BOOK REVIEW - "THE BOWHUNTER'S GUIDE TO BETTER SHOOTING"

TITLE, AUTHOR, AND PUBLICATION INFO
“THE BOWHUNTER’S GUIDE TO BETTER SHOOTING”
by Patrick Meitin
Copyright 2011 by Petersen’s Bowhunting and InterMedia Outdoors Company
299 pages






SUMMARY
This book is stuffed full of archery and shooting information. Mr. Meitin
not only gives expert advice on the mechanics of proper form and shooting
methods but he provides in-depth technical guidance on everything from the
parts of the bow, to arrow flight, to setting up a challenging 3D course.
The book covers all aspects of traditional and modern archery shooting and
equipment.

BREAKING IT DOWN
Plain and simple, this book tells you how to make yourself a better archer
on the range and in the field. There is something for everyone here that
will keep even the most experienced archer flipping through the pages
looking for that next little nugget of wisdom. Be warned however, this book
is not for the novice archery shooter. I’ve been shooting bow for a number
of years now and I had to force myself to slow down while reading this book
in order to be able to absorb the huge amount of information.

LIKES
· There is a chapter at the end of the book dedicated to getting
children and family members involved in the sport of archery. As a
youth archery instructor, I applaud the writing.
· What a great reference guide this book will make! If you are having
issues with any part of your shooting form or equipment, having this
book to turn to will help lead you back to your happy place.
· I tire of authors who try to please everyone by being politically
correct. Mr. Meitin comes right out and says it, “Wheat is harvested.
Animals are killed.” Bravo, Mr. Meitin, bravo.

DISLIKES
· An archery book that is technical in nature should not include both
traditional and modern archery equipment and shooting methods. They
are so vastly different that each deserve to be in their own volumes.

Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com



***Disclaimer-This book was provided for my review by the editor of
Petersen’s Bowhunting Magazine.***

WAY TO GO BOYS!!!!

My two sons, McLane and Walker Lydell, have just completed the fourth and
final leg of the Pennsylvania State Archery Association’s state archery
tournaments. This was the first year that the boys competed in all four
state tournaments and it was Walker’s first time competing in ANY archery
event.

It was a mad scramble for them to go from shooting 20 yards all the time to
distances ranging from just under 11 yards all the way out to 50 yards.
Bows sights had to be changed out, new arrows purchased, and lots of
practice had to be done.

I couldn’t be prouder of my guys struggling through one shoot that reached
98 degrees, gnats and bugs all over the place, and having to get up very
early on weekends to attend these state shoots PLUS the regional shoots
in-between. In competition alone, the boys shot over 1000 arrows!

Indoor (April)
Walker – 2nd Place Junior Male Unlimited Class B
McLane – 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class A

Target (June)
Walker - 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class B
McLane – 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class A

Field/Hunter (July)
Walker – 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class B
McLane – 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class A

Bowhunter/Animal (August)
Walker – 2nd Place Junior Male Unlimited Class B
McLane – 1st Place Junior Male Unlimited Class B

EARLY SEASON TACTICS

Don’t you just love those videos on TV where the unsuspecting victim
approaches the seemingly normal birthday cake only to be totally surprised
when the trap is sprung and it smashes into their face? The birthday person
had seen lots of birthday cakes before where nothing out of the ordinary
occurred and this cake was approached in a relaxed manner with no thought
to a set up.

IT’S A PARTY

In the early archery season, deer are locked into their late summer / early
fall feeding patterns. They haven’t been harassed at all for many months
and for the past several weeks, they have been leaving their nearby bedding
area and travelling to the bountiful and easily accessible food source in
the back corner of the roadside field.

SURPRISE!!!

But if you’ve done your preseason scouting, on the opening day of archery
season you will be in a stand on the field’s edge. If you’ve used scent
control and are playing the wind correctly, our unsuspecting victim should
be coming down the trail to the seemingly normal food source. And if you
are patient and have been practicing, you should be able to spring your
trap.

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

Some things to remember though…
First, have an exit strategy. If a bunch of deer are feeding in the field
you are hunting but the deer you want does not show up on the first night,
you need a plan to get out of your stand and out of the area without
disturbing the whole herd. You do NOT want to walk through the field and
blow them all out of there.
Second, if the wind isn’t right, don’t hunt that location.
Third, it won’t take Mr. Big long to realize he’s being hunted. If you
don’t get him on the first or second night, give the location a rest for a
while.
Fourth, if the animal you want is not coming to the field until after legal
shooting hours have expired, look for a staging area about 50-150 yards
from the field. Sometimes bucks will find an elevated location to check out
the field during daylight hours before committing to it after dark.

CONCLUSION

I’m not sure which is better to hunt…the first week of archery season when
deer are relaxed and in predictable patterns or the pre-rut when calls,
scents, and rattling can bring on an extra element of excitement. I will
admit that early archery season is something I look forward to each year.
The weather is agreeable, I’m excited to be archery hunting again, and the
deer are somewhat foreseeable in their movements.
Missing the early archery season is a mistake and could cost you the buck
of a lifetime.


Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com

PROPER DRAW WEIGHT

All of us have different levels of physical strength. What might seem an
easy feat for one person, could be an impossible task for someone else.
Form is also a factor when it comes to performing a physical endeavor. If
he doesn’t have the proper form, the strongest man in the world will drown
if he doesn’t know how to swim.
Sadly though, the public usually puts physical strength on a pedestal and
forsakes the more cerebral approach. Some archery hunters will take the
manly approach and draw as much weight as they possibly can. Not only can too much draw weight possibly cost you a deer, it could be hazardous to
your health.

MACHO MAN

Ever seen this guy on the archery range? Just as he is about to draw his
bow, he aims it to the heavens, spreads his feet into a wrestling stance,
and begins to draw back his bow. His lips are pursed and his eyes bug out a
little until the cams roll over and he gets into the valley. As he brings
his bow on plane at full draw, his body quivers, he aims quickly, and at
release, exhales loudly in relief of the pressure.

IS YOUR DRAW WEIGHT TOO MUCH? HERE’S THE TEST..

This guy could be big or small but it’s obvious that he is drawing WAY too
much weight. Chances are good that he will eventually pull a muscle but
chances are even greater that if he goes through those gyrations on the
stand, every deer within 100 yards will see him!
So how do you know if you are drawing the right weight for your body style
and strength level? Here’s the test…sit on a chair with both feet flat on
the floor. Hook your release and bring your bow arm up on the plane with
your target. You are drawing too much weight if you are not able to come to
full draw in that position while keeping your pins on the target.

CONCLUSION

You only need about 35 pounds of kinetic energy (KE) for the average
whitetail deer and arrow velocity is part of the formula for determining
KE. Arrow velocity is partially determined by draw weight.
Don’t suffer the fool well who is bragging that the draw weight of his bow
is set at 82 pounds…..unless he can smoothly come to full draw and hold it
there. Then you might want to consider just staying out of his way.


Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com

WHAT IS A TROPHY?

We’ve all heard the term “trophy hunter”. This usually refers to the
sportsman who passes on lesser animals in order to have the opportunity to
take a more impressive specimen. But what measure do we use to determine if an animal should be considered a “trophy”?

ONE MAN’S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE

When I was in the elementary grades, we had a thing called “church school”.
If we chose to, we could get out of school on Wednesday mornings to attend
a nearby church for a couple hours of bible lessons.
One day, our church school teacher told us that we could win a pen if we
were able to recite the books of the bible in order. After a couple weeks
of intense study, I gave it a go. I failed on my first attempt and I
actually remember crying. I really wanted that pen. Thankfully, I was
successful the following week.
To anyone else, the prize I so sought after was nothing special…it was
simply a pen. But to me it was a trophy that showed I had completed a significant accomplishment.

IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER

It doesn’t matter if the prize you seek is a monster buck or the first
legal animal to come within range, when you decide to take a specific
animal it should, at that moment, become your trophy. As hunters, we put
too much time and effort in to a hunt to come full draw on an animal that
we aren’t sure we want.

I’M A MEAT HUNTER!

I remember at deer camp one year when a small group of us were cutting up a deer I had taken the day before. It wasn’t a big deer. In fact, it wasn’t
even a buck. But I had done my homework, found my own stand location, took time out of my schedule, and spent my own money in order to harvest that deer. One of the older camp members was helping out. Looking at the size of the deer I had taken, he commented that I was “just a meat hunter”.
At the time, I was hurt. He had belittled my hunting skills by saying that
my deer was beneath him…that he would never lower himself to shoot a deer of that quality. But when I looked back on that deer later on, I was proud
of myself for being able to outwit it and place myself in a position to
take it.
Darn right I’m a meat hunter!!!
And guess what? That older hunter did not get a deer that year. In fact, a
couple of years later, he shot a deer that was MUCH smaller than mine.

CONCLUSION

It’s all a matter of perspective. If you are content with the animal that
you have decided to take a shot at, then it’s a trophy. It may not make the
record books, the sports section of the local paper, or even the
conversation around hunting camp but it’s still a trophy to you. Be proud
of your accomplishments!
And in case you are wondering…I can still recite the books of the bible in
order.

Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Have you ever been driving along and then all of the sudden you snap out of
a coma-like trance and you can’t remember anything for the past couple of
minutes and you realize (with some alarm) that your exit is rapidly
approaching? That is the way it is for a lot of archery hunters. They plod
along during the hot summer months concerned mostly with mowing the lawn, tending the garden, and maybe doing a little fishing. But suddenly, they snap out of their coma-like trance and realize (with some alarm) that archery season is rapidly approaching.

NOW IS THE TIME

Consider this a big freeway sign notifying you that your exit is approaching soon.
NOW IS THE TIME to get your bow out to start practicing.
NOW IS THE TIME to replace or repair equipment.
NOW IS THE TIME to check your hunting areas.
NOW IS THE TIME to get your work schedule in order.
NOW IS THE TIME to get licenses or permits.

WE ARE DIFFERENT

Unlike hunters who use rifles, muzzleloaders, or crossbows, we can’t just
pick up our bow after a year of not using it, draw it back, hold that
weight, release smoothly, and expect to hit what we are aiming at. We have
muscles that have to be strengthened and form that needs to be relearned.
We do not have the luxury of simply putting a crosshair or bead on our
target and pulling the trigger. There is SO much more involved. And because
of that, we must begin our practice sessions well before the season opener.

START OUT SLOW

At the beginning, you will want to keep your practice sessions short. As
you tire, your accuracy suffers and you may assign your errant shots to
something else entirely. And trust me, in the beginning, you will get tired
quickly. Try to make time to shoot every day but for the first week, don’t
shoot for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time. Rest and reset your mind
and body in between each arrow and only shoot three arrows in a group.

FOCUS

It’s alright that you’ll only be shooting about 9-12 arrows each session
during that first week. Focus primarily on your form for each and every
arrow….strength will come. It is better to have a short but FOCUSED
practice session that a long and unfocused one. Beginning in the second
week and every week thereafter, add two more groups of three arrows to your practice sessions until you find yourself shooting for about an hour. For
the first few weeks, practice from the same distance each time so that you
can focus on your form.

CONCLUSION

If you find yourself getting bored with your practice sessions, mix up your
routine a bit. Shoot at a 3D animal target, mix up your distances, or find
a friend or family member to shoot with you. Boredom is a huge killer of
practice. And don’t forget to practice DURING the season as well. If your
last practice session was the day before the opener and you don’t have an
opportunity at a deer until the last day, it could be several months since
you’ve shot.

Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com

BOOK REVIEW - "Whitetail-Fundamentals and Fine Points for the Hunter"

TITLE, AUTHOR, AND PUBLICATION INFO
“WHITETAIL-FUNDAMENTALS AND FINE POINTS FOR THE HUNTER”
by George Mattis
Copyright 1969 by Popular Science/Outdoor Life Book Division
273 pages



SUMMARY
Strange as it may seem for me, this book is NOT about archery hunting at
all. Instead, it is old-school still hunting with rifles and deer hunting
storytelling at its best. But don’t let that fool you. There are plenty of
lessons to be learned in these pages for hunters of today regardless of
what type of weapon we choose to hunt with. I seldom re-read a book more
than once but not only have I read this book MANY times, I have even
purchased a second one in case I wear the first one out!

BREAKING IT DOWN
Hunting Methods - the author uses over half of the book to discuss various
rifle hunting methods
Whitetail Characteristics – there is a lot of info in this book about deer
behavior and habits
Still Hunting – the main focus of the entire book

LIKES
· Mr. Mattis grew up a hunter and (to me) became a very talented
outdoor writer. His matter-of-fact way of telling us a story while
imparting his knowledge is refreshing and makes for very easy
reading.
· I was very happy to see a chapter that talked about wounded deer. Not
only that, but he discusses different types of wounds and how to
proceed with your tracking based on field data.
· This book is NOT technical. In fact, it reads almost like a novel.
But read it only once and you will discover that you have learned
something.

DISLIKES
· While Mr. Mattis does not come right out and advocate taking a shot
at a running deer, he does not state that this should not be done. I
am a firm believer that under no circumstance should anyone shoot at
a running deer.
· Due to the fact that this book was written in 1969, the term “rut”
included pre and post rut phases…even though these terms didn’t exist
back then. The author only devotes one chapter to the “rut”.

IN MY SIGHTS
This book is fun to read! I guarantee that you will enjoy being taken back
to your grandfather’s and great-grandfather’s time to experience how deer
hunting was then. Compare it to today’s hunting methods and be amazed at
how much things have changed…and how much they haven’t.


Check out my blog, videos, and lots of other stuff at www.thinkarchery.com.
If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at todd@thinkarchery.com