close encounter with a huge bull

[bradsmith2010]

yesterday was first day of elk season in New Mexico,, I got to go and took my 66 inch osage self bow,, simmons broadheads and birch 700 grain arrows,,
we had a huge bull come by at about 20 yards,, my friend was in front and got to take the shot,, his bow( osage self bow 62# @ 29") hit a limb on release and the arrow buried into an aspen,, I was happy to have a ringside seat for the action,, at least my bow got close to a bull( I could feel it quiver in my hand or was that me),, my tag is for about 10 more days and I am hoping for more encounters,, its not quite as easy as they show on utube,,

[Pat B]

Congrats for the opportunity. I was in Colorado 2 times and never saw an elk. We did hear a few bugle though.

[bradsmith2010]

yes the last time I drew a tag, I only saw a cow too far, ,no luck,,this time we got lucky, my friend was a little disappointed,, but I had a great time seeing such a magnificent animal that close,, it was great having my self bow along ,, the weather was perfect and the mountain was beautiful amazing,, so  nice trip,, I enjoyed all aspects of the trip, even the painful uphill climbs,,   I did kill a couple of stumps just to make sure my bow was sighted in,,,

[osage outlaw]

Sounds exciting.  I hope you are taking some pictures to share with us.

[Lumberman]

Sounds awesome!! I love that ringside view; I got to watch my buddy put an arrow through one's heart in Montana but never got a shot myself. Hunting is hunting even when you are not the shooter, great job and hope you get more of those encounters.

[BowEd]

Great news...First day encounter.Can't ask for more than that,and a 20 yard shot to boot.Next time it's your turn....lol.9 days left.Sounds like a good area your in hope your weather holds up for ya.Good luck.

[cantshoot]

Exciting! People say wood isn't magnetic but they've never seen how the tinyest little twig can attract your arrow 

[bradsmith2010]

thanks guyys , I hope to get to go tomorrow,, my friends are up there today, and I am working,, so I am hunting through them,, I didnt take too many pics , but will try to get more on sunday,, I hope it will be my turn to shoot, wow thats alot of pressure  ,, but if one gets close enough I will give it my best try,, I have been stump shooting on the mountain for several weeks,,, and have my ranges down, it looks alot different shooting up and down,, my bow shoots pretty flat even with my 700 grain arrow,, so my hold is about the same out to 25,, those close shots can be challenging ,, they put alot of pressure on you ,, when the game is that close,,  tendency is to rush the shot because you think you need to, but if you can hold your nerve and shoot your normal speed,, that will usually work best for you,, when you see an animal coming its hard to see all the little limbs and such that might cause a problem, but that is just part of the challenge,, it was a great hunt for me I am still buzzing around thinking of that big guy,,

[bradsmith2010]

i went hunting yesterday,, saw 6 turkeys and a bobcat,, but the elk were scarce,, my two friends hunting didnt see or hear anything,,
I think the weather was too nice,,    I did make some nice shots on a few clumps of grass,, getting to shoot my bow on the mountain is fun in itself,, made a really nice shot at 60 plus yards ,, with witness,, 
while I am thinking of it,, I wanted to talk a bit about shooting,,
I am not a great shot,, I am just an average shot ,, but if I practice alot,, I can get pretty good,,
I dont have much room to shoot here in the city, about 10 yards,,,
but last year I just kept it up and shoot every week,, sometimes every day,,
I saw my form improve,,
swithing from one bow to the other was easy,,
I could shoot a wide range of spine out of each bow, because my release was better and my form better,,
I was worried how was my longer range shooting gonna be,,
well if you form and release are good,, its not that hard to shoot the longer ranges,,

what I found is if you can shoot a good group at a know yardage on level ground with your feet in a comfortable stance,,
all that tells you is ,,,,,  you can shoot a good group at a known distance in a comfortable stance,, shooting at your leisure,,

how does this relate to a hunting shot,, well,, usually you dont know the distance,, or how fast your are going to have to shoot,, and you are out of normal postion most the time,, maybe shooting up or down,,with obstructions all around,,

how do you practice for that,, well I think roving or stump shooting is the key,,
every shot different,, that is what tunes you up,, the variety of shots give your brain and body a chance to practice the known unknown,,,, which is key in a hunting situation where the shot is going to be improvised sometimes in a split second,,

make yourself shoot fast,, make yourself hold longer and practice every variation you might encounter as the game comes by your shooting range,,

when you are at home ,, practice your form of course, but realize that target shooting alone my not prepare you for the shot of a lifetime,,,,

[Lumberman]

60+? Good grief.. I am deciding whether I will let myself take a 25  yard shot this year. 20 and my groups are really lacking precision

[bradsmith2010]

thats 60 at a stump,, for fun,, at game I am going for 20ish,,,
Lumberman, I hear you, last  year deer season I had not been shooting well,,
I let deer go by at 15 yards,, got lucky and one came by at 8 yards,, I was comfortable at that range and made a good shot,,
since last oct,, I have practiced alot more,, and feel good to 20 on an elk,,
the way a deer can jump,, I will probably only shoot 10 or 15 yards,,,, I am old and patient,, so dont mind waiting for a good close shot,,
but when I am shooting for fun,, I will shoot as far as my bow will shoot,,

[Lumberman]

Being new to shooting a long bow, I am still trying to figure out my best anchor point and I am trying to get better at my release but I do not have much to base off. I believe I hurt the performance in my hunter for this year by over drawing it in my experimentation.. Was 45ish on the scale and now it feels like 37, also making my arrows a bit overspined. Don't mean to hijack your thread but what are your influences for release instruction?

[bradsmith2010]

your not hi jacking, any pointer I could give to help would be what the thread is about,, I am just posting for fun,, and if one thing can bring something positive that would be great,,
shooting with a good release if one of those things that is different for every shooter,,
but if your arrow is flying good out of your bow,, and not making a noise hitting the bow,, you are  probably getting a good release,,
whether you hit what you are aiming at is another story,,but get a good release consistantly and you will start to hit,,
sometimes when I hold too long the release and arrow flight is not so good,,
if I draw the bow to anchor and pull through the shot in a fairly solid motion I get my best results,,  the arrow will tell the story,,
if my third finger drags on the string too much,, my arrows not good,, so I have to work on that,,
sometimes I just shoot with no tab or glove to work on my finger pressure,,
but when I get the arrow to fly good I try to duplicate that,,
if I am having a bad day,, I stop and try the next day,,

if that is not what you are asking let me know and I will clarify to my best,,

[Lumberman]

Well I attempt a clean release just naturally of course, as in trying relax the fingers right off without tugging or "rolling" as I have heard it called. I get my cleanest flight when I have no anchor hold, essentially a snap shot but at 15+ I feel like a snap shot is just flinging hopefuls. Sure some hit well but consistently having some 2 feet off where I am aiming means I cannot with a good conscience shoot that at a deer. My flight gets more erratic as well and I can't help but feel like knowing how to "properly" release a three finger draw would help me push those distances.

[Lumberman]

I guess I am hoping for some tip to make it seem a little clearer and the real need is to keep on putting holes in my makeshift targets and improve through commitment and effort. 
Thanks for expounding