Practice Makes Closer-To-Perfect

by Colton Choate

After I got my new Bowtech Carbon Knight with my Apex Gear sight and quiver set up, I didn’t have that much time until the Arizona archery season opened. Therefore, I needed to practice to get as comfortable as possible with it, so that I had the confidence to make a shot when it came down to that one moment.

With an archery hunt, there aren’t many opportunities. Knowing this gave me the reasoning to practice often for the upcoming hunt. My best friend and I would shoot our bows before bible study, after school, during our summer days off, and any other time we could think of. After a short time, I was shooting the best I ever had and was feeling comfortable at extended ranges that I’ve never felt comfortable with before.

In the back of my mind, I always knew that I needed to be shooting more to become better. Saying you’re going to shoot your bow seems so easy, but I really had to be disciplined with my shooting, which helped me learn new techniques to shoot more accurately.

As time passed, I continuously grew more confident in my shooting abilities and with my bow. Archery hunting is one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced in my life and getting a shot off is incredibly rare. Practicing with your bow and building up confidence is something that needs to happen for any hunter to be able to be successful.

Unfortunately, this year’s archery hunt brought me no opportunities to harvest a buck. However, I wouldn’t have been hunting as hard–enjoying the country around me– if I wasn’t so confident in my new-found shooting abilities. My advice: always be disciplined in your practice, it could be the difference between a memory and something you want to forget.