Memorial Day Weekend: Bows, Turkeys and Friends

  It has been a few weeks since I've written, but I decided it's time to let everyone know how things have been progressing. After getting back from West Virginia a few weeks ago, I was not feeling it. After having a lot of confidence for the most part of 2019, I was left looking inside myself to find something that I know is in there but had lost in the snap of a finger through no fault of my own. Archery revolves around having confidence in your equipment and yourself. You can't have one without the other because that will only get you so far. If you're firing on all cylinders, the two types of confidence feed off from one another. If you're lacking in one area, it can destroy the other area. It's a fine line that target archers and hunters seem to walk from day to day, week to week, and month to month. So I went from having it all to having one part of it to battling both ends of it. I need to gradually build my way back to the place I had become so comfortable in the last few months.

  Next week I'm going to be going to the Massachusetts Senior Games with my father. I don't normally shoot that type of event so I don't have anything remotely ready to stand on the line and feel confident. I spent the week trying to get a bow ready for the event. I've decided to settle on my old Elite Victory 39. I'm shooting it at 58lbs with Gold Tip Platinum Pierce arrows. I've never enjoyed the 122cm target. It's one of the only targets I've shot that makes it seem as if my pin is wildly moving all over the target face. It's probably because I don't spend enough time at it trying to get it where I need to get it and figure out which lens, pin and aperture to use. After a week of toying with things, I don't feel any more confident than I did when I started. If anything, I probably feel less confident than I did the first night I took it out and started shooting it. The bow shoots okay, but it definitely doesn't stack arrows. In the process, I shot far too many arrows for my body to handle. Now, my shoulders, hands, back and arms are spent. I'm going to take most of this week off and not shoot my bow. Although it will be tough, my body is speaking, and I must listen.

  About a month ago, I set up one of my best friends who is a diehard turkey hunter with Jeremy Flagg, who is also a diehard turkey guy. The two of them hit it off and went on a hunt or two in New England, allowing TJ to score on a Rhode Island bird in his quest to bag a turkey in every state in the United States that has turkeys and allows turkey hunting. TJ got the job done, so Jeremy decided he was going to come to New York and give it a whirl in our home state. Here is TJ and Mike Salerno with the birds that Jeremy put them on in Rhode Island.



  Jeremy was back and forth about coming to NY but decided at the last minute to make the trip. Meanwhile, I had already planned on spending the weekend with Barry Gates, who was also coming over from Massachusetts. We were going to shoot the IBO tournament at Deerslayer on Saturday and the ASA tournament in Rhinebeck on Sunday. Everything worked out for the best when Jeremy decided to come up. Looking at the weather for Saturday, it showed a lot of T-storm activity at Deerslayer and a fair amount of rain. That's when we decided we would all go to the ASA shoot in Rhinebeck.

                                             The Ride to the ASA Shoot

  We picked Jeremy up in Saratoga and made our way toward Rhinebeck. Jeremy had never met my dad or Wade Chandler, so after the introductions, everything was good. We joked back and forth during the ride, finally getting to the Kingston/Rhinecliff bridge to cross the Hudson River. I've never been a big bridge guy, and that bridge is fairly long and high. It unnerves me crossing bridges.
 
  As we neared the toll booth to go across the bridge, my father didn't appear to be slowing down. We do have E-Z Pass, and he usually goes through the gate a little faster than most. In the last few seconds before getting to the gate, we realized he wasn't going to stop. Everyone in the truck had a different reaction, some of us in the tuck-and-roll position, some of us yelling to get his attention, and some of us just covering our faces. Then, we blasted through the gate, demolishing it  on the way through it after it smashed against the front of the truck. Locking the brakes up caused the vehicle to do that slight bumping over the pavement. Although we didn't come to a full stop, Dad stomped on the gas pedal and burned out as we continued across the bridge. As Barry looked behind us, he could see a lady come out of the toll plaza and look at the truck as it sped away. We didn't let Dad know the person was standing there, and we all began laughing, with Jeremy exclaiming, "Man, I like your dad. He's awesome! That's my kind of guy."

  Dad said, "Well, they'll send me the ticket in the mail. Stopping isn't going to do much for us now." When we got across the bridge and took a right, we came to a stop light. When the yellow turned red, we didn't stop and continued down the road. Looking to the left, there was a cop sitting at the light. We expected him to follow us and give us a ticket for going through the light, but he never pursued us. Five minutes later, we pulled into the tournament site.

  Being a holiday weekend and with everything going on, I didn't expect there would be many people around ... and there wasn't. We got there in plenty of time for the shotgun start. We warmed up and waited for the meeting before the round. It reminded me of all of the national ASA shoots we used to attend. The shooter meetings in the morning before the round were always something that put me in the place I mentally needed to be.  I love shotgun starts and recommended them over the last few years but was always met with stiff resistance. I can understand both sides of the fence. I like it because everyone knows ahead of time what time he has to be there, but he can also plan his day around that. Everyone finishes within a few minutes of each other, and all of the scores can be tallied at once. I like events that are run in that manner for that reason. I also like events that you and come and go as you please. I think the shotgun start is beneficial to people and organizers for getting people in and out in a timely fashion. I'd love to hear any of your thoughts on shotguns starts. Have many of your ever participated in shotgun start events? Do you like that format or dislike it?

                                            Being Grouped and Sent Out onto the Range

  Since there weren't many people, I ended up in a group with Chuck Weeden, Todd Sargent and Jeremy Flagg. I haven't shot with any of them at an event this year, and I have never shot with Jeremy.  I figured we would have a good day. The weather was great, and we were getting a nice and early start. I couldn't ask for anything better. Oh, and Barry checked the weather and the radar showed a lot of rain around the area where the Deerslayer shoot was being held. That made us think we might have made the right choice. After all, I didn't want to be sopping wet on my way home. The days of that are far beyond where I am now. I'd rather be a fair-weather archer now. I'll never do that for hunting, but archery is a totally different thing.

                                                      The Round Begins

  When we got to the first target, we drew cards to figure out the shooting order. I was drawn as the third shooter. Chuck and Todd's arrows both hit to the right. I settled in nicely, but the pin didn't sit down like it normally does, so I had to fight through the shot. When the arrow struck the target, I could see that I also hit to the right. When I shot the next target, I had a decent hold on it, but it was still a little shaky. After executing a good shot, I decided to take two ounces off from my back bar. The bow sat down a little better on the next shot, so I decided to leave everything that way for the rest of the day.

  As the day progressed, I was happy with my shooting, but I wasn't satisfied with the way the bow was holding. Although it wasn't anything drastic, it's still not the way I would like it. This was a tough course to judge my holding because about 3/4 of the shots were uphill. I've never held well while shooting uphill, and it makes it hard to judge things when you're dealing with something like that all day. I shot at all of the lower 12s and got lucky enough to get many of them. I was really satisfied at the end of the day when I realized that I had only shot one 8, and that 8 came on an uphill bedded doe. I held right on the lower 12, and when the shot broke, the sight bobbed at the last second. The arrow struck about an inch below the 12. It didn't miss by much, but it missed.

                                                   My Take on the Day

  I didn't consider it one of my better shooting days. I can attribute it to the way the bow was holding. I executed good shots and held better than I've been holding since making all of the changes a few weeks ago. This bow just feels better in my bow than the bow I had to use over the last few weeks.  I enjoyed the round, and it brought back many of my memories from when we used to go South and shoot in the ASA circuit. There's something about gambling when you're shooting than can suck you in. When it's going well for us Joes, it goes well. When it doesn't go well, the day can quickly become really disheartening. Unlike IBO scoring, the ASA scoring doesn't allow you to have an average day and still shoot a good score, especially if you are gunning at the lower 12s. In the IBO, the 10-ring is large. If you stay in it, you will have a good shot at doing well at the end of the day. Here's my card for the day.



  I shot with Jeremy Flagg today for the first time. This guy gets the star of the day award. I was beyond impressed. He made good shots all day. For a long period of time, I didn't think he was going to miss. He made me take attention and notice his ability. After shooting with him all day, I'm trying to figure out why he doesn't put up big scores every week. I almost wondered if being in a different group made him excel and concentrate more than he normally concentrates. Maybe it brought his concentration up a bit. Either way, he really impressed me, and I hope he continues on the path he's on right now. Great shooting, Jeremy. Oh, he might've beaten me if his battery didn't run out on his sight light. When the battery stopped working, Jeremy had to use the shank of the pin as an aiming dot. He still held his own after that, but he wasn't drilling the 12s like he had been before the light crapped out. Here's a picture of Jeremy when he drilled the elk.



  Every time we go to a shoot, we have teams and joke amongst each other. George Connors named my team "The No 10 Todd Team." I named his team the "Triple J Team." Of course, these are both inside jokes, and it keeps us a loose. Doing this has allowed all of us to up our games and have friendly competition and create some trash talking between us. My team is composed of me, Chuck Weeden and Gary Jones. George's team is composed of George, Mark Smith and Todd Sargent. We all banter back and forth and have a good time doing it. Team No 10 is in the lead for the year, but the games have all been close.

  Last weekend, Gary and George went to the Total Archery Challenge at Pico, and Todd, Chuck and I went to the ASA. Therefore, Chuck and I decided that we get an automatic win for the weekend because Mark didn't do either and had to go camping. Along the way, though, we thought we spotted George's bus in the woods. Then, we realized it was a Chevy. It was a Chevy from way back, the era before Team No 10 drove Chevys and made them what they are today. We thought it said Excursion but after getting closer, we realized we were wrong.



  Barry and Dad shot a 900 round at Dad's house when I went hunting with TJ and Jeremy on Sunday morning. Barry shot a good round, too. He keeps improving regularly. Sometimes people think improvements come all at once without working at them. Barry puts in the work, and I've been able to watch the work and witness the change. It feels good to see others improve. He shot a good round with my dad.

  After I got done turkey hunting in the morning, I shot some arrows with Barry on the 122cm face. Although the wind was blowing pretty good, I never felt like I could get it going. I've come to realize that I've just shot too much lately. I need to give it a break.

                                           The Sunday Morning Turkey Hunt

  Jeremy, TJ and I went hunting on Sunday morning. I roosted the birds, and we went after them. The mosquitos were horrendous and ate us alive. It was a textbook hunt. The birds gobbled on the roost for a while. When they hit the ground they exploded, and it was simply awesome. We had a great time. In the end, we ended up missing a bird due to a lack of communication and the tall grass. That happens when you're hunting, but at least we will have the memories of the hunt forever. I had a great time over the weekend. It was a fantastic weekend with friends and family.  I'll see everyone on the range next weekend.

First Leg of IBO National Triple Crown: Being Dumb or Learning a Lesson.........?

  As most people have noticed, I've had a very good 2019 archery season up to this point. Although I've had a few less-than-stellar gigs along the way, most of my performances have been very good. I've finally gotten back to feeling like I can hold my own against any other great Joe out there, providing I just do my thing and shoot my arrows. When competing against the Joes, I know I have a shot, no matter who shows up. I haven't had this type of confidence in a long time, and confidence breeds success. My equipment has been flawless, and my shooting has lined up with my execution.

  So when I came home from Maine a few weeks ago, I knew I had to fix a few equipment issues. The serving broke in two places where my string wraps around my cam. Anyone who knows me knows I hate change. I've never been one who has good luck changing things.

  I set one night aside to go over to George Connors' place so we could BS and work on it together. I always enjoy George's company, and I think it's good to bounce things off each other while working on stuff. George also knows more about Elite tuning and setup than anyone I know.

  We messed around with everything for a couple of hours, but we just couldn't get the bow to feel like it did before we made the changes. Of course, I'm probably the only one this ever happens to besides Chuck. My shooting is super sensitive to any type of change, and that one fact has not been beneficial to me over the years. I'm a feel type shooter, and I need the same type of feel to build confidence.

  After going home and shooting it for a few days, I just couldn't get the bow to feel the same. Knowing the first leg of the IBO National Triple Crown was in a few weeks, I figured I could get it back and be all ready to roll. As the week raced by, I finally gave up and decided I would not make the trip to West Virginia. I don't like going places when I'm not confident in my equipment, and I had absolutely no confidence in my equipment. After all, I figured I had nothing to prove so not going to the shoot wouldn't be any big deal.

  When I visited my dad on Tuesday evening, he said he wanted to go to the shoot. I love my dad and  enjoy spending every minute I can with him. I would never pass down an opportunity to go on a road trip with him to participate in an archery tournament, even if I didn't have a lot of confidence. So I raced home to see if I could figure something out.

  That's when I decided to break out my hunting bow -- the old reliable bow that has killed a lot of big buck and won some indoor and outdoor archery tournaments. Everyone knows I don't use drop-away arrow rests for any type of target shooting, but I had no choice because that bow had one on it. I quickly unscrewed my sight off the bow I had been working on and screwed it onto the camo bow.

  After sighting in the bow quickly, I shot a few groups of arrows from 40 and 45 yards. When you go from stacking arrows like the picture on the left at the beginning of this to the group on the right, it doesn't do much for your confidence, especially when every group was like the one on the left. I couldn't do anything wrong with that bow before I made the changes. I figured that after a few days with the camo bow, I would be ready to roll. I've always had confidence with it, and I know I can perform under pressure with it.

  I went to my dad's house on Thursday after work to shoot some targets. Everything went really well, and I felt good about my chances. Before packing the bow up and heading home, I shot three groups of six arrows, one from 60, 50 and 40 yards respectively. I only missed one on the 122cm face, and the arrows were stacked on top of each other............I was ready...........even though I had some doubt lingering in the back of my mind.

                                                           The Trip to West Virginia

  I worked for half a day on Friday before heading out. My dad picked me up around 10:30 and we got on the road. The first half of the trip wasn't too bad, but the second part of the trip was like a Walmart parking lot on the highway. It was wall-to-wall traffic moving at a high rate of speed, which wreaked havoc on my stomach. Traveling always messes my stomach up due. The anxiety and nerves that come with driving plays havoc on my system. It's never a good thing, and it usually takes a few weeks to recover after the trip.

  We finally got to the motel around 11 p.m. It was a dive, but for $66 a night, we couldn't complain. After all, we would only be sleeping there for a few hours. Neither one of us slept wall. I had issues with my legs all night, and I also continued battling dizzy spells that began earlier in the day. The dizzy spells worried me because I didn't know what was causing them. My blood sugar was fine.

                                                            On the Range

    We got to the range at 7 a.m. and got registered for the event. I exchange pleasantries with Bryan Marcum, the president of the IBO, before heading to the range. At the practice bales, there weren't many people. I saw my friend Bob Warren and talked with him for a while. I met him about 25 years ago at an IBO event, his first IBO ever at Mountain Trail Bowhunters. Sean Rice was with me and both of us were in the top peer group at the IBO National Triple Crown that year. When we got there, we realized that Sean had forgotten his sight, so we taped some pins onto his riser, and he shot the course that way. Bob still talks about that today. Sean lit it up with taped pins on his bow.........taped with scotch tape. If Sean had continued shooting, he would probably be on the pro tour. It was always a  pleasure to watch him shoot. He worked hard at it and was good at it. I'm glad I had the ability to bring him places when he was a kid.

  After firing a few practice arrows, seven to be exact, I was ready to get on the course. I saw two guys walk to the tent in front of me and figured if I rushed to the tent, I would be able to get in a group. The range officials grouped us together and sent us on our way. There were three of us, and two of us where going to try to shoot all 40 targets. One of the guys was from West Virginia, and one was from Pennsylvania. One was shooting in my class, and the other was shooting in MSR.

  It was a long walk to the first target. As odd as it sounds, I wasn't mentally into being there. I'm not sure if my mind was somewhere else or if I was just tired from the lack of sleep and long trip the day before. When we got to the first target, I could see that it was an antelope. It was a good set and had some yardage on it. It wasn't going to be an easy one to start on.

  The guy in MSR went first. I always watch people in my group shoot their first arrow and usually never watch them shoot again. I want to know if people properly execute shots. If someone properly executes a shot, I know he might put up a big number. Although people who don't execute good do shoot good scores, it's usually more of a rarity.

  The MSR guy kickstarted his trigger and sent the arrow on its way toward the antelope. Looking at the arrow with my binoculars, I could see it clearly in the middle of the 11.  I quickly got a number, dialed my sight, drew my bow and settled in. The pin sat nicely just right of where the white ended and a hair above it, but my pin hotdogged and I could see two pins, both blurry. That's an issue with aging eyes. Sometimes the pin looks great, and other times, it doesn't remotely resemble a pin. As the pin sat nicely in the 11, my shot broke cleanly. The arrow struck less than a half inch above the 11. My first shot was awesome. After loading it, transferring into my back and expanding, it was instantly gone...............aiming solid.........pow..............perfect. Old reliable was on its mark. The bow was going to work just fine.

  Walking to the next target, I knew it was one on which I needed to shoot an 11. Leading it off, I didn't have a good aiming reference, and the arrow hit behind the pin, again just barely missing the 11. Ok, I'm executing good shots and seeing yardage well. When I got to the next target, a mountain lion across a ravine, it was a muddy mess. The footing wasn't good due to the amount of mud on the side hill, but the shot didn't look too bad. I broke another good shot and the arrow hit high, barely out of the 10-ring. As I walked to the next target, the Big 10 buck, I felt really good about it. The distance stuck out to me, and I figured it was a no-doubter. I fought the shot a little bit before it broke, which caused me to hit low. It wanted to be in at 6 o'clock, but the less than 1/4 of an inch wouldn't allow it.
After pulling my arrow and walking to the next target, I could hear the guys in my group talking about the target I was about to see. When I got to the stake, I took a look at it and realized it wasn't exactly what I wanted to be looking at after just shooting two 8s by the skin of my teeth. Looking down the hill and across the valley, I saw a coyote that looked like a red squirrel. It was definitely a difference maker. The number stuck out to me when I looked at it..............long. When I hit full draw, the pin locked on the black spot on top of the 11 ring, and I relaxed while pulling. The shot broke perfectly and landed in the center of the center of the 11. After pulling my arrow from that target, the wheels began falling off the bus. I hit low on a long wolf, barely under the 10, within 1/2 inch, so now, I had three 8s that didn't add up to more than 3/4 of an inch off the 10-ring.

  After smoking a bedded doe on a hill, I came upon a turkey down a roadway. It was on flat ground on the bottom of a hill. I love turkeys. I know that I will almost always gain points on people on turkeys. I usually stay in the 10 on them and that's tough to do for most people. I enjoy it when I see them. Unfortunately, I didn't like seeing the turkey on this day. The bow just didn't seem to be that forgiving as compared to the bow I had been shooting up until the week prior.

  Being the last shooter on the turkey, I got a good feel for things. When my pin settled on it, I once again had a hard time seeing the pin, as it turned into a hotdog and two pins. I let down and readjusted my light to see if I could fix it. When I settled in the second time, I couldn't get a good feel for it, so I let down. I ended up letting down again, and I knew it had to go on my fourth one. As I got into he hold, it got a little long. When the shot broke, I figured it might catch right-side 10. When I saw the arrow strike the target, I wanted to crawl in a hole. The arrow was a good eight inches to the right. I quickly learned that the way the bow was set up, I couldn't get away with anything less than a stellar shot, and I paid the price.........dearly. I plodded along and shot a few more 8s before the end of the course, barely missing out the bottom and one out the top. I made two more shots that were not the best shots I've made, and both shots hit to the right, one landing in the 5 and the other landing in the 8.

                                               Sitting Down and Evaluating the First 20

  I could feel the internal rage building inside me. I had made four shots that weren't great shots but certainly weren't horrible and those shots cost me 14 points. I also had a lot of shots that just missed the 11. I figured I should have been about even, but with the black bow, the one I've been shooting, I think I would have been up a ways. I had good numbers for the most part.

  I evaluated things in my head on the walk back to the tent. I thought back to the second leg in Mckean, Pa., in the '90s when I shot 18 up on 20 targets. And a few years back, I shot 13 up on the last 20 at the third leg. Knowing I have that ability, I put the rough start behind me and figured I would give it my best shot because I knew I could make the ground up. I wouldn't get all of it, but I wasn't going backward any longer.

  If anyone wants to know what it felt like, the only thing I could give as a comparison is when a great pitcher is pitching early in the game, and a few errors get committed behind him. He unleashes a great pitch, and a batter golfs it out of the dirt and the ball finds itself barely clearing the wall and landing in the seats. The pitcher is now behind 3-0, but he struck out the side. Now, he just has to see if he can pick his teammates up and keep them in the game, giving them a chance to mount a comeback.

                                                       Staying in the Game

  When I walked up to the first target of my last 20, I could see a really good aiming spot above the 12-ring on a black panther, and when I can see spots to aim at on 3Ds, I usually don't miss. I didn't miss it, either. I stroked it. I broke a clean shot, and it landed perfectly in the center. When I got to the next one, a fallow deer, I could once again see a clear aiming spot. I centered it and executed another great shot. The arrow landed behind the pin...........another 11. I was on my way back. I could feel that 13 or 18 up inside me. Those rounds live inside me, and every once in a while I know I can release
them for all to see. Here's a photo Jake VanHillo took early on in this round. He was in the group in front of me. Thanks for the picture, Jake.



  I plodded through the rest of that course and wasn't able to score another 11. Although I had only gained two points, I hadn't lost any. My shots were clean enough, that I figured I might be able to get six to eight of them on the last 10. Target one of the last 10 stuck out to me like sore them. It was a medium deer down a lane on a side hill. I had a great aiming spot and smoked it. I shot a perfect shot, too.

  The next target was a cheetah down a hill. I had to lead it off and had trouble seeing it. When the shot broke, I knew I had too much yardage on it and the arrow hit just above the 10 ring at 12 o'clock. I earned that 8..........one of the first ones I earned for the day besides the first 8 of the day that I shot on the mountain lion.

  I remained focus and tried with all my might to make a comeback, never giving in, even though I now knew I had not chance of making a good showing. Over the last half of the course, we shot a few memorable shots, including a javelina, alligator and an antelope, all of which were difference makers.
  I got a solid 10 on the javelina, and I 11d the gator and the antelope. I barely missed the 11 on the last target of the day, one of the new African targets.

This shot here is the story of my day. If you cut the distance to the 10-ring in half, that's the distance that I was out of the 10-ring all day. I learned at the end of the day, that I think I just started too early and the vision problems led to the near misses early in the day. When it got bright out and I could see clearly, I basically never missed again after that.




                                                   The Damage: My Take on the Day



  Looking back on it, a lot of things led to my bad start. I let a lot of things affect me that don't normally get to me. I was not mentally ready to shoot. I'm not sure if it was because of all of the confidence I had lost when the black bow didn't come back to where it has been all spring. I have felt like I can't miss with that bow. That definitely had an effect on things. Although I've shot the bow I shot a lot, I don't have any miles on it at all since early last spring. I'm not sure what caused me to shoot two 5s way right with the right number. I won't spend any time trying to figure it out because it's in the past, and I recovered nicely the rest of the way out. I think all of the eights early on were hitting behind the pin. I think I was holding low because of the lighting. It was hard to tell where I was on the target and couldn't get the lighting right with my pin. I figured out in the second half that I needed to set it at about the number 3 position. After figuring that out, I could clearly see where it was on the animal. Having not shot in any leave cover or canopy this year, I didn't have any experience with the pin. I got that figured out by the second 20, so that mistake will not happen again.

  I shot with a really negative guy. All he talked about was how he was going to shoot 5s on certain targets and how he always misses at least one target. He also talked nonstop while I was shooting. I let this get into my subconscious mind during the first half. I'm not even sure if maybe that's why I shot the fives and they had nothing to do with my shot. On the turkey, he made a horrible shot and was talking about all of the turkeys he has fived while I was shooting. I put this behind me going into the second half and blocked it out. I got my focus back and dialed it up a notch. I'm not sure if he was even talking in the second half. I was so locked on, I don't think I would have heard him. Don't forget folks, negativity breeds negativity. Distance yourself from people who speak in that manner, but also learn how to deal with them if they end up in your group. It's like walking a tightrope without a balancing beam.

  This tournament was like a NASCAR race for me. I went a lap down on the first lap after a crash. After pulling into the pit area and getting a few dents pulled out and changing the tires, I got out there and started making progress. When I got near the end, I gained the lap back, but it just wasn't enough to make a difference. I got across the finish line near the top, even with a dented and broken car. It was the worst race I've driven in this year, and I still managed to get it back on track. I think I'd be hard pressed to shoot a score that bad again. Although those things happen from time to time, I was highly disappointed that this happened when it did.

  Anyone who knows me knows I've been crushed my way more bad luck than good luck over the years, including zeros from broken releases, arrows, serving, etc. that cost me national wins, world championships and many other podium finishes in ASA and IBO. It's been a few years since I've encounter the bad luck. Well, it found me again this year. I've been shooting better than I have in a number of years and felt like I would be able to win if I just did my thing. I gave it my best with backup equipment and fell short, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. I've never given up over the years, and I never will, even if I think I'm going to finish in dead last. I could've hung it up after the first 20 and just went through the motions, but that isn't in me. Always fight until the end. Draw from positive experiences and give it your best shot to recreate them. I'm not sure if I'll get the bow back to where it needs to be. I don't have the best of luck with changing stuff around. Hopefully, I can figure it out over the next few weeks. I did check out Jake VanHillo's Evoke 35 yesterday. I really like that bow........I like it a lot. If that bow shoots as well as the Supra Focus I shot this winter, I can see why Jake is shooting it so well. I think that bow fits my shooting style. I'd like to try one to see how it shoots at distance.

  Back to the bad luck deal. It all came to head today on my way home from my club. I was driving home with the window down. Cruising at 50 mph, something struck me squarely in the side of the head. Blood spurted all over the place and feathers were all over in the truck. I looked into the side door panel and found this.



And that folks, tells you all you need to know about my luck. The poor bird struck me in the side of the head and died. When a bird hits you in the side of the head at 50 mph, it kind of stings. This weekend is going to sting for a long time. Hopefully, I can get it behind me..........soon.

                                                    Handing Out Awards

  I have to hand out a few awards for awesome shooting this weekend. In the MSR class, Scott Tozier did not disappoint. He landed a win and earned every bit of it. Over the years, when Scott and I have shot well, we usually end up right around the score, plus or minus 5 points. With the way I have shot this year and with how I finished up, I figure I would have been somewhere around Scott if the black bow had stayed on point. Great job, Scott. That's pretty impressive shooting for a tough course.

  Jim Burdic, another central New Yorker, also brought his game to the first leg and finished in 2nd place in MSR. Great job, Jim. You had to earn every bit of that on that course. It's glad to see a couple of central New Yorkers at the top of the list. It gives me something to shoot for next year.

  Jake VanHillo..............you look awesome. Don't let a few disappointing moments ruin your outlook. You performed incredibly well. You rocked that course and just had to deal with a few, very few unfortunate mishaps. We've all been there. The good ones learn from those mistakes and use them to their advantage in the future. Don't doubt your ability........you have the ability to win at this level. Get out there and practice your yardage. You now know black targets look short to you. Add a few yards if you're ever in doubt on the longer ones. Keep working hard. It's been a pleasure to watch your progress from a distance.

  Jacob Slusarz, you are an incredible archer and person. Wherever you go or whatever you do, just stay the same. It's a pleasure to call you a friend. I enjoy watching your success. It's a pleasure to tell people that you are a friend when I hear them talking about you. It's even better when I can tell them that you're a good person . Congrats to your dad, too. Great job, John. You guys remind me of me and my dad. Keep living the dream and making memories. There's nothing like sharing this with my dad over the years. I'm sure you guys will feel the same as time goes on. It's a pleasure to watch. Great job this weekend, Jacob. I can see that you learned a lot from last year, and this will pay great dividends this year. Keep working really hard. People don't see your work, they just see the results. I understand the work........I get it.  I've always worked hard at it, and I'm not half the archer that you are. You have an open invite to come up with your dad to shoot our range. I'll change it as often as you want it changed. Feel free to come whenever you want to. Dad is there all day during the summer and I"m usually there after 3 p.m. every day.

                                                     S3DA in the Northeast

  As a member of the New York Outdoor Writers Association, I receive daily updates from the Outdoor Wire. Last week I saw that Bob Gattorna is in charge of the S3DA in the Northeast. When I was at the IBO national this weekend, I saw the the biggest classes are the senior classes. We need to get youth involved in archery. This will be a big challenge to get the youth involved. It's all of our jobs to help with this. It introduces children to all types of archery and gives them an outlet. If you can find kids to get involved, then do it. They are our future. If you want tournament archery in the future, you need children involved. Aron Stevenson and his wife, April, have been doing a tremendous job with this. Congratulations to Bob on his new endeavor. I hope to see many more children involved in the coming years.

                                                    My Final Thoughts on the Weekend

  I was raging on my way home. I got home at 3 a.m, and got up at 8 to got shoot a local 3D event. It's not often when we think we are at our best and the big events are coming. I thought I was at my best in the month leadings up to this event. I knew I could win and that is everything. I blew all my tires and crashed in the ditch, but I'll be back.................if I can get the bow where I need it to be or maybe if I get one of those Evoke 35s in my hand to try. Here are my thoughts on the rest of the summer.





                       

New Archers and the Maine IBO State Championship

  This week went by too quickly. Once again, the weather wasn't conducive to achieving much outside with my bow. Early in the week, I knew I had to shoot some of my other bows so I would have a bow to shoot in case I decided to go to Maine on Sunday. I figured I probably wouldn't go due to the number of things I had going on over the weekend, but knowing my dad wanted to go, I tried making sure I had a bow to shoot that would make me feel confident. In case any of your are wondering, the bow I've been shooting is in need of a little work, and I haven't made the time to get at it yet. Although it can still be shot, I know I probably should wait until I get the work done.

  I decided to work on my bow arm this week. All of my attention was focused on keeping a strong bow arm from start to finish. I've noticed over the years by watching others shoot -- and also stepping back and looking at my own shooting -- that if I have a strong bow arm throughout my shot, I very rarely miss. Misses usually don't come on the backend. Instead, they come from what the bow arm does before, during and after the shot. I've been able to get away with murder with my other hand and arm.

  As I focused on my front arm, I realized that I could imagine driving the arrow through the middle of the target. I used the aggressive attitude to help me hold steady and execute good shots. During my trials, I noticed my groups spreading out a little bit. I do most of my practicing from 40, 45 and 50 yards on a 5-spot target. This target has always given me a good idea how I'm holding and executing. Although it's a 20-yard target, I shoot 300 games at 40 to determine if my bow is shooting well. If my bow is shooting well, I can keep all of my arrows in the white. If the bow isn't measuring up, I will shoot random arrows out of the white but very rarely beyond the first ring in the blue. While tuning bows, I use the "keep them in the white" test to determine the forgiveness of my bow. I'd imagine as I get older, I will have to find a different method. I'm sure my hold won't be good enough to do that on a regular basis, but for now, I will continue using that method. Find a method that works for you to determine what is acceptable for groups and what isn't. You need to push yourself to tighten your groups and improve your execution. My choice is to shoot a 20-yard indoor game at 40 yards outdoors. It's double the distance, and I have to compete with the factors that come with shooting outdoors. Too many people get outdoors and wing arrows because they love shooting. I love shooting, too, but I try to achieve something while I'm shooting. This week the work focused on my bow arm. If my bow arm is good, I will not have any left or right misses, which is always my goal.

  Throughout the week, I shot a variety of holding weights on different bows. I shot one bow with 13 pounds of holding weight, one with 6 and one with 17. I ruled the 6-pounder out. I just couldn't get it to feel comfortable to get through my shot. My old reliable bow at 13 pounds won the starting job. That bow flat-out shoots. I can stand on my head and shoot arrows in the middle with that bow. Then, I decided to try the 17 pounder again, the one that Vozzy has helped me with a little bit. I'm determined to make this bow work because I like the feedback it gives me while shooting it. So I spent the most time on that bow.

  I finally got the bow to sit down and not move. When the pin hits the middle, it locks on the X. Unfortunately, I have only a few seconds to get the shot off. If it goes in the first few seconds, the arrows pound the X. If my shot timing it off at all, I wander around the white a little bit. This bow is really close, and I feel confident that I will get it to where it needs to go. I plan on shooting it at the Massachusetts Senior Games next month. That will put it to the test in my hands. I will try to get my Gold Tip Platinum Pierces to tune out of it. The arrows seem to be a good match for the setup. I had to put a 15' bar on the back with 17 ounces on it and a 27' bar on the front with 5 ounces. The odd thing about this bow is that I found that I need the draw length a tad longer than my other bows. Although this bow is a hair longer axle to axle, it just doesn't work unless I shoot it at about 1/8 inch longer. I'm not going to try to figure it out because that's just the way it is with the particular bow.

                                                   Adult Archery Day: Saturday

  I spent Saturday at the range at my local club. My buddy Aron Stevenson, owner of Exit Archery, volunteered to give a crash-course lesson to a group of people from where I work. For those of you who don't know, I work for a large company, and the company does things involved with the outdoors to give people an opportunity to explore things they might not otherwise have access to.

  We had about 25 people sign up, and some of them brought their kids to try it out, too. We had people ranging from early teens to 60s, all there because they liked the idea of archery. They all wanted to launch arrows and watch the mystical flight of an arrow, just as I did when I was a child and still do today on a daily basis. Archery calms my mind and brings me into a place that so few people ever experience. I get lost within my subconscious mind and sit back and watch things happen from afar. Archery becomes effortless at that point. It's simply awesome to experience at that level, but it takes years to achieve that type of feeling. It's Zen at its finest, but the bad days are miles away from feeling the same.

  As I helped the people shooting, it made me smile. The people were having more fun than small children at a water park. Huge smiles formed on many of their faces, and before we finished for the day, some of them were making great shots, but all of them were enjoying themselves. I will definitely try to do this again. Hopefully, a few of them will pursue archery now that they've had a formal introduction to it.  Here are a few pictures from the day's events.

This is my friend Yolanda with her first bullseye ever. Yolanda came to this country from Colombia and has experimented with many things that she had never done in her home country. She loved this introduction to archery.




This is the Gerardi family enjoying themselves and having fun. Mom Girardi seemed to figure it out by the end of the day. This family has some beginner talent. We need to keep working on them.

        

This is Bri, Garret and Sam.........Bri and Garret were showing off a little bit and putting them right in the middle. Sam can actually shoot accurately right-handed and left-handed

   

Matt and Ann really enjoyed themselves.



Matt's smile says it all. Matt is a wizard with computers. I told him that me talking technical archery to him is like him talking computers to me. We both laughed about that.




  There you go. As you can see, this is one of the best days in archery that I've had in a long time. It was simply awesome, and the people who came to the event were awesome people. I hope we lit a fire with some of them that will burn from this day forward. That's all we can do: introduce people to the sport we love and hope they follow in our footsteps.



                                             Maine IBO State Championship

  I really wasn't interested in going to this tournament. I had minimal sleep throughout the week, and I didn't work on my numbers that much. I've always loved Maine since I was a kid, and my mother's side of the family is from Maine, so I have a hard time not going to that state when I get a chance to go. There's something about the state that draws me to it. Maybe it's the giant mosquitos the state is know for! I also know that some phenomenal 3D shooters have come out of Maine. Mainers have always driven me to be better. I haven't met many of them that weren't top-notch archers. It's amazing how small their archery community is and how many national champions have come from there. They set the bar for New Englanders, a bar I've always strived to reach. From Roger Thibeault to their current great one, Ben Lambert, they always send a shooter or two to the south so the rest of us can try to learn a few tricks to keep pace. There are too many great ones to mention, but I can easily say that the likes of them have had a great deal with the success that I have attained over the years. I'll be forever thankful that those guys pushed me to become better just to keep up.

  Dad and I got on the road at 5:00 a.m. When I woke up, I knew it was going to be a long day since I hadn't gotten more than four hours of sleep in the last two nights. When we arrived at the tournament site around 9:00, I signed up and got ready to go.

  After talking to Sean Roberts on Thursday night and discussing the issue on my regular bow that I was putting off working on, he convinced me to just shoot the bow. After all, what could 30 shoots do to it. I decided that would be my best bet, even though I hadn't fired an arrow out of it since my last arrow at the New York State shoot on last Sunday.

  I walked to the target butt and fired two arrows at 35 yards, both of them hitting in the center of the bullseye. Not wanting to shoot any more arrows, I walked to the registration area to be grouped. When I saw Jacob and his dad there, I figured I would be shooting with them again, but then a few people walked up behind me. I ended up in a group with Dad, Barry Gates and Jeff Wagoner. I hadn't shot with Barry or Jeff this year, so I knew we would have a good day and catch up on everyone's trials and tribulations in archery.

                                                  Off to a Good Start

  I got off to a good start when I executed a picture perfect shot on a black panther and donutted the 11 on it. The pin held steady, and the shot broke perfectly. I was off and running.

  I picked my way through the first 10 but never felt comfortable. As we progressed through the course, I realized that the time behind the bow I shot all week that had 17 lbs of holding weight was not working in my favor. It made the bow I was shooting today feel like a sloppy mess. I had a very hard time holding steady and I found myself watching the pin instead of focusing on my execution.

  I had to let down a lot today. I've always been disciplined with that and will not force a shot. Instead, I'll make sure I get it right, and it was very difficult to get it right today. I stuck to the plan and executed some great ones when they went.

  When I started my second 10 and got a few targets into it, I saw the group of young shooters from Massachusetts. They stopped to say hello, and that shot happened to be my best shot of the day. It was a Big 10 buck, and I could see the 11-ring. My pin settled nicely on it, and my back loaded quickly. Once in my back, I relaxed and rotated, and the shot was on its way. The arrow hit directly behind the pin but an inch under the 11. I couldn't have asked for a better shot. This was absolutely perfect. It was shot that I lie in bed at night and imagine in my mind. When I imagined myself winning big events, I always imagined executing a shot just like that one. If you see it in your mind, it becomes a reality. You just have to keep seeing it -- over and over again.

  After shooting that shot, I went on a streak of shooting a few more shots just like that one. Maybe those Mass. guys brought me some good vibes. They're always smiling and are always in a good mood, even if they're not shooting well. A lot can be learned from those types of people. They always remind me that it's great just to be alive. I envy them for their ability to have fun. It's a pleasure to watch.
 
  I briefly lost my numbers on the turkey and bedded doe near the end of the course. I knew I was going to hit both targets high -- and I did. Sometimes, I should listen to the little voice in my head. I chose to ignore it on those two shots and paid the piper.

  I finished that round solidly by shooting 11s on the last two targets in front of the big Boy Scout audience. All of the Boy Scouts who were making lunch made a good audience. One thing I've always done over the years when there's a lot of commotion is to block it out by pretending I'm going to make a shot that everyone sees and says, "WOW, did you see that shot? That was the best shot I've ever seen."

  With that in my head, I focus solely on the process. Even if I blank the target, I will know that I executed a perfect shot for all of them to watch. It will be so perfect that the audience won't even notice if I totally miss the target because they'll still be in awe of the execution. It does wonders to help block out any random thoughts that might come into my mind. It worked perfectly on those two shots, as the shots were two of the best ones I made today.

  Going into the last 10 targets, I felt confident. When I had to lead the white bedded goat, I took a few yards off my tape before drawing. I should've left it on. My arrow struck less than 1/4 of an inch below the 10-ring.  During the rest of that round, I played on a balancing beam...........shoot an 8......shoot a few 11s to catch up.

  When I got to the last few targets, I wanted to make great shots to have those in my mind on the ride home. I accomplished just that to finish my day. I couldn't have asked for two better shots, one landing in the 11 and the other an inch below the 11. I was glad to put my bow back in the case and head home. It was a long day and I was extremely tired.

Here's my card for the day.



                                                 My Take on the Day

  I shot with Barry Gates today. I know Barry has been working with Mark Myers for quite a while. Barry gets frustrated, just like the rest of us. As I watched him shoot today, I thought about last year. He looked like an entirely different guy. He looked to be shooting the same shot at almost every station. I could tell he was a little amped up in the beginning, and I'm sure many of you also get amped up in the beginning. I get that way, too. I've found that my best method to get through that has been to write down in my journal how much I enjoy shooting the first few shots in tournaments and that those shots are some of my best shots I shoot. I've done this enough that it has become a reality. If you write it down enough, it will happen. If you see yourself doing it, it will happen. Trust me when I tell you this. You just have to commit to these things and make good on them.

  Barry has also been beating himself up about his scores all year. I think he shot a 269 today. This was the best 269 I've ever seen shot. Yes, Barry did have a few "Oh Barry" moments from my observations, but try few of them. Instead, he had many shots that were great. That 269 could have easily been a 290 and probably should've been. If you could give him an inch on a ruler, I'm sure he would have been 20 points better........easily. Never judge your performance on your score.

  Like Barry, I could've eliminated four 8s today out of my six if I could've had a half inch on a ruler. When I've been missing, it's no more than a fingernail width below the 10-ring. I'm shooting the best line I've ever shot. I made one poor shot today and paid the price for it. I was unsure of the yardage and let that affect my shot. That will not happen again. I know better than that, and I will improve upon that going into the next shoot.

  I did not have a winning performance today with my bow in hand, but I had a winning performance in my mind. My mind performed at an elite level today. My mental management system exceeded its normal capacity today and carried me through the day. I struggled a little with my shot, but my strong mental game and all of the work I put into helped me from one target to the next. Sometimes when all  cylinders aren't clicking, you need to get in the lane that works and keep the hammer down. Take advantage of the skills that will keep you in the game and trust the ones that aren't working so smoothly on that day. I'm living proof that you can do it if you put your mind to it.

People sometimes fail to realize how hard others work. I've worked on my mental game for many years, and that skill alone has allowed me to come through on some big stages. I do not have the talent that many others have, but I do have the work ethic that most people lack. I've spent hours upon hours meditating in silence. I've spent days and nights visualizing and seeing myself shooting perfect shots in different situations. I've moved targets all over the map every day of the week to get different looks. I've shot arrows until I can't see any longer. I've shot arrows until my fingers are almost locked in the position of how they wrap around my release.

  Everyone thinks Jacob is a natural. If you saw how hard he works, you would not want to be like Jacob. He has that work ethic. He puts targets in his truck and brings them to his club that doesn't have 3D targets and carries them through the woods, setting them in different places, just so he can practice judging distance. The work shows up in his performances. I get it, and I an appreciate it. If you socialize with shooters like this, you realize how much they put into the sport the love. I shared this a few days ago on social media, and it pertains in this case. Take a look and really think about it. How much do you really put into it? Ask the winners how much they put into it, and you will be amazed at the answers they give you. Some don't have to work too hard, but many work harder than most can imagine. I have much more I'd like to write, but I'm spent................until next week........keep working -------------------->