(A) 14 Step Season Prep: Step 6- Talking to Land Owners

In the last article I briefly discussed how to start looking for properties to hunt. Now that you have your contact lists of property owners, it is time to talk to them. This can be uncomfortable or difficult for most of us. However, it is part of the game for those of us who can not afford to purchase our own hunting land. Be assured that the more you work at this, the better you will get at it. Don't be afraid of rejection. It is going to happen. If you know this will be hard for you, I have a tip that might help. When my co-workers are preparing for a promotion I always suggest that they video themselves completing a practice interview. This will help to show if you lack confidence, make eye contact, and are able to properly present the information that you want your receiver to understand.

What's in it for the landowner: There are some things that you will need to decide before you talk to a landowner about hunting their property. The first item will be if you plan to gun hunt or bow hunt. I have found people to be more open minded to bow hunters over gun hunters. Explain to them that deer populations are at an all time high and it is unhealthy for the herd not to keep the numbers in control. Secondly, what is in it for the landowner? Why should they let you hunt? How much are you prepared to pay to hunt the property? A couple of years ago I read the average cost to lease hunting rights on a property was a dollar per acre. Well that is no longer true in this part of the Midwest. If the land is good for hunting and that landowner knows it, you can expect to pay up to $1000 per person each season.

There are other options. Maybe you offer the landowner $200 dollars up front and another $200 dollars if you harvest a buck (this is wise if the farm is new to you because it may have a poor deer population). Most landowners want you to harvest does to reduce crop damage, so tell them you will take 2 does off the property and give the landowner the venison. If you have a certain skill set, offer to trade services. Maybe you are good at fence repair or building decks. Maybe you offer to drive tractor for the farmer over two weekends out of the year. Figure out what will help you secure the property but stay within your financial means.

On one of the farms that my Dad and I hunt has a landowner who also likes to deer hunt. So we offer to put in 13 acres of food plots annually and hang all of the deer stands. The first year we hunted that farm I let a 150" class mainframe 10 point walk twice. I took video of that deer at 20 yards both times and showed it to the landowner. He later harvested that deer (see picture) which was his biggest buck ever on his farm. I later shot a smaller 9 point but the landowner still thanks me for letting the deer walk so he could harvest him!

Leases: Not everyone is able to obtain exclusive hunting rights to a property especially during the first year that they hunt it. However, I strongly encourage you to do whatever you can to tie up the hunting rights on your hunting property. If a landowner tells you that you can hunt on his farm for free than why wouldn't he tell the next guy that came along the same thing. What is going to keep that guy from stealing your stand or spooking deer away? Worse yet, what if the next guy offers the landowner $800 dollars? You might get booted off a farm before you get to even scout it. This happens a lot with the growing number of hunting clubs. They are leasing up land quickly. So, try to sign a lease for at least 3-5 years on a property. Have an open discussion with the landowner discussing what your expectations are and what theirs will be. Make sure it is a good deal for them and that they won't regret your agreement later.

Making Contact: I have made contact with landowners by letter, phone calls, and in person. Most of my success has come from talking to the landowner in person. However, if you are not good at talking to people in person then pick another way to communicate. Contact these people and ask them if they would be interested in letting you hunt their property. If they say no, ask them if they would mind if you contact them again next year in case they change their mind. Regardless of their response, ask them if they know anyone who might let you hunt another property (friends, relatives, neighbors, etc.). I have stumbled on some good farms after someone told me I couldn't hunt their property but referred me to their neighbors. When making contact with the property owner, do the following:

Dress casual but nice
Properly introduce yourself, shake their hand and explain your purpose
Make eye contact and be polite
Smile and try not to seem intimidating
Talk to their level of communication
Don't act like a salesman
Have your contact information available to give them on a card that they can post easily

Additional things to think about: Okay, so the landowner has agreed to let you hunt on their property. Before you pay them a penny, ask them if you can scout the farm first to make sure it has good hunting potential. Ask the landowner where they normally see deer on the property. Ask them when it was hunted last or if they hunt themselves. Review the property lines with the landowner by using a vehicle or reviewing an aerial map. Does the property have any horses or grazing cattle? What gates can you drive through to make access (always close gates behind you)? Will the landowner allow you to use an ATV?

Another thing that you will want to do is protect your hunting equipment. Ask the landowner how they feel about food plots, game feeders, screw in tree steps, deer stands, ground blinds, and stand locations. Some landowners want to know where every one of your tree stands are located. Ask the landowner if he has the property posted. If not, will they let you post the property for them to protect your stands? How does the landowner want you to handle trespassers? Does the landowner want to see the animals that you harvest when you are leaving the property? Sometimes the wives of landowners ask that you don't show them a harvested animal because it bothers them.

Building Relationships: Let me stress to you that you need to go out of your way to build a solid trusting relationship with your property owner. Let them get to know you and the kind of person you are. Make sure that you always demonstrate appreciation for the opportunity to hunt their land. Keep constant communication with them. I call my property owners every couple of months to say hello and see if they need anything. Stop by their house periodically so they don't forget your face. Keep their land looking better than how you found it. Offer to give them venison sausage. Send them a Christmas card every year. Work to build a friendship and you will have better hunting! Show the landowner that you will care for their land as if it were your own.

(A) 14 Step Season Prep: Step 5- Finding Land to Hunt

How do you find land to hunt? This is a question I hear frequently from friends and co-workers. Well, I wish I could say this is an easy step but it is not. Finding new land to hunt is like your first day of high school. The more you can talk to people, the more friends you make, and the more comfortable you feel approaching people; the easier it is. The more you get to know people and network, the greater the opportunity to find land. First let me share with you some of the details about the land that I currently have to hunt. I will also discuss how I approach the process of finding new farms to hunt.

Experts suggest that you should have at least 100 acres to hunt per bow hunter. If you hunt with two friends, you should have at least 300 acres. It is also recommended that you have at least two separate farms to hunt more than 5 miles apart. This ensures that you are hunting an entirely different deer herd when moving from one property to the next. However, I know of successful deer hunters who hunt on only one farm that is made up of less than 80 acres. They are successful on this smaller property because they own the land and manage it exclusively for bucks. My point is that you have to start somewhere. If your property is small, manage it aggressively and keep the hunting pressure to a minimum.

I usually hunt with my Dad. However, I sometimes also hunt with my brother, cousin and a friend. Sometimes my brother-in-law also draws a tag and hunts with me. There is only about a 10 day period where we may all be hunting at the same time. So, that is why we have 4 farms to hunt. We usually split up to spread out on all 4 farms. This helps to keep the hunting pressure off the deer.

Last Season's Farms: Of the 4 farms that I hunted last season, only one of the farms was new to me. The first property (Property #1) was approximately 250 acres of mostly hardwoods, made up of ridges and ravines. We also have a 3 acre food plot on the edge of the hardwoods. My Dad obtained permission for us to hunt property #1 by becoming friends with the farmer who leased the harvest rights to this farm. Although I have taken 3 bucks over 150" from this farm, it has outside hunting pressure and is close to a housing development.

The second farm (Property #2) is a 200 acre farm made up of mostly crop fields but it has approximately 80 acres of excellent creek bottom woods and thick brush running through the middle of it (great bedding areas). The bucks channel through this farm from other areas during the rut to check the numerous bedding areas for does. We began hunting property #2 after the manager of the local Co-op introduced us to the property owner. We have tried to lease this farm for 6 years but the landowner refuses. He likes to be able to tell his neighbors that they can also hunt his property if they ask. This farm is sometimes similar to hunting public ground. We never know who we will run into hunting.

The third farm (Property #3) that I hunt on is made up of approximately 320 acres. The property has everything on it including cedar thickets, creek bottoms, cliffs, flat CRP fields, etc. It is rural and bordered by the freeway to the north and huge crop fields to the south. My Dad and I annually plant approximately 13 acres of food plots on this property for the deer, at the request of the property owner. I found this farm by searching the area on maps that had a lot of woods bordered by crops. When I located a plat map I found the land owner and attempted to contact him. After searching for approximately two weeks I was finally able to make contact with the land owner. This process was more difficult because he did not live on the property.

The forth farm (Property #4) that I hunted last year was approximately 180 acres. The farmer lives on this property which has mostly alfalfa fields for the horses that graze on it. However, the north side of the property consists of heavy thick brush that you can barely walk through (great bedding areas) and large crop fields to the east on the neighbors property. Property #4 was found because the farmer who owns it, used to own property #3. We met the owner of property #4 through the owner of property #3. Sounds complicated, doesn't it? But this was a classic case of who you know.

Quick story- Approximately 5 years ago I was really lucky to find an Iowa property to hunt. My wife's grandfather asked me to sell his pickup truck for him. I ended up selling the truck to the son-in-law of the Iowa property owner. When the buyer came to pick up the truck I met the property owner and we started talking about deer and hunting in Iowa. By the time they left with the truck, I had an open invitation to hunt on their Iowa farm anytime I wanted. Lucky, huh!!

Even thought I have been successful in finding places to hunt, I have been turned down probably 30-40 times by property owners. I also have previously hunted 5 other farms in the past. However, 2 of them were sold and the 3 others did not have good hunting on them. I don't know if I will ever be completely satisfied with the farm that I am hunting until I own it. Unfortunately with my salary, that will not be anytime soon.

Research: Begin your search by determining how far you are willing to travel to hunt. I used to try to stay within 1 hour of drive time. However, we now have a camping trailer that my family uses during hunting season. So it would be okay for us to hunt a farm further away if the farm possibilities were worth the drive. What leads do you have? Think of friends and relatives that live in the country. Do your friends or relatives know others who live in the country. Start by making a contacts list of possibilities.

What if you don't know of any landowners? Well then you have a little more work to do. Figure out an area or county that you want to hunt. Then I would suggest that you get on Google Earth and start looking for possibilities. Look for large areas of woods that are isolated from homes, busy roads, and towns. You can also look for large wooded fingers that weave through crop fields. Once you pinpoint a wooded section that will hold deer, switch from aerial maps to the topo maps feature to look for draws, ridges, creeks, etc. Find at least three separate areas that you are interested in and then order a plat book from the county courthouse. This will show you the property lines, size of property, and names of the property owners.

So what do you do once you find a nice piece of ground. Well, you are going to have to talk to the land owner (I will discuss in my next article- Step 6) but there are a couple of things to do first. Is this property worth your time? Is there good bedding areas, food sources, water sources, and access for stand locations? Is there a high potential of trespassers or the competition of other hunters? Does the farm have good potential? Can you convince the landowner to let you plant food plots? Many of these answers will come once you talk to the landowner and scout the farm. Finding a good farm that isn't already being hunted is going to take a lot of persistence and a bit of luck.

If you are looking to purchase a farm than your timing couldn't be better. There are real estate companies like "Whitetail Properties" that list hunting properties exclusively. With a little time spent on the internet you should be able to find a reputable real estate agent. The number of properties for sale continues to increase because of our current economy. Prices have also dropped so you can find some good deals. Investors sometimes buy hunting properties, manage them for a couple of years, then sell them to buy bigger farms with their profits.

(A) 14 Step Season Prep: Step 4- Post Season Scouting and Shed Hunting

Okay, so we have pulled down our stands or moved them to better locations. You have already initiated the scouting process. By using the knowledge that you learned last year, while sitting in last seasons stand locations, we have learned something more about deer movement. In Step #3 you should have scouted around your old tree stand locations to move the stand to a better tree or pulled the stand from an unproductive area. Now comes the time for exploration. I really enjoy scouting and shed hunting because they can tell me what I have been missing the previous season. So let's talk about both of these subjects and how they relate to each other.

1. Time to stir up the woods: Do you know where all of the bedding areas are on your property? Do you know where the trails are located that lead from bed to feed? Where are the transition areas that deer use to travel from bed to feed? Where are the buck staging areas located that deer use waiting to enter your food sources? Don't feel disappointed if you don't know the answer to all of these questions. However, you will be more successful and confident if you spend the time to research the answers. Now is the perfect time because there is no vegetation in the woods, the days are a little warmer, football season is over, and the NCAA basketball tournament is a few weeks away. Get outside and start walking, but don't just look for obvious deer trails. Let's discuss some of the things I try look for.

2. Feeding areas: This is always an easy place to start. Walk just inside the field edges and look for trails coming into the fields. Usually this will be on the inside corner of the field but walk the whole perimeter. Try to think like a deer and how they will access the field, feel the most comfortable eating out in the open, and where the best shadows will likely occur (deer feel safer eating in the shadows before dark). Tree stands in this area should be used primarily for early and late season when deer concentrate on food sources. However, you can also place observatory stands a safe distance to food sources so you don't tip deer off. There should be bedding areas in close proximity to the food source that deer will use once the vegetation returns. As you start working back into the woods, searching for bedding areas and transition areas, pay attention for other potential food sources. For example, if you find white oak trees clumped together on a ridge top, you have found an alternative feeding area.

3. Bedding areas: Where are the does and bucks likely to bed during the early season? As previously stated, they will not usually bed together but will both be in close proximity to the feeding areas. Concentrate on thick cover within a couple hundred yards of the the food sources. When it is hot in early season (September), deer usually don't travel far unless they are pressured. Mature bucks like to use ravines and creek bottoms because they generally stay cooler this time of year. Once you have located these areas, it is time to focus on the bedding areas that deer will use during the rut. I like to concentrate on thick bedding areas located further away from the food sources. I do this because once the vegetation is minimized, deer usually travel further to reach better bedding areas for security cover. These will be the bedding areas that does use once the leaves drop in the woods. Does also like these areas to hide from the constant buck harassment they encounter during the rut. A mature buck will be checking downwind of these bedding areas often. However, if you have something like a cedar thicket close to a food source, with very minimal pressure, you may have a great all season bedding area!

4. Transition areas: These are the areas that can be spectacular hunting areas because deer use them constantly. You can also usually slip in or out of these areas easily to access stand locations. This is where I like to concentrate my search while looking for heavily used trails. Once I have determined my regular food sources and bedding areas, I simply find the best intersection of trails that bring them together. I like to hunt transition areas most of the time for a couple of reasons. Transition areas keep you safely away from bumping deer in their bedding areas and don't alert deer to hunting pressure once they are out in the fields feeding. Yet, they still need the transition areas to get from point A to point B. Give these areas a try this season.

5. Staging areas: These areas are usually located 50-100 yards from the feeding areas. Mature bucks will usually use these areas waiting for the sun to go down before entering the fields. If the deer herd is pressured, all of them may browse in staging areas until night fall. Staging areas are excellent places for afternoon hunts, especially during early season. In fact, I feel more confident hunting mature bucks in staging areas instead of sitting over food plots. However, I have not experienced great success hunting staging areas in the mornings. If you have, I would like to hear about your experiences.

6. Shed Hunting: As you scout to learn your hunting property keep your eyes open for deer sheds. You never know where you will find them. I have found sheds in fields, CRP grass, bedding thickets and next to out buildings. Sheds can tell you what deer made it through the winter or what deer you have living on your property that your trail cameras missed. Although shed hunting is fun for me, I prefer to concentrate my time in the woods on learning how the deer live there. If I happen to stumble across a shed, that is just an added bonus. However, there are occasions that I strictly concentrate on shed hunting. My family loves to be outdoors. So, I can use this opportunity in the spring to take my family out in the woods and search for sheds. The kids love it, they get very excited and have a sense of accomplishment when they find a shed antler. To be honest, if things are slow shed hunting, sometimes I place previously found sheds ahead of my kids to make the trip more successful for them. When you have completed your shed hunts, try to match up the sheds and see if the same deer is living on your farm from last year. I know of two farmers that live a mile away from each other. They each found one side of shed antlers. A couple of years later, they were talking about the sheds they had each found (obviously belonging to the same deer). When they put each side together, they had the sheds scored, finding the deer would have scored well over 200". I saw these sheds personally and it is hard to describe the size of this rack. I wish I would have taken a picture of them.

7. Additional things to look for: If your hunting property has hills or varied terrain, you can use that to your advantage. Look for benches on the sides of ridges or saddles going over a ridge. The points of ridges are also excellent ambush locations. Also look for points extending out into fields. Regardless of terrain, you should also scout creek crossings, funnels, pinch points, tree lines, water sources and edges where the vegetation density makes a change. To learn more about topography, read Brad Herndon's book "Mapping Trophy Bucks".

So, get out in the woods by yourself for some scouting and with your family for some shed hunting. The deer have dropped their antlers and you can see a long ways in the woods. Scout and learn various aspects of your property. If you have a big farm or numerous farms, take notes after scouting so you don't forget any important details. Think about how you can make access to or from various tree stand locations when hunting bedding, transition, staging or feeding areas. Get on the inter-net and print off arial photographs of your hunting property. This will help to keep you oriented and clarify things on the property as you scout. Good luck and have fun!

(A) 14 Step Season Prep: Step 3- Pulling Stands

I know that pulling tree stands after the deer season doesn't seem like a subject that will improve your deer hunting, but trust me on this one. For years I have asked people if they pull their stands every season or if they leave them in place all year. If they left them in the tree, I asked them for how long. One year, three years, how long is too long? All of the answers that I received were different and no one seemed to have a good answer. So, I contacted a few tree stand manufacturers and their suggestion was to leave a stand in a tree no longer than two weeks. A very safe answer but not necessarily a realistic answer. I know that certain trees can grow significantly in diameter over the time frame of one year. This can place a lot of stress on the tree stand straps. Weather and the sun can also deteriorate the condition of tree stand straps. So let me share with you what I do and let me know if you have better information.

Like you, I have various styles of stands. I like to use tie wire or old ratchet straps to hold my ladder stands and hang on stands in place. I only do this if I am going to keep the stand in the same tree for next year and I am not concerned about the stand being stolen (private property). I also must have a stand that allows me to temporarily remove the straps that are made for the particular stand (I replace the original straps in late summer). Otherwise, I pull the stand and hang it again in late summer. The only stands that I hang in the spring, regardless of circumstances, are the ones in or on the edge of bedding areas. I hang these stands in April or May and leave them alone until November. I still lock these stands down with a cable and lock.

I usually hang approximately 25 stands each season. So it can be a lot of work pulling them all down and keeping track of equipment. I don't like hanging stands at the last minute or in the hot summer sun so I try to do as much ahead of time as I can. The two things that take the most time while hanging stands are finding the right tree and trimming in shooting lanes. These two things jobs can leave a lot of scent in the area, spooking deer. So, I try to do these two things in the spring for my stand locations (we will discuss this in further detail in Step #9). This time of year the woods are very open and you can really gain an understanding of the topography of your hunting area. Deer seem to change their patterns slightly every year but usually the bedding areas and feeding areas stay the same.

This time of year I like to analyze how a stand worked for me prior to pulling it down. Was the wind right for the stand? Did I see good deer movement or shoot a deer from the stand? Was the stand right for the phase of the rut that it was intended for? Would I hunt it again in this particular spot or do I need to make a change? Was it trimmed in appropriately for good shooting? Did the sun blind me in the morning or evening? Did I usually bump deer trying to access the stand? Did I have enough back cover once the leaves dropped or did I sit out like a sore thumb? What trails were the deer using? Can I shoot those deer trails from this tree? Do I need to move the stand 20 yards or maybe 70 yards? All of these are the questions you should be asking yourself to save time next season.

Once I determine the effectiveness of a tree stand location, I make modifications prior to pulling the stand. If I like the stand location then I improve my shooting by trimming it in again. If I must remove the stand for reasons listed above, I will then pull the stand and mark the base of the tree with a small circle of white paint. This helps me find the tree in the late spring or summer when the vegetation has returned to the woods. If I need to make a minor move with the stand (within visual distance of the current stand location) then I will climb up in the stand and point out the exact location that I want the new stand location to a buddy. Once I have the person in position for the new stand location, I will climb down from the stand and walk over to the new location. I make sure there is a tree to accommodate the move. Then I will pull the stand from the old tree after identifying the new tree stand location.

Now let's talk about safety. Make sure that you are always wearing your safety harness when your working on your tree stands. I fell 18 feet off of a ladder once and I have paid dearly for it. I use a large diameter rope to hoist my hang-on stands up and down the tree. I also always have my cellphone on me in the event that if I were to fall, I can make a phone call for help. However, I strongly encourage you to take someone with you when you are working on your stands. They can help you carry equipment, cut shooting lanes, point out deer trails, etc. It is also a good idea for someone, other than you, to know where your stand locations are in the event that an accident happened while you were hunting.

Let me take this opportunity to give you one last tip. Create a stand inventory system for equipment. I like to number my stands and assign them to certain farms. If the stand requires ladder sticks, I give them a number assigning them to a particular stand. I keep all straps in a gallon size Zip lock bag. Inside the bag I also include a pull up rope, cable/lock, and hook for the pull up rope. I like to hang my back pack from this hook once I am hunting in the tree. Then I number the Zip lock bag to correlate with the tree stand that it belongs to. This may seem like a lot of work but it is much easier to manage this at home rather than out in the woods.

So get out there and start pulling or moving your stands. The longer you wait the warmer it is going to get and the closer it is to turkey season. As I previously stated, the spring would be the busiest time of year for us. You will soon see that we have 6 more steps to accomplish before summer!

(A) 14 Step Season Prep: Step 2- Shooting Form and Practice

During the winter, it can be hard to go outside and shoot in the cold weather after season. One thing I have done to keep my skills sharp in the past is shooting in archery leagues. They have leagues for 3-D targets or dart systems (you place a special tip on your arrow and shoot at a large screen that projects images of animals on it). These leagues usually start in January for the indoor range and run through the summer for the outdoor range. Check your local archery shop for these opportunities because they can be a blast with your hunting buddies. They will also help you to break in your new equipment while motivating you to shoot more.

Let's talk about shooting form. First of all let me say that I am by no means an expert on shooting form. Nor do I claim to be a professional. However, I have shot in archery leagues and learned some tips from professional shooters along the way. These tips have helped me to remain competative and place in the top five in most of the leagues that I have participated in. Hopefully they will help you too. For those of you who are advanced shooters, this will serve as a good reminder to get back to the basics.

1. Practice approach: I am sure that you have all heard the saying "Perfect practice makes perfect". I believe this and try to take my practice sessions very seriously. I start by limiting how often I practice. I usually don't shoot my bow more than 3 times a week. This will prevent your muscles from building muscle memory. I also try to limit my shooting sessions to 30-60 arrows. I do this to maintain proper shooting form. The more arrows you shoot, the better the chance of building bad habits. I also try to build a routine when I shoot. From the way I grip the bow, to nocking an arrow, to my follow through. It is all an instinctive routine that I don't have to think about. It is kind of like a golfer with his putting routine. Everyone on the PGA tour prepares differently for a putt but each individual uses their same routine on every green.

2. Grip: This is one of the most common mistakes that I see people making. They don't grip their bow correctly. When you hold the bow in your hand, the riser should start between the index finer and thumb, working down to the heel of your hand (fatty part of your hand below the thumb. This should create a loose grip and should cause your nuckels on your hand to be at a 45 degree angle away from the riser (see picture). Keep your fingers off the riser and keep your hand as loose as you can. This increases accuracy and minimizes torque. Just let the bow sit inside your thumb naturally. When you grip the bow this way it rotates your forearm away from the bow string. When shooting with this grip you will be much more accurate and should never hit your arm with the bow string again. Don't grip the bow with a vertical closed grip. This creates too much torque.



3. Drawing the bow: Hopefully your bow is already set up to your specific draw length. When you draw the bow it should be smooth. If you shake a lot or fight to draw it back then your poundage is set too high. You can always dial the bow up later in the season as you build your shooting muscles. As you come to full draw and find your anchor spot, you should feel comfortable. Your bow arm should be straight but not with a locked elbow. Your release arm should help to create a natural "T" shape as you feel like your pinching your shoulder blades together (see picture). If your bow wants to creep forward on you then your draw cycle may be too short. If you have to struggle to keep from locking the elbow on your bow arm then your draw length may be too long. Make sure your anchor point is consistently in the same spot. I anchor on a spot on my lower jaw. Once you anchor, you should be able to touch your nose on the bowstring slightly as you look through your peep.

4. Aiming: As you aim, pick a spot within your target. In the movie "The Patriot", Mel Gibson asked his two young boys to shoot at British Soldiers after they killed the older brother to the boys. Mel Gibson's character tells the boys to "aim small, miss small". This is great advice for shooters. When shooting at an archery target finding the smallest target or dot that you can. When shooting at deer, pick a tuft of fur that is off color or find something that stands out visually on the animals vitals. As you aim at a target your pin is going to move around it. This is natural so don't try to force the pin to stay frozen on the target all of the time. As you aim, keep both eyes open, center your sight ring inside the peep, put the pin on the target and the arrow should release on it's own. As you aim, the arrow will find the target, just give it time.

5. The release: Your release of the arrow should happen instinctively. Many of my best shots on animals occurred before I was consciously ready to touch the trigger. It just happened smooth and without a conscious effort. The tension setting on your release should be set so you can place your finger on the trigger without it firing. However, there should be minimal trigger travel and tension. When someone starts loosing accuracy it usually is from torquing the grip or trigger punching. To build a smooth release or to improve to a smoother release, set up a target about 6 feet away from you. Draw the bow back and close your eyes. Release the arrow smoothly keeping your eyes closed. You can try this in your garage or basement with a block target. Work on this for a couple of weeks and the problem should be rectified.

6. The follow through: Many people forget about this step in shooting. Once the arrow is released, continue aiming at the target. You should also feel the bow rocking forward, tipping towards the ground. This is because you are maintaining your loose grip, right? Don't worry, you won't drop the bow. Your hand will naturally re-grip the bow so you don't drop it. You can also shoot with a wrist sling to give you additional confidence that you won't drop the bow. However, make sure the wrist sling isn't too tight because when you're hunting you will probably be wearing gloves.

7. Wrapping it up: When you start your practice sessions, make that first arrow count! This is what you will have to do out in the field so don't rely on your tenth shot to be your best. Most good shooters concentrate on only one or two aspects of their shooting form when practicing. Don't overwhelm yourself in your shooting sessions. Eventually you will build your own shooting routine that is consistent and instinctive. Many pro shooters stick to their instinctive routine and don't focus on aspects of their form when competing. When competing they have a saying that they use or maybe they have a memorized bible verse. This helps them slow down and relax under the pressure, concentrating only on the target. The same principle could be applied to shooting at a trophy buck to minimize "buck fever".

More shooting tips:

1. On elevated shots (tree stands), draw straight back (horizontal) and then bend at the waist to aim at your target. If you don't do this you will hit high on your target. In the heat of the moment it is easy to forget this rule when shooting at an animal and it has cost me three big bucks over the years. This simple rule must be ingrained in your practice sessions.

2. If you plan to hunt in the wind, rain or bad weather conditions you should practice in them. Also practice from various positions. Try shooting while your on your knees, sitting down, etc.

3. I live in Kansas so I am often hunting or shooting on windy days. One thing I do, is throw a hand full of grass up in the air and see how it is drifting. I know this seems old school but stay with me on this. Based on the distance the grass carries and direction I can make an adjustment. These are two ways to deal with the wind. If you shoot a sight on your bow with a level bubble on it, you can canter the bow watching the sight bubble. As the bubble moves outside the center line figure out how much the bow shoots to one side or the other (practice this on days with no wind). The second method for shooting in the wind is just to figure out how far you need to aim left or right in a cross wind.

4. Start your practice sessions at 20 yards and finish them at 20 yards. This builds confidence. You should also be practicing out to 50-60 yards. I am not saying you should shoot at animals at this distance. However, this extended distance will emphasize bad shooting form and make those 30 yard shots seem like slam dunks.

5. If you have multiple bows, consider setting one up for tree stand hunting and one for shooting on the ground. I call these my vertical and horizontal bows.