Season is Over.. Well, kind of...
Posted By
Rick Knochel
at
1/16/2010 12:00:00 AM
Season is Over…..Well, kind of….
As I sit here in my easy chair, it’s easy to get down about yet another season coming to a close. The camo has been laundered and in its proper place in my closet. The video gear is organized and tucked away for next season. The hunting bow draw weight has been let down and is hanging in the man cave. The thoughts of the past season are quickly fading away with family responsibilities that are long overdue. This tends to happen when you have been gone the majority of the past 3 months. For some guys depression sets in. What am I going to do now?
I used to be in this camp, but I have found a few other things that actually keep me in the game during winter months. My last blog I wrote about improving your ground by implementing a timber stand improvement plan. January – March are great months to do that work. Season is over, and you don’t have to worry about spooking game over to your neighbors. With a year of filming under my belt, I am looking back at the hours of video that have been laid down and what I can do to make it better for the producers and you as viewers. However, what really keeps me in the game is target shooting. Yes, trying to keep those arrows in a small target shot after shot is actually a ton of fun.
A couple years ago, I was turned on to indoor leagues. My initial thought was “that sure does sound boring”. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, the initial adrenalin rush of shooting a live animal is not there, but there are other factors that make it fun. First and foremost is the camaraderie with other hunters and archers. Usually I have lost contact with most of my fellow target punchers, and this is a great time to catch up on what they have harvested over the past hunting season. Pictures and stories are shared almost every evening we shoot. Many times we have videos to watch as well. We talk about our field experiences and talk about next season. Sometimes we bring in sheds or full racks and play “guess the gross”. Everyone puts in a dollar, and whoever is closest to the gross antler score wins the pot. Another reason I like to shoot spots is because it is a great way to work on your shot. When you are shooting at small targets with a high volume of arrows (some nights it’s 60 arrows) consistent proper form is key to scoring well. You must work on stance, grip, arm and back alignment, breathing, follow through and back tension. If one of these areas breaks down, it’s tough to score well. Shooting spots is a great way to keep in good shooting form, and work on areas where you are weak. I had a sever case a target panic a few years ago. I got hooked up with an excellent archer and a friend of mine Dave Hoffmeyer who helped me through that (which wasn’t easy). Dave got me turned on to indoor target shooting. Having an experienced person like Dave watch you shoot is invaluable, since an experienced archer can pick up on things that you can’t see. I also like indoor leagues, because I like to tinker with my bows. I will have a completely different bow for spots than my hunting rig. It’s usually longer axle to axle for better balance. It will be equipped with a long stabilizer and weigh more than my hunting rig for better balance and aiming. It will have a single pin sight with magnification and lower draw weight because of the amount of arrows shot. I am currently shooting a 2006 Hoyt Trykon XL which I just picked up, and it is a shooter. Hoyt makes some great target bows, and this is just one of them. Don’t get me wrong, you can certainly shoot spots with your hunting rig. I just choose to have 2 unique bows. One for hunting and set up for broad heads, and the target bow set up for shooting large dia. arrows at 20 yds.
So don’t let those post season blues get you down. Get out there and work your timber, and after the sun sets, head to your local range and shoot some spots with your friends. It keeps me in the game, and I think you will enjoy it as well.
Shoot straight, and God bless you. Dean
