Hunting Season is upon us once again and the members of Team Outdoorsmen Adventures wishes you the best season of all!

North Carolina Archery Season has begun with many other states opening soon. A bow hunter is someone who gets to know his prey up close and personal. He is of the land and knows the patterns and movements of the game he intends to harvest.

This is what makes a great hunter out in the woods. “Make No Mistake About It!” That is exactly the key element in a bow hunters mindset he must be mentally ready and prepared for the shot.

The hunt starts before season when he picks his bow up each year. It makes sense to not take the shot if you have not completed your homework.

The first task to cover is to inspect our bow for damages. Inspect it anyway, even if it has been locked in your case for the past year. If your string looks worn, it’s time to replace it. I like to replace my bowstring every two years regardless of the wear and tear on it. Strings will stretch over time. Inspect your arrows and anything else on the bow. Look for cracks, a bent arrow, torn or bad fletching or anything than could cause an arrow to fly incorrectly.

Make sure you oil movable parts of your bow with scentless oil. Wax your string each time you practice. Proper care of all bow hunting equipment is essential to success in the field.

Once all this has been accomplished you are ready to shoot again. Practice everyday no less than a month before season. I feel if you’ve put in shooting time every night till the opener you’ll be prepared physically and mentally for you shot at a game animal.

By this time your shot should become a repetition of steps that you do automatically without thinking.

Even at this point, here in North Carolina with a longbow season practice should be performed periodically during season to ensure your form and shot have not went south.

When the game animal is in front of you the less thinking you do the better. This brings me to a point on the many sights that are on the market.

Sights

Pin sights are nice because you have a pin for each 5-yard increment. In my opinion a pendulum site is better yet. They’re very accurate from 0 to 30 yards, compensating for the yardage and height, eliminating the thinking for you.

I’ve used these sights in the past and they’re easy to use. Savage makes one of the most user-friendly pendulum sights I know of.

Arrow Rests

There are also numerous types of arrow rest out there with a drop away rest being one of the most popular. I use one on my bow and like the fact that they do not interfere with the fletching or vanes of your arrows. This means you are have a better-tuned bow and consistent shot pattern over and over. I’m also a fan of the whisker biscuit. This arrow rest holds your arrow in place in any position for a shot. You do not have to worry about the arrow falling off in a hunting situation.

Noise Reduction

Noise reduction rubber components can be applied to help reduce vibration and shock of the bow, making it quieter.  Some bows have these installed when you buy them. Although you may not consider reducing the sound made by your bow a big deal, but it would be a major mistake if you don’t, especially on the slower bows.

If you have a bow that vibrates and makes a lot of noise when you shoot it, can scare the deer, as the noise made by the bow is what causes the deer to jump or duck when you release the arrow.   By cutting down the noise made by your bow, you’ll have a better chance to bag a deer and less of a chance of wounding one or missing a good deer.

Peep Sights

A peep sight is an inexpensive and very important piece of hunting equipment, one that every hunter should use. Peep sights allow you to line your eye with your bow sight, providing a 3-point reference aligning your eye, bow sight and the game animal.

Practice Targets

To fine tune your shooting before the hunt, it’s a good idea to shoot at game target such as a deer or turkey. Shooting at a lifelike game target mentally prepares you to shoot for vitals.

So, get out there and shoot, shoot, shoot!

Bow hunting has been a rewarding part of my year-to-year season for many reasons. Each time I harvest a good buck with my bow. I have an immense sense of accomplishment by taking game with archery equipment that I don’t get when hunting with a gun.

Learning about the game I’m after and getting this close to a deer creates some of the greatest hunting memories you will ever experience in your lifetime.

If your not a bow hunter and would like to start I’d recommend that  you visit a pro shop and have them set up a bow fitted to you.

Archery pro shops can help you find a bow that fits you perfectly and give you advise on what bow would work best for you.

If I could make one recommendation it would be to get a short bow that’s light in weight, which will make your shooting much easier as well as more relaxing. Allowing you to practice a little longer and in time, make you a better shot.