Summer... the off Season

Do you put your bow away after spring turkey season or at the end of deer season? Do you wait until a month before archery season to get your bow out and start shooting?  I like archery shooting so much, I shoot almost all year long. I do take a little time off around Christmas.

My favorite off-season activity is 3D shoots at our local archery club. I also enjoy the indoor video hunt league at the archery shops. We shoot pretty much every night, now that the weather has gotten nicer, in my back yard. My good buds Michelle and Sarah come over. Some of hubby's buddies also join us.  I think this summer we should start and annual backyard 3D shoot.  Just something fun to do and a little

friendly competition to push ourselves. (More on that at a later time.)

Michelle

We also take family walks in the woods. Ride our four wheeler. And spend time on the lake, either fishing or just boating with friends.

Then of course we get our practice in with our guns.  Sometimes we go to a shooting range. Other times we shoot in our backyard at targets. Either way is great. We are sharpening our shooting skills and having fun while we do it. I really need to get more target shooting in this summer with my shotgun and my rifle.  However I do not want to shoot to much because I don't want to use up my ammunition. (That still frustrates me that we can't get ammo, I digress.) But I do need to practice so I will have to break down and use some ammo. I have to work on getting my reaction time faster for rabbit hunting.

I have a goal to be at a 50 pound draw weight by hunting season.  So in order to do this, I need to shoot often and I need to train the muscles involved in shooting a bow. Purchasing a bow trainer is a great way to strengthen your back and shoulders.  Here is another exercise that Bowhunter Magazine recommends to strengthen your bow hunting muscles:

Prone T's- improves shoulder stability, strengthens the rotator cuffs, and increases muscle patterns.

To perform the exercise, pull your shoulder blades in toward your spine and extend your arms to the sides to create a T with your torso. Keep your arms long and straight, 90 degrees to your torso. Point your thumbs up, toward the ceiling. Keep your head in line with your spine. Keep your shoulder blades back and down, trying to squeeze them together. You should feel the contraction in the backs of your shoulders and in your upper back between the shoulder blades. I need to do this exercise more often. 

Don't hang your bow up when hunting season is over. Get out there and enjoy the outdoors. Make it a family event.  Who knows you may just make a better kill shot during the next hunting season.