What do we do now?

Now that the archery hunting seasons are over for awhile, "what do we do now?" There are many things you can do in the off season to stay shooting well. By shooting our bows in the off season we not only maintain our form but the muscle memory needed to repeat it consistently. While speaking of muscles, it also keeps us in the shape we need to be in to pull our bows and not be stiff or jerky while pulling back. If I could, I’d like to make two suggestions.

My first suggestion is to take up shooting 3-D tournaments. If your not the competitive kind, go for the fun of it and don’t bother to turn in a score card. I suggest you keep it though to see how you’ve improved during the season. You might be surprised. I believe the biggest benefit to shooting these tournaments is maintaining or improving you’re range estimating ability. Let’s face it we either use it or loose it. If you can go to a shoot and place your arrow in the vitals of 90% of your targets just think how your confidence will grow. The next time a big elk or deer walks in front of you there will be no doubt about hitting him in the right spot.

The other benefit you gain from shooting these tournaments doesn’t have anything to do with shooting ability. It is the friendships you gain. While your there you meet people who care about the same things you care about. 3-D is a great family sport so next time your wondering what you can do with the family, come on out and give 3-D a try.

My second suggestion is varmint calling with a bow. There are few greater challenges than harvesting a predator with a bow and arrow. Varmint calling works on many aspects of hunting. It helps with your awareness of the surroundings. A coyote or mountain lion may come in from any direction and you need to be ready when they do. Camouflage is a big part of varmint calling. You’ll learn what may work in different situations and areas around the state. Varmint calling also lets you get close to animals all year long, which is what it’s all about. To bag a predator with your bow you will need to learn to be patient, very quiet and keep movement to a minimum. Sound advice for any hunting situation wouldn’t you agree?

(Editors Note: More information such as this is available on the "Archery Section Home Page" of this site)