Shooting A Bow

Shooting a bow is natural and beautiful when your "in the zone".

You have most likely had a few times when something incredible happen in your life. Something which was beyond what you thought or imagined. Maybe you did something which you thought you couldn't do, or ever do again.

You may say you were "in the zone", completely focused, yet not even trying that hard. Or it could have been a time when your emotions were extreme, an emergency, with the adrenaline flowing.

We all have capabilities far beyond what we normally use. They may be spiritual moments. Moments when that part of us which is greater, and more powerful, comes into the physical world for a short time.

My first memory of such an event was when I was about sixteen. My cousin Bob and I had been out driving around on a Saturday with .22 rifles. To call it hunting would be a huge stretch. It was two boys messing around, and we usually had our .22s with us.

In an old car, we couldn't really get off road, but we drove out in an uncle's field. We stopped two or three hundred yards from a small pond where we often went fishing. We were going to plink at something around the pond; again, we were just messing around.

I got out of the car and at the same time a blue heron flew and lit on the top of a dead tree in the pond. A heron is a bird which looks fair sized, but the actual body is very small.

< Note: This is not the same place, and a much bigger crane, but it looks similar.

I had a six inch High Standard .22 revolver in a holster on my belt. I pulled it out, and laid across the top of the car and said, "Watch this Bob!" I was just kidding.

It was such a ridiculous long shot for a .22 rifle, and I didn't even use my rifle. I knew it was impossible. I remember getting the sights lined up and simply elevating the barrel until they completely hid the bird. I couldn't even see the bird as I pulled the trigger.

I was casually shooting at the bird, and only expecting to scare it away at best. It took long enough for the bullet to get there that I was able to see clearly as the bird simply did a nose dive out of the old tree.

Bob said, "Wow!", or maybe something stronger.

I could't believe I hit it. We had to walk down to confirm the kill. I thought it just looked like I hit it . Maybe it had flown straight down for some reason. But it was dead!

I remember another shot, not so impressive, but still... My brother-in-law and I were walking along with a steep ridge to our left. Doves were flying out of the field couldn't see us, and several flew right over us, very low.

I had a single shot .22 Contender handgun with a scope; not good for wing-shooting. I loaded a .22 bird/rat shot in it, and casually dropped the next dove which came over. I don't think I'd ever shot at a flying bird with a handgun before that.

On another dove hunt I was holding his gun and mine while he crossed a fence. A dove flew over and I shot it using my .410 pump like a handgun. Not such a great shot, but I didn't know I could do that.

I always thought these shots were just lucky accidents, until I started shooting a stick-bow.

Shooting a bow with no sights, no real clue of the range, or how much elevation was needed, I have casually hit a coke can at over fifty yards.
I have also completely missed, easy shots, a million times.

Shooting a bow almost straight up I knocked a squirrel out of the very top of a good sized tree. I cut a running turkey's throat with a broad-head at about fifteen yards.

Many times I've hit a dime size target at twenty yards or more, and seemingly without trying.

When shooting a bow if I'm consciously thinking about hitting something; I often miss.

If you've read some of my other pages you may know I am life long gun nut. I was very reluctant about even trying a bow at first.

Now I love to shoot a stick-bow. It is simpler, but still more involving than shooting a compound bow or a rifle, using sights, or scope. Those are fun, but a more mechanical thing.

Shooting a bow (stick bow) is more like a shotgun, but even more than that. It can be a natural and beautiful thing to watch or to do.

Now that I have shot a bow for years I feel 'somewhat' more confident, more relaxed, and I shoot a little more consistently.

Shooting a bow is a skill, an art, a mental game. Trying too hard seems to destroy the natural flow of it.

It takes a lot of practice before your bow shooting form becomes second nature. If you have to think about your shooting you often destroy the shot.

When shooting a bow some say they look down the arrow. Some say you should pre-visualize the arrow going where you want. Some say only concentrate on the target and nothing else.

If I am blessed with many more years of shooting; I may have some good advice eventually.

I think I do all of the above, and when it's right. It's so right.
When it's right, I know the shot is good as the arrow leaves the bow, it just feels right. It might be compared to a good wife, few things in the world are so good, but also frustrating at times.

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