Many archers believe that the form used by professional 3-D shooters and top target archers is somehow not applicable to hunting. I beg to differ. A good shot is a good shot regardless of what is on the other side of the pin. The techniques used to win 3-D tournaments are the same ones that will produce the best shots in the field.

Most top 3-D shooters would not be caught dead punching the trigger, yet this fault is very common among bowhunters. Target archers rely on a surprise release to assure that their left side doesn’t know what their right side is doing. There is no anticipation as the archer simply aims until the bow fires the arrow. I’ve seen bowhunters in many hunting camps pull the trigger in a conscious attempt to time the shot. This method is fraught with peril. Target panic is virtually unavoidable and it will seriously degrade your accuracy and your enjoyment of the sport.

Most of us have hunted with a rifle at one time or another. You didn’t mash the trigger just because it was a hunting gun, did you? Of course you didn’t. Whether target shooting or hunting, we all intuitively realize that a rifle trigger must be squeezed so the shot takes us by surprise. It is exactly the same with a bow.

Here are a few simple tips that will help you shoot your hunting release more effectively. If you shoot an index trigger model, don’t try to work the trigger with your fingertip. Get a deeper bite – up to your first joint. Your finger should take up an increasing amount of the draw force as you pull through the shot using your back muscles.

If you shoot a thumb-trigger release, anchor the pad of your thumb tip on the side of your index finger and pull through the shot with the last three fingers of your release hand. This will naturally rotate the release and force the trigger into the base of your thumb causing it to fire unexpectedly.

Make it your goal to squeeze off a surprise release with every shot you take. Whether practicing in your backyard or shooting at a big buck this fall, it is the best way to shoot a bow.