Everything is perfect. It’s opening morning of the archery season and
you’re in your stand well before daylight. You’ve scouted out your hunting
area and have pinpointed a couple shooter bucks in the vicinity. You’ve
been practicing with your bow all summer and your sights and shooting form
are perfectly tuned. You’ve cleared several shooting lanes and have your
yardage memorized. The wind direction is ideal. You have successfully
identified and overcome all variables in your hunt.
Or have you?
One BIG variable that we have to deal with in hunting whitetails are the
whitetails themselves.
For a period of eight years, I was an umpire with the Amateur Softball
Association. Thinking to start us out on easy games, new umpires were
assigned to youth female leagues….I’m talking 8 to 10 year-old girls here.
As a player and new umpire, you should be able to anticipate how a play is
going to unfold even before it takes place. With one out and a runner on
first, a ground ball hit to the shortstop SHOULD be flipped to the second
baseman who SHOULD be covering the bag who SHOULD in turn throw to first
for what SHOULD be the third out. Being able to anticipate the play allows
an umpire to be in the proper position to make all the calls in a single
umpire game.
But I’ll tell you what….those youth female softball teams ate me up. The
ball was seldom thrown to the base you’d expect. A grounder to the third
baseman with runners on first and second could literally be thrown to any
base…and sometimes to no base at all. Runners would run or not run to the
next base depending on how they felt at that moment. I would see right
fielders covering second base on an infield hit. And there were usually
four or five defensive players trying to make a play on the ball at the
same time. I would find myself desperately trying to be in the right place
at the right time to make the right call.
Deer are like those youth softball players…..they don’t always do what you
expect them to do so being in the right place at the right time to make the
right shot becomes a challenge.
That perfect hunting scenario I previously mentioned can be thrown all out
of whack if that buck decides to come near your stand from a direction or
angle you did not expect. And in order to get a good shot at him, you must
now stoop down slightly to aim under a branch, twist your body around
because he came in from behind you, or my most uncomfortable situation….he
comes in from my right side and I’m a right-handed shooter.
We have to be prepared to make these kinds of ugly and awkward shots BEFORE
they are presented to us in real-life hunting situations. And the only way
to do that is to practice them at home in our backyard during the summer.
Too often, archers practice on level ground and flat-footed. You will be
surprised at how few deer you will shoot at on level ground and
flat-footed.
We can’t possibly eliminate all the variables when hunting
whitetails….thank goodness! But practicing those unorthodox shots from
nearly impossible positions will give you greater confidence to make them
when that buck shows up in a location you didn’t expect.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Perfect Plan
I remember my high school basketball coach hastily drawing out a special
play on his clipboard as we huddled around him during a time-out. His X’s
and O’s were placed exactly where he wanted them and his lines of movement,
screens, and ball passing arrows were precise. These “special” plays
usually occurred towards the end of the game with mere seconds remaining
and the outcome still in question.
And things weren’t calm in that little huddle.
The crowd was screaming, the cheerleaders were pumping everyone up, the
coach was yelling to be heard and to make his point, and we were sweating,
trying to catch our breath, and remember our assignments. Did I mention the
cheerleaders?
On paper, that plan seemed to be the perfect play. All we had to do was
execute it.
However, there is a lot that can go wrong between the conception of a plan
and the execution of it. Sometimes, the play worked to perfection. But
sometimes, things didn’t work out so well. And it usually stemmed from the
fact that the defensive players were never where they were supposed to be.
They were never shown that clipboard.
As archery hunters, our goal is to place ourselves within comfortable bow
range of an unsuspecting deer. We pour over maps, scout feeding and bedding
areas, look for funnels along travel routes, and practice long hours with
our equipment. When we find just the right setup, we think we have a
perfect plan. Now all we have to do is execute it. The problem is….the deer
are not privy to our plans….they haven’t seen our clipboard.
We’ve all experienced having deer come from a direction that we were
totally not prepared for. A number of years ago, I was in a stand and had
ranged three-quarters of the area around me. I didn’t bother with the one
quadrant because I KNEW the deer were not going to come in from that
direction. Wanna take a guess on what direction they DID came from?
We all should have a game plan in place well before we hit the woods. But
don’t plan things so narrowly that you have no room to make adjustments.
For example, I already know the exact tree I’ll be hunting out of on
opening day. However, if the wind isn’t just right that morning, I already
have alternate stand locations ready to go.
The perfect plan should not be set in stone. Rather, it should be a
“template” or “flowchart” that provides several options for varying
circumstances. As Captain Barbosa said about the pirate’s code in “Pirates
of the Caribbean”…”they’re more like guidelines”.
But having those “guidelines” when crunch-time arrives will give you the
confidence that your plan is a good one and that you will be successful.
play on his clipboard as we huddled around him during a time-out. His X’s
and O’s were placed exactly where he wanted them and his lines of movement,
screens, and ball passing arrows were precise. These “special” plays
usually occurred towards the end of the game with mere seconds remaining
and the outcome still in question.
And things weren’t calm in that little huddle.
The crowd was screaming, the cheerleaders were pumping everyone up, the
coach was yelling to be heard and to make his point, and we were sweating,
trying to catch our breath, and remember our assignments. Did I mention the
cheerleaders?
On paper, that plan seemed to be the perfect play. All we had to do was
execute it.
However, there is a lot that can go wrong between the conception of a plan
and the execution of it. Sometimes, the play worked to perfection. But
sometimes, things didn’t work out so well. And it usually stemmed from the
fact that the defensive players were never where they were supposed to be.
They were never shown that clipboard.
As archery hunters, our goal is to place ourselves within comfortable bow
range of an unsuspecting deer. We pour over maps, scout feeding and bedding
areas, look for funnels along travel routes, and practice long hours with
our equipment. When we find just the right setup, we think we have a
perfect plan. Now all we have to do is execute it. The problem is….the deer
are not privy to our plans….they haven’t seen our clipboard.
We’ve all experienced having deer come from a direction that we were
totally not prepared for. A number of years ago, I was in a stand and had
ranged three-quarters of the area around me. I didn’t bother with the one
quadrant because I KNEW the deer were not going to come in from that
direction. Wanna take a guess on what direction they DID came from?
We all should have a game plan in place well before we hit the woods. But
don’t plan things so narrowly that you have no room to make adjustments.
For example, I already know the exact tree I’ll be hunting out of on
opening day. However, if the wind isn’t just right that morning, I already
have alternate stand locations ready to go.
The perfect plan should not be set in stone. Rather, it should be a
“template” or “flowchart” that provides several options for varying
circumstances. As Captain Barbosa said about the pirate’s code in “Pirates
of the Caribbean”…”they’re more like guidelines”.
But having those “guidelines” when crunch-time arrives will give you the
confidence that your plan is a good one and that you will be successful.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
SPEED vs ACCURACY
So much emphasis lately had been directed towards arrow speed. It seems to me that most archers are searching out the absolute fastest bows on the market and want bows that are even faster…and manufacturers are developing
bows to fill the demand.
But how fast of a bow does one really need? And what are you giving up in a bow that shoots upwards of 330 feet per second (fps) or more?
Brace height (distance from back of riser to string) is the primary determining factor in bow speed. In general, the shorter the brace height, the faster the bow is. But, the faster the bow, the less forgiving it is.
Because the arrow leaves the bow at such a high rate of speed on bows with short brace heights, any flaw in your form or any twitch or mishap during
your release is going to be severely magnified when it comes to your accuracy. You will still have accuracy problems with long brace height bows too but the errors will not be as severe.
And how much arrow speed do you really need anyway? Let’s compare arrows traveling at 330 fps and those traveling at 280 fps. We’ll use a middle of
the road distance...30 yards (or 90 feet).
It would take the 330 fps arrow about .273 seconds to travel 90 feet (just a bit more than ¼ of a second).
It would take the 280 fps arrow about .321 seconds to travel 90 feet (just under 1/3 of a second). That’s a difference of .048 seconds (less than 1/20 of a second)!
Now, every deer reacts at different speeds based on different circumstances. But for arguments sake, we’ll say that a deer can react to the sound of your bow in about .100 seconds (1/10 of a second). The average human reacts in about .23 seconds (a little less than ¼ of a second).
All of these numbers mean just one thing…the difference in arrow speed between the 330 fps arrow and my 280 fps arrow is negligible when it comes
to the deer reacting to the sound of the bow at 30 yards. In other words, I don’t have to aim any differently that the archer using the 330 fps bow. At closer distances, the differences become even less.
To be fair though, you do gain one advantage when shooting a faster bow….since the trajectory is somewhat flatter on faster bows, you are able
to shoot through slightly smaller openings.
So what’s it gonna be? Are you going to go for all that speed and hope that you don’t flinch during your release and not gain all that much when it
comes to overcoming the deer jumping the string? Or, are you going to shoot a bow with moderate speed and gain a whole bunch of forgiveness?
As for me and mine…I’ll take bow forgiveness over arrow speed any day.
bows to fill the demand.
But how fast of a bow does one really need? And what are you giving up in a bow that shoots upwards of 330 feet per second (fps) or more?
Brace height (distance from back of riser to string) is the primary determining factor in bow speed. In general, the shorter the brace height, the faster the bow is. But, the faster the bow, the less forgiving it is.
Because the arrow leaves the bow at such a high rate of speed on bows with short brace heights, any flaw in your form or any twitch or mishap during
your release is going to be severely magnified when it comes to your accuracy. You will still have accuracy problems with long brace height bows too but the errors will not be as severe.
And how much arrow speed do you really need anyway? Let’s compare arrows traveling at 330 fps and those traveling at 280 fps. We’ll use a middle of
the road distance...30 yards (or 90 feet).
It would take the 330 fps arrow about .273 seconds to travel 90 feet (just a bit more than ¼ of a second).
It would take the 280 fps arrow about .321 seconds to travel 90 feet (just under 1/3 of a second). That’s a difference of .048 seconds (less than 1/20 of a second)!
Now, every deer reacts at different speeds based on different circumstances. But for arguments sake, we’ll say that a deer can react to the sound of your bow in about .100 seconds (1/10 of a second). The average human reacts in about .23 seconds (a little less than ¼ of a second).
All of these numbers mean just one thing…the difference in arrow speed between the 330 fps arrow and my 280 fps arrow is negligible when it comes
to the deer reacting to the sound of the bow at 30 yards. In other words, I don’t have to aim any differently that the archer using the 330 fps bow. At closer distances, the differences become even less.
To be fair though, you do gain one advantage when shooting a faster bow….since the trajectory is somewhat flatter on faster bows, you are able
to shoot through slightly smaller openings.
So what’s it gonna be? Are you going to go for all that speed and hope that you don’t flinch during your release and not gain all that much when it
comes to overcoming the deer jumping the string? Or, are you going to shoot a bow with moderate speed and gain a whole bunch of forgiveness?
As for me and mine…I’ll take bow forgiveness over arrow speed any day.
Monday, May 17, 2010
SUNDAY HUNTING IN PENNSYLVANIA
While it may sound strange to some of you, Pennsylvania does not allow hunting on Sunday….and I say we should keep it that way!!!
Now I know some of you hunters are aghast that Pennsylvania is one of the 12 states that do not allow unlimited Sunday hunting during normal firearm
seasons. But let me tell you why I feel that PA should NEVER allow Sunday hunting.
Right now, the firearms opener in PA begins on the Monday after Thanksgiving. In 2006, based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation report, approximately ONE MILLION deer hunters entered the Pennsylvania woods on opening day that year with a loaded firearm (this does NOT include
non-residents or hunters under the age of 16). In comparison, Texas only had 890,000 deer hunters on their opening firearms day while Wisconsin had 639,000 hunters.
Now remember folks…this is a MONDAY and is NOT a holiday. ONE MILLION hunters…not counting non-residents and hunters under 16!
Now, if PA permitted Sunday hunting, how long do you think it would take before someone suggested that the firearms opener be moved from that Monday to the first Saturday after Thanksgiving???
Conservatively, there’d be 100,000 - 150,000 MORE hunters hitting the Pennsylvania woods with a loaded firearm on the opening day of deer season.
This is in addition to the ONE MILLION hunters that are already out there…and we’re still not counting non-residents those hunters under 16!
While hunting is still one of the safest outdoor activities you can participate in, the chance for an accident WILL increase. Not to mention that the limited free movement deer have on opening day today will be restricted even more.
Sadly though, it all comes down to the mighty dollar. The additional 150,000 hunters in the woods is seen simply as a revenue increase to those
who make these types of decisions.
SAY NO TO SUNDAY HUNTING IN PENNSYLVANIA!
Now I know some of you hunters are aghast that Pennsylvania is one of the 12 states that do not allow unlimited Sunday hunting during normal firearm
seasons. But let me tell you why I feel that PA should NEVER allow Sunday hunting.
Right now, the firearms opener in PA begins on the Monday after Thanksgiving. In 2006, based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation report, approximately ONE MILLION deer hunters entered the Pennsylvania woods on opening day that year with a loaded firearm (this does NOT include
non-residents or hunters under the age of 16). In comparison, Texas only had 890,000 deer hunters on their opening firearms day while Wisconsin had 639,000 hunters.
Now remember folks…this is a MONDAY and is NOT a holiday. ONE MILLION hunters…not counting non-residents and hunters under 16!
Now, if PA permitted Sunday hunting, how long do you think it would take before someone suggested that the firearms opener be moved from that Monday to the first Saturday after Thanksgiving???
Conservatively, there’d be 100,000 - 150,000 MORE hunters hitting the Pennsylvania woods with a loaded firearm on the opening day of deer season.
This is in addition to the ONE MILLION hunters that are already out there…and we’re still not counting non-residents those hunters under 16!
While hunting is still one of the safest outdoor activities you can participate in, the chance for an accident WILL increase. Not to mention that the limited free movement deer have on opening day today will be restricted even more.
Sadly though, it all comes down to the mighty dollar. The additional 150,000 hunters in the woods is seen simply as a revenue increase to those
who make these types of decisions.
SAY NO TO SUNDAY HUNTING IN PENNSYLVANIA!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Another Hunter Joins Our Ranks
Both of my boys are now certified to hunt! Walker (my youngest) completed his Hunter Safety Education course on Saturday and only missed two
questions on the test! I officially took the class with Walker even though I was certified in Minnesota about a hundred years ago.
There won’t be a safe rabbit, squirrel, or grouse within 20 miles of my house this fall.
I tip my hat to the Pennsylvania Game Commission personnel who took time out of their busy schedule to administer the class. The instructors were patient, knowledgeable, and eager to inform. They had lots of hands on stuff for the kids to do and the time went by very quickly.
I plan on taking the Bow Hunter Education course that the Pennsylvania Game
Commission offers. While I have been hunting with a bow for a number of years now, I am always willing to learn, talk about, and participate in
archery related events. Besides, some states require a bow hunter safety course before you are permitted to archery hunt in that state.
questions on the test! I officially took the class with Walker even though I was certified in Minnesota about a hundred years ago.
There won’t be a safe rabbit, squirrel, or grouse within 20 miles of my house this fall.
I tip my hat to the Pennsylvania Game Commission personnel who took time out of their busy schedule to administer the class. The instructors were patient, knowledgeable, and eager to inform. They had lots of hands on stuff for the kids to do and the time went by very quickly.
I plan on taking the Bow Hunter Education course that the Pennsylvania Game
Commission offers. While I have been hunting with a bow for a number of years now, I am always willing to learn, talk about, and participate in
archery related events. Besides, some states require a bow hunter safety course before you are permitted to archery hunt in that state.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
ARROW RESTS
There’s been some discussion in our archery club lately about which type of arrow rest is best. There are all types of rests on the market (wedge, prong, drop-away, capture, lizard tongue). All of these will do the job. But if you are looking for what I feel is the best accuracy out of your
set-up, an arrow rest that has the least affect on arrow flight is going to be your best bet….and for that, I recommend the drop-away arrow rest.
As you come to full draw, a drop-away rest is raised to lift your arrow into launch position. As the string goes forward at release, then tension on the drop-away rest is removed and it drops out of the arrow flight path. Set up properly for the quickest possible drop, the arrow travels over the drop-away rest for a very short distance before the rest is completely free of the arrow. At that point, the only thing touching the arrow for the remainder of the shot is the string.
For the other arrow rests, the arrow literally bounces over them for the ENTIRE distance of the arrow. If you were to magnify the rest and arrow contact point and watch it in slow motion, you will see considerable movement of the arrow as it passes over or through the arrow rest. Then,
the vanes or feathers have to pass over/through followed by the nock.
All of this high speed bouncing around affects arrow flight which in turn affects a consistent impact point. There is much less arrow/arrow rest contact with a drop-away rest. This will result in a more consistent arrow flight and then more consistent impact points. Consistent arrow groupings are what we always strive for.
In addition, with non drop-away rests, you have to hold your follow through position in place until the ENTIRE length of the arrow clears the rest. While we all should hold our follow through position until arrow impact, the drop-away rest gives us that little margin for error. And believe me, when that buck walks in to our shooting lane, we’re going to want as much margin for error as we can get!
There are places for all types of rests as there are many hunter and shooter preferences.
Some arrow rests may be used out of necessity. If you are in a stand where deer have to be shot almost directly below your stand, a capture rest (such as a Whisker Biscuit) is a must. No matter which angle you have to tip the bow, the arrow will not fall out of or off of the rest. I also recommend capture rests for youngsters who are just starting out. It seems the hardest thing for some of them to do it to keep the arrow on the rest when coming to full draw.
If you are having problems getting consistent groupings and your set up does not include a drop-away arrow rest, consider giving one a try.
set-up, an arrow rest that has the least affect on arrow flight is going to be your best bet….and for that, I recommend the drop-away arrow rest.
As you come to full draw, a drop-away rest is raised to lift your arrow into launch position. As the string goes forward at release, then tension on the drop-away rest is removed and it drops out of the arrow flight path. Set up properly for the quickest possible drop, the arrow travels over the drop-away rest for a very short distance before the rest is completely free of the arrow. At that point, the only thing touching the arrow for the remainder of the shot is the string.
For the other arrow rests, the arrow literally bounces over them for the ENTIRE distance of the arrow. If you were to magnify the rest and arrow contact point and watch it in slow motion, you will see considerable movement of the arrow as it passes over or through the arrow rest. Then,
the vanes or feathers have to pass over/through followed by the nock.
All of this high speed bouncing around affects arrow flight which in turn affects a consistent impact point. There is much less arrow/arrow rest contact with a drop-away rest. This will result in a more consistent arrow flight and then more consistent impact points. Consistent arrow groupings are what we always strive for.
In addition, with non drop-away rests, you have to hold your follow through position in place until the ENTIRE length of the arrow clears the rest. While we all should hold our follow through position until arrow impact, the drop-away rest gives us that little margin for error. And believe me, when that buck walks in to our shooting lane, we’re going to want as much margin for error as we can get!
There are places for all types of rests as there are many hunter and shooter preferences.
Some arrow rests may be used out of necessity. If you are in a stand where deer have to be shot almost directly below your stand, a capture rest (such as a Whisker Biscuit) is a must. No matter which angle you have to tip the bow, the arrow will not fall out of or off of the rest. I also recommend capture rests for youngsters who are just starting out. It seems the hardest thing for some of them to do it to keep the arrow on the rest when coming to full draw.
If you are having problems getting consistent groupings and your set up does not include a drop-away arrow rest, consider giving one a try.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Nerves or Lack of Focus?
About a week ago, our archery club held a grocery shoot as a fund raiser.
The last round of the night was for a very nice bow stabilizer. We had a shoot-off and soon it was down to two shooters….a friend of mine from the club and a shooter from another club.
My friend and I were shooting on the same lane all night and he had put his last five arrows in the bullseye. His opponent shot first and was well outside the bullseye ring….all my friend had to do was come close. But then
he did something he hadn’t done all night…he came to full draw, aimed…..and let down. He did this twice. His nerves were getting to him.
Instead of letting his body do what it knew how to do, his mind took over.
Instead of focusing on the tiny little “X” in the middle of the bullseye,
he was worried about other things.
Have you ever watched a little child carry a plate of food across the living room or out in the yard during a picnic? If the child does not focus
on that plate the entire trip, the plate begins to dip until it is at an alarming angle.
Have you ever been driving and so lost in thought that when you snapped out of it, you don’t remember driving the last few miles?
Have you even been watching CNN and tried listening to what the reporters were saying while trying to read the scrolling news stories at the bottom of the screen….at the same time. I can’t do it!
Have you ever had a tall 8-point come in to your shooting lane at 7:15 AM, come to full draw, and sail the arrow over his back…only to realize later
that you honestly didn’t remember where your kisser button was when you were at full draw?
My point is…we can’t truly focus 100% of our attention on more than one thing at a time.
When its crunch time and your nerves are screaming at you, there’s only one thing you can do….relax, find that aiming point, focus all of your
attention on it, and let your body release the arrow like you’ve trained it to do.
As for my friend…he still has his old stabilizer on his bow
The last round of the night was for a very nice bow stabilizer. We had a shoot-off and soon it was down to two shooters….a friend of mine from the club and a shooter from another club.
My friend and I were shooting on the same lane all night and he had put his last five arrows in the bullseye. His opponent shot first and was well outside the bullseye ring….all my friend had to do was come close. But then
he did something he hadn’t done all night…he came to full draw, aimed…..and let down. He did this twice. His nerves were getting to him.
Instead of letting his body do what it knew how to do, his mind took over.
Instead of focusing on the tiny little “X” in the middle of the bullseye,
he was worried about other things.
Have you ever watched a little child carry a plate of food across the living room or out in the yard during a picnic? If the child does not focus
on that plate the entire trip, the plate begins to dip until it is at an alarming angle.
Have you ever been driving and so lost in thought that when you snapped out of it, you don’t remember driving the last few miles?
Have you even been watching CNN and tried listening to what the reporters were saying while trying to read the scrolling news stories at the bottom of the screen….at the same time. I can’t do it!
Have you ever had a tall 8-point come in to your shooting lane at 7:15 AM, come to full draw, and sail the arrow over his back…only to realize later
that you honestly didn’t remember where your kisser button was when you were at full draw?
My point is…we can’t truly focus 100% of our attention on more than one thing at a time.
When its crunch time and your nerves are screaming at you, there’s only one thing you can do….relax, find that aiming point, focus all of your
attention on it, and let your body release the arrow like you’ve trained it to do.
As for my friend…he still has his old stabilizer on his bow
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