Well, I had no intention of traveling anywhere to shoot this weekend until Doug texted me on Friday afternoon and asked if I was going to the IBO in Connecticut. While I didn't have much interest, it has been years since I've traveled with Doug to go to an IBO qualifier. After all, in my beginning stages of traveling to IBO events in the early '90s, I went to all of them with Doug. We even got to sit in a bar in Oswego, N.Y., while eating dinner one blazing hot day in June and wondered why everyone was gawking at the TV as a white bronco with a posse of cop cars following it traveled down the freeway in California. Within minutes, we would learn that OJ Simpson was in the white bronco. We were at the second leg of the IBO Northeast Triple Crown that year in Fulton, N.Y. It was just shy of 100 degrees that entire weekend, and people were suffering from dehydration. I shot the tournament with Roy Ware and Bruce Knapp. Roy is now just shy of 90 years old. It still blows my mind how fast time flies by without even realizing it until you think back on different experiences.
By the time all the plans had been shored up on Friday evening, I learned Wade Chandler and Logan Wadsworth would be joining us on our trip to Pachaug. Driving 3 1/2 hours to a club for a qualifier is always a risk, especially when nobody has any history on the club. You don't know if you'll get a sh*t show with crappy targets, horrible course layout, and people who have no clue what they're doing. With a deep breath and a glimmer of hope, I got in my truck at 4:45 a.m. and headed to Doug's house to begin our journey, not knowing what the day would have in store for us.
Making our way south, I questioned my decision. At times fog overtook us and left us without much to see in any direction. The rain splashed off the windshield, and I wondered if Sara Kay had given me the forecast for the correct day when I talked to her on Friday. Although I've shot a zillion times in the pouring rain, I just wasn't feeling up for it on Saturday.
As the miles stacked up behind us, we drove out of the dreary weather and found brilliant sunshine on the other side. When I got off the exit and learned we had less than a few miles to the shoot, I saw Barry Gates in the rear-view mirror. I've always thought it was cool to see others headed to the same place when they're all coming from different places.
Driving on the road to get there, the woods looked beautiful. Instantly, I knew the club would have a great piece of ground for a 3D shoot, and I also knew it wouldn't be long before I figured out if our trip would be worth it. Putting the blinker on to pull into the driveway, I giggled when I saw a bunch of club members in orange vests who were in position to park people. Knowing IBO qualifiers that don't have any name associated with them barely draw many people anymore, I figured they probably wouldn't have much need for parking attendants. However, I liked their enthusiasm, and they gave us an incredibly warm welcome. They were truly glad to see us at their event, and this made me and the others in my truck feel pretty good.
Game Time
After registering and getting grouped, it was time to head onto the range. I would be shooting with Doug and Barry. Although each of us would be shooting from a different stake, I knew we would have a good day, as I enjoy their company.
Walking to the first target, I was impressed with the quality of the grounds. The main road we walked down was clear of any type of debris, and the path to the first target was leaf blown so there wasn't anything in our way.
Standing behind the group in front of us and watching them shoot the target, I was ready to get going. I'm not sure why, but I've never liked seeing the group of arrows from another group on the first target. When they stacked arrows in the 11-ring, it added a little pressure to our group. However, leading off, I felt good about my number.
I dialed my sight, even though I felt like I had too much yardage on it, and drew the bow. I anchored and got into my shot. The pin drifted around a few seconds before the release fired. The arrow hit the stone sheep way too fast for what I had my sight set on. I didn't even want to look at it with my binoculars. When I got up the courage to look at it, I learned I had escaped with a lucky 8. The arrow pierced the 8-line. If I had to guess, I'd say I misjudged the target by 4 yards. I felt lucky to escape but tried my best to let it go.
As we made our way through the next handful of targets, I couldn't get going. When we got to a black bear in a little swampy area, I felt good about my number and executed a perfect shot. The arrow struck the target just above the 11. I couldn't have asked for a better shot. Although my shot was great, Barry ran into issues after getting out of the gate well. The pointer on his sight fell off and he was left without a pointer for the time being.
After taking the pointer off the other side of the sight and putting it where he thought he needed it, he would find out he ended up setting it a few yards off. This created all sorts of issues for him throughout the day. Unfortunately, it was probably the best I've ever seen Barry shoot, and he wasn't able to see the proper results of a good day behind the bow.
When we got down near a beautifully built bridge, there was a mule deer set that was gorgeous. It was up a gradual hill and behind some large trees that had been cut and were lying on the forest floor. I made a good shot on it and expected the guys to tell me it was in the 11. However, the arrow was just out of the 10-ring. I had a perfect line but gave it a little too much yardage. My yardage issues continued.
As I plodded through the rest of the course, I started second guessing my numbers, which made my shooting a little choppy. After making a number of mistakes, it became slightly difficult to trust myself. When we got to a red stag that was on a hill, I felt like myself when I looked at it and knew the number. I executed a great shot and felt good about the result.
When leaving the red stag and seeing a lynx in front of a rock wall, my confidence dipped. I had a hard time judging it and didn't know how to pick a safe number. When my shot broke, the arrow pierced the 8-line high. Once again, I got lucky to stay in the 8. Although I thought I had fixed my yardage issues, I hadn't.
The next target, a long wolverine on a roadway, ate a lot of people up over the weekend. It seemed to be the most talked about target. I didn't waste much time on it. The number stuck out. When I drew the bow, my pin washed out in the sunlight and I lost track of it on the target. My heart jumped into my throat when the release fired prematurely. I felt lucky to walk away with a solid 10, but it was at the top of the 10-ring. I wasn't sure if it was a number or if it hit directly behind the pin.
As we made our way down the homestretch, we enjoyed every target set. I almost paid the price on an antelope. After setting my sight and glassing the target from the stake, I instantly realized I had too much number on it. However, I knew I couldn't readjust my sight, so I knew I needed to figure out where to hold the pin to make up for my mistake.
When the release fired, the arrow got there in a hurry. Once again, I luckily pierced the 8-ring. I felt fortunate to walk away without much damage. I had gone on a pretty good streak before that point, shooting a 101 on the second 10 targets.
Finally, the yardage errors caught up to me with a few targets left. I misjudged a snarling wolf by six yards and felt relieved that the arrow stayed in the foam. After that, I would shoot a bedded Dahl sheep at the top of the 10-ring before finishing my day on an elk with an arrow that was 1/2 inch above the 11. Although the day wasn't a train wreck, I felt like I had to work too hard in all aspects of the game just to survive
Final Thoughts
This was a difficult day for me to judge. I think I shot my bow well. I continued shooting the best line I've shot in a long time. However, my numbers have been atrocious. I guess when the score doesn't match the shooting, it sometimes makes us question if we are shooting well. That's probably why so many people don't like shooting unknown yardage.
I made some great shots throughout the day and went on a pretty good streak for the middle of the round. If I had been shooting in a national event, I would've been sitting in a good spot after the first 20. If I break the day down into segments, I'd say the beginning of the day did me in because I still had "driving eyes." I wasn't into the game yet, and after driving to the shoot, my eyes just weren't focused enough for the task at hand. This sums up my day.
The best thing about the day was the host club and the event they put on. Anyone who missed this missed an opportunity to see how a tournament should be run. The course and the target sets were second to none. We are hoping to have one of the regional shoots at this location next year. They passed the test with flying colors. The amount of work that went into this event was admirable, and you could tell the volunteers were proud of what they had done. They put the shooters first, and the shooters responded. I wish I could've taken a video of the event to show people what I'm talking about. It just can't be summed up in writing. Everything from the club house to the practice range to the course was top notch. All trails were groomed and the walkways to and from the targets were all leaf-blown. The position of every target had thought behind it too. As far as difficulty levels go, I'd say this might've been one of the softest courses I've shot in a long time, and it ate my lunch. It goes to show you that you don't need a lot of yardage to fool people. They made shooters move their sights, and they used every feature in the woods to hide yardage. If I could hire these guys to set every national event, I'd drain my bank account to hire them.
At the end of the day, I was ecstatic I went to this shoot. I felt like I was treated with first-class accommodations, and the course tested every skill I have as a 3D shooter. I'm thankful there are still clubs willing to give it everything they have to give the shooters an A-plus experience. If any of the volunteers are reading this, I'd like to give you a heartfelt Thank You for all of your efforts. You may not have gotten the turnout you were looking for, but the taste you gave all of the shooters who went will leave others wanting to taste it too. If you build it, they will come. We look forward to seeing what the future brings for Pachaug: the home of the best regional 3D tournament I've ever shot.
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