First cold shot

[8upbowhunter]

My very first arrow of the day is usually how I judge my accuracy. If I can make that first arrow count every time I feel good about my chances when the time comes for a shot on an animal. Anyone else use this method to gauge their accuracy? Here is this mornings cold shot at 20 yds.

[varmint101]

Yes, a month or so before season  I will pop out and take 1 shot off my deck.  That is the measure for sure!

[10essee]

I do the same thing with every session I shoot. I know my hunting area only allows for a 20 yard shot max so every time I shoot i shoot one arrow at 20 yards from the ladder stand in my yard. After that one from the stand I'll generally shoot 3-4 dozen from various yardage out to 30 working on form and consistency.

[Pine]

Exactly

I pay a lot of attn to my first shot of the day, but just about any critter I shoot does not get my first arrow of the day. Even for morning hunts, I always shoot some arrows before I head to the stand.

Bisch

[RAGHORN 3]

Well...it kind of depends? Which target were you looking at to hit?      

[8upbowhunter]

Originally posted by RAGHORN 3:
Well...it kind of depends? Which target were you looking at to hit?            

Haha good one, can't you see I was trying to hit the one on the right

[Pat B]

I don't hunt much anymore but when I did I'd take only one shot in the early morning and one in the evening from an elevated stand(my front porch) the last month before the opening of the season.
By this time your shooting should be at it's best anyway and a shot or 2 a day should be sufficient to keep your muscles in shape. I usually didn't shoot more because I didn't want to pick up any bad habits that late in the game.

[DarrinG]

Yep, the first shot tells a lot.

That being said, I always carry a blunt or Judo in my quiver and take a few stump-shots while walking in to my stand, well away from the stand of course, to loosen up, stretch the muscles and make sure my rig is ready.

[fireball31]

Originally posted by Pat B:
I don't hunt much anymore but when I did I'd take only one shot in the early morning and one in the evening from an elevated stand(my front porch) the last month before the opening of the season.
By this time your shooting should be at it's best anyway and a shot or 2 a day should be sufficient to keep your muscles in shape. I usually didn't shoot more because I didn't want to pick up any bad habits that late in the game.

That is interesting. I typically go the exact opposite. I tend to ramp up my shooting in september in an attempt to peak once the season starts and then I still blank bale every night.

[katman]

Starting 7/1 first shot of the days practice is broadhead tipped fletched shaft. Then on to the practice. I kill the plastic soda bottle in my sand pit just about everyday, almost, lol.

[M60gunner]

I believe in this as well. In one of Fred Bear's books he mentions this as well. Seems he had not shot for sometime. First shot out he hit the mark. What he wrote made sense to me.

[J-dog]

That is what I do that is the most important arrow of the day - -

J

Good shot BTW

When my wife says, "knock it off, I'm not cooking anymore damn squirrels for you."  that is when I am ready to take deer hunting serious.  My first shots of any hunting day are with in spitting distance of my car, I draw my bow every so often, and yes, when small game is nearing and I am actually trying to shoot a deer, I look around, nope, don't see any deer, I go for it.

[8upbowhunter]

I shoot almost every day and multiple sessions a day sometimes. My most importand shot is the very first one of the day, after that it is the first shot of each session. I will start shooting a broadhead as my first arrow each session starting in August.