Guys, at the beginning of archery season I was able to hold a 6" group at twenty yards, and my confidence was very high. I was able to get a doe early in the season and made a good shot, which bumped up my confidence even more. But as the season progressed, my confidence went down and so did my accuracy. I was shooting every night in my basement, but only at about 8 yards. I got to the point were I didn't feel it was right to shot at a deer with my recurve and had to finish out the season with a wheelie bow. My question is, does your accuracy go down as the season progress? What do you do to keep the accuracy? This is my first season with trad equipment, so it is all new to me.

Thanks

Last 2 years ----yes.
This year-----NO---better actually. In the past I was 2 lazy to go out and shoot every so often. Got complacent, I guess. this year I go out a tleast 2x a week fora regular practice and any day I go for an afternoon hunt, i shoot 1 arrow at my 3-D target "just to make sure" Actually am getting better groups so far this year and my confidence is a lot higher because of it!

ben

NO i love to shoot.

I love to shoot too, but right now I am renting a house in town, so I cant go to my back yard to shoot any. On afternoon hunts I always shot a few stump arrows when walking in, but it didnt seem like enough practice. I felt like I lost alot of strength over the coarse of the season and think this contributed to the loss of accuracy.

how about over training and fatigue what else is going on in your life? you don't have to answer. food for thought

No, I actually practice more during hunting season.. I keep a portable butt in camp and shoot a few arrows every once in a while..

nope..i shoot every day.  If i dont have time during the day, i stick my 3D deer up underneath the nightlight in the yard and shoot at night...does anybody else do this?  Its great practice for low-light shooting times like hunting an evening stand.  The main time i mess up and pull shots is whenever somebody is watching me...is this a phenomenon anyone else has experienced?  I can be shooting my 3D deer and put 6 out of 6 arrows in the vitals consistently at random distances up to 20 yards...somebody can walk up and talk to me for 5 secs and watch me and then im stickin em all over the target!  then when they leave i go back to shooting well.  Nobody thinks I can shoot cuz they see my 4 foot groups when they watch me, but i bring rabbits in from the woods all season... mind-boggling...

No. I just Love to shoot my Bow. I even go out in January/Feburary and shoot, even if it was below zero with windchills in the -20's (of course I only shot a dozen arrows, then went in to defrost). During the Hunting season I still got out 3 or 4 times to shoot, and would find time during the Hunt to shoot a few practice arrows. Duane

If I'm not carefull my shooting will digress as the season progresses due to a few factors....

Time getting ready to hunt + Time hunting + Time cleaning up from hunting = Less time shooting.

So I have to remind myself to TAKE extra time to keep the rust off.

PSUbowhunter, sure you're not overbowed?  As the season progresses,,,and the clothes to keep warm get bulkier, I'll drop 10 pounds(i.e.-grab a lighter bow off the wall).

I try to shoot every day, sometimes while hunting I will see an old rotted stump and put a BH into it...PR

Nope. I think I am more focused during season. I may not have as much time to shoot, but I try to make every shot count, whether it's at a target or a stump.

Also, I don't have wheels to fall back on, so I don't second guess what I am doing.

i normally dont have as much time to shoot so when i do get a chance it may only be 5 or 10 arrows but I make each one count!

i always shoot 2 arrow as im packing my gear up and ussually once i get to the woods ill fling a few blunt tips.

i also keeo two blunted arrows in my quiver for tree rats and ill try to shoot them as often as i can to keep sharp.

Terry took the words right out of my mouth on this one  

As long as I keep up my end of the deal by hitting the range on the way home from work I stay the same to get better.

I had this problem last year.  Now I got my 3D target set-up in a patch of woods where I park my truck.  I'll go in and shoot before I go hunting.  I always keep a judo point on an arrow and stumpshoot on the way out in the mornings.  I found out the hard way that ya better keep up the practice during hunting season.