My father is an instinctive shooter, and uses both a recurve and a compound. When I first learned I tried to shoot instinctive and couldn’t learn it so I picked up sights. I can out-shoot him on a target many times, but as he says, its not about hitting a bullseye target in the woods, its about hitting a living, breathing target and its worlds different - he’s right.
Here’s my advice, take it for what its worth, and its mixed with my personal feelings on the matter. May make you laugh, but its how I feel. When you first pick up a bow, you need a good 6 months to a year (I’d prefer the latter) to be ready to use it for hunting an animal. There is a lot you need to learn, a lot of bad habits you need to avoid acquiring or overcoming, and a lot of effort that goes into bow hunting. Understanding proper release, follow-through, squeezing the trigger - not pulling or plucking, holding your focus even seconds after you’ve released your arrow until it hits its target. Holding the bow for long periods of time, its not the same as target shooting, deer are sporadic and move differently, they hardly ever do exactly what you expect and you’re caught holding your draw for long periods. Taking a shot when tired can be risky. Archery isn’t rifle hunting. A rifle bullet breaks up on impact, an arrow penetrates and even those fun mechanicals (which I don’t personally like) only open so big and don’t spread. You need to place your shot well and in the target area to get a kill.
All of that said, what I’m trying to get across is, you owe it to the animal to bring your best to the woods when you intend to kill it. If you’re going to take a shot, you take it knowing you can make the shot a good, clean, quick kill shot. Not a gut shot, not a neck shot, not a kidney shot. You aren’t and won’t be good enough to make those kinds of “dialed” shots as a 1 year Archer - and its irresponsible of an experienced Archer to try to take such shots to prove his awesomesness at the expense of the animal (by the way, obviously gut shot is not a goal shot). Quartering towards shots aren’t good, nor are fully frontal shots, broad-side and 3-quartering away are the best for shot placements for arrows to do the most damage. 3 quartering aiming at the back ribs so the arrow goes forward through both lungs and into the heart. Broadside for the lungs and heart region. As I said, show the animal the respect it deserves and put it your time. Anyone who recommends otherwise is not truly respectful of their quarry or true “hunters” or “woodsmen”.
Nothing makes me feel shittier than to have made a bad shot. You’re sick for days afterwards wondering if you could have done better, whether the animal died, or will survive the winter. Its not worth the experience and even with the time and effort invested, bad shots do happen. Don’t increase the chances, and don’t be an irresponsible person in the first place. You’ve got maybe 2 months until the start of the season, you should have picked up a bow in January to try and be ready for this year. In my opinion, you are not ready for Archery this year, and to do so would be irresponsible. A bow is not a gun or like any other weapon. Nor is Archery/Bow hunting like any other style of hunting.
