I just started Bow hunting myself. Bought my self a Diamond Core in July of this year and headed over to the public archery range behind the Science Centre almost every weekend to practice and that is still not enough.
Back to bow hunting... This year was my scouting trip. Found a place to hunt and learning the ropes from tracking to what equipment I need to carry with me to how much clothing I need to wear before and during my hunt. Clothing alone was expensive as not one outfit does everything. Layering is your friend... never sweat. Sweat... sit... get cold... get hypothermia. When buying the Scent Killer... buy the one gallon jug. Hunting is not cheap when it comes to equipment. But any sport or hobby is expensive.
As for the bow itself... head on over to ArcheryTalk Forum. A wealth of archery information including bow hunting. Download the PDF file "The Nuts & Bolts Of Archery 2012" or just google it... read it, apply it.
Now for the practice, not enough just practicing flat/level shots. You got to get up on your tree stand and practice your angle shots and judging your distances. It's a whole new ball game up in a tree from the wind and cold sometimes rain, visual perception and the tree swaying back and forth. Got to learn about them "string jumpers"... do you aim high or low and how much, when the opportunity presents itself almost any bow hunter can hit a deer but can they hit the vitals.. the heart or lung shot. Then comes what to do after you've arrowed your deer... what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Practice drawing your bow with your hunting clothes and gloves on, there is a huge difference. Practice drawing the bow in different positions ie: sitting, especially with your legs straight out, or kneeling.
I first bought a basic target the black hole. Good enough for outside but when you're practicing indoors and shooting 100+ arrows a week into the same hole then get yourself a black block or a Rinehart. Trust me on this.
Youtube is also good for information on deer hunting and bow tuning.
Hunt when the weather is bad especially if it's raining, not a down pour thou, or if it's really cold. One reason... other hunters, not all, generally stay home.
