Archery Bow Hunting – Avoid These Common Mistakes Anyone that has spent any time a

rchery bow hunting can attest that the sport is filled by hours of boredom follo
wed by seconds of sheer panic. Being in the woods with a compound bow or cross b
ow, brings challenges unseen by the rifle or gun hunter. These challenges includ
e: set up location, wind direction, proximity of the game, natural cover, scent
masking and effective distances. By avoiding the three most common mistakes in a
rchery bow hunting, it will greatly enhance the archer's odds in bringing home t
rophy game. Avoid: The Nose....Knows Hunters drastically underestimate the game'
s sense of smell. The typical white tail deer can smell nearly fifty times that
of human beings. The smart hunter will: • • • • • • not wash hunting clothes and dry huntin
clothes in any thing but hunting specific detergent and dryer sheets store hunt
ing clothes in an air tight bag only take a shower using hunting specific shampo
o, soap and deodorant prior to going archery bow hunting enter the woods wearing
scent proof or rubber boots not walk into the woods without spraying down their
hunting hat, mask, gloves, release, bow, quiver, arrows, shirt, coat, pants, bo
ots and soles of their boots with a scent masking or erasing spray after setting
up ground blind or tree stand spray it with scent masking or scent erasing spra
y
Avoid: Where did it go? The hunter will never be more frustrated than when the g
ame finally approaches and suddenly the lack of preparation causes the prey to d
isappear. The smart hunter will: • • • • always remember the placement of the stand or g
round blind relative to sunrise and/or sunset invest in non-fogging binoculars a
nd range finders always carry a non-fogging chemical cloth to clean optics trim
away excessive branches and over growth for clear shooting and visibility lanes
Avoid: How Did I Miss? Often overlooked is the practice vs. hunting environments
in archery bow hunting. The smart hunter will: • practice sighting in bow or cros
s bow from a tree stand or ground blind in the back yard
• • •
use practice broad heads to study flight, range and group characteristics prior
to entering the woods will effectively range and remember certain yardage marker
s (tree, rocks, bushes, stumps, fence post and plants) from their ground blind o
r tree stand have an intimate knowledge of where to aim on the animal's vitals f
rom an elevated position vs. a ground level position
By avoiding these three most common mistakes, the hunter will greatly increase h
is/her odds of ethically harvesting game. One must never forget the power of sme
ll, the ability to see and practice makes perfect in archery bow hunting.