Know Your Distance

Hello all!  A couple weeks ago I was out hunting in the evening.  I was set up close to where I had seen deer feed under some oaks.  Around 6 p.m. , a buck came up towards me.  After waiting a few minutes to make sure he wouldn't see my movements, I pulled back my bow for a shot and settled the 20 yard pin right behind his shoulder.  The distance from me to the buck was longer than I thought, because the shot went right under his belly.  He came back, and gave me another shot.  I misjudged again...twice...but I got very close on the thirty yard shot.  Anyway, the point of the story is: know how to estimate yardages correctly. Now I know where to aim when I go back to that spot, I just wish I would have the first time.

How do you learn to estimate yardages correctly?  Practice at varying ranges.  Get good at it.  If you have a life size deer (elk, bear, coyote) target, all the better, because you can see what that animal looks like at 17, 24, 32 etc. yards.  When you see that in the wild and remember what it looked like in target practice it helps a lot.  For example, I see a deer come out in front of me, and it looks about as big as the target I have at home when I shoot from 28 yards, I aim for 28.

Be Resourceful

I have a Delta River Bottom Intruder 3-D target.  I tried it, and it didn't work with broadheads like it was supposed too.  It actually destroyed them.  So, after some thought,  I think I'll try to make this target into some kind of decoy.  Put some scent on it, and put it close to a stand somewhere and see what happens.  So, if some product doesn't work well, find what it can do.

And for future targets, I think I'm going to go with Big Green or Hurricane.

Product Review- Hurricane Bag Target

I think that the Hurricane Bag Targets are awesome.  Sure, you can't put broadheads into them, but they provide great target practice.

Durable
The bag target sustained 100's of shots from my bow, over a few seasons.  Eventually I was careless and left it outside most of the time, and if I kept it in a dryer place, it would have lasted even longer.

Nice Aiming Points
I have a target that has a deer vital area shown on one side, and "hurricane" looking aiming points on the other side.  I used the deer vital side much more than the other side, because it gave me a realistic thing to shoot at.

I Could Move It Around
All I needed to do was to pick up the strap and go!  Now, I wouldn't say that anyone could do it, depending on strength and age.

I like Hurricane Bag Targets.  I would recommend them.

Why Wax a Bowstring?

Bow wax is a great thing to have to help lengthen the life of your bowstring.  Why?

Why wax it?

• Wax is used to help lubricate the string to reduce friction. 
• It shields your string from dirt, rain, and other objects. 
• Keeps your string from fraying.
• Helps your string have a longer life.

What if I don't wax it?

• Your bowstring could become "infected" with dirt and moisture, which will sooner or later destroy your bowstring.  To make it worse, moisture also slows down arrow speed.
• Without lubrication, the strings will fray and wear down, the string will also produce friction, and these three things will drastically shorten the life of your bowstring.

In short, waxing gives a longer life to your bowstring.

How do I wax it?

Apply wax to your bowstring and rub between your thumb and your index finger or middle finger over a 4-5 inch section of string.  When you feel your fingers get warm the wax should have melted into the string and is lubricating it.  Then move on to the next section. 

Archer Quick Tip

Have your shoulders hurt after a long recreational or just for fun archery target shoot in your backyard?  This happened to me when I found out that my sights were totally off (I hadn't been using my pep sight when I first sighted in my bow, so now I had to re-sight it).  When I found out, I spent a good hour of continual times pulling back a bowstring and adjusting sights to get my sights back on track. I had a really bad shoulder ache afterwards.  But, it was long enough afterward that I didn't know where my shoulder ache came from.  It bothered me for a couple weeks.  But I eventually found out and was given advice for how not to let it happen again.  Rest a while every 10 or 15 minutes or practice to minimize a shoulder ache happening.  Follow that advice, I will!

Note: This happened this summer.

Arrow Care

Arrows are one of the most important parts of the bow.  But they need care.  When you go out to soot here are some types common damages to each arrow to look for:

Wooden arrows

• Look for splinters and small cracks

Aluminum arrows

• Look for creases, dents, and cracks

Carbon arrows

• Look for the same thing as aluminum arrows.

Remember to never shoot a cracked arrow, no matter where the crack is.  If you shoot an arrow with a cracked shaft, it could shatter.

Keep arrows in a quiver put some place safe or in a bowcase that has a quiver installed in it. 

How To Sight In Your Bow

If you have a compound bow and you want to sight in your sights (if you have any) then here is what you do.
First shoot a group of three or four arrows at the bulls-eye of the target.  Wherever the  arrows go that is where you move you sights.  For example, your arrows go left and above the bulls-eye.  Move your sights up and left. This is called "follow the arrow."  It rhymes doesn't it!  Sight your sights wherever your arrows go till they hit the bulls-eye consistently.  Pretty simple huh!