Michael Waddell on Hunting Techniques

He’s one of the best known names in the hunting industry today and Michael Waddell says while practice with your bow is important, quality is better than quantity.

"I think a lot of people think just practice, practice, practice with a bow and arrow makes perfect.  I’m a little bit in disagreement with that," said Waddell during a recent edition of West Virginia Outdoors.

Waddell is the host of television’s Bone Collector Series.   He says his time on the road keeps him far too busy to get very many opportunities in front of a 3-D target.   Therefore, when he is able to get in a few shots, he tried to make them count.

"I might now have but 20-minutes on a Saturday, so I try to get good solid practice," said Waddell.  "Even if I only shoot ten arrows I try to make sure that my form and my habits in that small time frame are as efficient and as good as I can."

Waddell adds there’s a difference in shooting 3-D targets and actually drawing down on a live whitetail in the woods.

"You know the deer’s 25-yards, you practiced all summer and you ask yourself, ‘How did I shoot over that deer?’ or ‘How did I hit him that high?’" explained Waddell. "Video has proved deer react, so I get in the habit of holding heart to top of the heart with my pin once I’ve got an accurate distance. Very rarely do I shoot one in the heart, I usually shoot them through the double lung."

Deer almost always react to the "thwack" sound created when you let go of the bow.  Typically a deer will drop into an alert, crouched position.    Waddell says the number one mistake hunters make is failing to aim low while hunting and compensate for that immediate drop. 

Waddell is a native and lifelong hunter in the state of Georgia.  He says other than the change in your deer season temperatures, it’s not all that different from hunting deer in West Virginia.     He says it doesn’t matter when you’re hunting, the best time to concentrate your efforts is during the pre-rut.

"It could be from November 10 to the 14th in your county that you find out that over 50-percent of does in that area were bred.   Then I back that up a week from those dates," said Waddell.  "The most anxious time for bucks on your property to make a mistake is their sexual frustration.  Get in the woods, get in good travel corridors with fresh sign and you’ve got a good opportunity to take a buck."