Top 10 Archery Spot and Stalk Shooting Skills
Top 10 Archery Spot and Stalk Shooting Skills
By Randy Ulmer
| Archery Blog | Bowhunting Tips | Hunting Blog |
Become a better bowhunter in just 10 easy steps
To be a consistently successful spot and stalk hunter you must be able to shoot well. You have to be proficient under all circumstances encountered and in every type of habitat.
Out of all the different environments, a bowhunter can find himself in, hunting in the mountains presents the toughest challenge. There you may encounter just about every situation that can make shooting difficult. The wind is usually blowing, you’re nearly always on a hillside and the shot is almost always uphill, downhill, or side-hill. You’ll be under intense pressure and you’ll probably be shooting at a relatively long distance.
When it is time to shoot, you may have been lying flat-out on your belly for several hours – usually after a long stalk. You will have to draw your bow slowly and quietly with cold, stiff muscles. You’ll likely be shooting from an awkward position, around or over a bush, tree, or boulder.
Those are just a few of the physical difficulties. When you add in the capacity of a large set of antlers to cause a massive mental meltdown, it’s easy to understand why even seasoned veterans get weak in the knees and succumb to buck fever. So, in order to be an all-around great hunting shot, you’ll need to work on your mental game as well.
The vast majority of my bowhunting over the last 40 years has been of the spot and stalk variety. I’ve made every shooting mistake that one is capable of making--and most of these mistakes I’ve made again and again. Unfortunately, I still make lots of mistakes. However, I do have a great deal of experience and I have learned a few things. So, I’d like to give you some advice. Hopefully, your learning curve will be easier (and shorter) than mine has been.
1) Learn to be a long-range shooter:
To be an effective spot and stalk hunter you need to increase your effective shooting range. By long-range, I mean any shot over 20 or 30 yards. Hopefully, you can stretch your effective range out to 40 yards or beyond.
Trying to slip within 20 yards of a bedded animal is very difficult to do. And even if you’re capable of getting that close, it would probably be a mistake. I remember getting within 10 yards of a few bedded mule deer bucks in my early days. Once I got that close, it dawned on me that I didn’t know what to do next. What I did on those occasions, is what I’ve always done best: I spooked the deer.
I believe the sensitivity of an older age-class animal increases exponentially as you close the distance. For instance, I think you can get away with a lot more than twice as much noise, movement, and odor at 40 yards as you can at 20 yards. Nowadays, I rarely push a stalk inside 40 yards. Rather than forcing the action, I’ve learned to be patient and wait for things to unfold. I’ll remain motionless for hours if necessary and let the animal make the next move. I choose to stop my stalk at the furthest range where I can consistently make a lethal shot.
Statistically speaking, if you are going to stay back to make the shot, you need to be able to shoot accurately out to 40 yards. According to the Pope and Young Club, the average shot at a trophy whitetail buck (usually hunted from a stationary position) is around 20 yards. However, most trophy muley bucks (usually hunted spot and stalk) are killed at approximately 40 yards.
2) Be patient:
I can look back on nearly every successful stalk I’ve made and point out how patience helped me take the animal. The most important time to be patient is when choosing the time to shoot. Most people tend to rush the shot. They have an overwhelming urge to get the suspense over with and shoot as quickly as possible. These hunters describe a constant, nagging fear that the buck will detect them and run before they can shoot.
Remember, your odds of actually killing the deer are better if you are patient. You need to wait for a time when the vitals are fully exposed and the deer is either looking away or has his vision blocked. You almost always have more time than you think you do.
3) Practice Uphill and downhill shots:
If you’re going to spot and stalk in the mountains, you’ll eventually have to shoot sharply uphill or downhill. You just won’t get many flat shots here. Shooting these steep shots is tough for a couple of reasons, First, you can’t just range the animal and shoot. You have to figure out what the ‘shoot for’ distance is before you draw your bow.
Although it may not seem logical, you have to aim lower on both uphill and downhill shots than you would when shooting the same distance on flat ground. The rule of thumb is to shoot for the horizontal distance to the animal, rather than the true (line-of-sight) distance.
You can guess how many yards to cut, but that hasn’t worked well for me in the past. The easiest, quickest and most convenient way to determine the ‘shoot for’ distance is with a tilt-compensated range-finder. It will measure the angle and automatically make the calculations for you.
Knowing the distance to shoot for is extremely important. And a good tilt-compensating rangefinder will give you that information, no matter the terrain. But that’s only half the battle. You also need the necessary skill to make the shot. Severe uphill, downhill and side-hill shots can be extremely difficult to make and require a great deal of practice to master.
Whether you are shooting uphill or downhill, always keep your form the same from the waist up. In other words, your arms should always be at right angles to your torso. We call this T-form.
In order to maintain this T-form, you must bend at the waist, whether you are shooting uphill or downhill. In order to become proficient, you need to find a place to practice these shots, and the steeper the better. I like to place one target up a very steep hill and one target down the hill. I make the distance between the targets my maximum effective range. I shoot the uphill target first and then climb up with my bow and rangefinder, then shoot the same arrows back down at the lower target.
4) Practice Side hill shots:
If you lean (the proper term is cant) your bow to the left of vertical, you’ll shoot to the left. If you cant your bow to the right, you’ll shoot to the right. The angle of your bow doesn’t matter all that much on close shots on flat ground. However, when shooting longer shots on steep hill sides it is extremely important to keep your bow vertical.
Most of us use the horizon, or the ground between us and the target, as a subconscious reference when vertically aligning our bow. You may not even think about it, but trust me, you do it on every shot. This works great on flat land in Kansas, but not in the steep terrain of the Rockies. In the mountains, nearly everyone will be influenced by the angle of the terrain. They’ll nearly always miss to the down-slope side of the target. So, if you’re going to hunt in the mountains, it’s crucial to have a level on your sight.
Some bowhunters tell me they don’t want to use a level because they won’t remember to look at it when they’re shooting at a deer anyway. My point in advocating a level, is that even if you never look at it when you’re shooting at game, using it in practice will teach you to hold your bow at the same angle on every shot. That training is going to carry through on all your shots. So, my advice is to practice with a bubble and look at it on every shot until it becomes an integral part of your shot routine.
5) Adjusting for changes in elevation:
If you sight-in your bow at sea level and then hunt at 10,000 feet, you will shoot high, especially at longer ranges. At high elevations the air is thinner and does not create as much resistance as it does at lower elevations. Arrows maintains more downrange velocity at higher elevations, so they will have a flatter trajectory.
This flatter trajectory usually comes as quite a surprise to the bow hunter-- and often at the worse possible moment. This is especially true among mule deer hunters that have traveled directly to timberline from their low elevation homes.
Of course, the real key to fixing the problem is first understanding that it exists. After that, the physical solution is simple. Because the gap between each of your pins is affected by the different trajectory, you can’t simply gang-adjust your entire sight head upward. You could re-sight every pin individually, but that is very time consuming.
The most efficient method I’ve found to sight in at high elevation, is to turn down my bow’s draw weight to reduce arrow speed. The key is to reduce the bow’s weight just the right amount.
Here’s how I do it: I start by sighting my closest pin (20 yards). This pin should be affected very little by the change in elevation- I rarely have to change mine. Then I back up and shoot the distance my longest pin is set for. (This is where I continue to shoot while making all my adjustments). I start turning my limb bolts out (reducing draw weight) in small increments until I’m hitting dead-on at this longer range. (Make sure to turn both bolts an equal amount in order to maintain even tiller.)
Once you’re right-on at long-distance, move up and check your short-range pins again, just to be sure everything is still tracking. Your 20-yard impact point may be slightly below the intended target, but the difference will be so small that it is insignificant.
6) Practice shooting with obstacles:
There is no such thing as a “normal” shot while spot and stalk hunting. You have to take the shot you’re given. Because things can deteriorate rapidly, it is important to take the first really good shot that you are presented with. Because we try to use the most cover possible to stalk into position, there are often obstacles between the hunter and the deer at the time of the shot. If the obstacle is close to the animal it generally presents no problem. The arrow will go where the pin is aimed and you’ll notice if there’s a branch in the way.
However, if the obstacle is either very close to you or midway between you and the target, you may have a real problem. Your line-of-sight is not the same as your arrow’s trajectory. That’s the reason many bowhunters end up with deflections. They see nothing between themselves and buck’s chest, so they shoot. That’s when their arrow hits a branch and deflects.
You usually don’t have much time to determine if your arrow will go above or below an obstacle. Luckily, there are a few tricks that you can use to hasten the process. Here’s how: With your bow at full draw, aim at the deer with the appropriate sight pin. Quickly guess the distance to any mid-range obstacles. If the pin that corresponds with that distance is clear of the obstacle, go ahead and shoot. Your arrow will fly over or under the obstacle and make it cleanly to the target.
Here’s an example: Assume a buck is standing 40 yards away. He’s broadside, feeding. Unfortunately, a limb between you and the buck cuts right across his vitals and may deflect your arrow. Use your rangefinder or make an estimate of the distance to the limb. Let’s assume it’s 30 yards away. Draw your bow and put your 40-yard pin on the buck’s chest. If your 30-yard pin is above the limb, your arrow will clear it.
It takes an extremely composed bowhunter to recognize potential obstacles that aren’t in his line of sight. A simple step added to your pre-shot routine should help you avoid some deflections. When deciding if you have a clear shot, take an extra moment to look for any obstacles that are close to you and below your line of sight. Next look farther out, at mid range, for any obstacles above your line of sight. If there is a branch below your line of sight a few feet away or one above your line of sight at some mid-range distance, you had better take an extra few moments to decide if your arrow is likely to deflect.
7) Shoot from your knees:
About half of my muley bucks have been taken while shooting from my knees. After I’ve crawled into position undetected, the last thing I want to do is stand up and take a chance that the deer might see me, so I shoot from my knees.
Shooting from your knees has a lot of advantages. It decreases the size of your profile, it keeps you low to the ground and out of the wind. If done properly, it can actually help you to hold steadier than you can from the standing position. Unfortunately, a lot of folks have a hard time shooting accurately when they’re on their knees.
Here are a few tips that might help you shoot better from the kneeling position: Rather than rising all the way up, try to shoot while sitting on your heels--It‘s much steadier. Make sure you position yourself at a right angle to the target. It’s very difficult to hold steady if you twist either left or right while at full draw on your knees. Carefully place your hand into the grip exactly like you would while standing. This may be a little difficult, because your bow is in a different position. Maintain good T-form-- meaning your arms need to be perpendicular to your torso. Don’t slouch, keep your torso upright and use back tension. Make sure your bottom limb or wheel won’t hit the ground when you shoot. And Lastly, focus on maintaining good follow through.
If you want to become proficient shooting from your knees, you need to practice. With just a little work you’ll find yourself shooting as well from your knees as you can from the standing position.
8) Practice unconventional shots:
When you’re spot and stalk hunting, you’ll rarely get a conventional shot. It’s not often that you can stand upright on flat ground and use the same form that you’ve been practicing during the entire off-season. You will most likely be forced to shoot from an awkward position.
Working on your traditional shooting form at the range is important, but it shouldn’t be the only kind of practice you do. A great way to increase your chances at success while spot and stalk hunting is to practice difficult shots.
Practice from the sitting position. You’ll find that the bow will seem harder to draw and hold at first. Again, you’ll feel differences in the way your body balances. Practice while crouching as if to shoot under a branch. Shoot while leaning to the left and right as if shooting around an obstacle. Shoot while twisted to the left and to the right.
You’ll find that anytime you deviate from your classic shooting form your accuracy diminishes - at first. But as you practice from all these strange positions you’ll grow more comfortable and it won’t affect your ability to focus and relax during the shot.
An excellent way to practice difficult hunting shots is to get together with a couple of buddies and a 3-D target. Find a place to set the target that best simulates hunting conditions. Don’t settle for any easy shots. Take turns picking the shot. You can call any type of foot position, kneeling, sitting, twisting etc. When you combine these difficult shots with friendly competition you will quickly get more proficient. Most of your shots at game will seem easy relative to the tough shots you’ve practiced.
9) Increase your maximum effective range:
Spot and stalk hunting usually provides for longer shots than those seen from a stand. One of the best ways to improve your shooting skills and increase your confidence is through long-range practice. Stop doing most of your practicing at 20 yards. You’ll never reach your full potential as an archer by making practice sessions easy. At first, you may be uncomfortable shooting at longer ranges. That’s OK. The more you shoot at these longer distances the more confident you’ll become. If you want to become proficient out to 50 yards, then do most of your practicing at 60 to 80 yards.
Some of the top bowhunters in the country routinely practice at ranges out to 100 yards. Because of this practice they aren’t intimidated at all by a 50 yard shot in the field. The danger with long range practice is that you may become over confident. Just because you can consistently hit the vitals of a 3-D target at 60 yards in your backyard under ideal conditions doesn’t mean you can do it in a real hunting situation. Because of all the variables involved when shooting at a real animal, I limit my maximum shooting range when hunting to one half of what it is at the range. It’s important to get comfortable with shooting all distances before hunting.
10) Practice shooting in difficult conditions:
The only time practice should be easy is when you are working on specific elements of your shooting form or working on your equipment. When doing this, shoot at close range on flat ground with no wind, so you can focus on the particular thing you working on. Otherwise, most of your practice should be as demanding as possible – much more difficult than any shot you will face in the field. The hardest shots you take every year should never be at an animal while hunting. Tough practice will stretch your comfort zone and make the real thing seem a lot easier.
Spot and stalk shooting challenges the bow hunter. If you want to be successful, you’re going to have to shoot well under just about any circumstance. Unfortunately, no matter how good you are or how much you’ve practiced, you will make mistakes. So, it is paramount for us as ethical bowhunters to be well prepared, choose our shots carefully and only take the shots we are confident we can make.
