Chapter 5: Preparation Before the Hunt
Basic Steps for Shooting a Bow
Assume the Shooting Position: Stand
at a right angle to the target with your back foot slightly forward
and your feet shoulder-width apart. The stance should feel comfortable and balanced.
Nock the Arrow: Nock an arrow while pointing and holding
the bow in a safe direction—toward the target. The nock of the
arrow is placed at the nock locator, which is a crimped brass or rubber
ring or a marked area, on the bow string. The locator seats the nock
in the same location on the string every time you shoot.
Draw the Bow and Anchor:
Follow these steps.
- Grip the bow handle or riser
but don’t squeeze it.
- Present the bow to the target, and align the
sight on the target.
- With your bow arm straight, raise the bow to a point
that your arm is parallel to the ground, while simultaneously drawing
the string back to your anchor point with your shooting hand. The anchor
point is the position where your shooting hand consistently comes to
a normal rest on or near your face. To ensure accuracy, make sure your
bowstring hand comes to the same point each time you shoot.
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Aim: Instinctively "shoot where you look" or use
bow sights to help you align your arrow with the target. If you
use sights, you must have the proper sight picture–the correct alignment
of target, front sight, and rear sight–prior to releasing an arrow.
Release the String: Once you have the proper sight picture,
quickly relax your fingers or trigger the mechanical release in a smooth, confident
manner.
Follow Through: After releasing the arrow, follow through
by focusing on the sight picture you saw immediately prior to the shot.
Tuning Your Bow
Tuning your bow is the process of adjusting the nocking point up or down
and adjusting the arrow rest assembly from side to side to get stable flight
from the arrow. If a bow isn’t properly tuned, an arrow may fishtail
(move from side to side) or porpoise (move up and down).
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