How To: Estimate Weight Of Whitetailed Deer

Have you ever had a conversation with someone about your bucks weight? Typically I drop mine off with a processor and rely on his scales to provide me with a field-dressed weight. Then someone will ask about the live weight...

Here is a formula for estimating live weight of your deer. You will need to make an adjustment depending on where the animal was taken. I typically hunt in Alabama so I will take the weight measurement from my field-dressed deer and multiply by 1.17 and add 5 pounds. This will stand true for most southern hunters below the Kentucky state line.

For the western and mid western deer multiply the dressed weight by 1.25 and add 2.6 pounds. Deer that are harvested in the east will need to multiply the dressed weight by 1.25 and add 4 pounds.

Of course, you will need to make some adjustments to this formula according to the particular area that you hunt. For instance. I have hunted some really large deer in southwestern Georgia. These deer were stocked from a northern state and rutted earlier than the surrounding counties. Therefore the deer are larger in body size compared to the typical southern deer.

How To: Installing Inserts In A Carbon Shaft

Tools and supplies needed for inserts and points as well as unibushings.

Taper tools for carbon and aluminum arrows. These are attached to my cut off saw.

I have been asked this question numerous times over the years and thought that I would share this step in arrow making .

After using a high speed cutoff saw to ensure a precise cut without splintering you will need to prepare the shaft.

To do this you will need to obtain this high tech gear.

• Denatured Alcohol (you can find this at any hardware store)
• QTips
• Taper tool

You need to smooth the edges of the cut with the taper tool. Most good cut off saws have these attached. If not you can purchase one separately.

After smoothing pour a little alcohol into a small container about the size of a bottle cap. Take a QTip and insert one end into the alcohol and then use that end to insert into the arrow shaft about 1" to 1 1/2" inside and clean the dust from the walls.

Remove and moisten the other end and repeat. That should do it. Now your ready to insert an insert or target point.

There are several methods for doing this. Most preferred is 2 part epoxy. Mix well and apply liberally to the point or insert. Slide it down inside the shaft until it stops flush. Now take a clean rag or thick paper towel and wipe the excess from the arrow.

At this point I always stand the arrow up with the point down on the table and lean the nock end against the wall. This will keep the point from sliding out.

If you choose to use a fast adhesive such as super glue or AAE fastset gel. Follow the same procedure only do it faster!

I am a fan of hot melt glue. This stuff is typically heated over an alcohol lamp until melted and then applied to the point or insert. After installing just wipe away excess and lean against the wall.

There is 2 downsides to the hot glue application. One being that if you use to much heat and insert it into a carbon shaft it will cause damage. Remember that carbon is formed under a heating process. Too much and it will bend or crease.

The second downside of hot glue is when you shoot into a foam animal and the application of glue was not even and thick, you will lose the point in the target. The heat generated on the way in will be enough to allow the point to blow out when the arrow comes to a quick stop. A little Woody's arrow lube will help to prevent this.

You are asking why would anyone do this, because when you are paying $1.50 per point and have a broken arrow it's nice to be able to apply a little heat and remove it to use in another arrow. Just call me cheap.

There are times when removing an insert from one shaft to use in another would save a trip to the archery store, right? Well you make the call. Epoxy is for life and super glue can be removed with great effort but usually results in a warped or broken shaft.

Good Luck.

Pre Season Maintenance: Arrow Shafts

Gone are the glory days of aluminum shafts but there are still plenty of hunters that use them. With the rise in popularity of carbon shafts 10 years ago the majority of hunters are enjoying the benefits that come at a slightly higher cost. Most believe that the costs will be justified by the durability.

I started using Eastons ACC series of arrow shafts in 1994. ACC stands for "Aluminum Carbon Composite" which refers to their construction. A thin walled aluminum shaft wrapped in a carbon composite. This made for a very durable hunting arrow as well as a superior target shaft.

Some years later Beman (which was owned by a French company) started producing an all carbon shaft that would allow for a full sized uninock to be inserted directly into the rear of the shaft. This was called an "ICS" shaft. "Internal Component System." This company was later purchased by Easton.

I started hunting with them around the mid 90's. Actually the first dozen to come into the shop was for me. I still use this shaft for hunting and still use 3 of the original dozen from the 90's. I guess this would be a testimonial for the durability and longevity associated with carbon. Yes, I harvest 2 deer on average per year. The trick is to hunt in sandy soil so that your arrows don't get bent after passing through the animal.

The manufactures recommend inspecting your shafts before every shot. It's not as ridiculous as it sounds really. Before my first practice session usually in late August, I will inspect all of my arrows closely.

The vanes are checked by wrapping my hand completely around them and twisting the arrow several times to be sure that all of the vanes (or feathers) are still intact. Next I will grasp the shaft by the ends and bend until there is a nice arch in the center. Typically you can spot the carbon fibers sticking out pretty easily. Never run your hand down a carbon shaft looking for a crack or splintering as this could result in some serious pain when removing a sliver from your hands or fingers.

With aluminum you can hold the shaft by the nock while supporting the other end of the arrow with a finger underneath. Spin the shaft slowly while looking directly down the shaft. Another way to detect a bend is to let the point rest in the palm of your hand and spin the shaft with your fingers. If a bend is there you will feel the point wobble. The best way is to use a device designed especially for this purpose.

When I shoot into a bag target I have a routine that goes like this. When the shafts are pulled, I wipe the remains from each shaft and while doing this looking for cracks or nicks in the carbon.

When shooting aluminum shafts I will do the same thing and check for a crease or bend at the end near the insert.

If you do find a crooked or bent arrow, put a mark or number on it so that you can easily recognize it and not throw it in your quiver.

Good Luck.

Pre Season Maintenance: Release Aids

Notice how the unprotected bolts have surface rust and the trigger mechanism is rust free.

A high quality lubricant is a must for proper maintenance

A release aid is something that most people just use and forget about until the next time it's needed. Same way with windshield wiper blades. When it's pouring outside and you jump in your vehicle, the first thing you reach for is the switch so that you can see to drive. When is the last time you sat down in your vehicle on a sunny day and thought about those streaking blades that are in need of replacement?

Same with a release aid, grab it and start shooting. These things need a bit of maintenance also. I have seen them frozen up so tight that a ball peen hammer couldn't separate them. Most common problem I have witnessed is a rough or sloppy trigger mechanism. If it cost's more there is a very good reason for it. You get what you pay for when buying a release aid!

More times than not this problem is due to the lack of lubrication to the seer or roller. I would recommend that you lube the release at least twice a year. Even more if you get caught in the rain or snow.

An old friend was hunting with me one morning and lost his caliper release somewhere near his tree stand. He was climbing up the tree and it just disappeared. I asked him why he took it off and he said that the Velcro strap was annoying while climbing. The following Monday I gave him one that had a leather strap with a buckle on it.

One year later to the day, same friend, same tree stand, looking up at the same tree, see's something hanging from a sapling next to the tree he was about to climb. Yep there it was, his release aid.

After fetching it from the hiding place in plain sight he tried it out. It was still in good shape. After a good lube and shooting it performed like new. He is why I bothered to write all of this, he had made an adjustment and applied a synthetic lubricant that contained "Teflon" the day before the hunt and a year later was still shootable.

It's worth taking a minute to add a few drops prior to hunting season to ensure a flawless execution. I would say that it is just comfort in the back of your mind. I don't usually think about equipment breakdowns or failure during the season because of the confidence that's built preseason.

For those of you that use a thumb type release there is something you need to address also. Of coarse you will need to lubricate it but you also need to inspect the jaws for burr's. Whenever I purchase a new release aid of any kind there are 2 things that I do. First lube and shoot. Second inspect my string loop after 300-400 shots. If there is any fraying going on this tells me that some quality time needs to be spent polishing the jaws and mouth.

I have been using "Tri Flow with Teflon" for 10 years or better now and have no complaints. As far as a polishing compound for the jaws, a friend gave me a can of "Jewelers Rouge." This is a pasty substance with very fine particles mixed in for "cutting" or "smoothing." I am sure it comes in different ratio's of abrasiveness but a fine abrasive would perform quite well.

This stuff works really well with a Dremmel tool. The same a Hygienist would use to polish your teeth with. I have used the same string loop for 3 years and it shows very little wear. Give it a try.

Good Luck.

Pre Season Maintenance: Cable Slides And Rollers

The picture below is of a typical cable slide used on most bows from the mid 90's until present day. These are usually trouble free. On occasion you may experience a chatter or jerk. I have tried almost everything that has been suggested and come to the conclusion that cleanliness is what works best for me.

If you own a press it will make the following task somewhat easier but not necessary. First you will need to remove the cable slide from the rod. Next remove the cables from the slide. Remember how they came out. Use a clean cotton rag or towel to wipe the rod down with. Rub it until the rag gets warm or it when it slides very easily.

Now you need to clean the slide in the manner. Be sure to remove all of the wax from inside and out. Now just reinstall it, careful as not to allow wax to make contact with the rod. If you are having trouble remembering how the the cables run try this. With the cable slide removed, lay the bow on a bench or in the press with the cable slide away from you. Look at the point where the cables cross each other. It creates an x. The cable on the top or the one closest to you will need to remain on the outside. Now take the slide and insert it between the cables and be sure that the closest cable is in the longest slot. Now you can reinstall it on the rod.

Ever had a bow that would not tune no matter what you tried? If you groups are sporadic and there are a lot of right and lefts in the bag, try this. Tug on you cable slide. If it pops out you have found the problem. This was common place prior to bow companies installed the handy-dandy set screw in the riser. Be sure to check that it is good and tight twice a year. That should save you from a serious headache.

The white cable slide pictured here is an excellent choice if the one installed on your bow is wearing cables prematurely. The softer "Teflon" will reduce wear and possibly pick up your bow speed a foot or two due to the reduced friction on the rod. In turn, they also wear out a little quicker. Whenever you upgrade or replace the factory slide be sure to check for adequate fletching clearance.

The latest and greatest is a double roller riding on sealed ball bearings. The bearings ride on an axle or pin that is secured with 2 "e-clips." I talked about these in another post about idler wheels but the same applies here. They need to be checked yearly.

Remove the cables from the rollers. Remove one e-clip and then the axle. Remember which roller goes to which side. Not really sure if there is a difference in bearing and applied pressure but why take a chance.

Insert a pencil into one of the roller bearings and apply some downward pressure. Rotate the roller. If it's smooth check the other one. If both are good just pop them back in and shoot a few arrows.

If not you will need to replace the bad one. Rarely do both go bad at the same time but I replace both while I have the bow down and apart. The last time I tried to purchase bearings from my local dealer they told me that you can only buy the roller as a unit. Ummm....OK. So when the parts arrived it was the entire assembly.

Lesson learned: Be specific with your questions prior to ordering. It wasn't cheap.

Good Luck.

Pre Season Maintenance: Nocks And Unibushings

I will start this blog by offending those who still shooting the old tapered nocks. If you are one of those folks, please stop ASAP! Your accuracy depends on it! Seriously, the chances of having 6 arrows that will hit the same spot time and time again is low.

Back in the day, I would spin all of my arrows and check the nock alignment. After finding several that would be misaligned I would cut them off, dress up the taper and reglue another. Eventually finding a half dozen worth hunting with.

Jump forward 15 years and into 2009. I find it hard to believe an archery shop would even stock those shafts any more with one exception being the traditional guys. Even they are turning to uni bushings in the ends of their shafts.

Correct nock alignment is critical to obtain good arrow flight. 1/8 th turn and you will suffer left or right impacts in your target. The uni bushing allows us to do 2 things well. Align nocks for proper flight and replace them easily when broken or bent.

Uni bushings are not installed in every shaft, some do not require a bushing at all. Just simply insert the nock in the arrow and rotate to the correct alignment. In the event that a nock does not fit snugly just take your pocket knife and scratch it 3 times (in the same alignment as your vanes) long ways and reinsert it. Now it will be perfect.

You will need to replace them every so often as they will wear down in the grooves that make contact with the string. It really depends on how much you shoot. If after work or on the weekends you only fire 30 shots at your bag target, you will probably never need to replace them. However if you sling 200-300 arrows on a daily basis you are looking at replacing them annually.

I will tell you how I found this out. One day while shooting on my range a friend of mine came in and started shooting. After about 100 shots he approached the counter and asked if I had ever seen a bow that would shoot a 4" group of arrows at 80 yards then the next day it would shoot 2" high at 20 yards. My reply was this, "No, I have not." I really did not buy it. The part about being 2" high, I had seen him shoot a group at 80 yards and you could pull 6 arrows at the same time with one hand.

After watching this unfold I noticed several arrows were hitting high and the rest would wad up in a quarter sized group in the X-ring. We talked a bit and then he mentioned the fact that he had replaced a few and that's when his groups started to change. I grabbed a bag of nocks and we replaced the one's that were hitting high. The next group was very tight and in the X-ring.

After a close inspection of the nock groove I could see some wear. He admitted that he was shooting the same nocks for over 2 years. When an arrow would be deemed unusable, out came the nock and into the new one. That would be fine for most but this fellow shot a lot of arrows. He was a pro shooter and really practiced.

I replace my nocks every 2 years just for safety reasons. All plastic has a shelf life and arrow nocks are no exception. That goes for vanes as well. I know, I too have arrows that are 10 years old and have the original fletching but I would probably replace them prior to hunting.

Uni bushings have a downside also. After doing a test with a Hooter Shooter (A machine that you can lock your bow into and fire without human error http://www.spot-hogg.com/products/hooter_shooter/index.php) I found that an arrow with a creased or dented bushing would not hit the exact same hole as did the rest of the arrows.

At 20 yards with a hunting bow this would be insignificant. Back up to 40 yards and see what happens. I typically replace 1 uni bushing every time I practice. I do it so often that hot glue works the best for me. I used to use epoxy to secure them to the shaft but that proved to be a real challenge to remove whenever I would bend or crease one.

Good Luck.

Pre Season Maintenance: Axle Lubrication

Shoot your bow through a chronograph and check your speed before doing this so that you can compare the results later.


With most all bow manufactures using Teflon bushings these days there is practically no maintenance to be done on the bearings and axle's. I guess I am still a little old school when it comes to this. I still remove the the cams and/or idler wheel for inspection.


I will provide a brief description of the process. First you need a bow press. Don't have one, get one. If you are reading this it means you are somewhat inclined mechanically and should have the means to perform minor repairs.


Once the bow is securely mounted in the press and the bow is relaxed just enough to provide about 1" of slack in the harness you are ready to remove the "e-clip" securing the axle in place. After this you need an object that will fit the hole in the limb tip so that when you slide it inward the axle will come out with the cam staying in place. I use a roll pin punch to do this.


I will then remove the other "e-clip" at this point. With the axle lying on a smooth flat surface, roll it while watching and listening closely. This test will let you know if it is warped and in need of replacement. If so you can relax the tension from the press and your cam and strings will stay put until you can find a new axle. Also, check the straightness at the store from where the parts are being purchased before leaving with a bad one.


If it rolls out smoothly, you will want to inspect it for any wear or marks in the finish. Most of the time there will only be a slight discoloration on the surface. In this case just grab a 3M pad in your hand and lay the axle so that it can be twisted with the opposite hand while applying slight pressure in the other that contains the pad. The axle will be shiny and clean after only a minute or so.


At this point you only need to remove the cam or idler and take a look at the bushings. I normally use a clean cloth and wipe them clean. I have not ever seen a Teflon bushing that looked bad. So the way I would test them is to lube the axle slightly with a "good" lubricant that contains Teflon. Slide the axle back into the limb and through the cam or idler wheel. Install the retaining clips. Don't forget to install both, you will look silly on the range when someone says "hey! your axle is about to fly out of there and kill you!" Yes this has happened and yes, I felt really stupid. It has not happened since!


With everything in place and the bow still relaxed in the press, move the cam or idler from side to side. Is there any movement? How much is too much? Well to answer these questions I would have to ask you what the bow is going to be used for.

On my target bows, I prefer to have the cams with a little play. I don't want a lot of friction in these spots as I am trying to obtain as much speed from the lowest poundage that I can pull. With my hunting bows, a little friction is not a problem. I would like to say that it may even cut out some noise after the shot but I have not ever tested this theory.


Ideal friction for me is when you remove the strings and cables from the cam and then hold the lobe at it's highest point. Let go of the cam and it should only rotate to the lowest point and rock slightly back and forth while coming to a slow stop. If when you spin it and it stops abruptly, it may be to tight. This is noticeable when reinstalling your cam and it's difficult to slide in between the slots in the limb. If a Teflon bushing is used there are several ways to remedy this. You can take a flat file and carefully remove a little Teflon from both sides and check the fit. It should be just a little snug. If the axle is too tight, I use a small rat tail file and hone the inside slightly. The file needs to be small enough to slide all the way through the cam bushing. Slowly and lightly is the way to go here.



With and idler wheel I will spin it and watch as it stops. Slow is good.
I should also point out at this time that a lot of manufactures are using sealed ball bearing and lubrication will not effect those at all. When there is tension applied to the bearing it will stop spinning on the axle and roll as it was designed.


To check these bearings I use a pencil and insert it into the axle hole and rotate the cam or idler while applying pressure to the bearing. If it has a choppy or rough feel it should be replaced. Most of these contain 2 bearings, one on each side. Check both! I have found numerous bearings that have failed within a year of shooting. I will go a little deeper into this in another post.


After reinstalling check your speed again. I have found that when the task at hand is complete the bow speed will sometimes increase a few feet a second.

Good luck!

Pre Season Maintenance: Bowstring And Serving

(R)to(L) Bees wax Bohning, Silicone waxBohning, ML 6 BCY, Teflon by Slick It

This wax from Bohning is impregnated with silicone.

Whenever a word is mentioned about bow maintenance, string wax comes to mind. It is one of the simplest things that an archer can do with the best results. After scouring the Internet and looking at hundreds of magazine articles, I've come to the conclusion that this is one of the most talked about chores with the least amount of knowledge required to gain maximum effect.

Have you ever seen a bowstring wax comparison? No, me either. How does one know which wax is the best? Um, well I wondered the same thing. Here's what I came up with after doing some research.

Under a microscope you can see the makeup of a single strand of HMPE (high modulus polyethylene) is made up of millions of small or fine fibers running in all directions. A lubricant is needed in order to cut down on friction. Excessive friction can cause weak spots and eventually a breakage in the fiber.

A good wax will also help keep the “bundle” of strands together. If for some reason you have a strand or two that have came out from the bundle it's probably time for a new string as this usually indicates a breakage. Typically under a serving most likely.

Waxing also helps prevent water absorption into the string. Here's the really interesting part to me. Bowstring "material" manufacturers normally apply a synthetic wax in liquid form to insure that from its conception, the string material is well lubricated inside and out. This process gives the material its initial protection from fiber to fiber abrasion. I was unable to find the brand or type used for the production application at this time. But this wax is really not important because the end user is where the difference is made.

It's recommended that a silicone based wax be used for maintenance. A wax blended with silicone penetrates the string material very well and keeps the inside fibers lubricated as well as the outside. Wax can be applied with fingers, cloth, or even paper. I have seen a few guys that carry a small piece of Latigo to ensure that the wax is thoroughly embedded between the fibers.

I have used several products over the years and have come to rely on one in particular. Bohning makes a silicone based wax that works quite well. I have used this since it's conception with outstanding results.

Don't forget your serving either. Most everyone who owns a one cam bow will agree that the serving on the cable has a very short life due to the stress of rolling into the cam track. Relax the bow in press and remove the string and/or cable. Rub the wax liberally on the serving. Then with your fingers or whatever you choose, rub the wax until you can feel the heat caused from the friction. This is best done with a silicone based wax. You will know that it's penetrating when the string turns a shiny. The silicone will penetrate through the serving into the fibers below to aid in the protection of the string as well as the serving itself .

A life expectancy of 2 years is normal after doing this twice times a year. Sure beats having to reserve right before a tournament or a hunt. The problem I have with the others is the amount of weight added to the string. Minimal yet, it makes a difference at longer yardage's. I find it had to get an a nice thin layer of beeswax without having it clump up in certain area's, especially around the cable slide.

All string material is made from polymers and do not take heat very well. This should explain the reason your string stretched while your bow was lying in the bed of your truck in the sun for 3 hours. Never put any heat on your string. I used to use standard beeswax and heat it with a hairdryer until it was nice and soft. After awhile I would notice a change in my draw length.

I hope this will help explain the mystery surrounding the proper way to maintain a string and cable with wax.

Broadheads And Great Arrow Flight

These two things don't always go together to well. Why, you ask? In order to answer this question you have to get back to some bare bones tuning. This is the key to good broadhead groups no matter which head that you choose to launch at a critter.

Is your bow tuned properly? How well do your arrows equipped with field points group at 40 yards? Do they group at 50 yards and how large is it?

The old standard was approximately 9" at any given distance. Let me explain. Have you ever heard the expression, "I can hit a pie plate at 30 steps and that's good enough for me!" Well, it's not good enough for me and shouldn't be your standard either.

Can you can shoot a group of 6 arrows at 30 yards into a 5" circle? Why not? This should be a bare minimum for your groups. Ideally, a 5" group at 50 yards should be your goal. Yes, it takes a lot of practice and requires that your bow be tuned perfectly but the game that you are hunting deserves it.

I would recommend taking your bow to a professional and having it setup and tuned correctly. Let me make myself clear on this. After someone tunes your bow, they should spend a few minutes with you to be sure that it will punch a perfect hole in a piece of paper with you shooting the bow. I should warn you that this does not mean that your broadheads will fly correctly but you will be off to a good start.

Second, I would like to point out that most bowhunters are do-it-your-selfers. If you are one of these people by all means continue reading. After shooting a group of arrows with field points at 20-40 yards, pay special attention to arrow flight and your groups in the target. If they are tight and your arm is up to it, fling some broadheads. How is the grouping? Not so good? Then you will need to continue reading. If they are good, stop here and get off of the computer and go shoot some more.

I have used this link to the Easton Tuning Guide in a previous post and consider it a valuable tool in tuning my bow. http://www.willowcreekarchery.com/Easton-arrow-tuning_guide.pdf After downloading go to page 11 for broadhead tuning.

After you complete the tuning of your bow to your broadheads you will find that almost every head will fly good. Here is the exceptions. Yes, there is almost always an exception.

• When trying a different head, check the alignment.


• If shooting expandable heads, use a bread tie or a very small piece of wire so that it will not open during flight. Also this will stop them from opening in the target and saves on replacement blades.


• Test every head that you have. I have found only one brand broadhead that would not group with all of the others. Hint: One of the most popular on the market for years.

OK. Now that you are armed with the knowledge, go try it out!

Have Paper Tuner Will Travel

This tear indicates a perfect tune for my Compound bow shot with a release aid. I see the best groups at 50 yards with a slight tail high and left tear.

This image is proof that a good paper tune will allow your bow will perform at it's best. This is a group that was shot from 40 yards.

There has always been a certain amount of hype and mystery surrounding the paper tuner. I will attempt to explain it as well as simplify it in this post. But first you need to know what the arrow is doing when it's released as well as in flight. This is a link to that will give you an idea of what is happening after the arrow is released.http://208.81.178.138/cms/content/video-oscillation-test

You are now asking yourself how in the world did those aluminum arrows hold up for so long. I have searched for an old video that Easton and PSE put out about 12 or 15 years ago that contained several camera angles and super (and I do mean super) slow motion.

OK, back to tuning. The paper that you are shooting through actually indicates exactly what the arrow is doing at a given distance. As you can see from the video, the arrow will bend several times in the first 15-20 feet of flight.

I am going to save you from an awful lot of shooting at paper by offering up this tip. Measure 4 feet out from you target and place the paper there. Next, measure 6 feet out from the paper and put a mark down there. I found that after testing the best tuned bow and arrow combination I have ever had that it punched a perfect hole at 6 feet every time.

Let me say this, just because it will punch a good hole doesn't mean that it is tuned. During the 2 cam days of yonder, I would set up a bow to shoot slightly tail high (only a 1/4") to obtain a good starting point. This was shooting 2312's with the old uninock. Normally it was just right.

It takes some effort to shoot 10-12 perfect holes in a sheet of paper. You have to grip the bow the same every time as well as make a good smooth release. After achieving this goal you will need to shoot every arrow that you intend to use with this setup to ensure consistency.

One of the best publications on tuning ever written is here
http://www.willowcreekarchery.com/Easton-arrow-tuning_guide.pdf

I could not find it at the Easton website, I guess that they have discontinued the publication. I would save it to your desktop and you can print pages as you need them. Skip to page 7 for paper tuning.

If anyone is interested in tuning a compound using a finger release, just leave me a comment and I will respond asap.

String Jumping Issue

Have you ever had a deer jump string or duck an arrow just as it arrives resulting in a miss? I believe that there are 3 distinct causes for this.

1. Loud bow



2. Nervous or alert deer



3. Noisy arrows

I will start by saying a loud bow is something that is taken for granted these days due to the manufactures really stepping up and introducing quality products.

I have shot at a lot of alert deer and have somewhere in the 60% success ratio. When a deer comes in and knows something is wrong, their senses are heightened much like our own. Anything will send them running at warp speed. If possible wait it out. Let them calm down and then set up your shot. If you must shoot and the deer is at 20 yards or less, aim really low. Watch some hunting video's and you too will be convinced that an alert deer will drop 8" or more.

Noisy arrows? Yes, arrows do make noise and at times a lot of it. I was shooting with my brother one day and he had walked to the target before I had stopped shooting. While standing behind a tree for 2 or 3 shots he yelled that the arrows were noisy. After some investigation it turned out that some vanes and/or broadhead designs are just noise makers and need to be avoided to prohibit string jumping.

I had the good fortune to have been given several broadheads to test for a name brand company that was introducing a new design the following year. At the time these would retail for a staggering $36.00 for 3 pack. When everything else was around $15.00-$19.00 dollars.

After having my brother stand down range at my indoor range and listen to the heads, we determined that the loud whistling noise was caused from the new heads. I quickly changed to some other popular heads and shot those.

Conclusion, not all heads are created equally. Be sure to test a few on your own this year before headed out to the stand.

Best of Luck

Summer Time Bow Tune Up

Summer is a great time to get out all of your archery gear and give it a go. The reason is because most of us are sitting in a tree during October and sweating our butts off. So if you can master the shot with sweaty palms in the summer you should be able to make the shot when it presents itself.

Lets start with the basics. Have your bow tuned by a professional. These guys have gotta eat too. Then you need to check his work. By this I mean get out and shoot.

Start by developing a routine practice schedule. It doesn't mean that you have to shoot everyday, just that when you do get to shoot, use your time wisely. More on this later.

Here it comes the same old same old. If you wear gloves and a face mask, practice with them on. Yea, I know it's hot but you need to know how these will affect your shot. I normally use camo cotton gloves on my hands and I practice with them. Two years ago I picked up some Under Amour gloves. Skin tight and the palms have these cool rubber type grips on them.

When I shot with them on I noticed that my point of impact was about 3 inches to the right at 30 yards. Hmmm...Obviously I am torquing a bit during the draw cycle and the cotton will let the bow rotate to the correct position. Now I practice with the new gloves on.

Here is a head net horror story. One very cold day in December I reached for my brand spanking new head net. One of those full face insulated babies from Cabelas. A few minutes after sliding it on here come 5 does and a 5 point buck sucking up acorns 25 yards away.

Six arrows later I was watching all of the deer stomping and blowing wildly. Never even cut a hair! After returning home and a little bit of practice with the head net on, I returned it to my backpack only to use during extreme temps. I will not ever attempt another shot in one. Yes, it was ugly. I barely hit the bag at 25 yards!

One more example. I had bought these super duper coveralls. You know the one's that are made for gun hunters. How can you tell? They have a breast pocket with a metal snap. Long story short, the entire flap was ripped off and neither I nor the buck had any idea what happened!

Do yourself a favor, test your apparel before hand.

Sumertime Fun

Summertime fun, I know what your thinking, a week at the beach or hanging out with friends at the lake for a weekend. And yes, these things are fun, but what I'm talking about is a weekend of chasing animal through the wood. That's right, we just got back from our weekend of hunting in Texas.

It was a extremely hot weekend, 102 degrees in the shade with only a slight breeze every now and then. When you've got that hunting bug, it doesn't matter if it's 150 degrees, you got to feed the beast! This was a different hunt, with times being tight on the bank account. We had a "economic" hunt. Although every animal taken with a bow is a trophy, these trophies were going to be smaller than normal.

Here's our bow setups. I was shooting a Bowtech Guardian set on 62 pounds. I have a Spot-Hogg Seven deadly pins sight. My arrows are Goldtip 5575 tipped with 100 grain Slicktrick broadheads. Bear was shooting a Hoyt Rintech set on 41 pounds. He has a Vital Bow Gear movable single pin sight. His arrows are Easton LightSpeed 500 tipped with 100 grain slicktrick broadheads.

We were going to hunt two ways, spot and stalk and stand hunting. The setup was great for stalking. We had sandy soils that were quiet for walking and crawling in and we had high grass that made it easy to hide in.

We looked around for a while and found a few animals the look good and got us excited. My first stand was a good choice and I got lucky. We were there for a couple hours and had some rams working our way. In the group of rams was a Corsican ram that I had spotted earlier and had on my list. The rams kept coming and got inside 20 yards but they stayed bunched up and I couldn't shoot, in fear of hitting more than one animal. After about 30 minutes they separated enough to slip an arrow into my ram. Smoked, the ram made it 30 yards and piled up. Perfect shot, straight up the leg, right in the triangle. I like starting a hunt that way.

The next morning Bear was eager to get after a ram. We knew the rams would be around the feeder that were set up. We spotted a Texas Dall ram that Bear wanted to take a closer look at. The group of rams were headed to a feeder. The stalk was on! This was a perfect setup. The wind was right, we had a creek bottom we could move in, and the grass beside the creek was high. It took about an hour to crawl up the creek and get close. After looking the ram over, Bear decided he like the ram and wanted to shoot. We moved to within 15 yards. It was looking really good. Dang it, one of the rams spotted us. We stayed still and after a few minute the ram settled down and eased off. Now all we were waiting on was a quartering away shot. Finally, 18 yards, quartering away....aim and squeeeezzze.... Perfect! Bear smoked his ram. I wish I had what he's got. 9 years old and he shoots like a machine! We have both bagged our animals.

We have both taken bigger and better animals but for whatever reason, this was one of the most fun hunts I have been on. Maybe it just because it has been so long since we have been able to hunt anything in many many moons. Hopefully it will hold us out until later this fall when hunting season open again.

Alabama Sports Festival

This past weekend was a big weekend for me and my family. I knew it was going to be busy. First off, it was Father's Day. I knew we would be on the road seeing both sides the family. This meant we would be traveling up and down the interstate. But, it was also the weekend for the Alabama Sports Festival. The state of Alabama host a weekend of sporting event competitions every two years. We were competing in the 3-D event.

We got to the event early because of the busy day and we couldn't be late. You know you have to keep momma happy! Anyway, after warming up on the bag targets, we joining a group to begin the course.

Wow, what a course, every shot was down hill at different grades of steepness. Bear and I were shooting together and after the first couple of targets, the pressure was building. We were both hitting 8's and 10's but for some reason we were both battling a mental breakdown. I knew what I had to do! It was Big League Chew time. Big League Chew is shredded bubble gum. Popeye has spinach, we have Big League Chew. I pulled Bear off to the side away from everyone and we loaded our mouths.

Then, I reminded him...and myself, that we were there to have fun. Not torture ourselves, which is the way I was feeling at the time. Our next shot, we both got 10's. We were now starting to have fun. We start joking with each other and smack talking with some of the news reporters. Yep, that right, we had reporters.

When we started the back half, the shots started getting hard. Steep hills, shooting into holes that were dark. No details on the targets...... But, somehow we were holding it together. My usual target panic was quieting down and I was holding it together. Bear was smoking every target. He made one bad shot but came back strong on the next target.

Finally, the last four targets were on flat ground. In the middle of the field, with the sun blazing down. Last target was a strutting turkey at 26 yards....I shot it for 29 yards. Luckily, I caught the top of the eight line. Final scores, I shot a 196(yeah baby!!!), Bear shot a 176. We both to first place for our classes.

As usual, we were running late. I thought momma, my smoking hot wife, was going to kill me. But, I did have the Father's Day "card" that I was going to use if I needed. Good news, some of the other family members were running late and they changed the time we were meeting.....Momma was in a good mood and we weren't going to be late. Jackpot!!!

Summer Time Blues

Here in Alabama summertime has arrived, 96 degrees and humidity is high. It has been several months since I have been in the woods scaring any game animals and the "nothing to hunt" blues are starting to set in. That means one thing. It is time to head to Texas for the annual exotics hunt. I talked to Mr. Hunt and we are now scheduled to hunt early in July.

For the past several years my family and friends have headed to Hunt's Bowhunting Ranch for a long fun filled weekend of hunting. I know what you all are thinking and you're right, it's going be hot! But, Maria, my trusty Bowtech hunting bow, has been lonely since 3-D season arrived. I feel like I have neglected her for too long. I decided to take her out to the range to make sure nothing had changed. She's still driving tacks. The excitement is starting to build....

Now, time to check "Bear's", my son's, bow out. He has been shooting the same bow throughout 3-D season. Just a little test to make sure his Slicktrick broadheads are flying true and we will be ready. I feel like I should start loading the truck.....

We have made several trips to Texas to hunt exotics. We have hunted ram, fallow deer, Blackbuck, Oryx, Sika, and Mouflon. Bear shot his first animal,Black Hawaiian Ram, when he was seven years old. He has been hooked ever since.

Before the hunts, I would take the time to pick out the animal that I wanted to hunt months in advance. Now, I have gotten to the point that I like to show up and enjoy the company of friends and family and if it works out, harvest an animal. I have also enjoyed catching the other hunters on video. Just writing about the hunt is getting me fired up. I hope I can wait until July.

Next will be the big cookout for everyone that is going this trip. We will all sit around laughing about past hunts and whatever bloopers happen...have you ever been chased by a 2500 pound water buffalo....yep, I have. NOT FUN! But, now its a great laugh...and one of the other guys got it on video.

Tick tock, it seem like an eternity until July gets here and I can finally start loading the truck. But, when it does, I'll be ready for our summer time hunting fun.

LOAD UP!!

Average Range Distance

I have been asked on several occasions a question that seems easy to answer yet difficult to explain.

• How far do you shoot in competition?
  

This then leads to multiple answers that seem to just puzzle the average hunters. I use the word hunters because most of these questions come from guys who only hunt or are reluctant to shoot competitively.

The answer is , it depends. On what you ask? The organisation, such as ASA, IBO, or FITA etc...

I am just anal enough to carry a rangefinder most everywhere I go and use it for practice at judging distance. When I am competing, I will write down the distance to every target on the back of a score card. After I have stepped it off or asked someone in the group how far they thought the target was. There seems to always be one guy who can judge like a human rangefinder, I wish I could be that guy! Afterwards I will average the total yardage against the target count.

ASA Limited Class is what I shoot most often. The ranges average about 33 yards. Therefore when I practice at home, the stake I shoot from the most is 35 yards. You will always have one really close target, typically a Javalina at 18-22 yards and several in the 38-40 yard range.

When I shot the Open A class in ASA, the average was 37 yards. 34-37 yards was the norm. In this class you had better shoot at 12's and 14's if you wish to finish in the top 10. More on where to aim in another post.

When shooting IBO, the ranges seem to be bit more diverse. The targets are staggered very well and very deceptive. I will take this up in another post later. In the MBO class (men's bowhunter open) the average for a given range is around 39 yards. There are quite a few that are pushing the max. When shooting in this class I will typically practice judging more and shooting at 45-50 yards.

Local shoots are dependant on the range officer. By that I mean, if it's been raining a lot, or the temperature has been hovering around 98F for two weeks the targets are usually closer. If the weather is cooperating and he has help, well you may be in for some long shots. I have averaged a couple of ranges in my home state and they really fluctuate. Anywhere from 27 yards to 36 yards. Most of the time if you have shot the course in the past, you will have a good idea if it will be tough or not.

There it is , the average of averages. I too, seem to shoot average!

Archery Only Photo Group

My two favorite hobbies are archery and photography. I havn't succeeded in merging the two together as of yet, but I am working on it. It's hard to shoot both a bow and a camera at the same time. I have started a group on "flickr" to do just that. For those of you that are not familar with the site I will fill you in with a few details.

http://www.flickr.com/ is a photo hosting and sharing website that does not cost anything. Yes, that's right it's free! Of course you can always upgrade but the free account has served me well so far. You will need a free Yahoo account to gain access to it. A pain I know, but it will be worth it if you would like to add your photos to the group. I will have a slideshow of all of the images that are in the group playing on the sidebar. Located here---------------------------------------------------->

Within the group you can ask questions or and make contact with other members of the group. The group as with this blog is "G" rated. There are kids, grandma's and members of the clergy that read and view both, so please adhere to this rule.

Still working on some upcoming material as well as a "how to" video. If you would like to read or view a procedure that you could learn from or just curios about, please leave a comment and we will try to accommodate you. Ex. How to tie in a peep, tie string loop or see the correct way to shoot a Scott caliper release aid.

That's all I've got for today.
Shane

Introduction

Hi and welcome to our humble blog about all things archery. Your hosts are Shane Bates and Chris (Lad) Bailey. The goal here is to provide insight as well as tips, tricks and a story or two. We will in fact be bringing tutorials and how to article's that hopefully will appeal to amateur's as well as pros.

Feel free to comment on what you read. Yes, you will have to do the pesky word verification but that actually cuts down on the incoming spam. If you have something that you would like to see here or just have a question about certain products that are on the market please ask.

In the next few weeks we will be tweaking and adjusting here and there to make this a regular stop when you are online. We will attempt to make this site easy to understand and interesting as possible.

Thanks for visiting,
Shane

Do it with the kids

Thanks, to my father, I have been involved with hunting since I was 11 years old. I remember him loading my brother and me up and heading off to the woods for a weekend of camping and squirrel hunting. I don't think we ever shot a squirrel but, we had a blast getting lost in the woods.

By the time I turned sixteen, I had started hunting with a bow and arrow. My brother and I shot at everything from the house, the trashcan, to chipmunks. If it moved through our backyard we shot at it. I shot my first deer with a bow and arrow when I was in my early twenties. I can't remember the whole story but, I remember missing the first shot and somehow connecting on the second. That deer must deaf, blind, and dumb because the tree that I was in was shaking so bad that I almost fell out and my teeth were chattering like crazy.

Needless to say, my love for archery has grown. Archery is now a year round love. I am hunting for whitetail and mule deer, wild boar, pronghorn, elk, etc, etc during the fall and winter months. Springtime brings 3-D tournaments and turkey season. And Summertime bring bowfishing. I have a blast enjoying all of it.

But, what I have really enjoyed the most is watching my son, nicknamed "Bear", grow into a young archer and hunter. Bear started shoot a bow at the age of two. Matter of fact, his first kill was my rear end. Yep, he put an aluminum arrow about 1 inch into the meaty part of it! I limped around for a week or two. He started going with me to 3-D archery tournament when he was three and by the time he turned five he was bring home trophies at most shoots. When Bear was seven years old he won the "Shooter Of the Year" for the state of Alabama(cubs class) and did it again the following year. It has been very exciting watching him grow and become a proficient archer.

I also started dragging Bear with me to the wood to deer hunt. Many time I would be in a tree stand hunting for deer and he would be sitting right beside me, more excited than I was at the chance to watch me shoot a deer. We have spent many hours in the woods working on our tree stands, hunting, and just watching the clouds blow by.

A few year back, Bear was finishing up his school year with great grades and I told him that he could choose a trip to reward him for his hard work. I thought we would be heading toward Disney World but I was wrong. He pick a Texas hunt for exotics. We found a place to go and off we went. We hunted for three day for a Black Hawaiian Ram. We had several close calls and near the end of our hunt he smoked a 18 yard quartering away shot on a big ram. Bear had just taken his first animal with a bow and arrow. I wouldn't trade that animal for a Boone & Crockett whitetail. (left to right; Pop, Bear, me, and "T" dog) After that ram, the Bear was hooked by the archery bug. If he is awake, he's shooting his bow. He is now nine and has taken several big game animal, one was a several hour stalk, followed by a 26 yard heart shot!

I have had more fun helping him and watching him grow as a archer and hunter. All I can say is thanks, to Bear, for letting me enjoy it and thanks to the Lord above for giving me the abilities that I have.

So, anytime you begin to get bored with whatever it is you do, just add a kid to the mix and it will add many more chapters to the book. It doesn't even need to be your own kid.

Oh, one more think, Sweet Pea, my three year old little girl has been shooting for several months now.....and I haven't taken another arrow in the rear end.....

Dreaming of Next Winter

I was looking through some of my photos from last winters trip to south east Colorado for a big Mule deer. It was early December. When I arrived it was mid forties with a nice breeze. The next morning the weather had changed, negative 2 and 14 inches of snow. I was hunting a tree line in the middle of an alfalfa farm. Bucks were cruising for does. By the end of the first day I had seen 5 to 10 shooter's but none were within bow range. Day two was about the same. I was a hard day of hunting, I left my lunch and water in the truck. I sure did miss my PB & J! I did enjoy one very exciting moment. I rattled up about a 135" buck that I decided to pass on. What a great day! Day three, time to get serious. Deer were acting about the same as the first two days. Sometime after 1:00 pm I spotted a nice 3 x 3 chasing some does. They were around 400 yards away. I started rattling some horns and using a "can" call. Out of nowhere Mr. Big showed up. Man, what a buck! Mr. Big stayed with the does and ran the 3 x 3 away. Yea for me, that 3 x 3 was now back on the prowl and I sounded like a herd of lovesick does. It took about another 30 minutes but he came looking for me. When he got about 60 yards out I had to decide what side of my tree he was headed to. I started to make my move to the left but changed and moved to the right. To my surprise I got it right, the big 3 x 3 came in to 8 yards and took a Goldtip arrow through the lungs and top of the heart. I watched him go down within 40 yards. My big 3 x 3 ended up scoring around 158 inches and weighed over 300 pounds.




Now I've got to figure out how I can get back out there next winter.

Target panic…..AARGHH

What is target panic? It can be many different things, it depends on the archer. For me, while I’m trying to hold my sight on the spot that I want to hit, I will lock up under it. It feels like my bow weighs 1000 pounds. Then, I will either shoot low or snatch the bow up and try to time the triggering of my release for when my sight crosses the spot. There is a 1 out of 10 chance that my timing is correct. The majority of the time the arrow will hit nowhere near the spot I’m wanting to hit. The crazy thing is, I only have this problem on random targets. Some of them are close and some are far.

I have been struggling with this problem for years now and I haven’t found a cure yet. I do know that when I don’t feel the pressure of making a perfect shot, my target panic goes away……but, most all tournaments frown on me having a few “Daddy Cokes” before I go shoot. lol I’m sure in time it will go away, for now I’ll just continue to carry a few extra arrows.

Lad

Why Shoot 3-D Archery?

I’ve been asked many times, “why do I shoot 3-D archery?” I have realized that there is not just one answer. I personally have several reasons. The competition is one reason, I love to see how I stack up to the other shooters. I also, know that it will improve my shooting abilities as I prepare for hunting season. Of course there is the fellowship with the other archers. I like to call it the smack talk. But, with all that said, my number one reason is for the constant training of focusing on the shot. That includes aiming at the spot I want to hit, triggering the release and most importantly for me, the follow thru.

If you ever have the chance to compete at a 3-D competition, give it a try. You might be suprise how much fun they can be.

Lad