ALL ARCHERY

WHITETAIL COVER AND ATTRACTANT SCENTS

2011-10-12T18:38:00.000-04:00

When I was a bow technician for a national outdoor retail chain, my duties
included a lot more than working on bows, selling bows, or dispersing
information about bows. We also offered hundreds of archery and hunting
accessories. I took it upon myself to know as much as I could about all the
products we sold in the archery department so I could give hunters accurate
information as well as my informed opinion on the product. I can’t count
how many times I was asked what I thought about a particular product. Not
only that, but I was constantly asked how to use various products as well.
The use and application of scents was always a subject I discussed at
length with anyone who would listen.

SCENTS SENSE

Scents fall into two basic categories…cover and attractants. On the
surface, it would appear that you can never go wrong with using cover or
attractant scents whenever you want for whitetails. But you may be doing
more harm than good if you use either type of scent at the wrong time.

COVER SCENTS

To the nose of a whitetail deer, we are very stinky creatures. While we
should all take steps to eliminate as much odor from our bodies, clothing,
and equipment as possible we can still utilize cover scents as an added
precaution. Cover scents are to be used exactly what they are advertised
for…to cover OUR scent. But be cautious of cover scents that have an odor
themselves. Acorn scented cover scents are popular but if used very early
or very late in the season that scent is not normal to a deer at that time
of year. The best time to use an acorn scented cover scent is when the
acorns are dropping or shortly thereafter.

ATTRACTANT SCENTS

Attractant scents must be very carefully timed. During the early rut, when
bucks are establishing dominance amongst themselves, a dominant buck scent
is ideal. Later on, when the bucks are on the prowl for romance, a
doe-in-estrus scent is the way to go. But again, use these scents too early
(and sometimes too late) in the season and you run the risk of actually
having deer avoid your area because they may feel that something just isn’t
right with that particular scent at that particular time of the year.

CONCLUSION

You know those stores that specialize only in Christmas products? They all
seem to have that peculiar holiday smell to them. Now walk in to that store
in the middle of the summer. Your nose tells you it’s Christmas time but
your brain tells you it is July…the two just don’t go together.
Experiencing that scent at that time of year is the same type of confusion
a whitetail has when they detect an odor that is out of time with the
season.

By paying attention to what’s going on in the habitat around you and
understanding the timing of the whitetail’s breeding cycle, scents can be a
very powerful tool for us archery hunters who must get our prey in almost
on top of us. If the dominant buck in your area smells an adversary for his
does and comes charging in for a fight or if that same buck is focused on
finding the source of the aroma of love, scents are a MUST HAVE!. And don’t
get me started about combining scents with calls and decoys during the rut.
Oh boy!!

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

DEER AND THEIR CORE AREAS

2011-09-30T05:14:00.000-04:00

We all have roads around where we live that we know very well. We know them
so well in fact, that on a dark night we are applying the brakes to our
vehicle long before we see the curve in the outer-most reaches of our high
beams. We may accelerate coming out of a curve because we know that in
front of us lies a long straight stretch of road. And we might put our
blinker on going up a hill, knowing that our blind turn is just over the
crest. With the recent deluge of rain we have experienced here in the
northeast this fall, many outlying roads are flooding even with a moderate
amount of rain. But almost without thinking about it, we are quickly able
to plot out an alternative route to our destination when we happen upon a
closed road.
We have become so familiar with our surroundings that our actions become
almost second nature to us.

MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE

Deer are masters of their environment. While we may think we know the area
around our homes pretty well, it is literally a matter of life and death
for the whitetail to know their core areas intimately. Not only must they
know their homes very well, it must come fully furnished.

MY HOUSE IS A VERY VERY VERY FINE HOUSE

Deer must have three things in their core area in order for it to hold
them.
· Security. They want secure bedding areas and accessible escape routes
that can get them out of danger and the area quickly.
· Cover. Bucks especially want to have as much between them and prying
eyes as possible. This will include hedgerows that connect two larger
tracts of woods, depressions that allow covert movement, and thick
nasty areas where they can go to hide out.
· Food and water sources. Food sources may include agricultural crops,
meadows, and seasonal acorns. In the fall and winter, deer are
opportune eaters and will consume whatever browse they can find.

FIND THE DOES

While bucks will and do leave their core areas during the rut to search for
receptive does, if there is enough security, cover, and food sources, the
does will be in abundance within that bucks area of operation. Find the
does and you find the bucks…especially during the rut.

CONCLUSION

It may seem that the deer disappear off the face of the earth once the
hunting season has been going for a couple days. The truth is that it takes
a LOT to force a deer to leave its core area. They know their environment
so well, that they simply slink away without you seeing them and hole up
until the pressure lessens.
Think about it…if you knew you were being hunted by some bully who was
watching the roads you normally travel and the restaurants you normally eat
at, wouldn’t YOU find alternative roads and diners? Wouldn’t YOU find a
nice little hidey-hole to escape to when the bully got too close for
comfort? You bet you would…and so does that buck.

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 SAME THING OVER AND OVER

2011-09-15T05:08:00.000-04:00

I remember the horror stories well. When I first joined our deer camp, I
was quickly informed that the deer numbers were way down from years ago.
Time was, a hunter could see 40 or 50 deer in a single day. But not
anymore. Now they were lucky if they saw one or two….all season! I was a
bit disappointed by this information but I soon discovered the reason for
the decline in deer sightings.

SQUATTER’S RIGHTS?

Many of the camp members had been hunting the SAME stand locations year
after year…regardless of wind direction, hunting pressure, or food sources.
I was blessed to have early success at deer camp. I bagged a buck in four
out of my first five seasons there. I just couldn’t understand why I was
seeing and harvesting deer while most of the other guys were not seeing
anything. I would love to tell you that it was because I was a superior
woodsman and hunter extraordinaire but alas…such is not the case. The real
reason why I was seeing deer and my fellow campmates were not was simply
because I was a new camp member and therefore had to find my own spot to
hunt. I had to find a place where none of the other camp members hunted.
Not a spot that someone had been hunting in for…oh….the last 20 years or
so!

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME…FOR AWHILE ANYWAY

Deer cannot reason like you and I but they do have instincts that warn them
of danger. If they are repeatedly exposed to the sight, sound, or smell of
a perceived danger in a specific location year after year, they will
instinctively alter their travel patterns to avoid that area. The does will
train their young to also avoid those areas and that is then passed down to
other generations. Pretty soon, the hunter that has been sitting in that
same stand for 20 years will be complaining that the deer that once were in
abundance have left the area. In reality, the deer are still there but are
avoiding that spot.

HIT THE ROAD JACK

What I’m trying to tell you is this…if you have a stand location that once
provided lots of deer sightings every season but now seems barren of deer,
and you have been in that same stand every year, maybe it’s time to find a
new hunting spot.
And you might not have to go far either. It could be just a short hop to
the other side of the ridge. Instead of hunting that spur that comes down
the mountain, try dipping into the draw that comes up the mountain. Try
finding a staging area instead of hunting the field edge.

CONCLUSION

Trust me…I know how hard it is to leave a stand location that USED to
provide lots of deer sightings and the occasional meat in the freezer. You
keep thinking that this will finally be the year that the deer come back in
the numbers of old and you had better be on that same stand…again.
It’s time my friend to give up the ghost and explore the woods for a new
hunting spot. And if you can find more than one new spot, your chances have
just gone up on seeing more deer this season and next.

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 - "THE BOWHUNTER'S GUIDE TO BETTER SHOOTING"

2011-08-26T14:26:00.006-04:00

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!!!!

2011-08-23T19:06:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-17T19:54:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-03T19:52:00.002-04:00

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?

2011-07-28T19:16:00.004-04:00

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

2011-07-21T05:45:00.003-04:00

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"

2011-07-12T19:20:00.002-04:00

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

THE ARCHERY WHISPERER

2011-06-22T19:02:00.000-04:00

THE ARCHERY WHISPERER

There are a LOT of things to remember when shooting a bow. There are a lot
MORE things to remember if we want to hit what we are aiming at. As an
archery instructor, I’m always looking for ways to break the lessons down
into very basic components that are easy to remember. But sometimes even
experienced archers need a reminder of good shooting fundamentals. They
don’t need a long drawn out explanation of each and every step but just a
little “nudge” to keep them on track.

A GENTLE REMINDER

After thinking through all of the steps necessary for good shooting, I’ve
come up with three simple catch words that we all can use as a reminder of
the need to maintain good shooting habits. They are Form, Focus, and
Follow-through.

FORM

There are a lot of steps within this element but when you see or think of
the word “form”, it should remind you of posture, stance, bow arm, grip,
anchor point, and sight picture. Achieving good form prior to even putting
the arrow on your string and maintaining good form throughout the shot
process is vital for accurate shooting.

FOCUS

It may seem kind of silly that we need a reminder to focus but so much of
being able to put the arrow where we want it hinges on focusing on that
single tiny spot. We need to be able to shut out everything else when we
are at full draw and lining up our pin. This element should serve as a
means to keep our focus on aiming.

FOLLOW-THROUGH

Yeah…it’s hyphenated but it still counts. This is an often neglected aspect
of archery that can really affect accuracy. If we don’t maintain good
follow through and keep our eyes on that single tiny spot until arrow
impact, we open up the potential for BIG misses. Don’t peek.

CONCLUSION

Our equipment aside, everything for accurate archery shooting falls under
Form, Focus, or Follow-through. A little sticker with these elements on the
inside of your top bow limb will be a quiet whisper for you to pay
attention to your shooting procedures each and every time you pick up your
bow.

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 - "Bowhunter's Guide to Accurate Shooting"

2011-06-07T05:29:00.006-04:00

TITLE, AUTHOR, AND PUBLICATION INFO
“BOWHUNTER’S GUIDE TO ACCURATE SHOOTING”
by Lon E. Lauber (www.lonlauber.com)
Copyright 2005 by Creative Publishing International, Inc
(www.creativepub.com)
127 pages

SUMMARY
As the title of the book implies, this publication focuses on fine tuning
your archery equipment and skills to achieve the most accurate shot
possible when the moment of truth arrives during your hunt. However, many
of the tips and suggestions in this book can also be applied to target and
3D archery shooters. While most of this book talks about compound bows and compound bow shooting, the author sprinkles in a little traditional archery
information as well.

BREAKING IT DOWN
There are three primary areas that the author deals with..
Equipment – with a chapter dedicated to achieving consistent arrow flight
Shooting Form – includes a chapter on yardage estimation
Field Application – including a chapter on shooting in adverse conditions

LIKES
· Mr. Lauber writes from experience. He shares his successful (and
sometimes not-so successful) hunting stories and imparts to us what
he has learned from those adventures.
· There are many photographs, illustrations, charts, and drawings
throughout the book that offer informative and supporting visual
aids.
· While this is a somewhat technical book, I like that Mr. Lauber also
wades into the mental aspect of archery shooting. Oftentimes, this
side of archery is overlooked in other how-to books.
· LOTS of useful information! This book will make an excellent
reference guide.

DISLIKES
· This really isn’t a dislike but there is a LOT of information in this
book and I would like to have seen the author spend more time on each
subject.
· The contents page at the front of the book does not do justice to
what is between the covers.
· Speaking of the covers…the front cover really turned me off! The
ancient camo pattern the hunter is wearing almost made me NOT pick
this book up. It made me think the content of the book was not
up-to-date.

IN MY SIGHTS

Backyard Practice

2011-05-07T13:56:00.004-04:00

Just out in the backyard shooting my bow on this beautiful spring day.
Great grouping at 20 yards...

Good grouping at 30 yards...

Decent grouping at 40 yards...

DETERMINING DISTANCE

2011-04-26T18:39:00.000-04:00

One of the first things I do once I’m settled in my stand it to dig out my
range finder and start shooting ranges to unique landmarks around my stand.
I range a couple landmarks out to around 30 yards and a few more in at
around 20 yards. I memorize those ranges and put my range finder away. The
less movement I have to make when the deer is in visual range, the better.
I am of the belief that a range finder is as important to the archery
hunter as is an elevated stand….its not required but it sure makes things
easer.

NO RANGE FINDER?

But what if you don’t have a range finder or that buck shows up before you
can utilize your range finder? Are we then forced to “ballpark” the range
and hope for a good shot? Sadly, many hunters do exactly that and end up
with poor hits. We have an ethical responsibility to make every effort to
try to get the most humane kill possible.

I’m not sure where it ranks but I’d be willing to bet that range
miscalculation is one of the biggest factors for poorly hit game and sheer
misses when it comes to archery hunting. I freely admit to whiffing at my
first opportunity at a buck with a bow because I didn’t correctly calculate
the range.

HOW TO CALCULATE RANGE

So how do we calculate range? How do we know if that deer is at 22 yards or
29 yards? Not a big difference, but I would have to use different pins. But
have no fear my friend, we only need to calculate 10 yards and the ONLY way
to determine that (without a range finder) is by experience.

Measure out 10 yards in your backyard and then count how many natural steps
it takes you to go that distance. Do this a few times to get a good
average. Now start testing yourself. As you walk down the sidewalk, move
through the hallways at work, mow your lawn, or walk the dog, find an
object you believe it 10 yards away and count how many paces it takes you
to get there. Pretty soon, you will nail down that 10 yard distance. Then
get in the woods and test yourself. Distances seem different when in the
field.

APPLYING OUR PRACTICE IN THE FIELD

Now back to that question about the deer being 22 or 29 yards away. By the
time hunting season rolls around, we are experts at determining how far 10
yards is, right? So find the 10 yard marker in the direction of the deer.
Using that landmark, look beyond and determine the NEXT 10 yard marker, and
so on until your deer falls within your marker. For our example, we only
had to find two markers so we KNOW our deer is at LEAST 20 yards away. Now
it’s a simple calculation to determine if the deer is closer to your second
10 yard marker, closer to your third 10 yard marker, or closer to the exact
midpoint. For us, our deer is not quite midway between our markers and
seems to be a bit closer to the second marker. Yep...about 22 yards.

CONCLUSION

I advocate using your electronic range finder whenever you can to give you
an exact distance. But for those times when things happen too fast or it
just isn’t practical, you are now armed with being able to calculate your
shooting range for a quick and humane shot.

If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at toddlydell@gmail.com.
Check out my instructional archery videos at www.youtube.com/archery64.
AND COMING SOON….www.thinkarchery.com!!!!

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!

2011-04-11T19:39:00.002-04:00

To be honest…there are a lot of things that frustrate me about hunting in
Pennsylvania.
* Nearly 1.5 million hunters in the woods each fall
* Antler restrictions
* Late starting archery season
* You’re only allowed ONE buck each season
* Anyone can use a crossbow
* Split antlered and antlerless firearm seasons
* Not able to use inline muzzleloaders for early AND late seasons
* Mountain Laurel

However, I will give this commonwealth kudos on a couple things…they don’t
allow Sunday hunting and with some restrictions, they do allow spotting or
shining.

AN AWFUL IDEA

But there’s one thing that has been a source of annoyance to me and many
other Pennsylvania hunters for many years.
Pennsylvania is one of only two states (New York being the other) that
require hunters to display their hunting license information on their back
while hunting. I don’t know who came up with this idea but it is one of the
most ridiculous laws I have ever heard of.

The print is so small that a Game Commission Officer would have to be
within 10 feet of you to read the information without the aid of optics.
The holders you HAVE TO BUY are prone to be wiped off your body if a branch
happens to swipe your back and, because you can’t see it, you have no idea
where or when it fell off. To top it all off, you are charged a fee to get
a replacement!

NEW LEGISLATION

Republican Representative Keith Gillespie (York County) has recently
introduced legislation that would no longer make it a requirement that
hunters display their license information on a back tag. I say it’s about
time!

If you live or hunt in Pennsylvania, call, write, or email your local state
representative to voice your support for this legislation.

CONCLUSION

If you know of any arcane or outdated game laws that are still on the books
in your state, let me know about them by leaving your comments at the end
of this blog.

If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at toddlydell@gmail.com.

And don’t forget to check out my instructional archery videos at
www.youtube.com/archery64.

TARGET PANIC

2011-03-05T14:10:00.000-05:00

We’ve all heard the horror stories of the hapless hunter who has succumbed
to buck fever so badly that the only injury inflicted is to the hunter’s
ego. And unless you have absolutely no passion for the sport, any hunter
who has drawn a bead or put a cross hair on a wild animal, experiences some
form of buck fever….even if you are a veteran hunter and your prey is a
squirrel. The “fever” can range from mild excitement to a complete mental
and physical meltdown.

My “Buck Fever”

We are four weeks into our 2011 winter archery league and for the first
three and a half weeks, I was shooting scores at my 2006 levels.

Here’s what was happening…As I would come to full draw, everything seemed
fine. But at release, almost every shot would go to the left by one half to
a full inch. I knew my form wasn’t the issue because prior to the league
starting I was packing them in pretty good. That also eliminated the
possibility of my sights being off. When if comes to hunting, I can live
with being an inch off at 20 yards. But in competition, an inch is huge.

What is Target Panic

There is a phenomenon in all forms of target shooting called target panic.
This is similar to buck fever in that the shooter becomes unable to
consistently hit what they are aiming at. And just like buck fever, target
panic has various levels of annoyance and frustration. In target shooting,
it is usually not an on-going problem but it does rear its ugly head every
so often.

As week 4 of our league began, I was once again missing to the left. Out of
30 arrows, I only had seven in the bullseye. During these 30 arrows, I
realized that while I may have been locating the center of the target at
full draw, I was not maintaining that eye contact during my aiming process.
In archery, it is vital that you obtain and KEEP eye contact with the spot
you want to hit until after your release.

A Fix for My Target Panic

At our 15 minute halftime break, I decided to try something. Once I come to
full draw, it usually takes me about 5-6 seconds before I release the
arrow. This time, I went up to the 10 yard line, came to full draw,
acquired the center of the target (which looked to be about the size of a
bus), and held it for at about 15 seconds before releasing my arrow. Of
course I was hitting high at 10 yards but it only took a few arrows before
I was hitting DIRECTLY ABOVE DEAD CENTER every time! No more left!

When the second half started, I found I was better able to maintain eye
contact with the center of the target at full draw….so much better in fact
that out of 30 arrows, I hit the bullseye 23 times!

I have decided that part of my “pre-game” preparation will now include
about 12 arrows shot at 10 yards while holding eye contact with my spot for
at least 15 seconds for each arrow.

Conclusion

I’m not saying that the 10 yard routine I came up with will cure your
target panic. Heck…it may not even be the cure the next time I have target
panic. But if you are having trouble consistently hitting the spot you are
aiming at and everything else seems to be in order, you may have target
panic and my remedy may help.

If you would like to discuss this or any other archery topic with me
directly, please feel free to email me at toddlydell@gmail.com.

And don’t forget to check out my instructional archery videos at
www.youtube.com/archery64.

INSIDE CORNERS

2011-02-04T19:02:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I know…another baseball analogy. But have you ever paid attention to
a baseball player and how he runs the bases when he’s going for that extra
base? If he is going from first to third on a hit, he will touch second
base on the inside corner. Why?...because the shortest distance between
first and third base involves the runner touching the inside corner of
second base. This route gets the runner to third base in the quickest
manner.

There are inside corners in hunting too and deer use them in the exact same
manner as our base runner.
My illustration below is behind my house. We have a piece of woods with a
field cut into it and a road running to the north and east of the property.

Deer are basically lazy creatures and to get from one point to the next
they will use a route that is the most direct, has the least resistance,
but still offers adequate cover. The shortest distance between points A and
B involves the deer touching the inside corner of the field. Sound familiar
to our base runner?

You must pay special attention to the wind when hunting inside corners.
Ideally, this spot should be hunted with a north wind and the hunter should
approach the stand site (“S”) from the south by cutting across the field.
The stand should be placed on the downwind side of any trails cutting the
inside corner.

You can’t see it from this aerial photo but just to the north of the deer
trail the ground slopes very steeply down to the road. Since the deer avoid
the road and prefer not to climb the steep hill, I have a nearly perfect
funnel situation. I even drive my truck into the field and park it about
200 yards from the corner so that the deer won’t cut across the field
behind me.

Inside corners can be hotspots. And while you may not see much deer sign in
these locations, you can be assured that deer are passing through. These
are especially good spots during the rut when bucks are cruising all day
looking for does.

And don’t forget to check out my instructional archery videos at
www.youtube.com/archery64.

TOPO MAP 101

2011-01-20T16:51:00.004-05:00

Reading a topographical map can be confusing, But, by identifying a few
basic terrain terrains features and understanding how deer use those
features you can quickly find some good hunting locations without leaving
your kitchen table.
Contour lines on a topo map show different elevations. On a standard 7.5
minute series topo map, the lines are spaced at 10 foot intervals….the
closer the lines the steeper the terrain.
To assist you in getting a better understanding of a flat topo map, I’d
like to introduce you to a 3D topo map that you can take anywhere. Make a
fist and cock your wrist like you’re looking at your watch. Now follow
along.

A (Hilltop) – The most easily identifiable terrain feature on a topo map.
Excellent points of reference for orienteering oneself in the field. On
your 3D topo map, each of your knuckles represents a hilltop.
B (Ridge) – Formed by a series of adjoined hilltops. Whitetails love
ridges. Look for bucks to bed about two-thirds of the way up. Pay attention
to morning and evening thermals when hunting sides of ridges. Your line of
knuckles form a ridge.
C (Saddle) - The area between two adjoining hilltops. They are lower in
elevation than the hilltops and can serve as a travel route for deer to get
from one side of the ridge to the other. This is the area between two
knuckles.
D (Incline/Decline) - The closer the contour lines are to each other on the
topo map, the steeper the terrain. This information can be invaluable for
determining easy travel routes to and from a hunting location. On the map
below, notice how steep that hill is coming down to the lake from the
north. The area on the back of your hand going from your knuckles to your
watch is a good example of a steep hill.
E (Draw) – A slightly depressed and elongated terrain feature that usually
comes up from a low area to a saddle between two hilltops. Deer will use
draws as travel routes to get on the ridge in the morning to bed and off
the ridge in the evening to feed. This is the crease between your fingers
that points to the area between your knuckles.
F (Spur or Point) – A slightly elevated and elongated terrain feature that
usually goes down from a hilltop to a low-lying area. Bucks especially will
use spurs as bedding areas. This is the back of your finger that runs down
from your knuckle.

Combine a topo map with an aerial photo (all available for free online) and
you have a potent combination of hunting tools at your disposal for quickly
finding hot ambush sites.

And don’t forget to check out my instructional archery videos at
www.youtube.com/archery64.

DEFINITIONS

2011-01-07T18:03:00.001-05:00

Definitions for common archery and hunting terms….sort of.

ARCHERY – a primitive hunting method conducted in the early fall by rifle
hunters who are tired of freezing their butts off in November.

DEER STAND – an elevated napping location.

DRAG ROPE – an important hunting article usually remembered when standing
over a downed deer five miles from the nearest road.

KNIFE – see Drag Rope.

BROADHEAD – an efficient instrument used to accidentally cut bow strings as
you get settled in your stand.

FLASHLIGHT (OR HEADLAMP) – one of the many items you drop as you climb into
your tree stand in the early morning darkness.

WIND DIRECTION – something which changes immediately after you’ve gotten
into your stand. Usually ignored until the next time you are on the ground.

ARROW TRAJECTORY – a calculation made by the bored archery hunter as he
stares down that loud-mouthed squirrel in the other tree.

DEER BLIND – usually the kind of deer I get.

BLAZE ORANGE – the first thing you see in another tree about 100 yards away
at daylight.

ELK BUGLE (OR TURKEY YELP) – the sound one makes when a pine tree decides
to release its load of snow down your neck.

RUB (OR SCRAPE) – what you must do to your eyes to wake up at 3 AM.

SCOUTING – a reason to get away from the house during late summer.

SNORT (OR WHEEZE) – what you sound like halfway up the mountain.

HEART/LUNG SHOT – what you feel halfway up the mountain

RELEASE – what your hunting partner just did to that branch that knocked
off your hat and broke your glasses.

NOISE DISCIPLINE – what you’re trying to do as you get out and open your
lunch sack. This also applies when you’re trying to open those little hand
warmer thingys that come in very noisy plastic wrap.

And don’t forget to check out my instructional archery videos at
www.youtube.com/archery64.

THE RESET

2011-01-05T05:23:00.002-05:00

I love baseball. It’s great to settle down in front of the television to
watch a major league baseball game…especially if the Phillies are doing
well. But to many people, baseball is boring. They think all baseball
involves is pitch the ball, hit the ball, catch the ball, throw the ball,
etc. But there are many little things going on within the game that make it
interesting.

One of the things I enjoy watching are the rituals that some hitters go
through before they are ready to receive a pitch. They go through all kinds
of manipulations with the dirt, the bat, their batting gloves, their
helmet, everything. AND THEN….most back out of the box and do it all
again….after each pitch!!!!

However, what these professional baseball players are doing is nothing less
than what we should be doing as archers. In reality, they are adjusting to
the right stance, getting the proper body alignment, achieving the correct
grip, and mentally preparing for the next pitch.

After that arrow is gone and we’ve followed through properly (see blog
entry from 12/7), our body is not in the proper position to immediately
shoot another arrow. While our stance should not change, our posture needs
to be reset, the next arrow needs to be reset, our bow needs to be reset,
our grip needs to be reset, our string hand needs to be reset, and most
importantly, our mind must be reset.

I’m not saying to back completely off the line and start all over but
everyone should have a pre-shot routine that they go through before
shooting every arrow!!! At a minimum, that ritual should include a mental
check list of the following…

Stance and body posture
Nocking the arrow and hook the release
Grip the bow and bring it into position
Slow Draw and anchor the string hand
Aim! Aim! Aim!
Release
Follow through

AND THEN….RESET…and do it all over again.

If you develop a pre-shot routine, the process of repetition will soon
train your body. You will find that you no longer have to really think
about it and that your body will tell you when something isn’t right. And
listen to your body. If something just doesn’t feel right, let down, and
RESET.

And just like the major league baseball player, don’t dwell on what’s
already happened. You can’t get that bad shot back any more than a batter
can get that strike back.

And RESET your mind to focus COMPLETELY on the next shot. And by that, I
mean FOCUS ONLY ON AIMING when you come to full draw.

Remember…we don’t shoot three arrows at a time when practicing…we shoot one
at a time.

And don’t forget to check out my instructional archery videos at
www.youtube.com/archery64.

MY CHRISTMAS WISH

2010-12-20T19:49:00.002-05:00

Well, it’s Christmas time again. And you know what that means….some people
are freaking out!!

There are gifts to wrap, cards to send, decorations to put up, a tree to
find, cookies to bake, stockings to hang, a meal to prepare, travel
arrangements to make, plays to attend, parties to plan….the list never
seems to end.

And since these people see absolutely no way of everything getting done by
Christmas, they start to get that look in their eyes that if they get one
more thing piled on top of them, they will collapse like a house of cards.
They are on the edge of being devoured by the holidays and the joy of the
season escapes them.

They don’t see the blessings they get by giving to others.
They can’t understand the happiness a card brings to a friend.
They miss out on seeing how colorful lights transform a simple house into a
magical place.
They fail to appreciate the excitement a Christmas tree brings to a child.
They are unable to smell the friendly warmth of baking cookies.
They can’t see the look of awe on faces around the table when Christmas
dinner is served.
They don’t comprehend the anticipation loved ones feel as they pull up in
the driveway.
They won’t recognize the delight a child has when on stage…and mom and dad
are in the audience.
They aren’t aware of the fellowship shared at simple gatherings.

Please don’t let the seemingly endless list of things to do take away from
the Christmas season this year. My wish is that everyone will take time out
to enjoy the decorations, the food, the family, and the beautiful spirit
that IS Christmas.

And what does all this have to do with archery? Absolutely nothing. Merry
Christmas everyone!!!

Subscribe to my instructional archery videos at www.youtube.com\user\archery64

FOLLOW THROUGH

2010-12-07T19:53:00.001-05:00

FOLLOW THROUGH

One of the most under-rated and ignored aspects of archery shooting is the
follow through after the arrow has been released. There is a lot of
emphasis put on the pre-release phase of archery but the post-release phase
is just as important.

On a bow shooting 300 feet per second (fps), it only takes a 30 inch arrow
about .0083 seconds to clear the bow on release. That is literally less
time than the blink of an eye.

Now I know what you’re thinking…how important can follow through be if the
arrow clears my bow before I can even react to the release?

The truth is, the arrow clears the bow so quickly that it is physically
impossible to affect the shot between the time of release and when the
arrow is free of the bow. Humans can not react that quickly.

However, if your body is doing other things BEFORE the release and those
things continue THROUGH the release, the accuracy of your shot WILL be
affected.

Here are some of the things you could be doing DURING the release that
could affect accuracy…
Peeking up over your peep sight to check out your shot
Lowering your bow arm
Gripping the bow
Following the arrow with your eyes instead of keeping focused on the target

So what good does proper follow through do? If you do not get in the habit
of following through by keeping your entire body in the proper “hold”
position AFTER release, it won’t be long before any movements start
happening BEFORE release. When that happens, you will not hit what you’re
aiming at.

Now, you will not be able to hold your body perfectly still after release
but here are the two things you must try to do in your follow through…
Keep you eyes on the spot you are aiming at
Keep your pin sight on the spot you are aiming at

This should be done at least until your arrow hits the target. On a bow
that shoots 300 fps, it will only take .20 seconds for your arrow to hit
the target at 20 yards.

Follow through is a very important part of archery shooting. Ignore it, and
you’ll find yourself scratching your head wondering what you’re doing
wrong.

AND NOW THE NEWS

2010-12-02T19:26:00.001-05:00

Actual hunting headlines from around the country in 2010…along with my
comments.

ANGRY MAN TEARS DOWN TREE STAND WITH ANOTHER HUNTER STILL IN THE STAND.
FALL LEADS TO DEATH AND MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES.
Must have been a good spot! I do believe it’s now completely available.

LOCAL MAN SUFFERS LETHAL WOUND AFTER BAGGING HIS BUCK. AUTOPSY SHOWS SHOT
BY ANOTHER HUNTER.
I can’t make a snide comment about this one. It’s just too sad.

HUNTER GETS LOST IN FOG ON MOUNTAIN. CALLS 9-1-1 FOR RESCUE.
He shoulda pressed his key thingy to make his car honk….like in the
commercial. Duh!

POACHING SUSPECT SHOOTS AND KILLS GAME COMMISSION OFFICER DURING ARREST.
I hope this guy enjoys spending a lot of quality time with his prison
“buddies”.

POSSIBLE STATE RECORD BLACKBEAR TAKEN WITH CROSSBOW IN PENNSYLVANIA. BEAR’S
NAME WAS “BOZO” AND WAS FED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS.
‘Nuf said.

FORMER CONVICTED FELON ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS AND KILLS FRIEND WHILE TURKEY
HUNTING. SUSPECT WAS NOT PERMITTED TO LEGALLY POSSES A FIREARM.
“Oops….my bad. The last time I was in prison I remember getting one phone
call…is that still in effect?”

80 YEAR OLD WOMAN STILL ENJOYS HUNTING WHITETAILS.
One day the authorities will be hunting for her.

LOST OREGON HUNTER SURVIVES FOR FOUR DAYS ON BEEF JERKY.
C’mon! Really?? He couldn’t shoot his own food to survive?

I Passed on the Shot

2010-11-03T19:30:00.003-04:00

Let's see....it's 7:30 PM here now. About an hour and 15 minutes ago, I had three small whitetails messing around under my stand. One even walked over and smelled one of the two new scrapes around my tree. But I passed on the shot. I could've taken any one of them at any time but I let them all go.
It's amazing how good one feels when you know you could've...but didn't. I think that lesson can be applied to many areas of our life.

Ah....Mother Nature

2010-11-01T17:01:00.003-04:00

Don't you just love it when you plan your vacation MONTHS in advance of the rut only to have the weather forecast call for rain?!

2010 Season

2010-10-28T19:11:00.001-04:00

No deer yet but I've only been out archery hunting a couple times. Lots of hunters I've talked to have not seen that many deer....yet. But the rut is on the way.

THURSDAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

2010-09-10T18:33:00.003-04:00

My thoughts are focused on Sep 18! Special regulation area down by Philadelphia for antlerless only whitetails. I am SO ready for archery season to be here!!

TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

2010-09-08T21:02:00.003-04:00

It's a good idea to see how long you can hold your bow at full draw and make an accurate shot BEFORE you head to the woods.

Check out more of Todd's stuff at www.allarchery.blogspot.com.

POP QIUIZ!

2010-09-08T20:59:00.002-04:00

Here's the answers to last week's questions...

1. False – Even with the dramatic advancement of broadheads, they still
do not fly exactly like your field tips. It is still imperative that
you sight in with your broadheads before heading to the field.
2. False – String jumping is when a deer reacts instinctively to the
sound of your bow being fired. The dropping down occurs as the deer
gathers its legs under its body to bound away. Many times, the arrow
will sail over the top of the deer unless the shooter compensates in
anticipation of the deer’s reaction.
3. False – Due to the somewhat inefficient design of the crossbow, they
have no more range than a comparable compound bow. In fact, a
compound bow with a 125 lb draw weight would have FAR greater range
than a crossbow with the same draw weight.

And here's this week's questions...

1. T / F Bucks are the most predictable during the breeding phase of the
rut.

2. T / F Gripping the bow too tightly at release could affect the
impact point.

3. T / F Staging areas are locations where bucks may “hang out” prior to
entering a field to feed.

FRIDAY FACTS

2010-09-03T18:04:00.001-04:00

Studies have shown that acorns can constitute 38 to 76 percent of a whitetail’s diet in November and December.

THURSDAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

2010-09-03T17:59:00.002-04:00

I have been shooting my bow a lot over the past couple of weeks and I have
a big 3D shoot coming up on Saturday. In fact, I have been doing a lot of
preparation for our archery season which opens up on Sep 18. Part of that
preparation includes writing down all the days I will be able to hunt,
which stands I’ll want to be in on each day (assuming wind conditions are
right), and whether I’ll be using scents, calls, or decoys.
This is not a cut-in-stone agenda but rather a general plan of attack that
I can shuffle around however I want based on any number of things. Weather,
food sources, deer sign, and hunter movement are just a few things that
could cause me to alter my battle plan.
Here’s my THOUGHT OF THE WEEK…Many hunters look forward to the hunting
season and have several stand locations to choose from every day. However,
very few take the time to plot out their hunting strategy in advance. Give
it a try and you’ll find you won’t over-hunt stands and you'll gain more
confidence for the upcoming season.

TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

2010-08-31T17:56:00.003-04:00

Practice the shots you imagine you could be taking from your stand. Too many archers practice on level ground, in good weather, and bright sunlight. You will make very few shots at live game in these conditions during your entire life. Practice bending over a little, twisting sideways, and even sitting.

POP QUIZ!

2010-08-30T20:12:00.004-04:00

Here's last week's questions...

1. T / F Rubs on a sapling that are on the opposite side of the tree from a feeding area, generally indicates the evening route of a buck.
TRUE-Rubs that are facing away from a feeding area generally indicate the evening travel route of the buck (he was heading towards his feeding area) while rubs facing away from a bedding area usually show the buck's morning travel route.
2. T / F When sighting in your bow, you should make a sight adjustment after each arrow.
FALSE-Sight adjustments should be made after each three-arrow group. And then from the center of the grouping.
3. T / F The bullseye on all 3D whitetail targets are an exact representation of where you should aim on a live animal.
FALSE-Generally, the bullseye on 3D targets are NOT where you want to aim on a live whitetail. In most cases, you'll want to aim much lower on a live deer. For quartering shots on live game, you'll want your point-of-impact much further left or right of where the bullseye is on the target.

And here's this week's questions...

1. T/ F Due to design innovations, it is no longer necessary to sight in broadheads if they are the same weight as your target tips.

2. T / F String jumping is when a deer sees the arrow coming at him and intentionally ducks under the arrow as it arrives.

3. T / F Crossbows have a greater range than regular compound bows.

Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd's stuff.

FRIDAY FACTS

2010-08-29T08:51:00.002-04:00

Deer are ruminants (cud chewers) and have a four-compartmented stomach, which allows the deer to feed very rapidly.
Deer need 10 to 12 pounds of food per day to satisfy their needs.

THURSDAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

2010-08-26T18:43:00.001-04:00

Tracking a deer through the woods has become a lost art form. Oh sure,
almost anyone can pick up on a well defined blood trail and follow it. But
what if the blood sign ends before you find the animal? Would you be able
to tell which way the animal went based on other sign? What if you just
happen across a blood trail? Would you be able to determine which direction
the deer was heading?
Sadly, most hunters today do not possess even a fraction of the skills
necessary to track an animal beyond a good blood trail.
And tracking can get a whole lot more complicated.
If you were targeting a particular buck in your hunting area, would you be
able to memorize his track imprint and then follow that particular track to
his bedding or feeding area? If you came across a promising track on a deer
trail, could you give a rough estimate of how long ago it was made? Are you
able to use sign other than tracks to determine if deer are using a
particular area?
Here’s my THOUGHT OF THE WEEK… Most hunters only use deer tracks to
identify a travel route. If you could read tracks and other deer sign with
even a modest amount of proficiency, think about how many more hunting
options you would be able to take advantage of.

Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd’s stuff.

TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

2010-08-24T20:01:00.004-04:00

If you hunt with the quiver attached to your bow, make sure you practice and sight your bow in with the quiver attached as well. I practice and hunt with the quiver DETACHED from my bow to avoid as much vibration, noise, and weight as possible. Once in my stand, I hang the quiver on the tree within easy reach.

Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd's stuff.

POP QUIZ

2010-08-23T21:10:00.004-04:00

Every Monday will be a pop quiz. I will post three true or false archery/hunting questions for you to try your knowledge against. If you’re feeling froggy, you can leave your answers in a comment on my blog for the world to see. On the following Monday, I will post the answers to the previous week’s questions and then post three new questions. If you have specific questions you’d like answered, you can either leave a comment on my blog or send me an email at toddlydell@gmail.com.

Here's last week's questions...

1. A hoof print along with a dew claw imprint always indicates a buck track.
FALSE - Large mature does will sometimes leave dew claw marks.
2. If an area has a high buck-to-doe ratio (greater than 3 or 4 does for every buck), it’s easier to call, scent, rattle, or decoy bucks into your setups.
FALSE - Since bucks will find potential mates in greater abundance in areas with high buck-to-doe ratios, the need to compete for mating privileges is greatly reduced. Therefore, bucks are not as susceptible to calls, scents, rattling, and decoys.
3. The most dominant buck in an area will generally make the first scrapes of the season.
TRUE - Due to increased testosterone levels, the earliest scrapes of the season are generally made by the dominant buck in the area.

And here's this week's POP QUIZ...

1. T / F Rubs on a sapling that are on the opposite side of the tree from a feeding area, generally indicates the evening route of a buck.

2. T / F When sighting in your bow, you should make a sight adjustment after each arrow.

3. T / F The bullseye on all 3D whitetail targets are an exact representation of where you should aim on a live animal.

Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd's stuff.

FRIDAY FACTS

2010-08-20T17:45:00.002-04:00

In the early 1900's, whitetail populations in the U.S. was thought to number about 300,000 animals.
Recent estimates put the deer population in the United States at around 30 million animals!

Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd's stuff.

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

2010-08-19T19:08:00.002-04:00

Have you ever seen a cat stalk a piece of string? Ever watch a puppy play
with his favorite toy? Have you ever wondered what was going through their
minds at that particular moment that made them act that way? I sometimes
ask that question to myself about my sons.
I also sometimes think about a whitetail’s frame of mind.
Now I know that animals are not capable of conscious thought and that they
can not feel emotions as we do. I do, however, feel that animals have a
form of “awareness” that fluctuates through varying levels.
After a night of feeding and carousing, is a whitetail less aware of its
surroundings as it heads back to its bedding area based simply on the fact
that it “wants” to call it a night?
Is a whitetail in a better “mood” and more alert on a bright sunny day and
less alert on a wet and overcast day?
Do they get “bored” and perhaps bed down overlooking a highway in order to
pass the time watching traffic?
Here’s my THOUGHT OF THE WEEK…..Can we use these “forms of awareness” to
our advantage as hunters?

Go to www.allarchery.blogspot.com for more of Todd's stuff.

TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

2010-08-17T18:08:00.003-04:00

You'll want to make one last scouting trip to the area you plan to hunt about one week before the actual hunt. Any sooner, and you may miss changes in the deer's travel patterns or routines. Any later, and you might alert the deer to your presence and they could avoid the area. As always, get in and out as quickly as possible while leaving as little scent behind you as you can.

POP QUIZ!

2010-08-16T18:38:00.003-04:00

YOU MIGHT BE A DEER HUNTER IF......part 2

2010-08-15T19:54:00.001-04:00

51. You can quote every verse of scripture that references it’s
biblically acceptable to hunt and eat meat.
52. You think the term “a three-point shot” is not a basketball
reference.
53. You have written several letters to the International Olympic
Committee urging them to include deer hunting in the next winter olympics.
54. You have gone through more deer hunting knives in your life than you
have pairs of socks.
55. State Troopers wait for you along the highway to your deer camp.
56. You think nothing about walking two miles in the dark through heavy
brush to get to your deer stand but complain about having to take the
garbage out to the end of your driveway.
57. You drive to deer camp with more stuff in your truck than you had in
it the day you moved into your new house.
58. You can relate to most of this list.
59. You rented the movies “The Killing Fields” and “Field of Dreams” and
thought they were hunting videos.
60. You call your kitchen a “feeding area” and your bedroom a “bedding
area”.
61. You know where to buy blaze orange toilet paper.
62. Your deer stand gets more annual maintenance than your house.
63. You think that not bathing during deer season brings you closer to
nature.
64. You have a hissy fit if you can’t find your lucky deer hunting
underwear.
65. You take extreme care not to bump your rifle scope but will pound on
the side of your PC when it “acts up”.
66. You think that “getting a little action” means the deer are on the
move.
67. Snow fall takes on a whole different meaning during deer season.
68. You relocate your entire family to another state just because it has
bigger deer.
69. You threaten your boss with physical violence until your leave is
approved for hunting season.
70. You’ll use your compass every two minutes during deer season but will
refuse to admit you’re lost when driving the family car.
71. You watch over your wife’s shoulder as she washes your hunting jacket
but you’ll wear the same pair of socks three days in a row.
72. You’ve named your rifle.
73. You won’t think twice about spending $25 for a deer license but
shudder at the thought of spending that much on your family at McDonalds.
74. You’ll track and log deer movement in detail but you can’t seem to
remember to keep track of the checks you’ve written.
75. You’ve ever tasted an acorn just to see if you can tell why deer like
them so much.
76. You suddenly “find” a wad of cash in your pocket for your wife just
before you leave for deer camp.
77. You’ve ever touched deer droppings with your bare hands to see how
old they were but you have to use a scoop and put on rubber gloves to clean
up after the dog.
78. You think that the great outdoors is just one big bathroom.
79. You’ve ever wondered what a rifle slug would do to that squirrel that
keeps hanging around your deer stand.
80. You can find your rifle shells from last year’s hunt within 10
seconds but you can’t find your car keys that you used last night.
81. Miniature candy bars are considered survival gear.
82. Sharing the outhouse with another hunter at the same time is not
embarassing.
83. You’ve never been at your daughter’s birthday party because she was
born three weeks early and it’s right in the middle of deer season.
84. You’ve ever bought a tree stand for your wife for her birthday….and
she doesn’t hunt.
85. You asked to borrow your wife’s new tree stand.
86. Your wife holds you at gunpoint on the front lawn after you return
from deer camp until you strip and hose yourself down with the garden hose.
87. You won’t tell your hunting buddies where you saw that big buck but
you’ll tell them the problems you and your wife are having with being
intimate.
88. You will spend hours scouting for just the right tree to place your
deer stand but you can’t wait to get out of the mall when your wife is
shopping.
89. Your spotlight can be seen with the naked eye by the space shuttle.
90. You have so many of those little handwarmers that they could be your
home’s primary heat source for the next three winters.
91. Your wife actually thought you were going to get a better job when
you told her you wanted to “make some big bucks”.
92. You have a jackalope mount in your living room.
93. You admire Robin Hood just because he was able to kill the king’s
deer with a long bow.
94. You tell bedtime stories to your deer rifle.
95. Your mother-in-law has to adjust the family Christmas party around
deer seasons.
96. You check for deer sign when looking for your lost golf ball.
97. You know which two diners in your county are open at 4:00 AM on
opening morning.
98. Just by looking at a single track, you are able to tell how big the
deer was, which direction it was heading, and how fast it was going but you
are unable to refold a road map the right way.
99. You practice sneaking up on your wife just to stay at peak
performance level.
100. You know what P&Y and B&C stand for.

YOU MIGHT BE A DEER HUNTER IF.....part 1

2010-08-09T18:25:00.001-04:00

YOU MIGHT BE A DEER HUNTER IF…

1. Your annual hunting equipment budget is more than your family’s
annual grocery budget.
2. The term “making a stand” does not indicate your position on a
political or religious issue.
3. Most of your house is decorated in camoflauge and/or blaze orange.
4. You oil your rifle every two weeks whether it needs it or not but
you’ve had to replace two engines in your truck because you forgot to
change IT’S oil.
5. You have the Game Commission on speed dial on your phone at work.
6. Your marriage is on the rocks because you spend most of your evenings
and weekends “scouting”.
7. You know the exact ballistics, energy, and trajectory of your rifle
ammunition but you can’t balance your checkbook.
8. “NO HUNTING” signs throw you into a fit of rage.
9. You plan ALL of your vacation around deer hunting seasons.
10. You spend time at work making lists like this one.
11. You know a deer’s anatomy structure like the back of your hand.
12. Your kids’ yelling gives you a headache but you can spend hours at
the rifle range unfazed.
13. You’ll stop traffic during rush hour just to watch a couple deer
standing in a field.
14. You can field dress a deer without blinking but you can’t change a
diaper without losing your lunch.
15. You can find your favorite hunting spot in the dark but you can’t
find something in your own house that the wife asks you to get for her.
16. The year has three seasons….The Pre-Rut, The Rut, and The Post Rut.
17. You’ll wear attractant scents during deer season but you won’t put on
cologne during a night out with your wife.
18. You can spot a deer half hidden by foliage standing 100 yards away
but you can’t see the dishes in the sink that need to be done.
19. You only get and send Christmas cards to your hunting buddies.
20. You can remember the exact time, date, location, and weather
conditions of every deer you’ve ever taken but you can’t remember your own
anniversary.
21. You can make a gun rack out of a deer’s front legs in 30 minutes.
22. You dive right in to every hunting magazine you get in the mail but
will let bills sit for weeks.
23. Your children refer to deer season as “the time Daddy goes away”.
24. You always wake up before the alarm goes off for opening day of deer
season but you can’t wake up in time for work.
25. Venison is one of the four basic food groups.
26. “DEER CROSSING” signs give you a sense of anticipation.
27. You’ve sent in over 100 job applications to BUCKMASTERS.
28. The picture on your desk of your deer antlers is bigger than the
picture of your kids.
29. You can assemble your portable deer stand in the dark with quiet
efficiency but you wake the baby up every morning getting ready for work.
30. “Dates” with your wife always conclude with you making your wife drive
around to local fields while you hang out the window with a spot light.
31. You can survive in the woods for days eating grubs and strange
looking plants but you complain when the dinner your wife makes isn’t so
good.
32. Your trigger finger has blisters on it.
33. On an afternoon drive in October, your wife comments on how pretty
the leaves are. You keep wishing they would fall to the forest floor so
you can pinpoint deer feeding and bedding areas.
34. You spend an extra $20 a month just to get the Weather Channel on
cable. Then you only watch it during the week prior to deer season.
35. You can skin a deer with precise effectiveness but you can’t carve
the Thanksgiving turkey.
36. You can sit on a deer stand for hours in sub-zero temperatures but
it’s too cold to shovel the driveway.
37. You can track a deer for miles but you can’t find your kids in the
mall.
38. You can hit a deer running through the brush at top speed at 100
yards but you can’t hit the toilet when going to the bathroom.
39. You think it’s logical to spend $200 a year on your license, bullets,
food, camp dues, and gas just to save $100 in meat costs.
40. You have banned your children from ever watching the movies “Bambi”
and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”.
41. You consider deer dragging to be a scientific art and worthy of hours
of conversation.
42. You give driving directions that include the phrase “turn left after
that field where the big eight point hangs out”.
43. Your bed spread is made up of four processed deer hides.
44. You hang out at the local corner store just to get tips on where the
deer are.
45. You think “Doe in Estrus” deer scent “doesn’t smell that bad”.
46. The winch on your truck has only ever been used to drag a deer out of
the woods.
47. Your watch still has blood and hair on it from last year’s deer you
cleaned.
48. You are always late for church in the fall because you just had to
check out one more field for deer.
49. You have four maps of the area you have hunted all your life but you
refuse to even look at the operating instructions for your new VCR.
50. You consider the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
as being the “spawn of Satan”.

PRACTICING THOSE UGLY SHOTS

2010-07-29T17:15:00.002-04:00

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.

The Perfect Plan

2010-07-19T18:49:00.002-04:00

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.

SPEED vs ACCURACY

2010-06-08T09:11:00.001-04:00

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.

SUNDAY HUNTING IN PENNSYLVANIA

2010-05-17T14:17:00.001-04:00

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!

Another Hunter Joins Our Ranks

2010-04-26T09:55:00.001-04:00

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.

ARROW RESTS

2010-03-23T14:50:00.002-04:00

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.

Nerves or Lack of Focus?

2010-03-10T12:23:00.001-05:00

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

Things I think about...in no particular order

2010-02-18T14:10:00.001-05:00

Everyone should be required to take marksmanship proficiency tests in firearms and archery before being allowed to enter the woods.

We should be permitted to shoot out the tires of road hunters.

Game Commissions are doing the best with what they have to provide adequate deer populations.

If you shoot it, you eat it.

State firearm safety courses should include how to track a wounded animal.

Crossbows should only be permitted for use by those with physical limitations.

Sunday hunting should not be allowed anywhere for anything!

They should have pull-off areas along highways so we can safely watch deer in the fields.

Kids should start out shooting bows with mechanical releases and then learn how to shoot fingers.

PETA...’nuf said.

Every deer you’re fortunate enough to harvest should be considered a trophy.

Wearing a safety harness while in a tree stand should be required by law.

While in deer camp, discussion topics such as taxes, mortgage rates, and computers should be forbidden.

I’ve never seen a Game Warden walking in the woods when they weren’t on a road or trail….wait….I’ve never seen a Game Warden walking.

Why don’t you ever see deer cross the road near those “Deer Crossing” signs?

I prefer to archery hunt in the evenings but rifle hunt in the mornings.

As I get older, my tree stand gets closer to the ground.

My dad is the best hunter I’ve ever known.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2010-02-04T07:43:00.001-05:00

Draw Length

I am 6’3” while my wife is only 5’2”. Imagine my discomfort when I try to cram myself behind the wheel of the family roadster after my wife has driven it….and she didn’t re-adjust the seat. IF I am able to get in, I must adjust the seat way back so that my knees are out of my ears, adjust both side mirrors, the rearview mirror, the steering wheel, and even sometimes the radio. I would not even attempt to drive that vehicle until it was adjusted to fit me because it would be very unsafe, very uncomfortable, and very unproductive.

The same concept should be applied to our bows. Our bow should be adjusted to fit us instead of us trying to cram ourselves into impossible positions to fit the bow.

In my youth instructional program last week, a young shooter was getting frustrated because she couldn’t hit the target consistently. I hadn’t had a chance to work with her before. I watched her shoot three arrows and could plainly see her problem. First, the draw length of the bow was too short and this caused her bow arm to be bent too much. Her entire shooting side was tensed up and quivering. Second, her peep sight was way too high. She was struggling at keeping the kisser button where it was supposed to be and trying to see through the peep. I gave the bow about another inch of draw length and moved her peep sight down. At full draw, her body now looked relaxed and she put her next two arrows in the bulls-eye and the third one just outside the bulls-eye. I wish you could have seen the look of joy on her face.

I am an advocate of having your bow elbow “locked” when at full draw. If your body is properly aligned and your stance is correct, this will give you a direct line from your grip to your front shoulder. If your elbow is bent, you will be using forearm and upper arm muscle groups to hold your bow at full draw. Small muscle groups like these will tire quickly and cause inconsistency in your groupings. Also, if your elbow is bent, you can not ensure that you are bending it at the same angle every single time at full draw. You will come to full draw, put the kisser button where it’s
supposed to go, and THEN adjust your bow elbow angle accordingly.

And remember, a draw length that is too long can cause its own set of problems. So get to an archery pro shop and have a technician take a look at your draw length at full draw. A slight bow adjustment can make a world of difference.

And mom and dad….remember….your kids are growing. That bow that may have perfectly fit your child last year may need to have some adjustments made this year. Pay attention to your child’s shooting form.

Kids and Equipment

2010-01-26T09:55:00.001-05:00

Our archery club’s instructional youth program has started and we have about 40 kids participating this year. As a certified archery instructor, I help out where I can but find that most of my time is consumed with adjusting or applying equipment to bows. While our club supplies bows for children to use who don’t have one, many kids do have their own bows and bring them to the club. But many times, I see equipment that is insufficient or lacking completely on the bows these kids bring to the
club.

Now what kid doesn’t enjoy shooting a bow? Even as an adult, I thoroughly enjoy the feeling of coming to full draw, aiming carefully, triggering my release, and watching my arrow hit its mark……sometimes. But what happens when a child follows their instructor’s advice to the letter and still doesn’t hit what they’re aiming at….or even come close? They start to get frustrated.

As adults, we have the resources, finances, and contacts available to us to
pinpoint an equipment problem and correct it. Once we have the proper equipment and have adjusted it accordingly, we know that is then comes down
to practice in order to get better. Children do not have the resources, finances, or contacts to determine equipment problems. They have to rely on adults and usually the first line of defense for them is the parents.

If a child is given poor equipment, how can they possibly be expected to hit what they are aiming at? When they don’t, they begin to get frustrated and if it lasts too long, the child loses interest and may never pick up a bow again.

I’ve seen kids try to shoot bows without arrows rests, bows without sights of any kind, and arrows of different lengths and weights. I’ve even had parents who don’t know if their kids shoot right or left handed. But the biggest pet peeve of mine is parents who make their kids shoot with their fingers because …“I don’t want to spend money on a release in case my kid doesn’t like archery.” Well guess what? Even with the best equipment, most kids won’t be able to hit close to where they are aiming if they shoot with their fingers. Your child WILL lose interest!

My own child almost hated shooting a bow while he was using a club bow. But after we bought him a used bow that fit him, put on the right equipment, and made the proper adjustments, he started putting his arrows closer to
where he was aiming. Now, he looks forward to shooting and WANTS to improve his shooting.

While some of it may be attributed to financial issues or simple lack of knowledge, many parents will not provide their children with the proper
archery equipment. But they expect them to go out and shoot some old mismatched arrows that an uncle gave them on a stripped down bow given to them by a neighbor…and have fun doing it.

So Mom and Dad….do you and your kids a favor…provide your children with the proper archery equipment. I am NOT saying it all has to be brand new. But if your child does have a used bow, get to a pro shop and have it adjusted
to your child. Make sure the bow has equipment on it that is going to give your kid a fighting chance at hitting the target. And for goodness sake,
find a mechanical release for your kid to use.

Youth

2009-12-29T12:33:00.001-05:00

Each year, it seems that the ranks of hunters are shrinking. Older hunters decide they’ve had enough and hang up either the rifle or the bow while many of today’s youth find other things to do rather than sit up in a tree. Still others become disappointed and just decide to quit.

But once in a while, a parent, relative, or friend brings forth a youngster who is eager to join the army of camo and blaze orange that go after
whitetails each fall and they want to experience the whole spectrum that hunting whitetails has to offer.

I remember sitting in the kitchen when I was too young to hunt listening to the men as they gathered around the table pouring over maps and making final adjustments on the night before the opener. Being too young to participate, I stayed out of the way but hung on every word. I would be up WAY before daylight as the hunters gathered at our house before heading out. I longed to go with them as they piled into the trucks and disappeared into the early morning darkness.
My father had created in me, a desire to be part of the hunt. And I am thankful to this day that the other members of our hunting party welcomed me into their ranks. When I became old enough to join the men at the table, they continued to teach me and show me the way so that my love of hunting never waned.

Children are our hunting future and when any of them express even the slightest desire to become part of the hunt, they should be welcomed with open arms.

When finally brought into the presence of other veteran hunters, youngsters should be sat down often and happily have knowledge imparted to them. Patience should be shown to them when they ask questions where the answers
seem obvious. They should not only want to join our brotherhood but we should want them to join us as well. They should be nurtured in an
environment that makes them feel welcome.

Sadly though, a child’s desire to be made part of the hunting experience is sometimes damaged or destroyed by others. Whether intentional or not, poorly chosen words, demeaning remarks, or even a blatant disinterest in them, can quickly alter the way a young person feels about being “part of the gang”.
Sometimes, a youngster will talk for months about the upcoming season and the fellowship they are looking forward to spending with the other members of the hunting party…only to have that desire dashed against the rocks because of a few callous remarks. In addition, the person who was so careful to develop a love of hunting in the youngster now doubts whether that young person should continue to be exposed to such an environment and
may even desire to be rid of it himself.

So, the next time an excited youngster is brought into the fold…welcome them and make them feel as being part of the group. Be careful what you say
and how you act around them so that a burning desire they once had is not extinguished. Remember….our numbers are shrinking and a poor choice of
words could make it likely that we won’t see that youngster (or their mentor) at the kitchen table next year.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-11-27T19:58:00.001-05:00

Gripping the Bow

There’s a lot going on when we come to full draw with our bow. There are a lot of physical and mental things that we have to remember and properly execute if we ever hope to have consistent arrow groupings. However, one of
the most overlooked components of archery mechanics (and yet perhaps one of the most important) is how you grip the bow at full draw.

The grip of a bow is designed so that it LOOKS like it should be gripped very tightly like we would a hammer. Do that though, and you’re asking for trouble. In reality, we shouldn’t be gripping the bow at all….we should be blocking it.

Whenever someone comes up to me and says they can’t get consistent groupings with their bow, the very first thing I look at is how they hold the bow at full draw. Ever hear the phrase “This is where the rubber meets the road”? Let me tell you, when it comes to archery, the grip is where the rubber meets the road because it’s the only place where the hand meets the
bow at full draw.

If you grip the bow with any kind of tightness at all, you run a very high risk of having the bow torque on you at release. That means that your hand, wrist, forearm, shoulder, and back will all fight against the natural
movement of the bow in order to hold it on target. Due to the involuntary nature of this muscle reaction, torque is difficult if not impossible to
control. In effect, this means that you will have inconsistent impact points on your target.

A loose grip (or better yet…no grip at all) will allow the bow to move naturally after release and have the same movement for each release. This allows us to dial our sights in better and give us more consistent groupings.

But…how are we to hold the bow if we can’t grip it? First of all, your bow should have a wrist strap on it. This will prevent the bow from falling
after release. However, your instinctive reactions will naturally grasp the bow after release. I’ve yet to see a bow flop all over that place after
release when I’ve shown someone how to properly hold the bow at full draw.

Do this. Standing up and looking straight ahead, extend your bow arm straight out to your side. Make the “stop” sign with your hand. Now relax
your fingers and thumb. Look at your hand. THAT is the position that your bow hand should be in when you come to full draw! Notice how the line of knuckles is angled to about 45 degrees? That is a good point of reference when you are at full draw. At full draw, your fingers should be loose and relaxed. Let your fingers fall where they will but avoid the temptation to
grip the bow.

You may feel like your going to drop the bow the first few times you try this but you won’t. By the time your fingers instinctively grab the bow to keep it from falling, the arrow has already cleared your bow and is well on its way to the target.

Before you even hook your release to your loop, your bow hand should already be in the proper position on the grip. As you come to full draw,
let you fingers relax so that you are not gripping the bow in any manner.
You will find more consistent groupings and a less stressful shooting experience.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-10-20T13:26:00.001-04:00

Well, we’re two weeks into the full archery season here in Pennsylvania and I’ve yet to draw back on a deer. I’ve been out three mornings and three
evening and have yet to have a deer come within range. The deer are leaving lots of sign though and some of the bucks are chasing already. Scrapes and rubs are showing up too. I’m hoping the rut kicks in early and runs a bit longer than normal. The cool temperatures are to moderate this week but the cold snap we had has removed a lot of leaves from the trees. Farmers should be harvesting their corn fields soon too.

What I’m trying to say is this…if you’re like me and you haven’t taken a deer yet this archery season, don’t give up hope. The forests are quickly
changing over to their fall plumage, the cool temperatures are getting whitetails in the mood for their annual fall mating rituals, and those corn
fields that deer like to stay in 24/7 are about to go away. A LOT is going to change for the better within the next couple of weeks!

A VERY SUCCESSFUL OPENING DAY

2009-09-23T11:35:00.001-04:00

Well, our first archery outing of the season did not provide much in the form of whitetailed deer for my son McLane and I…

We left our house at 2:30 AM for a 2 ½ hour drive.
We sweated getting to our stands and then got cold after sitting in them for a while.
At 8:30 AM, two cars came down a road we didn’t know existed about 50 yards from us.
It was hard to see very far with all the leaves still on the trees.
The game cart broke down several times as we hauled our gear about 500 yards back to the vehicle.
Had to drive several miles to a hardware store to get material to fix the
game cart.
We were tired, sore, and sweaty by the time we got into our evening stands.
Had about six hunters walk through the field we were hunting. One was hunting doves with a shotgun.
Took a wrong turn on the way back home.
Had another 2 ½ hour drive home yet and paid over $10 in tolls for the day.
We were utterly exhausted by the time we got home.

And in the end, we only saw one small fawn in the morning.

But you know what…..it was a good day!

We had a great time even though it seemed a lot of things went wrong.
Yeah…we could’ve grumbled about all the other hunters. We could have complained about not seeing any deer. We could have whined about how hot and then how cold we were. We could have moaned about a lot of things.

Had we thought about all the bad things, we would have had a horrible hunt.

We wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the milk and Jolly Ranchers we shared during the morning drive. We wouldn’t have been able to laugh (quietly) as we made faces at each other from our stands. We wouldn’t have recognized
that we were helping each other by carrying equipment or pulling the game cart. We wouldn’t have been able to make an adventure out of getting the parts we needed to fix the game cart and enjoying the french fries and shakes we had on the way back to the woods. We wouldn’t have giggled as we tried to toss candy to each other from one stand to another in our evening hunt. I wouldn’t have been able to adore my son as he napped contentedly in his stand. We wouldn’t have had a great time listening to the radio on the way home and making fun of lyrics.

The day wasn’t about seeing or harvesting a deer. In fact, that day wasn’t even about the hunt. It was about spending time with my son. It was about
me being a hunting buddy to him and simply enjoying his company. I pray that it was a day he’ll always remember with fondness even though we didn’t
bring home a deer.

As I write this, I am becoming quite emotional. I know a day will come when my sons will leave the house, find wives, and begin families of their own.
I know they’ll choose their wives and children over me for outings and adventures. It doesn’t upset me but it makes me terribly sad.

So...to anybody who is taking time out of their busy day to read my ramblings…..if you have children, enjoy them! Don’t sweat the little stuff
and make the best out of the time you have together. If they are grown, call them today.
If you don’t have children, call your mom and/or dad and tell them how much they mean to you. It will mean a great deal to them.
Find someone that means something to you and tell them what they mean to you.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-09-10T13:00:00.001-04:00

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE?

There’s a Christmas song that has the following words in it…”it’s the most wonderful time of the year”. With the temperatures starting to cool off, school back in session, and the hint of fall in the air, it is INDEED the most wonderful time of the year because that means that archery season is upon us!

For six months, I’ve been preaching about getting ready for opening day and I hope you have taken my suggestions and recommendations to heart. But I know there are many of you that have put off things due to work, chores, or other commitments. So now, when you dare to peek at a calendar, you get a bit nervous because the opener is only a week or two away and you KNOW you
aren’t as ready as you’d like.

It’s now really too late to be 100% ready for the opening day of archery season if you haven’t been preparing all summer but there are some things you can still do to at least get you closer to being ready.

Get a license. ‘Nuf said.

Go over your equipment. Make sure the bow string and cables are in good shape, all bolts and nuts are tight, and that your bow is as silenced as
you can get it. Check out your stand for rust or lose bolts. Make sure your safety harness is in PERFECT working order. Carefully go over each and
every arrow and look for cracked nocks or shafts. Ensure your broadheads
are sharp.

Practice one hour per day. Set aside at least one hour per day for shooting practice between now and three days before the opener. If you haven’t been practicing all summer, an hour per day is all the shooting you should do
since you’ll quickly tire and start to lose your groupings.

Sight in your broadheads. On the third day before the opener, sight in your broadheads with as few shots as you can. Once they are sighted in, you are done shooting your bow until opening day so your shooting muscles will have a chance to rest.
Remember though…and this is important because not many hunters do this…you must practice DURING the season! If you haven’t practiced since before the season started and your chance at a deer doesn’t come until the end of the
season, it could be six weeks or longer since you’ve shot an arrow.
Practice DURING the season!

Make sure you have a place to hunt. Several years ago, I got permission to access a friend’s farm whenever I wanted to. I still ask him every year if it’s ok if I hunt his property. Don’t assume you’ll still have your regular archery spot available even if you own your own property. Get out there and
make sure things haven’t changed too much since last year.

There’s a lot of other stuff you need to do between now and the opener so don’t wait. Do everything you can starting NOW to get ready.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-09-02T12:39:00.001-04:00

UNDER PRESSURE

Very few of us are fortunate enough to have enough of our own property where we’re able to keep other hunters out and pursue deer in their natural
state. Many of us are forced to hunt on public land or get permission to hunt on private land. Either way, we end up sharing the woods with other
hunters and deer are very seldom in a relaxed state of mind. Nothing is more frustrating than to be in a stand overlooking a perfect set up only to have some goober come wandering through who has obviously never heard of noise discipline.

Early in my hunting career, I used to get very upset when another hunter would mess up my hunt. I knew that every deer in the area was moving to
less crowded parts of the woods. As I grew older and began studying deer and hunting tactics in depth, I discovered escape routes. These are corridors that deer use when they are under pressure and are attempting to
get into protective cover. Understand, these are not necessarily funnels that I discussed in an earlier blog. These could be anything that allows a deer to get from one area to another quickly and covertly.

Opening morning of archery season or rifle season is pretty much the same across the nation. Most hunters are up early and quietly get in their stands well before daylight. And then comes daylight and all heck breaks
loose.
If its rifle season and you’re on public land, the surrounding shots come often for the first couple of hours. But whether its rifle or archery season, many more hunters are NOT seeing deer and they decide to get out of
their stands in search of better opportunities. They may wander around for a couple hours before finding a spot to sit for a while. Around lunch time, they head back to camp or their truck for a sandwich. Afterwards, the come back into the woods and sit for a bit. But shortly, they are on their feet again until they find a stump to sit on until they head out to get to their vehicle before dark.

Look carefully at what is happening here. If you are set up next to an escape route, you have the opportunity to see deer all day long! Each time those hunters move around, they move the deer! Can you see now how the deer
are under pressure how to put the other hunters running around the woods to work for you?

A number of years ago, I found a good escape route in an area I hunt on State Forest land. Now get this…my primary stand location is 200 yards from a road, about 300 yards from a parking area, and a hiking trail come to within 150 yards of my stand. But the ridge above me is littered with
mountain laurel and is very thick. Deer love to head into that stuff from the flats below me when the shooting starts. Connecting the mountain laurel above me and the flats below me is a brushy corridor about 30 yards wide
that runs from top to bottom. It’s not much but it’s what the deer use to get into the mountain laurel for protection once they realize they are
being hunted.

You may not be able to see escape routes from aerial or topo maps…you’ll have to get out there and find them. And understand that these are escape routes. It is very unlikely you’ll find any other sign except for perhaps tracks and maybe some droppings. You likely won’t find rubs, scrapes, or beds. Also be aware that deer will probably not be sight-seeing as they
come by you. You’ll have to be on your toes and prepared for a quick shot.

Patience is the key when hunting escape routes. The action may be going on around you early on but all you have to do is wait for those deer that are under pressure to start filtering by you to their “safe” haven.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-08-24T08:35:00.001-04:00

WEATHER

I, for one, am very thankful that we are not able to fully pattern deer and anticipate what they will do under every circumstance. Yes, we can generalize their tendencies, categorize their habits, and theorize their reactions but we can not wholly predict them. Being able to do so would likely be fun for a while but it would soon lose its appeal as the challenge of matching wits with the greatest game animal in the world would cease to exist.
So, anybody who tells you that EVERY deer will do the EXACT same thing ALL the time under CERTAIN conditions, is just a plain liar or is very ignorant
of deer behavior.

There are a wide range of factors that influence deer behavior. But for today, let’s talk about how the weather generally affects deer movement without hunting pressure.

There are three weather situations where most deer will generally bed down and not move unless absolutely forced to do so…they are heavy snowfalls, heavy rainfalls, or high winds.
If you’ve ever wanted to put your woodland skills to the test and try still hunting, this is the time to do it because a deer’s hearing, smelling, and eyesight are reduced to about our level.
It takes a hearty hunter to step outside a warm cabin and enter the woods under these conditions but this is when your chances are the best for
finding a bedded deer at close range in heavy cover.
Be ready to hunt food sources after the storms pass. Many times, deer will bed for a couple days waiting out the storm. When it’s over, they’ll be ready to eat.

At the other end of the spectrum is when it’s a beautiful sunny day with moderate temperatures and little or no wind. Deer are most alert at this time and if there are crunchy leaves on the ground, you can almost forget about walking up on a deer. The good news is that most deer will generally be active and this is a good time to be on a stand near trails or feeding areas.

Light rain or light snow with little or no wind does not seem to bother deer one way or the other. I am convinced however, that the precipitation falling across their field of vision somewhat reduces their ability to pick
up hunter movement and the heavy atmosphere hinders a deer’s sense of smell. Light precipitation also means a soft forest floor and footsteps are now muffled. On stand, a hunter will have to use his eyes a lot more.

There are many combinations of wind, temperature, and precipitation and those various combinations affect deer behavior differently. Many hunters are fair-weather fellows and are not willing to give up the comfort of a warm and dry cabin to venture out into the elements where the chances for success may be increased due to adverse weather. But with today’s high-tech clothing options, we can remain warm and dry on stand.

Give hunting a try in weather that is not so pleasant. Not only will you find that you may very well have the woods almost to yourself, but the
weather may help you in putting a deer on the meat pole.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-08-13T11:10:00.001-04:00

DECOYS - PART 2

***I am looking for feedback on my blog. Please feel free to leave your comments. Thanks***

In my last blog, I briefly touched on the use of a buck or doe decoy when hunting whitetails and how they might just be the trigger that fools that buck into coming within shooting range or at least hanging around long enough to give us a shot. In this installment, I’ll be discussing what, when, where, and how to use doe and buck decoys.

Around the end of October, bucks begin to establish their dominance for the mating rights that will soon follow. These rituals include the making of scrapes and rubs. These markers provide a way for deer to communicate to
each other. First they are visual but second, mature bucks deposit their scent in scrapes and on rubs advertising that they are the big man on campus. This is HIS turf and he will bring down the hammer on any other buck who might try mating with HIS does. Not only is the buck constantly looking for receptive does but he must also continually defend his right to breed with them.

First and foremost on his mind however, is breeding. A buck knows other bucks are in his area and if there is a receptive does nearby, he either has to be the first one to her or he has to fight.
Ever have this happen? You see a buck in the distance that has picked up the doe-in-heat scent you put out. But for some reason, he stops about 60
or 70 yards away. He’s looking in your direction but you know he hasn’t picked you off.
Why won’t he come in???
It’s because he has smelled what he believes is a receptive doe but he can’t see what he expects to see. He expects to see the doe that is giving off that wonderful odor. When his eyes can’t confirm what his nose has
smelled, a buck will sometimes hesitate to commit himself into coming in.
Now put a doe decoy out in front of your stand. When that buck stops at 70 yards, his eyes are now able to confirm what his nose smelled. The buck is now much more likely to commit himself to your set up.

A mature buck must also physically defend his right to breed with the does in his area. If you use rattle antlers or a grunt tube, a buck will sometimes circle downwind to validate the noise with his nose. This is where a good dominant buck scent comes in handy. Combine that with a
doe-in-heat scent and you have a one-two punch that will make it hard for the buck to resist.
But remember, a deer likes to confirm with its eyes what its nose or ears have detected. That buck that’s holding up at 70 yards now expects to either see two bucks squaring off or at least another buck. If you have that buck decoy in front of you and the buck sees it, you have completed the mental circuit for the buck to commit.

A couple key points to remember though.
When using a doe decoy, a buck will generally approach the decoy from the rear. When using a buck decoy, a buck will generally approach the decoy from the front. So don’t set up your decoy facing directly towards or away from you so that you’ll have a better chance at a broadside shot.
Set up your decoy about 10-15 yards from your stand. This will give you a little leeway in case the buck hangs up a few yards away from your decoy.
Use a scent eliminator on your decoy after you have it set up and then place your attractant scent on a stick under your decoy. It will give that
buck one more thing to think about so he can’t think about you.
Place your decoy in an area that a deer can see it.
A full size 3D deer works best. “Frank” is my 3D target deer that doubles as my decoy. When I take the antlers off of him, he becomes “Francine” and
is quite alluring.

Give decoys a try this fall and I think you’ll find more deer coming in to your set up.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-08-08T10:20:00.003-04:00

DECOYS

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A number of years ago, our whole family took a vacation together at the Outer Banks. During our stay, my brother-in-law, Michael, and I decided to play a round of golf. As we were driving our cart between holes, we noticed a $5 bill lying in the middle of the cart path. As Michael stopped the cart, I quickly scampered towards the $5 bill. But just as I reached for it, the bill suddenly scooted away from me. Thinking that the wind was responsible, I took a few steps and once again reached down for the bill. But yet again, it fluttered away.
“Oh!” Michael muttered.
I looked up and hiding behind a nearby sand dune was a 10 or 11 year old boy. He had a small stick with a long length of fishing string on it. And at the end of the fishing string…..was that $5 bill! The boy was laughing and Michael and I realized, with smiles, that we had been tricked big time! We had been duped into believing that the $5 was ours for the taking but in reality, we had been lured into a child’s clever scheme.

Archery hunters are always looking for ways to get closer to deer so that when we release our arrow, we have a greater chance of taking them in the boiler room for a quick and humane kill. But more often than not, we are actually looking for ways to get the deer closer to us. We want the deer to be duped into believing one thing, but in reality, we are luring them into a clever trap.

We use attractant scents to fool a buck’s nose. We use grunt tubes and rattling antlers to fool a buck’s ears. Both methods can deceive a buck into thinking that we are either a hot doe or another buck moving in on his turf. Sometimes, these tricks work and the buck comes close enough to us to give us a shot.

A few years ago, I brought two bucks 100 yards across an open field to within 15 yards of my stand using just a grunt tube and a can call (doe bleat). Unfortunately, by the time they presented a clear shot to me, I ran out of daylight. Two does had also come directly beneath my stand from the opposite direction.

But another way to fool a buck is the use of a decoy. This technique fools a deer’s sense of sight. When combined with scents, grunt tubes, rattling antlers, or can calls, a buck or doe decoy will very often close the deal for a buck and bring him in for a shot. Very often, a buck wants to confirm with his eyes what his nose or ears have picked up.

If a buck smells what he thinks is a receptive doe, he will follow the scent trail and expect to SEE a doe at its origin. The same principle applies to a buck’s ears. If he hears what he thinks is another mature buck or a pair of bucks battling it out, he will come in and expect to SEE a buck at the source of the sound.

There are buck and doe decoys and each should be used at different times of the season and under different circumstances. In my next installment of “Archery Tip of the Week” I’ll discuss when, how, and where to use buck and doe decoys.

Many archery hunters use products to fool a deer’s nose and ears. Very few use decoys to fool a deer’s eyes. I hope that this season, some of you will try out decoys and I’ll bet that if you use them correctly, you’ll have better success at getting that buck within range.

Temptation

2009-08-03T09:04:00.001-04:00

A little over a month ago, I blew out my right Achilles tendon while playing softball. I was looking at a stand-up triple but never made it to
first base. Since then, I’ve had surgery, developed complications a couple weeks later, and ended up in Intensive Care with two blood clots in my lungs. It was a scary thing considering that both clots passed through my
heart and ended up lodged in my lungs. I’m happy to report that I feel much better, am on the road to recovery, and can’t wait to shoot my bow again.

While many good things have actually come of this whole mess, one BIG thing is that I have not had a dip of snuff since the day I was admitted to the ER on July 17. It was a two-decade old habit I’ve tried to break many times
without success. But something is different now…this time, I WANT to quit.
It’s amazing how a near death experience can change a person.
Now, don’t get me wrong…my body still craves that nicotine and it plays games with my mind. I’m still tempted to dip. It’s still early yet but I pray that God will give me the strength to kick the habit this time and
resist the temptation.

As hunters, we are forced to battle some form of temptation from time to time too.

It’s tempting to shave off a couple of minutes and not bother with the safety harness.
It’s tempting to hang the stand on the property you don’t have permission to hunt.
It’s tempting not to follow up on a shot that you’re pretty sure you missed.
It’s tempting to take that shot that you know is outside the range of your comfort zone.
It’s tempting to stay on stand just a few minutes past legal shooting hours.

But every time we overcome the temptation to do what we KNOW is wrong, we build up inside ourselves a little thing called “character”. And each time we overcome a temptation, getting passed the next one becomes easier. Soon, we get to the point where we are no longer tempted because we have trained our minds, bodies, and hearts to do the right thing automatically without even thinking about it.

It’s not easy to resist temptation and sadly we all probably know someone who has no reservations about giving in to questionable, unethical, or even illegal hunting practices. But don’t let yourself be lured into this way of thinking.

You’ll be surprised at how good you feel when you do the RIGHT thing while knowing that the WRONG thing was easier or could produce better results.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-07-17T10:28:00.001-04:00

SCOUTING

“Always be prepared” is a motto that every archery hunter should adopt.
Very seldom does it happen that a hunter walks into a piece of woods he’s never been in before, finds any old tree, hangs a stand, and arrows a deer sporting head gear. It does happen but much of it is attributed to luck. As for me, I’d much rather stack the odds in my favor just a little bit. I want to know where the bedding and feeding areas are in the area I hunt. I want to know where that little stand of white oaks is located and when they start dropping acorns. I want to about that draw coming down from a ridge
that seems to funnel deer up and down from the flats below. I want to know where the rub lines and scrapes are located. I just want to know. I want to
know that the stand site I eventually select is going to provide the best shooting opportunities when the opening horn is sounded.
So, how do we get to that point? The answer is scouting so that we’ll be prepared.

Many whole books have been written on what to look for when scouting for whitetails so I can’t possibly tell you everything you should be looking for. What I can do is give you a place to start though.

Topographical maps and aerial photos are an invaluable tool when starting out. Using topo maps from your kitchen table you can pinpoint hilltops,
topographical funnels, draws, spurs, and ridge lines. Aerial photos allow you the ability to find fields, wooded funnels, heavy cover areas, and edges where two types of vegetation meet. Many of these maps can be found online for free. I like to print my topo maps on see-through sheets and
then overlay them onto print-outs of the aerial photos to give me an overall portrait of the cover and topography. If you do this, make sure both maps are in the same scale. Many of the things I want to know about can be found without having to leave the comfort of my home. While there is much more information that these two types of maps provide, deer will utilize all the terrain features I’ve mentioned. If you can find a ridge line that has a couple draws leading down to a field edge, you may have found a good early season stand site. The corner of a field that is hidden behind a hill from prying eyes is a prime area for deer to gather in the
late afternoon.

Patterning deer on fields from a distance with binoculars is another form of scouting for early season hunting. Be aware that once the deer feel that
they are being hunted, it won’t be long before the deer wait until dark to enter the field. But here’s the cool thing. Very seldom will deer totally abandon a feeding area. The deer are still near the field but now they are
hanging back in staging areas around the field until darkness. They’ll still generally leave their beds at the same time each day, but they’ll take their sweet time getting to the field. For bucks, look for ridges near
the field edge. Bucks will sometimes check out the field from a vantage point before using the cover of darkness to access the field. Back tracking trails from the field edges to find heavy cover areas where deer might
stage before entering the field is another good way to find where the deer are hanging out.

The very best method of scouting is to physically get out into the area you plan to hunt and check it out personally. Ideally, the preferred time to do this is after all hunting seasons have closed and before the spring green up. Yeah, it may be cold but you accomplish two things at this time of year. First, the woods will look very similar to what you’ll face in the fall. Summer scouting is more comfortable but with all the leaves on the trees you may miss important features in the distance. Second, you won’t be disrupting deer patterns. They’ll have plenty of time to forget all about
your intrusion into their world by the time the season opens in the fall.
Whatever you do, try to avoid scouting your hunting area in the weeks immediately before the season. A wary old buck may not be over your presence before the season opens.

Most important of all is to enjoy your scouting excursions. Involve the family or hunting buddies on your outings. Scouting during the off-season can keep you pumped up.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-07-15T12:16:00.001-04:00

SAFETY
A lot of things can completely ruin a good hunt. Missing a standing broadside shot at 22 yards comes to my mind immediately but other things
can contribute to turning a good hunt into a bad hunt. These things might include…
Weather
Another hunter moving through your area
A drive that gets totally messed up
The list is endless. But nothing will ruin a good hunt faster (and perhaps ruin your life) than having an accident while hunting.

There’s no way we can totally eliminate all the chances of us having an accident while in the field but there are many things we can do that will
drastically reduce those chances.

First and foremost is the wearing of a fall restraint device (safety harness) while hunting from an elevated stand. Most hunting accidents occur while a hunter is getting into or out of a stand. Your harness should be on and clipped to a safety rope while both feet are still firmly on the ground. Quite often, we are entering our stands in the darkness. Sometimes our stands are wet or even ice covered. Lots of time, it’s very early in the morning and we may still be a little sleepy. Any of those elements alone are a recipe for disaster unless we take precautions that only take a
few seconds to incorporate into our hunt. No deer or deer hunt is worth even taking the chance of a fall that could result in serious injury or
even death.

Always let someone know where you’ll be and about what time you’ll be back.
If you plan on being back shortly after dark but you arrow a deer just at dusk that you now have to wait on, track, field dress, and then get back to your truck, make sure you contact someone to let them know you’ll be late.
Carrying a cell phone is always a good idea. I put mine on vibrate while I’m in the stand with strict orders for my family to call me only in an emergency.

Always follow the legal blaze orange clothing requirements for the state you are hunting in. Many times archery season overlaps with rifle, muzzleloader, small game, or fall turkey hunting seasons that require archers to wear and/or display blaze orange.

Read up on and follow all local, state, and federal hunting regulations. We may not understand why certain game laws are in the books (wearing a back tag in Pennsylvania comes to my mind) but many laws are instituted because they have safety in mind.

If you are hunting with others, insist they follow safe hunting practices as well.

Many accidents occur because someone is not paying attention. The excitement of the hunt sometimes becomes overwhelming and safety is
ignored. Pay attention to every move you make while hunting.

An accident not only will affect you, but will affect your family and friends. Hunt safe.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-07-03T16:59:00.003-04:00

HUNTING FUNNELS

We’ve all been there. We know there are plenty of deer in the area we hunt because we’ve seen their sign and even the deer themselves. We’ve watched them come out to field edges to feed in the late summer, found those oak ridges that whitetails love so much, and even identified some potential bedding areas. The problem is, we can never seem to be in the right place at the right time. We put our stand in tree “A” and they pass by tree “B”. The next afternoon we set up in tree “B” and we watch them walk by tree “C”. The deer seem to be traveling wherever they choose at that particular time. An archery hunter can go mad trying to figure out deer travel patterns. So what can we do? How can we place ourselves in a spot that we KNOW a deer will walk by that’s within shooting distance? The answer my friends can be stated in one word…funnels!

A funnel is created by natural or man-made “obstacles” that condense deer travel down to a narrow corridor for a short distance. These obstacles can be any number of things…lakes, swamps, fast moving and deep streams, steep hillsides, fields, heavily traveled roads, buildings, large amounts of fallen timber, rock slides…anything that makes the deer detour so that they are forced into a condensed travel passage.

Deer are basically lazy creatures and they prefer travel routes that offer the least resistance while still providing adequate cover. Except for perhaps the rut, bucks will not forsake safety for ease. Generally speaking, deer will skirt lakes, they’ll cross fast moving streams in the shallows, the will avoid going up or down steep hillsides, they stay away from crossing open fields, and they’ll shy away from roads and buildings.

By utilizing free online aerial photos (Google Maps are excellent) you can easily identify most funnel locations. Remembering what I said before, look for anything that might force deer into a narrow travel corridor. A prime example would be a hedgerow across a field that connects two large wooded areas. Instead of crossing the open field, deer will utilize the hedgerow to get from one wooded area to the other.

Topographic maps are invaluable in finding steep hillsides from your kitchen table. The closer the contour lines are together, the steeper the hill. If you find a steep hillside that levels out 50 yards from the edge of a field, lake, or swamp chances are you have found a good funnel. Think about it…a well placed tree stand directly in the middle of this funnel allows the archery hunter a 25 yard shot to each side. But remember, the funnel must connect two areas that the deer want to get to.

If you can find a funnel that connects a bedding area to a feeding area, you’d better be prepared for some action. In this type of situation, you’re going to want to be on stand very early in the morning because bucks are usually the first to head back to their bedding area. And you’ll want to stay on stand as late as you can because bucks will generally be the last to approach a feeding area.

I know I’ve mentioned this before but you’ll want to pay very close attention to how you enter and exit your stand. In such a confined area such as a funnel, scent control once on your stand is also of vital importance. Do NOT, under any circumstance, get into a stand in a funnel where the wind is blowing in the direction you expect the deer to be coming from. If they scent you, you will never see them.

Hunting funnels can be a season-long provider of shooting opportunities. I hope we are never able to completely figure out deer travel patterns…what would be the fun in that? But funnels do have the potential to provide us those little honey holes that we can go back to over and over again.

Wonderful Lists

2009-06-22T12:19:00.001-04:00

I love lists. They help us in so many ways. With lists, we are able to…
1. Get our thoughts down on paper
2. Organize those thoughts
3. Prioritize things
4. Remember things
5. Etc

As archery hunters, we are faced with a few new gadgets and “must haves” each year. This year, I’m experimenting with shooting glasses. Yep, the same ones clay and skeet shooters use. I’ll let you know the results of my
findings later. But even if you don’t buy anything new this season, we have a LOT of stuff that we need to account for before we step out of the house.

Even if you go with the minimal amount of equipment, you still have a bunch of stuff to remember to bring.
I hate to get caught short-handed in the stand but while I get ribbed for having too much “junk” on my back when I enter the woods, I know that
there’s nothing I’ll need and not have. How do I know? Because I’ve made a list!

My list has evolved over the years. I first created my list about 10 years ago and have been refining and re-organizing it ever since. It’s now broken out by archery and rifle and then by backpack, person, vest, and other within those two categories. Over the top? Perhaps, but the only time I’ve ever been on the stand and needed something was the time I left my release
on the tailgate of my truck…it was on the list…I just forgot to pick it up before I headed to the woods.

I’m not going to bore you with the complete and unabridged components of my list but I do urge all of you to sit down one day and make a list of
everything you could possibly need while on your stand during a single hunting session. You will be very surprised at how large your list will be.

There are many things to think of when you start your list.
1. What will you need to get to your stand? Flashlight? GPS? Stand?
2. What will you need to get into your stand? Safety harness? Lifting ropes? Steps?
3. What will you need once you are in your stand? Binoculars? Range Finder? Cover and attractant scents?
4. What will you need to harvest your deer? Release? Arrows? Bow?
5. What will you need to recover your deer? Rope? Knife? Tag?

Of course the above list is not complete but you get the idea. I haven’t
even included clothing, food/water, emergency provisions, and other necessities.
Break down a typical hunting session into at least the five categories above and expand from there. You may even want to add categories. But go
through every hunting scenario you can think of and start making your list.

Experience will also aid you in making your list. One year, I missed a deer on my initial shot and I fumbled around trying to get a second arrow out of my quiver which was attached to my tree. My list now includes a shoestring that I tie to my tree. I notch an extra arrow to it and let it hang down the side of the tree next to me. Now when (yeah, I said when) I need a second arrow, it’s a simple matter of just reaching behind my hip and tugging the arrow from the shoestring.

Lists can be our friends. They’ll help us stay organized and worry free. We have enough to be concerned about while we’re in our stand without having to wonder what we forgot to bring this time.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-06-19T11:36:00.001-04:00

THINK LIKE A PREDATOR
The big cat crouched unmoving on the limb of the tree as its unsuspecting prey grazed closer to his location. Unaware of the danger from up above, the swift, intelligent, and ever-vigilant grass eater continued on its course occasionally lifting its head to look around. The big cat’s whisker twitched in anticipation and the massive muscles tensed under its haunches.
The small animal on the ground moved under the tree and in a blur of sudden movement, the big cat launched itself.
This life and death scenario repeats itself everyday in all parts of the world. The predators range from huge cats on the African safari to small
spiders in the hidden recesses of our homes. The attacks occur from trees, underground, in rivers and lakes, and even in the sky itself. And what
makes a predator so successful is the element of surprise. And in almost every case the predator waits for its prey to approach him.
A largemouth bass might wait in the shadows of a fallen log for a minnow to come by. A rattlesnake may lie motionless for hours in the cleft of a rock until a mouse happens to come near. A bald eagle will sit on a tree top eyeing the water until it sees an opportunity. Success for predators hinges on surprise.
As archery hunters, we too are predators that must utilize the element of surprise. But all too often, we fail to THINK like predators. Far too many archery hunters have a prime area to hunt but fail to connect on a whitetail because they aren’t thinking like a predator. They see tons of
deer sign in an area and think all they have to do is put up a stand in any old spot and the venison will soon be in the freezer. But if we think like a predator, it quickly becomes obvious that not just any tree will do.
The first thing a wild predator must do is locate its prey. They usually don’t wander about aimlessly in the hopes of finding a meal. Rather, they go to those areas that may attract their prey. It might be a watering hole
in an arid landscape. It could be under a branch that hangs close to the water’s surface. Or it could even be the rapids of a river where salmon move slower against the current.
As hunters, we too must find our prey…the whitetail. Don’t wander around aimlessly. Get those aerial photos and topo maps out and pinpoint locations that have possibilities. Look for natural funnels, heavy cover areas, steep hillsides, and edges where two types of vegetation meet. Once you find
these areas, get out there and wear down some boot leather. Walk the areas to get to know them. It will soon become clear how the deer are traveling and where they bed and feed.
Second, a predator watches its prey before commencing an attack. Yes, they may be trying to single out a sick or old member of the herd but often they are patterning the animals they plan to attack. We must pattern the deer as
best we can before the season starts. This includes spending time with a spotting scope or binoculars from a distance. You can also talk to the
landowner to get his take on how the deer move on his property.
Once you’ve somewhat patterned the deer, it’s now time to set up an ambush location. This gets a little tricky because not only do we want to be near
where the deer will be but we must also take the wind into consideration.
We must also be mindful of how we’re going to enter and exit the stand. Wind direction is mightily important because we don’t want to alert the deer of our presence. If the wind is not conducive for that day’s hunt, stay out of the stand.
Once in the stand, all sorts of things must be done in order to maintain our element of surprise. Body and equipment odor must be kept to a minimum, we must remain quiet and still, and we must be prepared for a variety of
shooting forms.
When our prey approaches a shooting lane, many archers begin to lose their composure. Some my stand up quickly and be caught by the animal, some may come to full draw far too soon and be forced to let down, a creak in our stand my alert our prey. Take all of these things into consideration BEFORE you even enter the stand.
Just like a young lion cub, we may not be successful early in our hunting careers. But like that old lioness who seems to be able to bring home the
bacon consistently, we will become better with experience.
Think like a predator before you even enter the woods and you’ll give yourself a better opportunity to bring down your prey.

Instant Gratification?

2009-06-15T12:06:00.001-04:00

We live in a society of instant gratification. We have fast food, quick lube and oil changes, high speed internet, express lanes on our highways,
and quickie marriages. There’s even been talk about movie theaters being forced BY LAW to advertise the actual start time of the movie so people
don’t have to sit through the advertisements and upcoming previews.
As a whole, we’ve lost the ability to be patient. We’ve lost sight of enjoying the moment as it presents itself without artificial stimulants.
The other night, my wife and I sat down with our two boys (ages 10 and 12) and taught them how to play a card game called Hearts. Competition runs rampant in our house and there was great wailing and gnashing of teeth…but I settled down and took my defeat honorably. The point is, we took time out of our usual routine to enjoy the company of each other. We let the evening come to us without TV or the internet. We talked, we laughed, and I happily lost the card game to my overly competitive wife.
It is difficult sometimes to slam the brakes on the hectic routine that always seems to surround us and to simply be patient.
Enter the life of the archery hunter.
As soon as the previous archery season is over, we begin making plans for the next season. We’re thinking about stand placements where that buck unexpectedly sauntered through about 60 yards from where we were set up last year. We’re pouring over aerial photos and topo maps searching for an overlooked bottleneck. We’re out scouting for sign. We put in hours of summer practice with our bows. The days immediately before the season
opener are filled with last minute details and apprehension and most of us
are up VERY early and in our stands well before daylight. As we settle down in our stand, we take a deep breath and await the coming dawn.
For me, all the frantic preparations and logistical nightmares seem to fade away as I blend in with the early morning darkness and try to become one with the woods. I actually look forward to that time after I’m in my stand
and before the first rays of dawn start to filter onto the forest floor. Because once it’s light enough to see, I go into active hunting mode.
Hunting has to be one of the most demanding pastimes that require patience. It ranks right up there with waiting for the spring thaw. Archery hunters especially must show extreme patience since we have to get our prey in close in order to get an ethical and humane shot. We have to have the fortitude to wait for that deer to turn just right to give us the most effective shot placement. Our patience is also put to the test before the season even starts. During our scouting efforts we must take time to carefully pattern the deer we plan to hunt in the early season. We must
patiently go over our maps to look for those areas where the deer will vacate to once they realize they are being hunted. We have to have resilience in finding just the right tree in which to hang our stand…and
then take the time to trim out shooting lanes and brush up our stand site.
Our culture does not readily reward those who take their time to gain long-lasting results. But if you want any type of success in the field this fall, you have to take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand. Don’t hurry your scouting, don’t run through your practice sessions, don’t
“settle” for a stand site that you have doubts about, and above all, don’t rush your shot. We’ve put too much time and effort into that culminating moment to blow it because we hurried things at the last second. Take the time to put the proper effort into all your hunting preparations
but enjoy the moments as they happen. When you finally score, it will all be worth it. But even if you don’t score on a deer this fall, you can still chalk the season up as a success because you’ve taken the time to enjoy
everything up until then that goes into archery hunting.
Don’t let the success or failure of a season be determined on whether you
get a deer or not. You’ll be disappointed many more times than you’ll be satisfied if you do.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-06-11T08:35:00.001-04:00

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH - As an avid archery hunter and tournament competitor, I sling my share of arrows down range in practices sessions.
For the competition season, I practice under the same exact conditions that I will encounter in tournaments since it’s relatively easy to duplicate those conditions because of the controlled environment. I shoot indoors at a constant distance with good lighting. The only distractions I really have
are the other shooters on the line with me and my anxiety. Sometimes anxiety wins.
For those who do not compete in archery tournaments, practice primarily consists of shooting their bows in the backyard during the summer to get ready for the upcoming archery season. Practice sessions for most archery
hunters consist of shooting their bows at known distances of 20, 30, and perhaps 40 yards on relatively flat terrain in good weather conditions. The only variable to contend with might be a slight breeze.
But to become a better archery hunter, you must practice under the conditions you expect to encounter once the season opens. While some archery hunters will take this into consideration and shoot at varying distances, a vast majority of them do not practice the situations they may be in when it’s crunch time.
Let’s be realistic, very few hunting opportunities present themselves where the hunter is on the same horizontal plane as the deer, the sun is directly overhead, the wind is calm, the hunter is standing upright in a relaxed position, and the deer is completely relaxed and standing broadside. It’s more likely that the hunter is elevated above the deer, it’s not high noon so we have slanting shadows to contend with, there’s some kind of breeze
blowing that hardly stays consistent, we’re usually in some position in our stand that does not promote ideal shooting posture, and the deer is a little nervous and at some angle. Now throw your excited state of mind and
body into the mix and we have the recipe for a blown shot because we haven’t practiced for the situation.
Practicing everyday (or almost everyday) can soon become boring and we quickly begin to lose our concentration and get sloppy with our shooting form. Worse, we might not practice as much as we should. By throwing some real-life hunting situations into our practice sessions, we accomplish two things. Our practice sessions become less repetitive and we can experience some of those situations we might be in once on the stand.
The most important thing I believe archery hunters MUST practice is shooting from an elevated position because of how the arrow travels when
shooting upwards or downwards (please see blog from 4/22/09). If you don’t
practice anything else, practice this!
But throw in those other scenarios I described above. Shoot at different times of the day, especially in low-light conditions. Practice when the wind is blowing at varying speeds and directions. There’s always that one little branch that you missed while grooming your stand site so practice shooting slightly hunched over or twisted a little bit. Even practice
sitting down on a chair…a time might come in your stand when you’ll have to shoot from this position. Practice in weather conditions that are not ideal
such as a light drizzle. And try to find a practice location other than your backyard if possible.
There’s also one other thing you should experience. When we’re practicing, most of us usually take as much time as we need to come to full draw, aim, and release. Sometimes, we don’t get that luxury in real-life hunting situations because you never know when that deer is going to take his next step or bound away. We have to get that arrow into him. So try this the next time you dig out your bow…practice coming to a full draw, aiming, and releasing…all within 4 to 5 seconds! Trust me, you will eventually experience this on the stand.
Once last thing to consider…practice in the clothes that you will be wearing in the stand. This includes everything from a jacket for late season hunting to the camo net you might be wearing over your face and gloves. The kisser button and release WILL feel different with those things on.
Most professional sports teams have exhibition or pre-season games so they can get a true feeling of how the actual game will be. We as archery hunters should be no different. Practice diligently on your shooting form but play those pre-season games so that when it’s game time and your turn
to drop back and throw that pass over the middle, your “receiver” won’t know what hit him.

GOING BACK HOME

2009-06-10T11:19:00.001-04:00

Just less than a week ago, my family and I returned from a trip to my childhood home in northern Minnesota. We saw family and friends that we
hadn’t seen in two years, visited places that I hadn’t been to in a very long time, and did a few things that I truly missed doing. The eight days we were there went by very quickly.
But as we visited, traveled, and participated, I slowly began to notice something. Even though the people, places, and things were familiar, I realized that things had changed.
The people were basically the same but everyone had aged a little bit and there were new issues in their lives that hadn’t existed the last time I
was home. The landscape of the area hadn’t changed but there were new buildings where none had existed before and a few old haunts of mine were
leveled or replaced with a whole new enterprise. Some of the things we did were about what they used to be but I found myself enjoying adventures that were more laid back…I have a feeling that my age has something to do with
that.
After getting back home and returning to my regular routine, I found myself
thinking back on that trip and the sense of peace I had while I was there. I truly enjoyed being back to a place I called home.
We all have hunting places that we call home too. All of us have that special spot that holds some memory or experience that gives us a sense of peace whenever we think about it. We may have found other stand locations
that hold greater promise than our “home” spot or we’ve developed other stand locations to give our favorite place a rest, but every once in a while we find ourselves thinking about going back home again.
Our family had been planning our return trip to Minnesota for almost a year. We planned on how many miles we would drive each day and make the
appropriate lodging accommodations. We estimated mileage and planned on the
gasoline budget, we bought food and provisions in advance of our trip for our traveling comfort, and we even allowed for things for the kids to keep busy while we spent all those long hours in the van.
But even though we had plenty of time to plan for this big trip, things were different once we arrived, like I said. The trip was a success and we
all had a wonderful time but just a little bit more planning on our part would have made it that much better.
The same kind of planning should go in to your hunt when you are going back to territory that is very familiar but you haven’t been to in a while. You can have your bow all sighted in, have your climbing stand in excellent working order, taken the appropriate days off from work well in advance, and checked all the weather and wind reports. But if you don’t physically check out the area even with a cursory look before you plan to hunt it, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.
Remember, things continually change. Big changes you might encounter are new buildings or roads where none existed before, the farmer who gave you permission to hunt his property before may not be in the mood to do so now or he may even have sold it, or the neighboring farmer has leveled a stand of trees to extend his fields…and it was right where the deer liked to travel, or a family of beavers may have moved in and now you have to
contend with flooded areas.
And there are subtle changes that may have taken place too. A crop field may have been rotated and now the deer are using different entry and exit
routes, the acorn conditions may be poor and the deer just aren’t using the oak ridges like they used to, or bedding areas have changed.
There are a whole host of things that could possibly have changed since your last visit.
What I’m trying to say is this…when you are getting ready to go back to that old familiar stand again, don’t plan on just the trip there and the trip back. Take the time to get information about any changes that have
occurred in your hunting area since your last visit. Call the landowner and
pick his brain or contact the local wildlife agency to check on deer feeding patterns or changes in the area you plan on hunting. The very best
way to get the info you need is to physically check out the area BEFORE you plan to hunt it.
Your trip back to that old familiar stand location may be a success but with just a little bit more planning on your part, you can ensure that your favorite stand location will remain a place you’ll want to go back to again and again.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-05-13T20:40:00.002-04:00

EARLY SEASON TREE STAND SITE SELECTION - It’s mid August and the weather is still hot. The lawn seems to be in constant need of attention, the kids are continually begging to be taken to the pool or local lake, your wife is always out shopping for new school clothes, and the fish will be biting again soon. But in the back of your mind lurks the knowledge that archery season is just around the corner. Note to reader…archery is always at the forefront of my mind.
Anyway, if you haven’t already, now is the time to begin thinking about where you’re going to place that tree stand on opening morning.
During the late summer months, deer frequent crop fields. These food sources are readily available, are often bordered by woods that offer a quick means of escape, and are high in the nutrients that deer are bulking up on for the upcoming mating season and winter months. One of the luxuries that crop fields offer to hunters is that they are often within spotting scope or binocular distance of roadways and we can sit back at a distance and watch deer feed without spooking them. This is also a fun family time if you can get the kids to stay quiet.
It’s been at least six months since the last hearty hunter has left the woods and the deer are now the most relaxed you will find them. They are in a routine. The does and yearlings will generally enter the fields well before sunset to begin feeding. Young bucks will be close behind. The big boys will make their appearance usually within the last 30 minutes of daylight. And while it’s entertaining to watch the deer through your binoculars, that’s really not what you should be looking for.
Get to your vantage point early…well before the deer start filtering out of the woods into the field. Then watch the field edges closely and mark the spots where the deer are entering the field. Pay special attention to where the bucks enter the field because it’s not always the same place where the does and yearlings enter. Please understand that the feeding habits of deer may change from August until the opener, especially if acorns start dropping. Deer will abandon every other food source in favor of acorns. White oak is the favored variety followed by red oak. If you can find a white oak ridge littered with acorns about ready to fall, you need to abandon any other hunting plans you have and find a spot nearby…right away. The deer will only stick around until the acorns in that area are gone. But since most archery seasons open before the acorns start to fall, field edges are your best bet in the early going of the season. Try to identify more than one point where the deer are accessing the field. You may need more than one stand location depending on wind direction. And you must be very careful with this. You don’t want the wind blowing out into the field where feeding deer may alert those who have yet to arrive and you don’t want the wind blowing in the direction the deer are coming from or you will never see them.
Accessing and leaving the stand are of great importance as well. Try not towalk through the bedding area on the way to the stand and attempt to get out of your stand and vacate the area without disturbing the deer feeding in the field.
I like to set my stand back from the field’s edge where I can cover any buck that might be visually checking the field out but also close enough to the field where I can reach it.
Another good tactic is to find a ridge that overlooks the field. Many times, bucks will utilize the ridge just before dark to visually check out the field. This is called a staging area. It’s the places bucks hang out after they get out of their beds but before they hit the feeding area. The bucks will also stage in an area with heavy cover anywhere from 50 to 150 yards away from the field. Once the sun sets, they’ll leave these staging areas and make for the fields. If you find a good staging area, you’ll want to set up between it and the bedding area to give yourself every advantage of available daylight.
There are a lot of options for early season archery hunters who want to try field edge hunting. But remember, if you’re not very careful about entering and exiting your stand and paying strict attention to the wind, you will only have about a week to score before the deer realize they are being hunted and go nocturnal on you or switch fields.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-05-07T19:28:00.003-04:00

STRING JUMPING - The buck is casually walking along and enters your shooting lane at 28 yards. You came to full draw just before he presented himself. Suddenly, hecomes to full alert! His head is up, his nose is working the wind, and his body twitches with the not-so-subtle indication that he might bolt at any second. Something isn’t right and you can tell that he isn’t going to stick around to find out what the problem is. You know you only have a few seconds to get the shot off. You set your pin right behind his front shoulder and gently trigger your release. And then all heck breaks lose.
It happens so fast that your brain doesn’t even register what just happened. In the blink of an eye, the buck is gone and you know you’ve shot over him.
But how could that happen?
You knew the distance, you had the right pin, and you were steady on your release. What could have possibly caused you to shoot high?
The answer, my friend, is that you didn’t shoot high….your arrow went right where you were aiming.
What happened was that in the time it took your arrow to travel that 28 yards, that buck was no longer is the same position he was when you triggered your release. This is what we call string jumping.
And the name does not imply what actually happens.
An arrow traveling 290 feet per second (fps) takes just under a third of a second to travel 30 yards. Upon hearing the sound of your bow, a deer on high alert will drop towards the ground in an effort to gets its legs in position to vacate the area. Sometimes, this drop is so great the back of the deer will fall below the impact point of your arrow. It happens so quickly that the arrow sails harmlessly over the deer’s back. Even we humans do it.
Let’s say you’re going to sprint a short distance. If you are standing up in a normal position, your entire body will drop several inches vertically as you bend your legs under you to push off horizontally.
And if you don’t believe me, try this experiment with a friend. Stand up against a wall and have your friend draw a line on the wall with a piece of chalk at the top of your head. Now turn so that you’re parallel to the wall. Have your friend get about 20 yards away with a video camera. From an upright standing position, sprint as fast as you can for a short distance. Don’t run too far…we’re not as young as we once were. Now go back and review the recording in slow motion.
Just before you start moving horizontally, your body will drop vertically several inches as you get your legs and feet in position to push off. A deer does the exact same thing.
The deer is not trying to avoid your arrow. Instincts take over and all he’s trying to do is get away from the area that is causing him uneasiness. The sound of your bow prods him into immediate action.
So, how do we combat this?
There are two options. First, we can hope that the deer relaxes so thathe’s not on pins and needles. A relaxed deer will still jump the string sometimes but if their senses are not on overload, they won’t react as quickly and allow enough time for your arrow to impact where you are aiming. But this is taking a huge chance that a deer will come back to a more relaxed state. A big buck doesn’t get big by hanging around an area that makes him nervous.
The second option is to aim lower than where you want the arrow to actually impact. When the deer drops in the effort to gathers its legs under him, he will actually drop down into the path of your arrow. But again, you’re taking a chance that the deer will drop the right distance to put your arrow in the kill zone. A good rule of thumb is to aim about two inches up from the chest of the deer. Even if the deer doesn’t drop, you still get a bottom heart shot.
One other thing to remember about putting an arrow in a deer that is on full alert…every nerve in that animal is functioning at top levels. When that arrow hits, the deer is already in extreme survival mode. Be SURE to give the deer PLENTY of time before you pick up the trail. It could take awhile before the shock to the body registers in the brain.
Experience will teach you if you should let the deer calm down or take the shot right away. But at least now you have an option that may yield good results.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

2009-05-05T20:06:00.003-04:00

Most of us, who have been fortunate enough to take a deer with a bow, have seized the opportunity to have our picture taken with our prize. Whether it’s that first doe or a trophy buck, most of us want the memories captured on film. Not only can we look at those photos years later and relive those moments but now we have something tangible to show our buddies who for some reason don’t believe half the lies we tell them.
But I discovered something you can do with your camera that involves archery and the whole family can participate. My father, who lives in northern Minnesota, told me on the phone the other day that he’d like some photos of the family in archery action shots since my whole family (both boys and the wife too) likes to shoot bow. So I grabbed our camera and my oldest son (McLane) and out to the back yard we went. I decided that I’d be the guinea pig for the initial photo shoot and McLane would be the photographer. Dressed in full hunting gear and armed with my bow, my son began taking pictures of me at different angles. At first, he didn’t want to be doing this because something better was on TV. But soon he was into it and was even directing me into different poses. He ended up getting some GREAT shots.
And then I thought what a great family thing this would be to do together. Let everyone get into whatever clothes they want, grab the bows and camera, and head outside. Let everyone get their pictures taken in whatever archery pose they want but the family members can participate in offering varying ideas. Take LOTS of pictures of everyone from different angles. Let the kids run the camera to get the photos of mom and dad in archery action shots. And change things up a bit…you could even pretend you’re in a treestand (McLane laid down on the ground and took some pics of me – looks just like I’m sitting up in a tree stand even though my feet are firmly on the ground). If you’re looking to take pictures that look like you’re actually hunting, be careful about your background. Watch out for your neighbor’s house in the background or power lines overhead. Have fun with it and give everyone a chance to be in front and behind the camera. My boys are NOT camera shy but they also love to take pictures. And who knows, you may find a new calling for one of your children or you may open yourself up to a whole new aspect of archery you never considered before.
After you’ve taken a lot of pictures, make some lemonade while you download the pictures from your camera to your PC. Then as a family, sip your lemonade and start going through the pictures. You can keep all of them or only the ones that you really want. You can then put them in a file, print a couple off, use them in a blog, or send a couple good ones to your parents.
Whatever you decide to do with them is up to you. Just get the family involved and have some fun.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-05-01T18:31:00.004-04:00

PEEP SIGHT SIZE - There are many different types of peep sights for bows on the market and each year seems to bring with it yet another innovation or idea. I encourage you to experiment and find one you like. But when it comes to the size of the peep sight opening, there are some things you might need to be aware of. For purposes of this discussion, we’ll be talking about peep sight opening size for our hunting setup.

The rule-of-thumb is that a larger aperture allows in more light for us to sight through in low-light conditions. Early morning and late evening seem to be the magic time for hunters so many archers opt to go with larger apertures so that more available light enters into the peep sight thus giving us a clearer picture of our front sight and the animal beyond. The same holds true with rifle scopes. The larger the aperture, the more light the scope is able to gather and make the target clearer.

But there is a trade-off.

If you select an opening that is quite large, it becomes more difficult to center your front sight housing within the perimeter of your peep sight…there will be a greater gap between your front sight housing and your peep sight (see photo B.). Now you must determine if the front sight housing is centered correctly. If not, you could miss where you’re aiming. Too small of a peep sight opening, and you’re not able to see your front sight housing at all. This then forces you to center your PIN in your peep sight which allows for an even greater chance of being off target.

The ideal peep sight opening should just fit the front sight housing inside your peep sight with no gaps (or a very small gap) between the peep sight opening and the front sight housing (see photo A.). This is why many front sight housings have a bright colored ring around the very edge…it allows the archer to more easily center the housing in the peep sight. Your target practice and hunting experience will be much more enjoyable and less frustrating if you match up your peep sight opening size to your frontsight housing.

Overcoming a Missed Shot

2009-04-30T19:36:00.003-04:00

It was 7:15 AM and I saw him a couple minutes before he entered my shooting lane. A nice racked buck stood on the other side of the road contemplating his crossing. I was on the opposite side of the road about 40 yards in. He was heading from his feeding area towards his bedding area and I was waiting for him. Earlier, I had ranged the tree where I knew the buck would pass by and I was all set for a slam-dunk 22 yard shot. I was prepared.
I was already at full draw as he entered my shooting lane. I let out a little bleat to stop him and he came to a halt broadside right where I wanted him to. I settled behind my peep sight and began lowering my pins from above him to drop them into the kill zone. I was confident.
And then suddenly, it all went horribly wrong.
As I pulled down on the buck and the top of his back came into view throughmy peep sight, the “connections” between my eyes, my trigger finger, and my brain all seemed to abruptly disconnect. Without conscious thought, my finger tightened on the trigger and the arrow was sent on its way. I watched in horror as the arrow sailed harmlessly over the top of the bucks back (in perfect vertical alignment with the kill zone I might add). He came unglued and bounded further into the woods, now hurrying a little faster than he had planned to. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I shoot indoor archery leagues and indoor archery tournaments. I’d be willing to bet that I shoot between 8000 and 10,000 arrows each year at targets that are at a fixed distance of 20 yards. So it’s not like I don’t know what to do when I come to full draw. Let’s just call it a form of buck fever or target panic (Ah…another topic) and leave it at that.
What I want to talk about is what to do after a miss. In archery, we have the luxury of not spooking the deer too badly on a missed shot. There are many instances of a deer being missed with an arrow, only to bound a few yards, stop, and give the archer another chance. When something like this happens, our mind does not have a chance to go over what happened with the miss. Our bodies go into action in an attempt to notch another arrow and try it all over again. But usually, as was the case with my buck, when we miss, the deer will not present itself with another shot. Now our bodies have nothing to do and our mind takes over. We all react differently over a missed shot. For me, the adrenaline rush is quickly overpowered by disappointment. But we must get over a missed shot and get over it quickly because another opportunity could be just down the trail. Getting over it does NOT mean we should just forget what happened. If something in our mechanics, concentration, or thought process went haywire, we have to analyze that and make mental adjustments while we’re there in the tree stand. We should mentally go over the sequence of events that led up to our miss beginning with the deer’s approach and ending with the missed shot. Identify what went wrong and make the adjustment in your head to do what you’ve been practicing in the backyard for the past several months. The same concept holds true if we are shooting paper targets in a league or tournament, 3D animals on a club course, or bag targets in our back yard. Don’t dwell on the miss. Rather, analyze it and make the necessary mental corrections.
As I tried to stop my right leg from shaking violently from the excitement, I had to sit back down in my stand for fear of falling out. I had to concentrate on calming myself down to try to get my body to resume its normal heart rate and breathing. As the heart rate and breathing slowly came back to safe levels, I went over my miss on that buck. I knew what I had done. I’d done it many times on paper targets. My pin was not on the spot I wanted to hit when I triggered my release. I had failed to pick out a spot on the deer and wait for my pin to settle on that spot. I was focused on the deer as a WHOLE rather than the SPOT I wanted to hit.
Ten minutes later, a nice doe came into another shooting lane and I forced myself to let the pin settle behind her front shoulder. I picked out a tiny spot and smoothly trigged my release. She ran 40 yards before expiring to a heart/lung shot.
Mentally recovering after a missed shot is one of the hardest things I think there is to do in archery and it’s something that you must overcome in the backyard as you practice on paper targets. You won’t experience the intense adrenaline rush like you do when you miss a deer during archery season but you’ll have an idea on how to make your mind and body overcome that miss so you’re ready for the next shot.

Video - McLane's Corner - Parts of the Bow

2009-04-29T17:04:00.004-04:00

This video was produced and sort of edited by myself and McLane.

A Developed Obsession

2009-04-24T19:11:00.003-04:00

My boys think I have an obsession with archery hunting. My wife calls it a developed interest…God bless her! I think they are all kind of right…I call it a developed obsession! I took the family with me last night to help set up my turkey blind for the upcoming gobbler season which opens on April 25 (tomorrow). I’ve got a spot where I have seen several gobblers over the past couple of years. This year though, I’m moving my blind closer to where they roost. But even though I was consciously in turkey hunting mode, that deep “developed obsession” I have came bubbling up from within me before we even hit the wood line. Bubbling might not be the correct word to describe it though. It was more like it erupted from me like a volcano. I had decided to take my family to my turkey spot by the easiest means possible so we drove about a half mile behind our house and parked the van on the side of the road. We had to walk through about 50 yards of sparse woods before we got on the field that would take us about 400 yards back to my turkey spot. But as I led my little troop towards the edge of the woods, I suddenly stopped. When my wife asked if I was lost (we weren’t 20 yards from the van yet), I pointed out all the deer trails. As my children milled around like fawns do when the lead doe comes to a stop, the eruption inside me occurred. Now, we’ve all heard the stories, read the articles, and seen the pictures and videos that show some deer trails that look more like cattle paths. I was of the belief that these special types of trails were only created on property where hunters had VERY limited access. But I am here to tell you that we were standing near not one such trail, but three…and they converged to a point where all three were in bow range! Suddenly, I had transformed into archery mode and was looking for that special tree in which I could hang my stand. Now remember, here I was on my way out to set up a turkey blind in April and I had instantly “fast-forwarded” to October! I could already picture myself perched up in atree watching these three trails that you could easily ride a motorcycle on. As my fawns…um…children started to get restless, I decided a quick scouting session was called for. As we moved through the area, I was quickly able to determine where the deer were bedding and where they were feeding and that this little travel corridor was the perfect bottle-neck that all hunters seek. I carefully looked at all three trials and could see tracks moving in both directions so I knew they were using the same trails to access the field in the evening and vacate it in the morning. The set up is perfect because thanks to a large and steep hill across the road, I know that even the bucks would prefer to cross at this point. Especially since the property they bed in across the road is untouchable to hunters. The steep hillside on one side of the road and the field on the other funnels the deer to this pinch point. After setting up the turkey blind (my troops were under strict orders to maintain radio silence), we stepped back out into the field. As I looked down the wood line, I saw a deer standing in the field watching us. Is that a sign or what?! Here it was 6:30 in the evening and the deer were already hitting the field to feed with two hours of light still left. I knew right away that the deer in this little corner were very much at ease. I did not have the chance to find that “perfect” tree yet but I’ll be back. Oh yes, I will be back.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-04-22T19:08:00.004-04:00

SHOOTING UPWARDS AND DOWNWARDS - Where to aim when shooting upwards or downwards on a target is a question that always seems to rear its ugly head. To make this very simple, regardless of whether you are shooting up or down, you need to aim low. I’m not going to bore you with why this is…all I’ll say is that is has to do with the pull of gravity at a linear distance and the PythagoriumTheorem (yuck!).

What I will tell you is how to adjust for this phenomenon when you’re sitting 7 yards (21 feet) up in a treestand and wondering what your aiming distance should be when that buck walks by a tree at 15 yards (45 feet) from the base of your tree.

Here’s what most hunters do that explains why so many archers shoot over the top of an animal (not accounting for string jumping…another topic later on). They get in their stands, get settled, pull out their range finder, and start shooting distances to trees, bushes, rubs, scrapes, or other markers ON THE GROUND. If you ranged that tree in the example above (see photo) from your stand to the base of the tree, believe it or not, your range finder would show almost 51.5 feet. That’s a 6.5 foot difference than the actual linear distance. Your arrow would have to travel 51.5 feet while the actual distance of the animal is only 45 feet. That also means that gravity is only working for 45 feet while your arrow is actually traveling for 51.5 feet. Remember, we’ve sighted in our bows and adjusted our sights for gravity on a flat surface meaning gravity was working on the arrow for about the same distance the arrow traveled in relation to the actual distance to the target. Since all of our shots in archery are at a relatively close range (linear distance) and we’re not all that far up in our stands, our sight adjustments need not be that great UNLESS the animal is very close to tree we are in. While we want to avoid these types of shots (nearly straightdown) due to the reduced area of vitals at that angle, it’s still something we should be prepared for.

If you are 21 feet up in your stand and a deerwalks under you six feet away from the tree you are in, the linear distance is only six feet but your arrow will actually travel a distance of about 21.8 feet. Guess what? Unless you aim low to compensate for this upward/downward phenomenon, you will shoot right over the top of your deer.

So what do you do?

I submit to you four options and highly recommend numbers three AND four.

1. If you’re really good (and fast) at math, you could range the deer and calculate your aiming distance using the Pythagorium Theorem (yuck!). An inefficient choice.

2. You could go out and purchase a pendulum sight that pivots with your bow to give you a true aiming point from a near vertical aim out to about 30yards. An expensive choice.

3. Once you are in your stand and you’ve located the tree or trees that you think your deer will pass by, range that tree horizontally from the height you are at. In other words, range that tree at the same height you are sitting.

4. Practice. This is something we all should do. Get in your stand and set a 3D animal at varying distances from your tree and start getting the feel of where your aiming point should be. And remember that we always want the arrow to pass through the vitals (see ***Archery Tip of the Week*** –posted 4/8/09).

Remember, most archers do about 90% of their practicing at ground level. Figure out a safe way to get up high in your practice sessions and start practicing.

CROSSBOWS AND ARCHERY HUNTING

2009-04-21T08:26:00.001-04:00

I’m not a traditionalist in the strictest sense when it comes to archery equipment. I like the latest electronic gizmos, I read about and study new hunting tactics, and I like my bow to be relatively current with market innovations.
But when it comes to the TYPE of bow to be used, I believe that archery hunting should involve the act of having to manually draw a string and hold that string until the arrow is to be released.
Maybe it’s the challenge I prefer. Maybe I enjoy the enhanced quality that a compound bow brings to the hunt. Maybe the kill isn’t the greatest reward I seek.
When using a recurve, long bow, or compound bow to hunt with, there’s a certain strategy involved in when you decide on the moment in which to draw your bow. It must be done when the deer can’t see your movement and it must
be done soon enough so that you’re ready when he’s in range but not too soon so that you have to let down before you’re ready for the shot. Once you come to full draw (ideally when the deer is looking away or he’s behind
something) you must hold the bow at full draw until the shot is presented.
Sounds simple, right? Well, that little tidbit of archery hunting strategy has been the saving grace of MANY whitetails over the centuries. And it’s hard enough when only one deer is in the area. If your buck comes in with a
few does, you now have to deal with that many more sets of eyes that are very adept at picking out the slightest movement.
When using a crossbow however, that strategy is eliminated. You no longer have to make a decision on when to draw your bow. You simply hold the
crossbow like a shotgun or rifle, wait for the deer to get in range, and pull the trigger.
Now don’t get me wrong. I think there’s a place for crossbows in archery hunting. There are many archers who are physically unable to draw a
compound bow back and hold it. For these types of hunters, the crossbow is the perfect alternative.
I’m not advocating the elimination of the use of crossbows in archery hunting. Nor am I in favor of allowing them to be used by anyone who
desires to do so.
But it boils down to one reason why so many states have passed laws permitting the use of crossbows even though there is overwhelming support against it, and that is money.
The trend across the nation has been a decline in the number of hunters and the aging demographics of hunters hitting the woods each fall. With fewer hunters, that means less license revenue. Less revenue, means wildlife
agencies are not as able to sustain established programs or create new ones.
One other issue I’d like to address is the power and range of crossbows.
Many people are under the assumption that a crossbow has an effective range of 60, 70, or even 80 yards. Don’t be fooled! While many crossbows may have a peak draw weight of 125 to 175 pounds (compared to 60 to 70 pounds for compound bows), due to the weight of the bolt and the crossbow’s somewhat inefficient design, the feet-per-second (fps) you gain is really not that great compared to today’s compound bows. If you are adamant about using a crossbow, please take the time to practice with it at varying distances. You’ll quickly see that you’re not gaining that much over a compound bow.
For me, using a compound bow is not all about the kill. It’s about the challenge of developing and implementing a “draw and hold” strategy on that deer that is approaching my shooting lane. Yeah…I will get picked off sometimes as I’m coming to full draw (something that won’t happen with a crossbow) and that buck may hang up JUST out of compound bow range, but isn’t that what makes this sport so great? When those things happen and I analyze what went wrong, aren’t I making myself a better hunter?
The decision to use a crossbow in states that allow them is entirely up to you. Just know that you may lose a little part of the suspense that hunting with a compound bow brings. With that loss, the thrill may soon be lost as well.

FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS

2009-04-17T07:33:00.001-04:00

We all know what instincts are…it’s where our bodies act or react without
conscious thoughts from our brains.
We’ve all had someone toss us something when we weren’t expecting it. Our reaction (our instincts) is to catch the object with no conscious thought about it.
I was at a baseball game with my family last night when I noticed how the people sitting behind home plate instinctively ducked when a foul tip came back towards them even though there was a protective net. Their brains
didn’t have to tell them to try to avoid the ball, their bodies reacted instinctively and immediately to get out of the way even though there was
there was no possibility of them getting hit by the ball.
This morning, I read an article that talked about making our brains work better. One part of the article described how we should listen to our feelings. You know, that gut instinct that tells us the phone call we just
got telling us we won a million dollars, just doesn’t feel right and that we shouldn’t give out our credit card number to the caller.
This all got me to thinking about how this applies to archery. Yeah, yeah, I know…archery is about all I think about. So? Anyway, I came to realize that through practice and repetition, we can make our bodies know what to do, without conscious thought, every time we pick up an arrow and snap it on to our string.
Why is this a good thing to try to accomplish? Because our mental energy should be focused on one thing and one thing only when we come to full draw…and that is aiming.
If at full draw our minds start to think about things like our stance, our grip, or our release hand, we’re taking the mental energy away from aiming, which is where is should be directed.
I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday who is in a bowling league. He told me he had bowled nine strikes in a row the night before but blew the tenth frame because he got nervous. And guess what he told me. When he got into position, all he could think about was getting a strike. His body knew how to approach the line and deliver the ball…he had just done it nine times in a row. But his brain betrayed him. He stopped thinking about where to aim on the lane, missed his mark, and left the 10-pin standing. He was so flustered, he even missed the spare. Had he focused on hitting his mark
(AIMING) and just let his body do what it knew how to do, he may have had his first perfect game.
We’ve all heard the horror stories of that big-racked buck that enters a shooting lane at 20 yards and stops broadside only to bound away unharmed because the hunter was looking or thinking about the antlers rather than
focusing on aiming for a spot and letting his body do what it’s supposed to do. I once watched a video of an Olympic Silver Medalist archer miss a nice buck at 18 yards. He had literally shot tens of thousands of arrows in his
life but his mind failed him because he simply didn’t focus on aiming.
Now don’t get me wrong, we still need to think about our stance, our grip, or our release hand but when we come to full draw, we need to re-direct all of our conscious thought towards aiming while our body instinctively and
automatically goes through the mechanics of sending the arrow on its way.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-04-15T18:41:00.005-04:00

UTILIZING THE PINS ON YOUR SIGHT - Most open pin sight set-ups come with three pins usually “stacked” on top of one another. They vary in color and sizes. Experiment with different combinations to find the set up that works best for you. The top pin is to be sighted in at the closest range, the middle pin sighted in at mid-range, and depending on the power of your bow, the bottom pin sighted in for long range. My pins are set at 20, 30, and 40 yards respectively. I have a pin set at 40 yards because I constantly practice at that range and am confident that I can hit what I’m aiming at from that distance. Plus, my bow is fast enough that the animal won’t have that much time to react to the sound of my arrow being released. Don’t get me wrong though, I’ll still take the 20 yard shot over the 40 yard shot any day! If you aren’t comfortable at the 40 yard range, do yourself, your fellow hunters, and the animal a favor, pass up the shot. I like to get the game I’m trying to harvest in close. Since I am the most comfortable taking a 20-yard shot, my top pin is centered in the sight housing. For a shot within 22 ½ yards, all I have to do is center my sight housing in my peep sight (which centers my pin in my peep sight) and put the top pin on my target. But this also means that my 30 and 40-yard pins are below center in my sight housing. But that’s ok…for shots using those pins, simply raise your bow to use either your 30 or 40-yard pin and center the pin in your peep sight. Remember, your pins won’t be centered in the sight housing but since your pin is centered in your peep sight, you’ll know that your pin will be where you want it.

Cabin Fever?

2009-04-13T06:52:00.001-04:00

The weather is getting warmer (slowly) and buds are starting to appear on plants...Mother Nature is beginning to emerge from her winter nap.
While I look forward to the leaves turning into their various colors, the weather turning more crisp, and the deer beginning their mating rituals each fall, there's something about spring that gets the archery blood pumping in me more so than normal.
Maybe it's the fact that I can get out of the indoor ranges and out onto the 3D courses. Maybe it's the spring scouting excursions that I love to do. Maybe it's the promise of yet another archery season on the horizon. Maybe it's knowing that millions of fawns will soon be born. Maybe I'm looking forward to matching wits with a new generation of mature whitetails this fall.
Whatever it is, I know that spring brings with it the anticipation of a new round with nature.
What that means for archers that haven't touched their bows since the end of last season is that it's now time to get them out, get them ready, and start practicing.
Go over your bow and make sure all the bolts and screws are tight. With an odorless lubricant, go over those cams and wheels. Ensure that your string and cables are in good condition and wax them up. Replace them if they are in need of it.
The weather is soon going to break and now is the time to begin practicing for the upcoming archery season even though it's only April! Don't wait until a few weeks before the season opens to dig out that bow. Even if you think that'll be enough time to be ready, it won't be...trust me!
So dust off those bows and get out there...nature is beckoning and it's a call I can't resist.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-04-08T19:55:00.004-04:00

3D TARGET PRACTICE - A lot of archers utilize 3D targets to hone their skills prior to archery hunting season. This is a good thing to do for a number of reasons. It gets you outside into nature, you get some exercise (which we all need), you get to work on your shooting form, and you get to shoot at targets that are life-size and in settings that most represent real shots you will be taking. Personally, I’d like to see more 3D courses that offer shots from elevated positions to give us more practice shooting from stands but that’s another topic for later on. If you’re shooting a 3D course for a score, you always want to aim for the bulls-eye. But, if you want to actually practice realistic shots on 3D animals, you don’t always want to aim for the bulls-eye. The ideal position for a deer to be in when you release the arrow is exactly broadside. On most 3D targets, the bulls-eye is near the spot you want to aim for. I say near because I feel a heart shot taken on a real-life deer will be much lower on the animal’s body than where most bulls-eyes are on a 3D target. The second best position a deer to be in is quartering away. In order for our arrow to pass through the vitals of a deer, out arrow must enter the deer’s body further back. Please excuse my poor illustration above but it serves the purpose. The red line (A) shows the arrow path if you were to aim where the bulls-eye is on the 3D target. Notice that all vitals are completely missed. But the green line (B) shows the arrow path if you aim a little behind where the bulls-eye would be on a 3D target. Notice the vitals pass-through. While it’s important to select an aiming point on the outside of the animal, it is of more importance to picture the path of your arrow as it penetrates and passes through the animal. And remember, the narrower the shooting angle, the more compensation needed. When shooting 3D targets and you’re faced with a similar situation, make a quick mental calculation of your arrow path to determine your penetration point.

PA State Indoor Archery Tournament

2009-04-06T10:54:00.004-04:00

Not only do scores count but so do bulls-eyes. I took 4th place in the PA State Indoor Archery Tournament. I missed out on taking home a medal because I tied for third but didn't have as many bulls-eyes as the other guy. My son McLane didn't get a medal this year either but in fairness to him, he moved up an age group and classification. We had fun but were exhausted after the shoot was over.
Sometime this week we'll change our bows over to our hunting set-up to shoot 3D.

Top - Half of the lanes at the tournament.

Bottom - The foursome on our lane. My son, McLane and I are on the right.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-04-02T07:38:00.001-04:00

Adjusting your sights - The ultimate goal in archery is to get a consistent three-arrow grouping in the middle of the target. Ideally, each arrow should hit in the exact center of the target. To get closer to that goal, we need to sight in our bow by adjusting the sights.
NEVER adjust your aiming point to compensate for where your arrows are hitting.
ALWAYS aim for the exact center of the target and adjusts your sights accordingly.
Once you have attained a relative grouping of arrows WHILE AIMING AT THE CENTER OF THE TARGET, then you'll need to adjust your sights. For our demonstration, let's assume a consistent three-arrow grouping that is hitting above and to the right of the aiming point. To bring the grouping closer to the aiming point, move the front sight up and to the right.
Always move the front sight in the direction from center where the arrows are hitting the target.
Shoot more three-arrow shots and continue adjusting the sights in this manner until the grouping is centered on the target.
Remember, if you are relatively new to this sport, your grouping may be quite large. Keep working on your form and shooting until you get a consistent three-arrow grouping that you can cover with your hand. Once you are at that point, it's time to start adjusting your sights. Keep practicing and you'll see your groupings getting tighter and closer to center.

Last Night of Archery League

2009-04-01T08:49:00.001-04:00

Last night was the final night of our indoor archery league for 2009. I shot a 579 out of 600 and finished in 4th place...missed 3rd by 1/2 game. The good news is my anchor point was more stable but I'm still working on it. My son McLane, shot a 557...his second highest score ever. Shortly after the PA State indoor tournament this weekend, we'll change our set-ups over to shoot 3D. It's the same set-up we hunt with.

Practice

2009-03-28T14:56:00.003-04:00

Only one week left before the Pennsylvania State Archery Association's state tournament on April 4 and 5, 2009 in Harrisburg, PA. While my shooting hasn't been up to how I'd like it, I continue to work on my shooting form. Recently, I've had problems with keeping my arrows on target. I discovered last week that my anchor point has been floating around. After experimenting, I think I've fixed it. In order to keep my anchor point exactly where I want it, I've started touching the string to the side of my chin at full draw while keeping my release hand tight against my face. This has given me a firmer anchor point and I'm now hitting about 80% of my shots in the 10-ring. I'll have another "Archery Tip of the Week" next week, a few more blogs, and I'll give an update on how my son (who took 1st place in 2008 in the Cadet division) and I do at States.

About Me

2009-03-26T09:19:00.001-04:00

I just realized that I should perhaps tell you a little something about myself in regards to archery.
I am not a professional archer. I am, however, a certified archery instructor recognized by USA Archery and the National Field Archery Association. I am an avid archery hunter and a member of the Pennsylvania State Archery Association and a member of the Perry County Archer's Club in New Bloomfield, PA.
In 2007, I took 1st place in the South Central Regional PSAA Archery Tournament.
In 2008, I took 3rd place in the PSAA State Archery Tournament in the adult men's Class A Unlimited Division.
I also work part-time as a bow technician at Gander Mountain in Harrisburg, PA.

ARCHERY TIP OF THE WEEK

2009-03-26T07:05:00.001-04:00

if you find yourself constantly getting slapped by the string on your bow forearm, there may be two reasons. First, your stance may be too closed. Try opening your stance by moving your rear foot forward a couple inches while pointing your front foot more towards the target.
Another issue may be how you are gripping the bow.Grip the bow so that the ridge of your knuckles are at a 45 degree angle to the floor. A good exercise to understand this is to get in your shooting stance without your bow and raise your bow hand towards the target. Now point. The natural position that your hand is now in is the position you want when gripping the bow.
Both of these methods will move your bow forearm away from the string path.

todd.jpg

2009-03-24T10:58:00.001-04:00

Intro

2009-03-24T09:32:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my brand new blog. I hope this spot becomes a place where archery enthusiasts can come and discuss our great sport and the hunting that goes along with it. Here, I will be posting "how-to" videos and pics, weekly helpful hints, and links to other archery sites. Please bear with me as I get this blog going. Thanks.

ALL ARCHERY

WHITETAIL COVER AND ATTRACTANT SCENTS

DEER AND THEIR CORE AREAS

THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER

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

WAY TO GO BOYS!!!!

EARLY SEASON TACTICS

PROPER DRAW WEIGHT

WHAT IS A TROPHY?

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

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

THE ARCHERY WHISPERER

BOOK REVIEW - "Bowhunter's Guide to Accurate Shooting"

Backyard Practice

DETERMINING DISTANCE

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!

TARGET PANIC

INSIDE CORNERS

TOPO MAP 101

DEFINITIONS

THE RESET

MY CHRISTMAS WISH

FOLLOW THROUGH

AND NOW THE NEWS

I Passed on the Shot

Ah....Mother Nature

2010 Season

THURSDAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

POP QIUIZ!

FRIDAY FACTS

THURSDAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

POP QUIZ!

FRIDAY FACTS

THURSDAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

POP QUIZ

FRIDAY FACTS

THURSDAY’S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

TODD'S TUESDAY TIP

POP QUIZ!

YOU MIGHT BE A DEER HUNTER IF......part 2

YOU MIGHT BE A DEER HUNTER IF.....part 1

PRACTICING THOSE UGLY SHOTS

The Perfect Plan

SPEED vs ACCURACY

SUNDAY HUNTING IN PENNSYLVANIA

Another Hunter Joins Our Ranks

ARROW RESTS

Nerves or Lack of Focus?

Things I think about...in no particular order

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Kids and Equipment

Youth

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A VERY SUCCESSFUL OPENING DAY

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Temptation

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Wonderful Lists

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Instant Gratification?

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GOING BACK HOME

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A Picture Says a Thousand Words

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Overcoming a Missed Shot

Video - McLane's Corner - Parts of the Bow

A Developed Obsession

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