My best friend sports a black and white coat. He’s a border collie that goes by the name of Sully, and accompanies me almost everywhere. In addition to being a solid part of the Kayser family, he has transformed into a great herding dog, shed antler hunting dog and a remarkable coyote hunting partner. Who knows when his next talent will emerge?
Unfortunately, in the fall he doesn’t always get to follow along. On some firearm hunts he joins me, but I admit I have nightmares of him leaping from my side to herd a bugling bull about to step into an archery shooting lane. Instead, my best friend during fall is my bow, and like a good dog, a good bow takes time, commitment and understanding to become a trusted companion. Make your bow your best friend this summer.
Take It for a Test Drive
Black Hills Archery pro shop owner Al Kraus shared with me that most of his clients held onto their bows for more than one year. He estimates his average bowhunting customer purchases a new bow every five years, cementing their bow friendship. For those of you shopping for a new bow, treat your pro shop like a car dealership. Take a new model for a test drive.
It’s easy to get caught up in the marketing hype of YouTube hunters and social media advertisements. Scrutinize those, but don’t settle on just one model of bow. Look at two or more of your top interests. Now take them for a test drive.
That test drive may occur at the pro shop, a sports show or your friend may have already upgraded to the latest, and greatest. Regardless, get your hands on as many of your top choices. Does the grip feel right? Is the back wall hard enough for you? Does the arrow launch smoothly or with too much bow recoil? Is the bow easily tuned? If a bow has been on the market long enough, scan online reviews and be sure to visit forums where many users ultimately tell the truth. One bad review is okay, but pages of complaints set off alarm bells.
K.I.S.S.
I try to follow the simple guideline of KISS or keep it simple stupid. Too much going on with your bow creates time gaps that may cost you a shot. I can easily recall dozens of hunts that ended with arrows launching within seconds of seeing my target. I remember a few hunts where I was able to range, calm my nerves, draw, settle and send an arrow downrange at my luxury. KISS helps you when seconds count.
Begin with your components. If you already have a friendship with the operation of your arrowrest and have confidence in your bowsight, bring them along for the new ride. Most modern components easily swap between bows. Besides confidence, reusing your components from your old bow saves you more money, and if you have priced a new bow lately, you know they have risen in cost like that dozen eggs you wanted to purchase.
Even an old bow could use a KISS update. If the rest needs a thumb assist or your sight has alignment issues through your peep, reassess and consider a simpler system. The same is true of your quiver. My preference is for a removable quiver, such as the Prime Shiftlock Quiver, that uses a lever grip for quick detach. It even includes a loop on top as a built-in hanger. It’s the little things that count for a simpler setup and a stable relationship.
Finally, use the KISS rule when considering bow draw weight. Modern bows store ample energy to drive properly matched arrows and broadheads clean through large animals like elk with moderate poundage. I hunt with a 60-pound compound and regularly get pass-through shots on elk with a traditional fixed-blade head. For whitetails, no problem. Don’t be one of those overbowed idiots on YouTube struggling to draw back a monster weight with the bow stretched out over their head.
Practice How You Hunt
Tuning and sighting in should be completed in a controlled environment such as an enclosed shooting range. It erases variables like a gusty wind, and your pro shop owner could be on hand to offer advice. Once tuned, practice like you hunt. That does not mean you should totally abandon shooting at a manicured archery range, but as the summer progresses, mimic your hunting style and the shots you probably will take.
As a whitetail bowhunter, your style likely includes treestands, elevated blinds and ground blinds. Each has its own dynamic and requires attention to detail. Climbing up and down a treestand for practice becomes tedious, but you can recreate steep shot angles without the labor of tree climbing or the added danger to a practice session. Look around your home, acreage or a friend’s property that allows you archery practice access. Elevated decks, a second-story barn window and even shooting from a second-floor window all create the angles from higher shooting opportunities. I use a steep bank in my horse pasture with the target set up below and have even removed the screen from our second-story bedroom window for a treestand scenario.
Shooting from any style of blind forces you to weave an arrow through a small opening. Set up a ground blind to provide you with the environment to ensure you do not hit the window with your arrow and that your form stays firm when sitting in a chair.
And although I am not a proponent of taking a long shot on game, there is no reason not to practice long to form a firmer friendship with your bow. It builds confidence and gives you the experience needed to understand arrow flight, especially with wind-drift and trajectory.
Lastly, consider a 3-D target for some of your arrow sessions. Although expensive, they help you pick a spot over aiming at a bull’s-eye. Use it sparingly if you do not have the budget to replace one every year, but consider it for fine tuning a friendship.
Don’t Overdo Your Friendship
In closing, sometimes being around your friends turns into a tiresome, trainwreck relationship. The same can be true of you and your bow. Shooting too much oftentimes leads to bad habits and possibly even target panic. Your goal is to perfect form and to initiate a smooth release.
Remember, you get only one shot at a whitetail, so when you practice, make every first practice arrow count. Follow that good shot up with a handful of others to aid in autopilot shooting when the action comes out of nowhere.
Your bow is a constant, and poor shooting usually comes from you being lackadaisical. You do not have to sleep with your bow, but bond with it. Two to three practice sessions per week should make you and your bow best friends this summer.
Photos by Mark Kayser
