I've been hunting since I was 12. A few years ago I decided to give bow hunting a try. So I bided on a Fred Bear Black Panther Two bow and it arrived a few days later. I hurriedly opened the box and got one of the arrows which was included and out the back door I went, ready to snuff the new world record. I took a piece on note book paper and stepped back about 15 yards pulled that bow back and released a horrible shot. It took over an hour to locate my lost arrow. I practiced like this for a couple of weeks before I finally took my bow to an archery pro. After I handed my bow over the counter and told JR(Archery Pro) my dilemma he smiled and said he might could help me. It was then I found out about draw weights, draw lengths, overdraws, nock alignment, proper shaft length, kissers, string silencers, quivers, field point weights, broadheads, aluminum,plastic, and carbon inserts, carbon vs aluminum arrows, helical twist of fletching vs straight fletching and the list goes on and on. There are a lot of variables when it comes to getting the right bow set up for yourself. If a person is not confident in their equipment they will not be confident in placing a good shot. You will gain confidence by having your bow set up and tuned for you by someone who knows what they are doing. Some places are going to try and sell you some awesome new bow that shoots over 300 feet per second and will cost you a small fortune. If you are dealing with someone that will give you truthful guidance on the purchase of your bow they will tell you that this it isn't necessary to shoot 300 feet per second in order to participate in the sport of bow hunting. There are some instances that you will need a bow to shoot over three hundred feet per second. If you are going to take a shot at a pronghorn at 66yds you would want a bow that is going to be super quick and accurate. In this case go ahead and spend the money for that extra speed and performance. If you are whitetail hunting you can use a bow that shoots 300fps but it is not necessary. Your ability to make a clean precise shot is more important than arrow speed. Once you get your bow set up and tuned you will need to practice. Get familiar with what a target looks like at 10,20,30, and 40 yards. Practice,practice and practice. After a while you will start grouping your arrow placement on a target within an eight inch circle at 20 yds. You want to practice so much that your draw and sight alignment is automatic. You don't even think about it. Its as natural to you as taking a breath. The more you shoot the more consistent and accurate you will become. I would say that you are ready to take to the stand when you can place five arrows within a three inch circle at 20 yds. If you can do that consistently you should not have any trouble placing an ethical killing shot. Study the anatomy of the animal that you are hunting. In bow hunting, a shot to far back on an animal could mean some long tracking time or could result in you fatally wounding the animal and not finding it. Know the kill zone and don't take a shot that you are uncertain about. Be patient when the animals come in around you. If you rush a shot you are more likely to miss. If you get "buck fever" and you start shaking, just give yourself a minute or two and calm down. Get use to the animal being there and start thinking about your shot.

Don't put your stand to high! I see this mistake all the time. I don't know why some hunters climb 35 and 40 feet in the air and tie themselves to a tree to bow hunt. Aside from being unsafe it is not necessary. Fifteen to twenty feet up a good tree is all you need. Select yourself some good camo and use some camo blind material to give you some added coverage. Once you have got your stand ready for action I suggest making some natural markers identifying yardage from your stand. Take an old rock and place it 10 yds from your stand. Place another at 20 and 30 yards. Make yourself some reference points so that when an animal comes into the area you are hunting you automatically know if it is between 20 and 30 yards away from you. Most bows will use the same sight pin from 10 to 20 yards.

Learning how to properly bow hunt will increase you effectiveness as a hunter. You will find yourself being more patient while rifle hunting. You will also get first chance at those trophy bucks! ( Bow season opens for two weeks before rifle season here in VA)  The most important thing is to keeping safe and enjoying the time you get to hunt. ...........and killing a trophy thats bigger than your buddies!