If you partake in this sport, you know that it never escapes your thoughts no matter how removed you are from the pheasant season. You are constantly thinking about new gadgets, aligning schedules with family and friends, keeping your pup in shape, and yes, even yourself. After all, some of those later hunts with a few inches of snow are no walk in the park. Those are the conditions that remind us of the existence of our hip flexors.
I will touch later on some tips and tricks I use to keep my dog in peak performance mode all year so that he is set up to outshine the other canines, but first, I’d like to share some shooting tips I’ve come across over the years that have really helped to keep my aim true. These tips are not just important as the season approaches, but are skills you should work on throughout the year. It will give you the added edge you’ll be so happy to have when the season opens. Trust me.
1 Cheek to Stock
Your cheek should literally be flush with the stock to ensure that you’re looking down the shotgun’s barrel.
2 Don’t remove your cheek from the stock
Removing your head when you pull the trigger changes your sight. Keep your head down and the bird will drop.
3 Follow-through
Just like with a baseball swing or a slap shot, you need to follow-through. When you slow down or stop your gun as you follow a bird in your sights, you will often find yourself shooting a few tailfeathers and a look of disdain on the face of your pup. Keep your head down and the barrel moving even after you pull the trigger.
4 Mini Follow-through using the 4 B’s
This may be confusing at first as you try to combine this step with the previous step, but if you think Butt-Bird-Beak-Bang, you’ll establish the perfect lead. Pull the trigger as you pass the bird’s beak and keep the shotgun moving and then step three will sort of just follow.
5 Aim Small, miss small
You’ve heard this one before. I’m fairly certain every hunter or marksman has. You don’t shoot at an entire bird. You will just find yourself behind the bird. Instead, pick out one element at the front of the bird – the neck ring, or if you have really good eyes, the eye or beak. Make that tiny part the target, not the bird.
6 Footing matters
Take a momentary assessment of your feet as a bird gets up. You need to make sure that your feet are planted and squared up while at the same time, bringing your gun to mount. A steady stance can help to perfect all other mechanics.
7 Lean into it
This is actually the same type of technique taught in handgun marksmanship. It seems counter-intuitive as you feel like you are forcing your body into a rigid position, but this helps you achieve an aggressive stance and decisive swing.
8 Visualize with confidence.
Attitude matters. And so does visualization. Whether it was in sports or hunting, my dad engrained in us this notion of picturing in your mind yourself making the shot. He was right. And as to the confidence factor, if you believe you’re going to miss, you are going to miss.
9 Reduce clothing and accessory interference
Between the dog whistle, dog collar remote, a bulky vest, shell holders, and protective eyewear, all of which resting on your thicker clothing in the later days of the season, makes for a cumbersome mount and shot. These are all necessary items, but figuring out a way to keep them away from your shoulders and arms can drastically improve your chances.
Implement these strategies and you’ll be dropping birds like a pro. Good luck and happy hunting!