Story by Tom Claycomb III

Texas designated big game archery season opens on September 28 and will run through November 1.  Now it’s crunch time on getting ready. Here’s a crash course on getting archery ready in 30 days!

I’ve been bowhunting serious since 1979. Bow hunting is cool, but it can be tough plus frustrating. So many things can and do go wrong on a regular basis.  I always say whitetail deer are the most vigilant and wary animal in the world.  Then to push things further in their favor, to hunt with a bow means getting within 40 yards for a shot. You’re in their zone.

Fred Bear summed up bow hunting in one short sentence, “The chance of your arrow hitting a ¼ inch branch in front of a buck is directly proportional to the size of his rack”. No writing other than the Bible has ever been more true.

Knowing the odds a bowhunter faces, let’s address some of the common ills plus ways to eliminate the ones we can or at least dull their impact.

PRACTICE

With my summer travel and assignment schedule I’m not going to get to practice for a bit.

Even so, we still have to fit in time to practice.

If you live on a farm, ranch or at least some acreage, you can just step out of your garage and fling a few arrows every afternoon. But what if you live in town? You may be able to set-up a target in the backyard but more likely you’ll have to run to the country to shoot or join a bow club or range. These last options will hinder your access somewhat. But still practice all that you can.  Not only practice to be a better shot and that includes building muscle memory.

Practice with a purpose and practice different shots. I have a buddy that lives in town and has a platform on his roof so he can practice shooting the target below in his backyard, thereby reenacting shooting out of a blind.

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