To be honest with you, you just need to be confident with your equipment and your own ability. Shooting at a target is a world of difference than shooting at an animal. Very seldomly does a deer stop at exactly 20 yards. Practice judging ranges and shooting these ranges. The best tip I can offer is to aim for particular spots because a smaller target smaller miss.

It is hard to resist that first time when you have a deer almost in range and you know you have never made the shot in practice, but you think, "I can do it if I am just lucky and what a great story it will be to tell." Hopefully you miss. Sometimes you stick the deer in an odd body part and it hobbles off to tell all his friends and your neighbors what a fool you are. Not that it has ever happened to me.

Practice shooting at a little paper plate, the type they serve cake on at kids parties.

Practice in the same conditions, clothes, location, and angle that you are going to try to really shoot a deer from.

It sounds simple, but I asked a trainer at the gym what I could do to improve my vertical jump in an effort to try to duck the basketball one more time. It has been 13 years. The trainer looked at me and said, "remember when you were 15 and you tried to dunk every day until you couldn't jump anymore? There is no better way to practice that to go out and try to dunk over and over and over. Funny, I haven't once "tried" to dunk because I know I can't. What strange logic we develop as we get older.

Practice the shot you intend to take.

I agree with both.You should be confident with your equipment and ability. You should never try and take shots that "you think" you can make and that goes with any type of weapon. I want to add  one more thing; know the anatomy of the animal you are trying to harvest. I made the mistake of assuming placement for arrow is same as placement for rifle.......STUPID. My shot  was perfect but I was 2 inches high and hit a little below the spine. the javalina did not run since I nicked the spine with my grim ripper. AFter a few minutes of waiting I could see that I did not make a double lung shot and knew the animal would take a long time to expire. I was able to put him down with quickness and after gutting and cleaning the Jav. I noticed I just missed a perfect double lung shot and hit an area where it was above the lungs but below the spine........I reaserched and found that they have a similar anatomy BUT there heart and lungs are lower in the chest cavity then I assumed. So you have to be confident, know your limitations and know your animal. My suggestion when you think your ready than your ready. GOOD luck your going to love bow hunting.-

only after you've missed a few deer.  It's one thing to hit the target time and time again, it's another to see that the deer can duck and dodge while your arrow is in flight.  very important to wear your gear when practicing (adding layers on your hands, arms, and face affects your shot dramatically)

Out Enjoying That Great Texas Countryside

I will have to agree with every post on here so far.  Practice until you are good, Practice with your hunting gear your going to wear and gear on your bow (quiver, etc.) Practice with your broadheads, sometimes they will not fly as well as field points if your bow is not tuned just right.  I am going to generalize here and say that 80% of bow shots are taken at 20 yards or less.  I know that has been my experience over the years.  I have taken shots at 40 yards MAX but I knew the exact distance and I was confident at that range.  Practice with one arrow for a while, it is the first shot of the day that counts usually.  If you can consistantly hit the spot with one arrow time after time then you probably have the confidence it takes.  Hunt small game if you have a place to do that.  I have killed rabbits by the hundreds over the past 40 years at all different ranges and I aim at them just like I would a deer size animal.  I think most importantly just enjoy the hunt, you will spend more time just sitting and watching all that goes on around you than actually shooting at an animal.  If you are successful you will have learned to sit still ,be quiet and blend in.  Best of luck to you.  Didn't mean to blab so much either, there is just nothing like bowhunting.

You'll know when you're ready. When you are completely confident in your ability to handle you equipment and to keep your shots within a distance you can consistently be in the kill zone you're definitely ready...trust yourself, practice and get some field time. If you don't have a shot you're comfortable in DON'T take it....just watch the animal and learn a little bit more about them from the encounter. You do have a good start and I salute you, you've asked the opinions of others now it's up to you to put it to good use. Good luck, hope you get your first bow kill deer this season.

Support our Troops !

I use the pie plate rule mentioned earlier.  Practice with the pie plate, if you can consitently group inside the plate at 20 yards, that is your max hunting distance.  If it is 30 or 40 yards...that is your max distance.  My first bow hunt, I was confident out to 30 yards and shot a doe at about 20 yards.  Double lung.  It has been quite a long time since then, and I am really only confident out to 40 yards now.  Also, when I get to the field, I pace off landmarks.  20 yards to this tree, 30 to this rock, 40 to that tree, etc.  I can't afford a rangefinder, and that has worked well for me in the past.  Statisticly speaking, I have heard that something like 90% of all bow kills come from less than 30 yards, so keep that in mind when you are deciding weather or not to go this year.  Good Luck!

I AGREE WITH THE TOP POSTS.. BUT THEY LEFT OUT 1 THING... A RANGEFINDER ALWAYS TAKE A RANGERFINDER WHEN YOUR BOWHUNTING...

I seen a world champ archer one time on his first deer hunt and he missed a deer inside 20yds. He much agreed that shooting at targets is not the same. I agree with all the comments above. The only thing that I would add is that a "pie plate" is not a bad idea but focus even smaller. I'm all about the "aim small miss small."  Deer can react so fast to an arrow release. Aim for the heart but literally aim for a hair. If the deer drops, you will probably still get the lungs. The best advice is, "Don't give up!" 

BBD! Shane

I agree with the Rangefinder idea. But I don't try to Range deer, I range landmarks, shooting lanes, trails, etc.  That way when that big buck or nice doe shows up, you don't have to fumble with a range finder, if you don't have to.

If you have a place to practice (outside, a farm or ranch, etc) I'd recommend one of the new Block targets.  It has great little spots to shoot at.  BUT, on the end has a deer's vital zone.  Great practice target.  Plus it will take broadheads, too.

I would also concur with the practice.  I used to just shot 20 yeards and under.  Last year I starting shooting out to 50 yards consistently.  Guess what, 20 yard shots now look CLOSE.  Lesson here is even if never plan to shoot 50 yards (I don't, but I could) you've practiced at mutiple ditances and you become a better judge of distances.

Good luck and practice, practice, practice!!!!