'm retired, I don't have any excuses about not being fit; being in shape to enjoy the high country is my new job. Hike, bike, shoot the bow, catch a trout, repeat. A dirty job, but somebody has to do it.
I shot all year long and attend 3d's when I can. But I try to just go with the flow. I try not to make a job outa hunting. I use to get so work up about it..aka deer season that by mid season I was burnt out. So I just try to make the best of my outings.
I shoot pretty much year round, but in July I begin to practice more regularly and with greater intensity and check out stand locations. By August I am getting pumped and go through all the equipment checks, repairs, and replacements. I check stand location again so that by September opening day things are all set.
I usually try to have a setup finalized by sometime in July. From then on, outside of the Fun Shoot, I shoot one arrow at a time at small target at unknown distances, from all sorts of positions. I usually shoot for an hour or so every evening and by the time the season rolls around, I'm pretty confident.
Same as u
Labor Day, our season starts around Oct 1st.
All year. Always ready. You never know when an opportunity will arise.
Spied another groundhog two days ago trying to be sneaky. I've got his number....
I'm serious all the time. When season starts, I'll use any of three or four different bows, maybe more. A few different arrows and heads as well. They're all well tuned and pretty much shoot the same.
I shoot what I hunt with 24/7, 365 days a year!
I play with a couple others at 3D shoots and such but only practice with one.
Bisch
Here locally the Colo Bow hunters Asso has a big
shoot in late July. I shoot a lot before it but..after that I'll getting serious. One bow and an arrow or two at a time but 4 or 5 sessions a day.
I'll shoot a lot of bows up to and including ETAR (Denton Hill in late July). After that, I'll greatly narrow my focus to one bow until archery season is over. I think the Pa. Archery Season starts the first Saturday in Oct.
I'm pretty much in hunt mode all the time. I shoot all my bows the same, and i'll switch them through out the season. I'm not a real "social" hunter in that i dont do 3d shoots much. I shoot every day at home.
Pretty much right about now - first of July. Broadhead league starts next week and the bow for that league is already ONLY shooting broadheads. That bow is also my go-to bow for hunting season.
All year long, I have 6 bows and shoot them all, same arrow set up for all of them so whichever I decide to use on a partucular day, I use.
I only shoot one bow...till I find my next favorite.
Right now I'm very happy with what I have.
I occasionally shoot a broad head during the year just to make myself feel better.
About a week before season and all through the season I shoot broadheads only.
I shot my first broadhead since last deer season last wk. I shoot two sessions a day and from now till just before the season I'll shoot one or two broadheads along with my field points every round. Then nothing but broadheads.
The Simmons fly as good as my field points..it just getting use to the sight picture.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Iflytrout/Pictures/P1000284.jpg)
The extents to which I know my equipment, degree of competency and acquired confidence level dictate the timing to restrict myself to one set-up if required.
I try and stay on top of things all year long. I've got hogs close by most all year.
This year has turned out almost perfect as far as timing.I had Rod Jenkins out for a clinic the first weekend in April.Those of you that have attended his clinic know the homework involved. I'm just now finishing up the bridge and have started shooting out of a tree stand here in the last week or so. I feel more confident this year than I ever have.
Every time I grab the bow and head for the backyard.
Eye of the predator always ready to take the shot.
Like everyone else, I try and shoot whenever I can, but summer is striped bass season over here....so I do slow down on hunting till about late August. Then I change mentalities and prioritze hunting over fishing.