CAA Marked Yardage Team Shoot

This week was peaceful for my mind. I didn’t do much shooting and tried to give my mind a break from archery. I’m not saying I didn’t shoot, but I definitely didn’t follow my normal routine. Early in the week, I told Jacob to get a hold of me if he wanted to go to the CAA marked yardage shoot at Algonquin Archers in Connecticut. Neither one of us figured we would be going, so we decided to play it by ear. I didn’t really have anything put together that made me feel overly confident to shoot at a bunch of targets in the 50-60-yard range on uneven terrain. 

  On Friday evening, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do on Saturday. That’s when Jacob got a hold of me and said he was able to finally get his hunting bow together and sighted in. He wanted to see how it was going to perform since it was considerably faster than the bow he has been shooting. He figured it might be a little more critical. So we decided to head to the shoot. I picked him up the next morning at 6:30 and away we went. 

                                                              Warmups

  At the target butts, I figured it was going to be a long day. My sight picture was unsteady, giving me a steady and shaky type of hold. Although I was keeping everything in the white, the groups weren’t anything to write home about. When I tried a few different releases, the result wasn’t that good, so I chose to stay with the one I started with.  As we walked up to road to our target assignment, I felt good about the day. I was going to be able to shoot with John Vozzy, Sean Roberts and Jacob., as well as Zeke.

                                                         The Round

  We started on a long fallow deer, and both teams began the day with 12s. I led the next one off, a boar in the mid-30s. We stacked four arrows in a quarter-sized group and made our way to a bedded ram. The ram was downhill and across a small  dip. It was an awesome IBO set. AlthOUgh I can never see the place I want to hit that well, I could see a shot-out spot in the 12-ring. My pin settled on it and the shot exploded. The arrow landed nicely in the 12-ring, almost like it lived there. I mentally patted myself on the back and moved on.  Having to lead off the long coyote, I was happy to see that it was set up so the black dots could be seen at the top of the 12-ring. When I hit full draw, the pin wouldn’t slow down, and I didn’t pay attention to it. Although the hold wasn’t the best, I couldn’t believe when the arrow struck the target six inches over my aiming spot. Once again, that phantom high arrow out of this bow bit me. We discussed it for a bit, and the guys all agreed that the problem was probably stemming from losing back tension, creeping just a pinch (so minute that I can’t feel it), then the release fires, which sends the arrow high because the nocking height changes ever so slightly that it sends the arrows high. I had another one of these shots on the standing polar bear. So just like last week, I had two of the phantom high shots out of the 30. Now, I believe I can get it fixed thanks to good friends who are great shooters who gave me their insight on it. It makes perfect sense, and I’m hoping we found the trick. I’m going to take half a twist out of a cable to see if we can get it cleaned up and save me if I happen to lose a hair bit of back tension by mistake, like I’m assuming I have done lately. I’m shooting the bow at 75% letoff, too. Jacob and Sean both think I should go back to 70% and increase the holding weight. I’ll continue trying to figure out the best method to get this thing exactly where I need it. I’m so close I can taste it right now. The change is going to be a really small one, but when I take care of it, I feel like I’m going to jump up a few notches. I’m looking forward to the days ahead. Hopefully, they will work as I want them too. 

  As we moved through the round, I felt good about my shooting. I executed good shots, and they landed behind the pin. Having to lead many targets off, I had a hard time being able to tell where I wanted to hit. I've come to realize that my vision is still really good, but my ability to pick out identifying marks on targets is nowhere near what it used to be. I've seen the problem showing up regularly this year. I will have to work on getting a combination set up that will allow me to be able to see the exact spot I want to hit rather than aiming in a general area and hoping I land in the 10-ring. 

  Throughout the day, I had issues with my aiming. The aiming is acceptable on some targets and not up to par on others. I talked about it most of the day in hopes of having someone figure out what it might be. Sean thought it might be related to draw length, but Jacob asked me to explain what was going on. When I explained the problem, he reached in his quiver and gave me a weight to try on the front of my stabilizer. Instead of a one ounce weight, it was a 1/3 ounce weight. He told me if I screwed it on the front of my bar, it would probably eliminate the problem I was having with the sight picture. 

  My first attempt with the weight on my bow came on the bedded buck. The pin stopped dancing and sat like a rock in the middle. Although the pin waggled a hair to the right before it fired, it must've corrected itself before the arrow launched. The arrow landed in the middle of the middle of the bedded buck. I led off the next target, the caribou, and once again the pin sat like a rock in the middle of the 10-ring. When the release fired, I knew the arrow was going to appear in the 12... and it did. Moving to the gator, John had an arrow in the 11, so I aimed at it and let my subconscious mind do its thing.  I heard a clanking noise and figured I smoked my third 12 in a row. Unfortunately, I glanced of John's uni-bushing, barely missing the 12-ring. If the arrow didn't glance, I would have gotten that one, too. I finished the day by executing a good shot on the black bear and scoring a 10. 

                                                My Take on the Day

  I was somewhat unprepared for this shoot because I haven't shot at many 3D targets beyond 45 yards this year, other than the mountain lion I shoot at that sits behind my dad's target. I just randomly shoot that when I'm at his house because it sits 10 yards behind his target. 

  I was satisfied with my shooting. I figured some stuff out with my aiming and with the high arrows. I also learned that if I can see the actual spot that I need to hit, I will almost always get it. However, if I'm leading a target and can't find a good marker to aim at, I tend to hit behind the pin... and that didn't work out too well a few times. They are only 8s, but they should't be 8s. I need to clean that up and work hard to eliminate the problem that has been costing me some points this year. With all of the terrain and long shots, I made 28 good shots for the day. Although some of them weren't great, they were still good. 

  John, Sean and I all went through small patches where we struggled with a few different issues. John had some rights, Sean had some lefts, and I had some highs. We all shot well for the day. It was awesome to watch John shoot. He was in extreme agony due to some awful pain in his feet, but he was still able to grind through the course and shoot well. He has come a long way this year and has gotten better and better. His dedication and work ethic inspires me to do everything I can to improve. The things he has overcome to be able to get back to the level he's at are nothing short of phenomenal. I hope his progress continues and he peaks at the right time. 

  As we got near the end, Sean made a comment that made us laugh. After Jacob shot his 10th or 11th 12 in a row, Sean said, "You want to know something? I always wondered what it would be like to shoot with Levi Morgan or Jesse Broadwater, but I don't have to wonder anymore. I'm shooting with a guy who shoots just as good as them."

  Over my archery career, I've shot with a lot of the greats. I've never shot with someone who is so well-rounded in all areas of competitive archery. There's not a game that Jacob can't play, but watching him shoot marked 3D is mind-boggling. He very rarely misses a 12, and when he misses, it's never by more than an inch or two. Amazingly, he doesn't shoot with a lens, and he still centers the 12s at 57 yards. I can't tell you how impressive it is to watch. It's simply awesome. Unless you have seen it, you can't even begin to imagine what it's like. I enjoy every minute of it, too. It's not often that shooters like this come around, and to have one as a teammate and friend is pretty damn cool. 

  We ended up winning the team event, but Jacob could have won it by himself. I was lucky enough to get four of the ones that he didn't get. We scored a 350 out of 360. I think that's what makes us good teammates. He always has a way of picking me up when I stumble, and we have a way of scoring big when we need to. It's kind of like swimming on a beach and seeing a shark coming. It's just lurking around, and everyone feels relatively safe because it's out of sight and not making any waves. Then, the water breaks open and the shark is devouring its prey, oh so slowly but quickly too. It happens before you know it, and you know the shark is going to keep at it until it's done. It's going to devour you, smile and go on its way. You want to dislike it, but you just can't. You just throw it a few chum fish and walk up the beach while saluting it. 

                                                   Back to Unmarked Yardage

  I shot a local shoot today with George Connors. We had a good time and met up with my buddy Nate. We swapped a lot of stories and shot some arrows. My judging had some ups and downs, but overall, it was really good. I was satisfied with the day. I made 29 good shots and many great shots. Here's the card for the day. Hopefully, things will continue in the same direction in the coming weeks. 

Connecticut IBO State Championship

  Well, rumor has it that No 10 Todd Team has beaten Triple J Team once again. My teammates Gary Jones on the far left and Chuck Weeden on the far right helped to nail down the win. The three clown in the middle have more work to do. I mean, look at them: Mark Smith with all that crap on his shirt, and Todd and George surrounding that God-awful home of Bernie license plate. I feel their pain.

  All jokes aside, if it hadn't been for these guys, I probably never would have gotten back into competitive archery after getting away from it about a decade ago. After I met these guys, they pushed me to get back out there and compete with them and against them. Each one of them has played his part in making me better. We all spend a lot of time together in the winter and in the summer. There's not one guy in the bunch who doesn't want to see the others have success, even if it means a win might put the others a few slots down. I'm glad I can call all of these guys friends. The guys from Massachusetts remind me of this bunch. They all push each other to get better, and I've seen their progress this year. They have all gotten better: Joe Ricard, Pete Goyette, Rob LeLacheur, Ron Sargent, Matt Defeudis and Jeremy Flagg. In turn, these guys make all of us better because they push us to keep up with their progress.

                                                        A Frustrating Week

  I shot way too many arrows this week. I tried my hardest to get a bow to aim well and shoot well. I simply tried too hard. In the process, I became extremely frustrated and didn't know enough to put the bow(s) down. I started making piss-poor shots, and the result wasn't good. A lot of the issues came from being unable to shoot a good group.

  Throughout the course of the week, I shot three different bows. On Wednesday night, I decided to head to my weekly league with my Elite Ritual 35. I haven't been able to get this bow to hold well, but it feels incredible in my hand. The handle allows me to be repeatable, and the bow feels like it fits like a glove. When I headed to league, I was excited to see how it would stand up against some of my other bows. I shot knitting needle arrows out of it, too. This league has been the best one I've been a part of in all of the years I've shot competitive archery. The targets are changed every week, and nothing ever looks the same. It's fantastic practice.

  When the evening came to a close, I looked at the card and saw that I had shot a 157. I had nine 11s and one 8 on 15 targets. Although the score seems good, there was no pressure, and the bow didn't aim that well. With the feeling it gave me, I knew I could get in some real trouble if I shot it somewhere and felt some nerves.

  Thursday night I stripped my sight off from my PSE Evoke 35 and screwed it on my old faithful Energy 35... my go-to bow when all else fails. After putting it in the draw board in my basement, I saw that it was out of time. I quickly fixed that and headed outside. The first four arrows stacked side by side at 40 yards, four Xs on a five-spot target. The next group gave me the same result. I was ready. This bow was going to go with me to Connecticut. As I shot a few more groups, I glanced at the loop and saw that the loop was fraying and had minimal life left in it. Since darkness was quickly approaching, I didn't have time to fix it and shoot it. So I tied a new loop and figured I would shoot it on Friday after work.

  When I got out of work, I began shooting the bow. It didn't shoot as well as it did the night before, but it was still ok. The loop came out a hair longer than it was when I needed to replace it. I think the difference is what attributed to the groups opening up. Instead of putting the bow up, I continued shooting it and started becoming frustrated.

  At 7:00, I ran inside and put the scope back on the Evoke 35 and decided to run with it. It took a few minutes to get the bow sighted in, but after getting that done, I shot a group of 11 arrows at a five spot from 45 yards... yes, nobody ever accused me of being smart. Since the bow wasn't shooting to the level I wanted it to shoot, I wasn't worried about destroying arrows. I also had six arrows with G-nocks and five arrows with GTO nocks. I wanted to see which ones grouped better.

  As I shot one arrow after another, I began seeing a dark spot. The dark spot got darker.......and darker.....and darker, but I never heard any clanking. When I walked to the target to pull my arrows, I couldn't believe the result of my shots. Gazing at the target, all 11 arrows were stacked in the white, and they were all touching each other. I will never understand how I didn't destroy an arrow. I didn't shoot another arrow. I packed the bow and figured I would see what happened in the morning.

Here are the groups I battled all week. The first two are from 40 yards. The last one is from 50 meters........it was a rough week. I simply shot too much and had nothing left. My shoulders were shot, my back hurt, my old was gone, and my execution suffered. Make sure you don't get into a habit of doing what I did this week. I will not be doing that again. I learned a lot of lessons.  I think I'm going to take a week or two off from archery right now just to give both my mind and body a break. I'll have a really hard time not picking my bow up, but I'll do the best I can.







                                                            The Shoot

  I haven't gone into a shoot with a lot of confidence since the Rhode Island State Championship. I was firing on all cylinders at that point, and my bow was 100% on point. I felt like I couldn't miss. I could stand on my head with one arm and knew I wouldn't miss. I would have to do something horrendous to find my way out of the 10-ring. It's not often that people get these feelings, but that was me, and I loved every second of it. Since that time, my days have been like a yo-yo, except more often than not, they yo yo doesn't return to the top. It bobs up and down at the bottom of its dip and does't want to return to my hand. I've had it close a few times, but it definitely has been more than elusive since those days late in April. It is beyond frustrating.

  When I got to the site, I signed in and shot some arrows. I used three releases and couldn't decide which one to use on the range. They all shot well, but two of them were deadly. Finally, I decided to go with the one I've been using all year. Although the handheld tempted me, I stuffed it back in my pouch.

  I got to shoot with Tyler Thygesen and his dad, Tom. We had a great day and had a lot of laughs and fun. We shared some stories of past and present, and everyone made the most out of a gorgeous day. They even followed us for a bit when we were lost and Dad was racing down dirt roads and doing U-turns. Eventually, we got there, and Tom and Tyler were already there. They smartened up and decided to quit following the New York truck that bashes through toll gates. They made the right choice.

  We started on 21-30. On the first target, the bear, I hit six inches high. That is the reason I wasn't going to shoot the Evoke. I keep getting random high arrows, and they go really high. I haven't figured out what's causing it. I'm not sure if I'm creeping or if I'm pulling too hard into the wall. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does happen, there's no saving it. Luckily, the arrow stayed in the 8-ring, but when you start off on a target that is in your face and blow it out the top by that much, it can really get under your skin. Trust me, I was frothing at the mouth after that. I had to deal with some sever internal rage, but like any other time, I just ignored it and moved on to the next target.

  Jeff Wagoner led off the second target, a strutting turkey, and put an arrow in the lower half of the 10-ring. When I drew, anchored and settled in, the pin locked on the spot above his arrow. I felt my back engage and elbow rotate.... and pow! The arrow landed in the center of the center of the 11-ring. It was the best shot I've made in as long as I can remember. The pin sat steady, and the shot was executed perfectly. It was one to write home about. I won't be forgetting it right away.

  The rest of the course went well. When we got to the Big 10 buck in the cutoff, Jeff led it off. When he shot a five in the back, I knew what it wasn't. I cut some yardage and figured I was good to go. When my shot broke, I also hit it high, just above the 10-ring.  Tyler and Tom joined Jeff  in the area above the 8-ring. Since the target got everyone in our group, I'd say that must have been a great set since it fooled all of us.

  When we got to the 10th target of the course, the wind wasn't too terribly bad when Jeff led it off. Although you could hear it in the trees, it wasn't bad on ground level. When I drew my bow on the target, I couldn't keep the pin on foam. It went from one end of the spike buck to the other. It also went over his back and under his belly. I let down a few times before deciding it had to go because the wind wasn't getting any better. I rushed the shot off and got what I expected: a low 8. I was not too happy about it. I hate getting eaten up by the elements. I usually get the best of them, but I didn't on this occasion.

  I progressed through the rest of the course, and my shot and hold both were decent. I got fooled on the downhill howling wolf. I'm not sure if I got fooled by the number or where I aimed. I thought I should have centered the 10, but I also thought Jeff's arrow was in the bottom of the 8-ring, so I aimed considerably over it. When we got to the target, we saw that Jeff's arrow was just under the 11. I guess that happens from time to time, but I didn't like it when it happened to me.

  As we shot the last few targets of the day, the thunder began to bang, and we knew the storm was coming........quickly. When we got to the bedded doe, the sky darkened and claps of thunder could be heard out in front of us. With all of the commotion going on, I believe I lost my concentration for a few seconds and didn't do what I normally do. I saw that Jeff's arrow was a little under the 11, so I added yardage and shot at his nock. The nock was even lower than the point of the arrow. When the shot broke, it was a good one. Unfortunately, the arrow struck about 8 inches high and ended up just barely over the 8-ring. That one shot will probably eat at my craw the rest of the year and even into next year. I'm not sure if it landed up there because I added a yard or two, like I never do, or if it landed there because it was my second phantom high arrow of the day, the first one coming on the in your face bear on my first target of the day. I guess that would make sense. The first target of the day and the last target of the day were the only real bad ones. I can't say anything about my shooting except those two shots made a pretty good day taste really sour in my mouth. I'm still sour about it as I sit here typing this. Both targets were in the 11-ring distance. I should have gotten both of them. Instead of walking away with 22 points on them, I walked away with 13 points, which is totally unacceptable for those targets.  The rest of the day was really good considering the sight hadn't been on the bow for 14 hours when I got to the practice range.

Here's the damage.



                                               My Take on the Day

   This course was the best course I've shot this year. My hat goes off to Mark Dyer and the people who helped him. I know how hard it is to get good help, especially for events like this. This course had everything. People always think the difficulty level comes from bombs. Well, I dropped 13 points on two shots that were in your face.

  Courses like this make people feel good, too. I can't tell you how many people took pictures of their cards and sent them to me. They were all excited about their performances. People love shooting well, but they also love a challenge. This course gave people a really good challenge, or should I say plenty of challenges, and it also gave people and opportunity to shoot well if they conquered the challenges. This course gets and A-plus. Mark, you could set a national level course. I appreciated all of you work last year, but you outdid that this year. Great job. Oh, looks like it's a good thing I wasn't bear hunting with you because we would have been chasing my bear around for a bit. I didn't hit him quite where I wanted to.

  My performance was far from perfect. Lately, I've struggled in the week leading up to the shoots, but I've shot well at them. I'm not shooting anywhere near my potential, but I'm thinking I might get there at the right time -- you know... the right place at the right time. I'm hoping that's the way this year is going to go for me. I'm on the edge. It's just a matter of getting everything to line up for me.

  The entire day, I shot two arrows more than an inch to the left or right of center. If I were to guess, I would say that I missed 10 11s by no more  than an inch high or low, mostly high. I'm thinking if I had 30-year-old eyes, I might be getting them. I haven't blasted out a high x-count in a long time, but this shoot was really close to having that happen. I have to take that as a bonus. It felt awesome to be that close the entire time.

  I'm not sure if I lost my concentration on the last shot and didn't follow my steps or if I had one of the phantom high arrows I've been experiencing. Normally, I have no problem trusting myself but right now I'm caught between the slow lane and the middle lane. I need to get back in the passing lane and mash the pedal to the floor. I'll keep working at it and see what happens.

  I got got follow Ben Lambert through most of the day. I noticed two things when I watched him shoot: he holds like a rock, and he loads his back unlike anyone I've ever seen. He was wearing a black shirt, and I could easily see the shot transfer into his back. His back looked overdeveloped, and his shot transferred easily into it. It was pretty cool to watch. I only got to see it a few times, but it was really noticeable. I wanted to video it on the fallow deer, but I didn't want to get too close and distract him or the people in his group. If you ever watch him shoot, check it out. It's what a good shot is all about.

  Since I've had so many bow issues lately, I haven't put in enough time judging yardage. Although I didn't pay the price for it on this course, I need to spend more time at it in the coming weeks.  I'm not the only one who had a rough day. Although Jacob and I shot on different days this week, he had a rough time, like me. He ran into a few equipment issues that made his day miserable. Sometimes we have to take the lumps with the good times. It can't always be roses at the end of the day. We all encounter issues and must deal with them as they come. It's on those days that we learn the most about ourselves and our ability to overcome any obstacles that we encounter. While we might not be able to overcome the obstacle on that day, we can learn from what happened and be more prepared the next time we encounter a situation of the same sort. I'm sure Jacob will repair his equipment, and I'm sure I'll figure the grouping and aiming out. We will both be back on our horses in the near future, so gather your horses up inside the corral and get ready to ride with us.



                                       

Father's Day Weekend

  That's the guy who introduced me to archery when I was a kid. Since that time, archery has brought me places I never could have imagined. I've been able to travel the country participating in archery tournaments and hunting. It has been one heck of a journey, too. While archery does get on my nerves from time to time, I find that I can a lot of peace when I shoot arrows. It quiets my mind and allows me to focus on nothing else while I'm launching arrows at the target.

  Dad spent the weekend in New Mexico at the National Senior Games with my mom. He has put a lot of pressure on himself to have a peak performance. It has brought about a few issues along the way this spring, but it hasn't been anything he couldn't handle.

  On Saturday, the first day of shooting, the wind was horrendous. The scores were low across the board. Three of the four guys on dad's bale shot the wrong target in the first end. The targets weren't lined up the best, which caused some problems. It's a horrible way to drop 10 points, 10 points that proved to be costly. Sometimes it's easy to lose your focus when you have a lot of things going on at once: the first end at 60 yards, the targets not lining up with the shooting station, and a lot of people on edge due to the first scoring end of the tournament.

  Dad has medaled  a few different times at the National Senior Games, and he really wanted to go for the gold at this one, thinking he had it in himself. When he saw some of the names on the list of competitors, he knew he would have to be at his best to find a place on the podium.

  Well, the rest of the first day didn't go well as far as the weather was concerned. They had to take a break due to bad weather. The second day brought better shooting conditions, and Dad held his own by shooting the third highest score. He ended up missing the podium by a few points, but he was happy with his fourth place finish. Considering the field, he did really well to finish where he did. There were some really good shooters, and Dad had struggled a little bit leading up to the event. Happy Father's Day, Dad. I know you wanted more, but you should still be proud of finishing where you did. I'm sure there were a lot of guys shooting who wished they could have finished where you did. There's never more than one winner, and we must always remember that. A lot more people go home as losers than they do as winners. If we have a winning performance and don't win, there's absolutely nothing we can do about it.

                                                           My Week

  My week didn't go well with bows. After changing some things when I got home from New Hampshire last week, I just can't get the bow to hold or shoot like it had been prior to that. The pin had been sitting down really well, allowing me to execute great shots. I was stacking groups of arrows on top of each other at every distance, and my shots were breaking were relative ease.

  As the week progressed, I tried a lot of things. I changed the letoff a few times, and I messed with the draw length, too. I haven't been able to get the bow to sit down, which is beginning to get on my nerves. Now, I know I've shot too much and my shoulders are tired and sore.

  I stood in the rain for a long time today trying to get the bow to feel like I wanted it to feel. I never accomplished my goal. The weather forecast for the week looks to have rain in it every day. I'm sure I'll keep at it. I'm crossing my fingers that I can figure out how to get it to feel good again and to aim like it was aiming before I made the few minor changes. I seem to be that guy who changes something and can never get the bow back to where it had been before the changes. It's almost like shooting two different models of the same bow. Even though they are the same, one will always feel better than the other. I can't wait to get a bow to feel good again. It has been a while since I've had one that felt good for an extended period of time. Maybe I'll get lucky and everything will fall into place when I need it to. I'd like to have it ready to roll by July 4 weekend.

  I went to visit Jeff Frasier on Saturday to return a release that he let me borrow. While there, he helped me with the bow. I was having a hard time getting a bullet hole. I know I'm on the edge of arrow spine, but the arrow I'm shooting has never given me a problem. No matter what we did, we couldn't get rid of the bad tear. He had some of Jeff Wagoner's arrows in the shop and told me to shoot one. I picked one up and shot it. Amazingly, it shot a perfect bullet hole, and the arrow was a tad stiffer than the arrow I've been shooting.

  After seeing the great hole, Jeff had one last idea. We changed nocks on my arrows and shot them. We instantly saw the problem. The problem revolved around my nocks. With new nocks, all of my arrows shot bullet holes. Moral of the story: pay attention to your nocks and change them regularly. While these nocks weren't that old, they were headed toward their final days.

  I don't have many plans today for the rest of the week. I did spend a little time today walking around with an umbrella over my head and a rangefinder in my hand. I haven't been able to spend much time rangefinding, so I took advantage of some down time today and did that to keep my mind sharp. Now that my bow isn't shooting the best, I know I can't afford to miss any numbers. My yardage will be the only thing that can save me right now.

  I had the pleasure of doing an extended interview today with a great guy from Minnesota. He was a writer for Field & Stream magazine and was doing a story about the rut. Whenever I'm interviewed, I feel like I'm spewing stuff that everyone knows. When we finished, he complimented me and said he got some great information. I'm looking forward to seeing what he uses from our hour and 20 minute talk. It was awesome to talk about deer hunting and made me want to get right out there and start today. I'll try to enjoy the summer, after all, we only get so many hunting seasons... and summers in our lifetimes. There's no sense in rushing time away.

  Until next week............practice hard and practice right. Enjoy the journey and have a good time doing it.

A Week of Trying to Figure Out What to Do

  This week was a week of ups and downs. On Monday evening I received a bow in the mail that I had traded for. I've always shot higher wrist handles a little better than the straight low wrist bows and this bow is the type I seem to shoot better. The bow I got was new in the box, and my bow was a year and a half hold. I figured it was a win/win for me.

  I quickly threw a rest on it and shot it in the yard. It felt pretty good, but I had no intention of shooting it until next week. On Thursday night after my softball game, I was really aggravated, so I decided to try to get the arrows to group. Within minutes, I was shooting 7-arrow groups in the white on a 5-spot target from 40 yards, never missing, I destroyed a few arrows, but I couldn't stop shooting the bow because I couldn't miss with it. It amazed me even more that I was shooting with a pin and a verifier. The sight I had on the bow was about 25 years old.

  As I sat at work on Friday and muddled through the heaps of stuff on my desk, I figured I would shoot the bow on Saturday at the New Hampshire State IBO Championship. Heck, I knew there was good terrain there, and I figured that would really put me to the test. I had to add a lot of weight to this bow to get it to shoot. With the bow I've been shooting, I've been holding 9 pounds at full draw. With this bow, I'm holding just shy of 18 pounds, a drastic difference for me. I ended up with 9 ounces on my 27' front bar and 18 ounces on a 15' back bar.

                                      New Hampshire IBO State Championship

  Wade, Doug and I met my dad at his house at 6:15 to go to the shoot. Since it was only a 2-hour drive, we figured we would get going at a decent time. The forecast looked like it was going to be good, and I couldn't wait to give this bow a test, even though I knew it wasn't tuned to give peak performance. You can't learn much if you wade into things, so I jumped in all the way and figured I  would see what happened.

  It was nice when we got to the club. It was still a little cool from the night before, and there weren't any bugs as I thought there might be. When I shot my practice arrows at the bales, the bow didn't feel as good as it did the night before. I didn't shoot horrible groups, but they definitely weren't as good as they were at home the night before. I think some of it was because I had a pin and no lens and the verifier. I haven't shot a pin without a lens in a moveable sight since 1997.  Although I've shot a rack of pins many times, I haven't shot a moveable with a pin in over 20 years. I chose to do so because I didn't have a good lens for the housing that I was using with the sight. There weren't many people at the target butt when we got ready to go out. There were only six of us, so we were broken up into two groups of three.

                                                       The Round Starts

  I started on a black boar behind the clubhouse. When I looked at it, I knew it was going to be all but impossible to see the target. It was a black target set about 20 yards into the woods on the side of a hill, and it was at a pretty steep angle. The sun was directly in front of us, so I knew from my experience over the years, that it would be impossible to probably even find the target in my sight picture. Unfortunately, my card got drawn as the first shooter.

  When I pulled the bow back, I didn't even know if there was a target in the hole. I let down and asked Jacob if he could hold my umbrella for me. It was a tiny umbrella that I keep in my quiver, really tiny. He held it for me, and it didn't make a difference. After letting down again, I realized I was going to have to imagine where the target was in my mind and attempt to shoot the shot like one of my blank bale shots in the basement. And that is what I did. When the shot broke, I just hoped to hear foam. I heard it hit the target and was happy. I couldn't see where it went until I got into the woods on the way to retrieve the arrows. I high it low and left, catching an 8 right on the line. I knew I was really lucky. Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you don't.

 As I continued into the round, my shots just weren't feeling the same due to the new bow. After about eight targets in, I began feeling the groove. I realized that I wasn't aiming with the shot in my back. I was holding it in the top of my shoulder for the first seven targets. Once I realized this and got it into my back, I became a different shooter with this bow. The pin would hit the middle, and my shot would break almost instantly. Unlike the last few years, I wasn't letting down a gazillion times, and I wasn't having many issues. I did have some problem with  glare from the verifier in my peep sight. Shooting the pin made it difficult for me too. The target seemed a long ways away, and I had a hard time trying to narrow down my aiming point. Although I knew I was in the 10-ring, I didn't know where I was in it.

                                                  Halfway through the Round

  When we got halfway through the round, we realized that we had missed two targets along the way. We met someone on the trail, and he told us that we had missed a caribou and the baboon in the box. We couldn't figure that out and laughed about it. "Baboon in the box." What the heck was he talking about?

  Well, two targets later, we found the baboon in the box. It was a cool target set, with a baboon set on a little sad berm on what I think was a pistol range. It was a great-looking set, but the location of the target and the lighting made it almost impossible to see the target. This was another one I couldn't see. I decided to hold in the dark hole and just execute a good blind bale shot. I couldn't believe it when the arrow landed in the middle. I got lucky again. I realized I should have played lotto this week. My luck was on point today. Once again, I drew that target first just like the boar earlier in the day.

  After the baboon in the box (I like that term, it just makes me laugh), we came upon an elk. I thought it was a country mile away, but Jacob and John informed me it was a miniature elk and was made to represent an elk at long distances. Since I had never shot it before, I couldn't judge according to target size. I did my best using the ground, but I also couldn't get away from the fact that it was an elk. Well, Jacob and John smoked it, and I barely caught a 10. Here's a picture of the mini elk. My dream is to shoot a 6x6 that has a body that small. Packing him out at 11,000 feet would be my dream. I love elk hunting.............and it's only a few moths away. Hopefully, I don't see a herd of minis run by me, but if I do, I know I'll put one through its lungs. I'm not sure Jacob is as excited as me about this mini elk, but it does make him look like a giant.



  The rest of the day passed quickly, and I realized the higher holding weight on this bow is good for me. I can break a much cleaner shot. I'll need to really work on it. It keeps me honest, and I can't afford to lose any back tension. The bow aims well, and I look forward to doing some more experimenting with it. I'm hoping this initial test is a good sign of what's to come. It feels really good in my hands. Here's my card for the day. I believe I can attribute the rough start to the new bow. After I got rolling and gained confidence, everything seemed to fall into place. I have to admit that I did get lucky on the three targets that I couldn't see. I did what the great Terry Wunderle once said,"If you can't see the target, put the pin where you think it needs to be and worry nothing about execution."
  Those targets did remind me of one of the very few times I ever saw a target set like that at a national event. It was a bedded buck in a dark hole in the woods. I had three targets left to go in the IBO National Triple Crown. If I 10d out, I would have my first national triple crown title. I was in the top peer group, and we were at the end of the second day... three targets left.  I could't see the target, so I did what Terry Wunderle said to do. When the arrow released, I felt good about it. Stepping away from he stake, I saw that the arrow struck the target where the body and the neck connect. It's a shot I will never forget. I didn't lose that triple crown because of any type of bad shot or bad yardage estimation. I simply lost because of luck. A few of the others did the same thing I did, and they got lucky, just as I got lucky today. Looking back on it, I just wish luck didn't play a part in it. I wish the target was in the field, where we could all see it equally well. Since that wasn't the case, I took it on the chin. I figured it was a lost opportunity that I would never get again. It still bothers me. I don't mind losing if I lose due to skill or superiority, but that one loss has always bothered me because it was simply lost due to a matter of bad luck.




                                                            My Take on the Day

  When I came off the range, I saw a variety of people. Actually I saw a variety of moods on the course throughout the day: some happy people, some pissed off people, some angry people, some laughing people, and some mind-boggled people. For some reason people like to talk to me about courses. It's probably because I usually listen and let them tell their stories. I've always tried to listen to see what I can learn, and if I learn something, I try to store it away to use in the future.

  John Cislak was in front of the club when I came down the hill to turn my card in. He asked me what I thought about the course, and he was pretty proud that this was the first course that he had set on his own. We all know how difficult it is to set courses...........it's not fun, and it's damn hard, especially with limited help.

  I told John that I thought he did really well with addressing some of the concerns from the previous year. The shooters were not required to walk up and down steep hills, and the footing wasn't made purposely bad on the stakes. He also knocked it out of the park with changing distances from the stake I shot. I had to use my entire sight range and really think about judging my yardage. This course was set to see if people can judge all yardages. Sometimes courses are easy if they're all long. You see a number and get in a groove. This course had every number form short to long: it was awesome.

  It's always good to hear the bad with the good, too. So I told John it was hard to find some stakes and, it was difficult for shooters in different classes to shoot because they were shooting from many different angles. I'd imagine this was done in an effort to make shots more challenging for each stake,  instead of having the traditional straight forward stakes. This definitely took some imagination, and I understand the thought process behind it. Since he didn't have a lot of experience of setting a state championship type course, he didn't realize that it might cause some issues with destroying arrows, and we all know arrows are expensive. He acknowledged to me that he hadn't really thought about that. Here's an example of a couple of shots, just so others who might be first-timers setting a course know what to avoid that might make some people a little annoyed.  The last photo of the stakes is from left to right and the target is in the woods to the right. It's our job to be constructive and help people set good courses for us. Instead of jumping down John's throat, I just gave him some suggestions for next time.

   



  When luck plays into the game, it can be really disheartening, like stated above in my story about the national triple crown. I'm a firm believer that luck should never play into it. If I win, I don't want to win because I got lucky and someone else didn't. I want to beat someone at their very best. I also want to get beat when I didn't get lucky. I want the guy or girl to beat me when he or she makes a great shot on an open, unobstructed target that can easily be seen. Without having a lot of experience at really competitive, big events, it's easy to sometimes think that shots like these are difference makers and really tough. They are both, but they shouldn't decide the winners. We can do a lot of other things to make courses tough without luck playing into the final outcome. John did't purposely say, "I'm going to do this to screw people over." Instead, he thought those shots were really tough. Now, he has a better idea of how to better use the terrain to create the challenge.

  I've been shooting national events for the better part of 30 years. In all of my years of shooting nationals and world championships, I've never seen more than one angled target on a course, and the angle is usually accidental. Without having that national type experience, it's easy to find different ways to make the shoots difficult. John did his best at that. He made it difficult. He just chose a different method than many people are used to.

                                                    The Ridiculous Drama

  In the past, I would probably engage in the drama, but it's just old at this point. John tried his best and asked my opinion. We had a very civil conversation and I commend his efforts. When I walked inside, Jacob an Eric were having a conversation about a few things. I sat down and listened and offered a few thoughts. Everything was very civil and went well.

  I passed a lot of people along the way that said they would never shoot another IBO event and they can't wait for ASA to come to town next year. Folks, it's not the IBO, let's not attach the name to the issues you're having. Everyone must step in and help each other. I've lived archery in New England for the last 30 years. From the beginning, there are only a handful of people who have been on the ride with me. We've seen all of this happen in the past. It cycles through, and it always happen. Build and organization up, then try to tear down the same organization with a few years. Most people probably don't even know that we had ASA for a few years, big events. I actually won the ASA Trifecta (triple crown of Northeast ASA). Amazingly, we had all of the same shooters in the IBO Triple Crown. There are only so many shooters in the region. The more we bicker and cause issues with each other, the worse it will get. Friendships will be lost, and people will dislike each other simply because they don't agree with each other. I've seen it all. I've lived it, most of you have not. In the last 30 years, New England archery has appeared with a big boom and went out with a fizzle. It has always happened with new leadership. The old guard leaves and the new guard comes in. The old guard gets sick of running things and steps away. It's nothing new. I love shooting my bow. I'll go shoot wherever there's a shoot that I feel like going to and have time to go to. I'll also voice my opinion because that's what I do: sometimes people like it and sometimes they don't. People many times don't like my straightforward honesty. I've always told it like I see it. I don't really care if people like me or if they don't. I could really care less.

  Many years ago, I started buying my own targets. I ended up buying over 60 targets and have 100 acres with awesome terrain to put them on. I did this to get away from all of the drama. I practiced on my own range and went on to win national 3d events and outdoor target events. It was nice. If anyone wants to come over and shoot, you are always welcome. I love shooting with people other than myself. I will also personally set up a course for anyone who tells me he or she wants to come shoot. I'll set it with the proper stake for your class. I welcome all archers.

  When a shooter like Jacob Slusarz speaks, I tend to listen. I've seen some phenomenal professional archers come out of New England, some target and some 3D, but Jacob is both. While he competes at the highest level and is one of the best dot shooters in the world, he is trying to gain as much experience as he gain to become an unmarked pro in 3D. He bleed archery. I take great pride that many of these shooters have come from our area, especially Jacob. He is the new blood in an era that has the most competition there has ever been: he is the best of the best, the best this region has ever seen in all venues of archery. I want him to succeed. I would like to listen to his suggestions and frustrations. If he succeeds, we all succeed. Instead of casting fingers and playing the he said, she said game, let's put our region on the map by doing everything we can to promote this kid. We also have Ben Lambert and Sean Roberts, the winners of the SPM IBO World Championship Class the last three years..........from our region. These guys speak for all of us. We need to listen to them and take their advice. While they are not "better" than all of us, they are why we do this. We all do it to be the best we can be. I'm competitive and like to compete. That's why I usually don't go to the R100 or the TAC. While those events draw huge numbers, they draw them because many people don't want to compete. They simply aren't competitive people. They don't want anything to do with an ASA or IBO regional tournament. Those shoots just aren't for them. What can we do to get those numbers? We can't do what we're doing right now and argue with people because they don't agree with us. We also can't act like passive aggressive instigators. It doesn't accomplish anything in the end. If we want more people to compete in tournament archery, 3d archery, we have to introduce them to it and show them how much fun it can be. That's on us. We aren't the TAC and we aren't the R100. We are a very small community of target archers who like to see how we stand up against other people.

  Numbers have been declining in some areas, NFAA has declined for many years, but the last few years they have been coming back. ASA was always second fiddle to the IBO and now people think they are setting records, but they aren't. The IBO still holds the largest attendance records. I shot the IBO World one year when the winer of MBR won just shy of $10,000. I shot the ASA back when the shooter of the year won a guaranteed $50,000 in PMR. Right now ASA seems to have the attendance numbers and a lot of that is due to a few issues within the ranks of other organizations. I've been a member of both organizations for a long time, although I don't keep one of them current because I stopped going to national events. I support everything archery. Archery is in my blood.

 It's not a good idea to cast stones at glass houses. I learned that a long time ago. The glass breaks from both sides.

  John, thank you for asking my opinion and thank you for listening to what I had to say. I appreciate your professionalism, and I appreciate all of your hard work. I would be more than willing to help anyone if they ever have any questions about setting courses that will stand the least likely chance of making people upset. While I understand everything you did, I also understand some of the people whom seem a little upset right now. Good job on addressing all of the needs that had to be taken care of from last year. That was outstanding. I guess the third time is a charm, and I'm sure you will knock it out of the park next time.

  Good luck to everyone who is going to the IBO Triple Crown's second leg this coming weekend and the Kentucky ASA in a few weeks. Also, good luck to my dad at the National Senior Games in  New Mexico this week. I'll be routing for all of you. Let's all try to set these last few events that are left just like the national events. I would love to see Jacob, Ben and Sean be the three podium finishers in SPM, and I would love to see John Vozzy take the first place prize this year and improve upon his awesome second place finish last year. Let's do our best to give these guys the best practice they can get. These guys represent our region at the highest level. I will be routing for them, will you?


                                 

An Unforgettable Forgettable Weekend

  This week was a rough one. It was really hard to find a nice day to practice. If it wasn't raining, it was extremely windy. I shot three different bows in an attempt to find one I felt confident enough to shoot at the Massachusetts senior games. I changed my mind three different times, each time thinking I would shoot a different bow. None of the bows gave me that "can't miss" feeling. I knew I would have to be at my best just to keep the arrows close to the 10-ring. In practice when my bow is shooting well, I usually average between an 890-896 on the 900 round. A bad night of practice would usually fall in the 880-885 range.

  On Friday night, I decided on my Elite Victory 39. I haven't shot the bow in two years, and it had all sorts of dust caked on the riser. I've also never shot the bow outside. I used to use it for 20 yards only and shot it in the winter leagues. It always worked well in the winter leagues, and I won a few Vegas tournaments and 5-spot tournaments along the way with it. The has always felt comfortable in my hands.

  I decided to shoot the bow because I wasn't getting a lot of drift from left to right with it. When I executed good shots, the arrows usually landed in the 10-ring. Unfortunately, I was having a few issues holding the bow steady. I started with a 3X lens before going to a 4X. On a whim, I threw in my 6X and put a black dot in it. Instantly, I started pounding the 10-ring. Everything felt awesome. Strangely, the night before, with the same setup, the bow just didn't feel that great.  I moved the stops into the middle of the range, put it on 60 pounds and called it good.

                                                 Vermont IBO State Championship

  I headed to the Vermont IBO State Championship on Saturday morning with my dad, Jeff Wagoner and Wade Chandler. I was exhausted on the ride to the shoot, so I rested my head against the seat and slept for a little bit.

  When we arrived, the rain started coming down, and it was cold. The temperature was hanging around 45 degrees, and the rain made it feel even colder than the already raw temperatures. I didn't want to wait around for very long, so I shot a few practice arrows and headed onto the range. I was put in a group with my dad, Jacob and his dad. It was awesome to have a group composed of fathers and sons, especially a group that can relate to each other in many ways.

  Jacob and I got off to a good start, but John struggled when his bow tipped over. After his bow tipped over, everything started hitting low and right. After dealing with it for six or seen targets, John began compensating and finished the rest of his day trying to figure things out on the fly. It's always disappointing to see people struggle due to equipment issues that arise through no fault of their own. I was impressed with his comeback after an unfortunate incident. He remained focused and made the most out of a bad situation.

  Dad had a pretty good day. He was slow and steady throughout the day. He never did too much, but he didn't do too little either. He kept the truck between the lines and didn't smash through any toll both gates.........although I'm not sure Vermont has any of them. I like it when Dad has a good 3D shoot. He ended up in the mid 270s, which is an average day for him. It's definitely not one of his best, but it's also far from his worst. I was also thankful for the hand warmer he gave me early on. My hands were so cold that I could't feel my fingers on the trigger. The hand warmer helped a lot.

  I started off making great shots. My bow wasn't holding that steady, but my shots were breaking when the pin was in the 10-ring, and the arrows where finding their way into the 11s. I haven't spent one day range finding since going to West Virginia. As I muddled through the first 10 targets, I felt really good about the results. Without putting in any range finding practice, I was seeing the numbers fairly well. When I got to the tan leopard without spots, I knew I had set my sight for too much yardage, but I shot the arrow anyway. I found myself doing that throughout the day. I knew I had too much yardage and did it anyway. I just didn't trust my guesses. I very rarely do that, but I couldn't avoid it on this day. I ended up shooting nine 8s, all but one of them were high, some barely out of the 10-ring. I was highly disappointed, but I couldn't expect much more since I had neglected the range finding practice for the last few weeks. I've also spent so much time trying to get a bow to feel good again, I have shot way too much. My shoulders and back are tired, and I didn't give them a sufficient amount of time to recuperate from all of the work. I need to pay more attention to that in the coming weeks. While trying to get ready for the two different shoots, it made me do things I don't normally do. That won't be happening again in the near future.

  When all was said and done, Jacob, John and I all struggled. All of us were glad to get on the road toward home and put it behind us. Jacob and I lost a lot of points on targets you would never see at a national event. I try to ignore stuff like that because it's targets that will never be seen in big moments. Sometimes you're the bug, and sometimes you're the windshield... we both happened to be in the swarm of bugs that smashed the windshield.  Although I was far from my best, I figured I would probably still be near the top. I've shot enough courses to get a feel for the difficulty level of it and where people should shake out. I forget to take a picture of the card. Here's a picture of me shooting one of the hardest shots on the course. This course did have some of the trickiest yardage I've seen in a long time. This target got a lot of people. It's a long uphill deer. I had the yardage. It's the only arrow I shot to the left or right all day.



                                                    The Massachusetts Senior Games

  I had a rough night sleeping after getting home from Vermont. My blood sugar levels went dangerously high, and I got about an hour of sleep. My blood levels were in the 400 range. There was an air bubble in the hose, and the insulin wasn't delivering. I knew it was going to be a long day. It's never good when you have a minimal amount of sleep, and it's even worse when you're dealing with health issues.

  Unlike most places, we were able to practice a little bit before the round started. I sprayed arrows all over the place and knew it was going to be a long day. I didn't shoot one end of 60 in my practice ends...from any distance. That's never a good sign.

  During my last practice end at 60 yards, I pulled out my Stan Black Jack. The last three arrows I shot ended up in a tight group at 7 o'clock in the 10-ring. The bow also held much steadier, which made me much more comfortable and more relaxed.

  My first scoring end went well. With exception of the first arrow, the rest of my arrows went cleanly and the shots seemed somewhat effortless. During the next end, I battled a little bit of tension and monkey chatter. I took the punches on the chin and kicked and bit as I fought my way through the six arrows. After scoring them and walking back to the shooting line, I knew I needed to put the hinge back in my bag and pull out the release I've been using. My first shot was effortless and took out the scribe of the X. I haven't made a shot that good in as long as I can remember. I implanted that in my head and stroked off some more good shots.

  In my last few ends, I could hear something on my bow when my shots broke. I started with my scope housing. I thought it was the lens in the housing that was rattling around. I tightened it up and shot another arrow. I heard the noise again. This time, I tapped the sight and released the sight bar was loose in the dovetail. I quickly tightened the knob. The sight was extremely sloppy, and I figured that was some of the reason for the drifting groups. After tightening the sight and getting into the next end, I could still hear the noise. At this point it was beginning to unnerve me. I found that the weight not the end of the stabilizer had loosed up. When I tightened it, I finally felt good about things. However, the sound continued. When I fired my last arrow from 60, I found the origin of the problem. My draw stop had loosened up and was loose in the slot. As I walked to the target to score arrows, I considered my options: I could hang it up and quit for the day; I could tighten it and continue shooting, but I knew the bow would be out of time because the stop was somewhere in the middle of the range, so getting it back to the same spot would've been next to impossible; I could leave the stop out and shoot it with the one stop on the bottom. That's what I did. I decided to totally remove the stop and shoot the bow without one on the top cam.

  For the first end at 50, I had Barry Gates spot for me. As he spotted for me, I got the arrows to move toward the center. As the ends at 50 continued, my shot began feeling incredible. I could feel my shot and didn't feel like I could miss. A very slight breeze was a nuisance during almost every end. Although it was a breeze, it would give a quick twitch every now and then. I dropped a few arrows at 50, and two of them were directly related to the breeze.

  By the time I got to 40 yards, I realized something: I execute much better shots when I don't have such a solid wall. My shot is easier to repeat when the cams have some give to them. Without the top stop in the cam, that's the feel I got on the bow while pulling through my shot. It simply felt better and made it easier to get my shots off. I think I missed three arrows at 40, and every one of those arrows was due to the nuisance wind. It just got me at the wrong time.  Here's a few pictures of me shooting today.





                                                  My Take on the Day

  This was definitely not one of my best performances. I stayed focused and never gave up. I tried learning something through my struggled, and that's exactly what I did. I came to realize that I think I shoot a cam system that has a little bit of give on the back wall better than I shoot systems that have rock solid walls. I'll need to continue working on that to see if that is truly the case or if it's just in my head.

  I heard all of the chatter behind the line today. I could hear everything people were saying when I was shooting. This tends to happen to me when I'm struggling. When I'm in a groove, I don't hear anything around me. It's amazing how when we're struggling, everything is magnified. I felt good that I got through things without too much damage.

  I also changed the weights on my bow four times throughout the round. I took 3 ounces off the back, put two back on, then ended up with just one ounce back on the original stack. I started with 6 ounces on my front stabilizer and ended with 5 ounces. I kept moving things around to get a decent hold. I never really accomplished that, but I did get it too hold well enough to shoot the arrows in the 10-ring. Although I had a horrible day, I ended up shooting the highest score of the tournament of all archers. It definitely wasn't a great score, but on some days, you never know what might happen. While I'm not proud of the score, I'm satisfied that I figured a lot of things out during the journey. Here's the card for the day.



Here are some great guys. My dad, Everett Hanson and Leon Sepuka. I met Leon about 20 years ago at the first leg of the IBO Northeast triple crown in Merrimac, NH. We have remained friends since that day. I met Everett through my father. These guys make shooting fun and remind me that shooting a good score really isn't what it's all about it. It's just about making memories and having fun with your friends



                                                       Stars of the Week

 I have a few stars of the week this week. Let's start with Rob LeLacheur. Rob has battled many demons over the years and found archery has an outlet. Archery gave him the ability to see that you can conquer anything if you want it bad enough. Rob is a recovering alcoholic and had done a great job for many years staying away from addictive things -- except archery. Archery has given him the ability to realize that it's not all about winning. It's more about finding yourself within your bow and the flight of your arrows. He has also learned that if you work hard enough, anything is possible. Just as Chuck Weeden and Ron Sargent got their first big New England wins at state shoots this year, Rob pulled it off this week at the Vermont IBO State Championship. Next time you're out and about make sure you talk to Rob. If you're battling any demons, Rob can tell you that you can beat them. He is living proof. Don't be afraid to approach him. Great job, Rob. We are all glad to see you get a big win. Way to go!!



  Joe Ricard gets a star of the week award this week, too. Joe got his first big win at the Massachusetts Senior Games. He won his age bracket 40-45 in only his second ever outdoor target round. Joe has sought me out for some advice, and I have gladly given it to him. I like to see people improve, and I appreciate the work and the journey. I love trying to save people time by helping them avoid the pitfalls that took me years to figure out. I'm happy when these guys find success. Great job, Joe!! Nice job today. Here's a photo of Joe as he and Barry Gates shoot in their round. Of course, Barry is the ass backward guy.




  The last star of the week goes to Aron at Exit Archery and our new shooter Matt Fernicola. Matt got introduced to archery a few weeks ago, and Aron set him up with a bow this week. Matt is looking great, and he has already figured out out to shoot them in the bullseye.

   

  Oh, Team No 10 Todd beat Team Triple J once again. It might be because team No 10's leader drives a Chevy and Team Triple J's leader drives a Ford.