Preparing for the moment of truth is one of the great challenges of bowhunting.
You can watch hunting shows on TV and download video after video, yet when that big buck begins to wander toward your stand, your heart will pound, your knees will shake, and you may blow the shot. Realistic practice helps, but it’s that adrenalin rush we live for. There’s no better place to build your experience than a target-rich environment such as a Southern hog hunt, or better yet, an African safari. Imagine watching 100 big game animals approach to 10 yards and drink in front of you. If you’re careful, you can even practice a draw in certain situations to see how your emotions react.
A Lesson Well Learned
Bob Foulkrod taught me how to draw a bow in sight of a game animal at his Pennsylvania bow school. Ten years after that lesson, I employed the practice on a trophy of a lifetime. I was in Namibia, hoping to get a shot at a big eland bull after fifteen years of trying. On the last day of the hunt, I saw an old bull approach from a distance as a big kudu bull drank just five yards away to the side of the blind. Afraid the Kudu would see me, I hid below the shooting window until I heard the Eland wade into the water hole. Kneeling on the ground, I came to full draw and slowly stood up to shoot, praying that the kudu didn’t see me and bark an alarm call. When the pin reached the middle of the eland’s shoulder I released and the shaft buried to the fletch, downing the huge beast within 100 yards.
Shot Placement
The anatomy of various animals differs. When bowhunting, you don’t want to shoot a black bear, a wild hog, or an elk on the shoulder, because they have heavy muscles or gristle plates that 
greatly reduce arrow penetration; a shot behind the shoulder will catch both lungs. In Africa, just the opposite is true: Shooting behind the shoulder misses the vital organs. Likewise, the angle of a standing animal changes the aiming point dramatically. All of this information is difficult to remember and access at the moment of truth. That’s why the more experience you have on actual animals, the better hunter you become. Want to learn more? The book The Perfect Shot: North America is a must for all big-game hunters; it’s available at craigboddington.com.
Stateside Hunts
Fortunately, you don’t have to travel to Africa in order to get shooting experience, although it’s a great idea. Hog hunts will teach you many shooting lessons and will help build confidence for that 
moment of truth. Exotic Texas hunts are also exciting, and may give you a chance to spot and stalk, something you may not be able to do in your local deer woods. Suburban doe areas are excellent. After taking the first animal, donate the venison to a local food bank through Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry or another such organization.
Unless you’re truly blesssed, you may get only one shot at a 160+ buck in your lifetime. By practicing on other game in similar situations, you’ll be ready.
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