In Part I of my previous article, I shared ideas for extending your hunting opportunity beyond the deer season.  Extending your hunting season is great, but it may not be for everyone. You may have no interest in pursuing small game, don't have the time to travel, or don't what to spend additional money by heading out of state.  While extending your hunting season on small game, varmints, and predators will improve your hunting skills and increase your practice time, your skills can be improved in other ways as well.  That's what this article will focus on.  We will be heading indoors so you won't need to pack your gear or start your truck!  Scratching your head?  I am talking about shooting in your apartment, house, or garage.

Safety!

Shooting indoors will take your practice session to the next level, but you should be extremely confident with your shooting skills before you partake in this activity.  If you are not absolutely sure you can make every shot, practice at an Archery shop first.  Focus and concentration is essential as you do not want to miss your target and send your arrow into the walls or your furnishings.  When shooting indoors with a family or pets, safety is key.  Always ensure you are shooting in a safe manner and your family knows when and where you are practicing.  Your targets are much closer than you may normally practice at so make sure you know where your arrows will hit at this limited distance.  If you are in an apartment you will want to check your lease agreement to make sure you are not evicted or breaking any codes.

My home range, 11 yards, plenty of fun!
Your Home Range

If you are used to shooting outdoors and carelessly flinging arrows down range, this activity is not for you.  Practicing in your house works at increasing your precision shooting and will force you to concentrate under pressure.  If not, you will end up replacing your furnishings and decreasing your bank account.  There is no magical distance in my house. I have shot as close as 6 yards and as far as 14 yards.  The real key is to find a location that is safe and functional where you can practice for a given time with minimal disturbances. It is essential to keep out of the natural traffic flow areas in your house. My indoor range is set up in our basement and consists of standing in my daughters' playroom and shooting through a doorway into our furnace/storage room.  The hazards I face if an arrow would stray off course is, the doorway, furnace, water softener, camping equipment, and holiday decorations.  Concentration is key here.  While even at a short distance, you have to focus and eliminate all outside distractions, as there is no room for error and "lost" arrows!  Personally, I have done this now for two winters, shot about 2000 arrows indoors, and have never had a close call.  If you are not sure you can hit the target, visit your local pro shop's range!

Invest In A High Quality Target

Get a quality target if you plan to shoot indoors.
There are several types, sizes and variations available when purchasing a target.  My advise, skip the foam!  With the speed of modern bows and practicing at reduced distances, this is a disaster waiting to happen.  Besides arrow speed, the design of carbon small diameter arrows also allows for additional penetration.  With my setup, a Mathews Z7extreme bow and Victory VAP small diameter arrows, I have blown through friends foam targets as far as 50 yards while target shooting outside together.  I would recommend investing in a quality "Block" style target.  I purchased the Block Fusion two years ago and am completed satisfied.  My recommendation would be to buy a target that is large enough to allow you to comfortably shoot while using indoors.  The advantages of "Block" style targets are that they are made of layers.  These layers squeeze the arrow using friction to stop it.  Because of the layering, arrows are much easier to remove and nothing is stuck or melted to the arrow.

Don't Forget Technique
 
Anytime you shoot you need to be aware of your form.  I try to always be conscious of my stance, body position, grip, anchor points, and breathing.  If you truly want to work on specific skills, this is a great time to do it.  If done every time I practice, when hunting, my form will be correct.  The correct elements of the form will be ingrained into my subconscious, so when I draw back everything will feel right and I will be able to focus on my quarry.  I will be writing additional articles on form in the future.  If you need help now, I would recommend shooting at a pro shop and have them give you recommendations.  Another great method to monitor your technique is to video yourself and compare your form to what is recommended from archery books, magazines, or the internet.

Now What?

So while working on form and shooting at a limited distance inside, how can I make my shooting challenging and fun?  When shooting indoors, I have two specific practice sessions that I like to add to my regular shooting routine.  My indoor range is currently set up at 11 yards and both of these exercises are challenging and fun.  

My favorite practice session is to ignore the usual aiming spots on the target and add colored sticker microdots to the target.  This has two benefits.  First, they are smaller than the field tips and give me a real challenge to shoot at.  Most proficient shooters do not need a target the size of a quarter or larger at close range.  It further instills the bowhunting concept of picking a spot when shooting and not just shooting at the target.  Second, it makes use of the unused portions of targets.  Quality targets are not cheap and this practice activity allows me to take full advantage of the unused target area and still get a quality practice session in.


Photographs work well for close range practice.
To give my practice sessions a more real life scenario, I shoot at real pictures of the animals I plan to hunt.  I print most of these pictures off of the internet. I have included the directions that will make this easier for you. (In Google, click on  Images located in the upper left side of the computer screen.  Then type in the picture you want: deer, pronghorn, elk, or bear.  Pictures of your search will fill your computer screen. Below the search box but above the images you should see in grey writing Search tools. This will give you a drop down bar of options.  Find the heading labeled Any Size and choose large. This will give you a nice selection of large pictures to print and shoot at.) You can also save outdoor magazines or outdoor calendars that have paintings or photographs of wildlife and use them.  I keep a pile of pictures and a roll of tape on top of the target.  When I want to practice with them, all the supplies are immediately available to me.

Parting thoughts

Practicing indoors, during a snowstorm outside. 
The next time inclement weather has you stranded inside, set up that indoor shooting range.  Better yet, leave the range set up all winter and make a habit of using it.  While your range will be at a limited distance, with the information I have shared with you, shooting indoors will still be beneficial.  Practicing in your home allows you to be comfortable, shoot on your own schedule, and eliminates having to pack up your gear.  Now there is no excuse to put your bow away at the end of deer season.  Remember if you are in an apartment or town-home, shoot smart (not at a shared wall) and check to see if there are ordinances that may prevent you from doing so.  Don't forget to check out my next article "Bowhunting: What To Do During the "Off" Season - Part III" where I will give you competitive options that will continue to benefit your bowhunting skills.
  
RecordingtheOutdoors.com - Todd Koenig