If you asked 1,500 hunters about specific ways to make the most of shot opportunities, and ethically and effectively kill their target animal, what do you think they would say matters most?
We asked those hunters, and we have those answers.
As part of The Experience Challenge, we had 1,500+ hunters complete a detailed Hunt Reflection. Their answers inspired this new series, The Backcountry Blueprint. In each installment, we distill key takeaways from 1,500+ hunters to help you master the backcountry.
Today, we're looking at how to make the most of each shot opportunity, including what hunters have learned from past mistakes when a hunt didn’t result in an effective and ethical kill.
Making Practice More Realistic
In the data, many participants discussed the need to intentionally make their practice more dynamic and representative of realistic hunting situations. To achieve this, there are 3 key areas that hunters focus on:
Shooting from Varied Positions
Whether shooting a bow or rifle, many hunters practice from perfect positions. But when it comes to mountain hunting, how often does the terrain provide an opportunity to be in a perfect position?
Bowhunters often find themselves kneeling, twisting, and bending to shoot the buck or bull of their dreams. Similarly, rifle hunters often can’t get prone, and certainly don’t have a shooting bench in the backcountry.
If you want your practice to prepare you for the real thing, then practice from seated, kneeling, and standing positions. And with a rifle, know how to use various types of support — including your pack and trekking poles, a tripod, and even natural elements, such as trees, rocks, and more.
Adding Physical Stress
Next, hunters stressed the importance of incorporating exercises like running, burpees, or heavy rucking immediately before shooting to increase their heart rate and help simulate the adrenaline of "buck fever" experienced during a hunt.
As you practice shooting with an elevated heart rate, pay attention to breathing techniques that can help you calm your heart rate for the shot.
While getting better at shooting with an elevated heart rate is helpful, the fact is, your shooting consistency will take a hit when you are under physical stress. This is important to realize and account for as you consider your true level of capability. Is your “effective range” what you can do when everything is perfect, or is it what you can do when you are under physical stress and in a less-than-ideal position?
Practicing in Gear
The third category that hunters focused on to make their practice more realistic is to ensure that they spend time shooting while wearing the “full kit” that they will be using on their hunt. If you hunt with a bino harness and backpack on, then practice while wearing that gear. Are you heading into a colder hunt where you may find yourself shooting with a jacket on? What about accessories, like gloves? Those are all things that you should practice shooting with.
Solidifying a Consistent Shot Process
In the hunter data, respondents discussed their need for a "consistent mental checklist" or "subconscious routine" to prevent rushed shots and panic in the moment of truth.
When you have a consistent shot sequence and practice on solidifying this process as something you do for every shot you take, at all times, then performing under pressure becomes automatic.
For example, every time Mark fires an arrow, his shot sequence is “AGLAS” — Anchor, Grip, Level, Aim, Squeeze. A rifle hunter may go through a similar “checklist” for each shot and include steps in the same order, such as “range, dial, safety, level, focus, squeeze".
To make this process automatic, you need to use it consistently. Ideally, for every shot you take — whether you are at home, at the range, at a competition, or on a hunt. You can even use structured dry-fire practice to engrain this process.
Shooting in Challenging Terrain & Conditions
Many hunters who completed the survey discussed experiences where shot opportunities proved to be exceptionally challenging due to the terrain and weather conditions on their hunt.
We already touched on the need to practice from less-than-perfect shooting positions, but in this category, it is also important to consider the effects that shooting at elevation and angles can have on the flight of your bullet or broadhead.
We don’t have space in this article to consider every variable that elevation and angles introduce, but if you haven’t yet, be sure to research…
- Making sure your weapon levels are set up properly — including the reticle of your rifle scope and the 3rd-axis on your bow sight.
- Making sure you have an understanding of angle compensation when ranging distances at uphill and downhill targets
- Verifying the flight characteristics and point-of-impact shifts that can occur if you set up your bow sight or rifle scope (and associated ballistic data) at an elevation that is notably different than your hunt location
- Understanding how differences in body position and shooting form change and influence your point of impact when shooting from less-than-ideal positions and/or at angles to the target
And if that weren’t enough, also consider the conditions that can occur on your hunt. If you never practice shooting in the wind, rain, heat, cold, or with the sun in your face to influence your sight picture of the target, are you prepared to take those shots on a hunt?
Utilizing Competition to Increase Stress
Hunters know that shooting changes when there is the added stress of a consequence on the other end of a shot. In a hunting situation, the primary and intended consequence is the life of an animal. But in a shot-gone-wrong situation, the consequence could be a missed opportunity — or worse. To prepare for those situations, hunters should introduce stress and consequences as part of their pre-hunt practice.
Competition is a phenomenal way to introduce shooting stress and the pressure of consequences. There are plenty of archery competitions — from local 3D shoots to major events like the Total Archery Challenge. And on the rifle side, there are phenomenal and approachable events like the NRL Hunter series or local club matches.
But if you can’t make it to a competition, there are other ways to add stress and pressure to your shooting practice. You can make wagers with your shooting buddies. You can shoot at smaller and/or further archery targets, where a miss could mean a lost or damaged arrow. You can hold yourself accountable to self-imposed consequences (such as physical feats) when your bullet misses the mark in practice.
No matter how you find it or need to create it, make sure you add stress and consequences to some of your shooting practice. Rehearse for “the real thing” by adding real consequences to the shots you take.
Eliminating Weaknesses in the Weapon System
A consistent theme in the hunter data was the need to eliminate weaknesses and build true confidence in their weapon system through rigorous testing and experience.
This is a multi-faceted process, where you are taking a wholistic approach to the entire weapon “system” — including the weapon itself (bow or rifle), any weapon accessories or components (sights, scopes, rests, triggers, releases, etc), the projecticle (arrow and broadhead or ammunition and bullet), the flight path of the projectile (sight tape, ballistic data, etc), and your comfort, confidence, and proficiency to deploy all of those elements effectively.
If your shooting practice includes the elements we have discussed above, then you are gaining the experience to build confidence and the opportunity to find and eliminate weaknesses in your system. A key component that could be missing, however, is the mindset to intentionally evaluate all of these things as you shoot in practice.
Learn the nuances of your system. Focus on the details. Pay attention to any potential weaknesses or failure points.
Know how to use every component of your weapon system effectively, in all conditions, so that the entire process — from ranging an animal, to killing the animal, and everything in between — is tested and proven.
Increasing Accuracy at Extended Ranges
Although most hunters reiterated their intentions to get as close as possible for shot opportunities, most hunters also wanted to extend their shooting skills at further distances. The big idea is to practice at ranges beyond the intended hunting distance, so that shots within hunting range become even easier. Hunters expressed their intent to practice at 80 yards with a bow, or 800 yards with a rifle, so that hunting shots at half those distances feel automatic.
An additional benefit to shooting at extended ranges is the fact that it will expose and magnify any flaws. You may not see subtle mistakes in your shot execution at close range, but imperfections in your shooting form or shot execution are going to be far more visible as you extend the distance. The same idea applies to your equipment and the flight of your bullet or broadhead.
If you pair extended distance shooting with some of the other concepts that we have already discussed (introducing stress, challenging conditions, less-than-perfect positions, physical exertion, etc), then you will get a much more realistic picture of just how difficult it can be to shoot effectively at those extended distances. And that type of shooting will also help you refine your personal maximum hunting range.
Decision-Making at the "Moment of Truth"
A final, overarching theme in all the response data is the importance of decision-making in the moment of truth. You can have a great weapon setup, a phenomenal shooting opportunity, favorable conditions, and perfect presentation from the animal you’re after — but a mental mistake can ruin it all in an instant.
Most often, the mental mistake made is a pressing, anxious need to “make it happen” NOW, leading to rushed shots that don’t find their mark. In urgency, hunters skip their shot routine, fail to range the distance, or don’t patiently wait for the animal’s position or the environmental conditions to improve, and instead force a shot that leads to poor results.
Consistently remind yourself that “I have more time than I think.”
In those moments, there is a difference between quickly and efficiently executing a well-rehearsed, process-oriented shot and rushing through or forcing a shot on demand.
The regret of a poor shot is far greater than the regret of a missed opportunity. And if you calmly yet efficiently execute your shoot process instead of rushing, you’ll be surprised at how few opportunities are actually as fleeting as you think they are.
Have these factors affected your hunts?
All of the insights from this Backcountry Blueprint series are coming from the 1,500 hunters who completed a detailed Hunt Reflection. We would encourage you to take the time to complete your own hunt reflection. You will undoubtedly learn insights by reflecting on your experience…
THE HUNT REFLECTION — VIEW or COPY
See the entire Backcountry Blueprint series.