I've had a rough couple of weeks since returning from the IBO World. My shoulder and arm haven't been reacting too well since I fell on it a month ago. I've tried my best to stay away from overdoing it with the bow, but I did shoot a few arrows before heading to Shawn Couture's annual team event. I wanted to make sure my long distance marks were good since I hadn't shot many arrows over the last month.
I met John Vozzy at a park and ride, and we headed down the highway and picked up Jacob. My ass was dragging, as I had gone to the Washington County fair the night before and didn't get to bed until after midnight. I got up at 4:25, so my 50-year-old body wasn't feeling it on the ride over. Jacob went to bed around 2 a.m., so John and I had a few hours on him.
When we arrived at Shawn's club, it felt good to see a lot of the guys whom I hadn't seen in a long time. There's something about our archery family in New England that brings a smile to my face. It's pretty cool that everyone gets along and has a good time doing what we love.
We warmed up with everyone for a few minutes and headed onto the range. The first target had a backup, so we all chit-chatted while waiting to start. After drawing cards, Jacob and I earned the right to decide if we wanted to shoot first or second as a group. We chose to shoot first. There was a little wind blowing across the field, and the large alert McKenzie deer I was aiming at was in my wheelhouse. The pin settled nicely, and I broke a good shot. When the shot fired, I was certain I had smoked the 11, after all, I've been shooting McKenzies for the better part of 30 years and own about 60 of them. Stepping away from the stake and glassing the target, I saw that the arrow was sitting perfectly under the 11-ring by about an inch. Jacob shot after me and put one as close as he could to the 14 but didn't hit it. We both felt good about our start. Sean's arrow landed next to mine, and John smoked the 14... they were off and running.
As we moved to the second target, a bomb of an uphill antelope, the target probably had the ability to intimidate an inexperienced archer, but I try my best to approach each and every target exactly the same, whether it's a 20-yard elk or a 48-yard coyote. When I drew the bow, the pin instantly found itself where the white meets the light brown on the shoulder. Almost instantly, it fired and landed in the 10 ring. Once again, Jacob would have an opportunity to shoot at the 14. He settled in and executed a good shoot, but the arrow landed a little to the right of the 14, nothing to sneeze about at a target of that difficulty level. Of course, he wasn't happy with the result, but we were glad to escape with 10 points. Once again John, Sean lead off with a solid 10, and John smoked the 11... the boys had game. They feed off from each other and shoot well as partners.
When we got to the third target, a long uphill Rinehart ram, the target had seen better times before we got there. In the process of people pulling arrows out of it, the target had gotten pushed over, which made it difficult to shoot. I led it off and hit behind the pin. With the target leaning backward, the arrow didn't make it into the 10-ring and landed right at the bottom of it but just out. Jacob made quick work of it and bailed me out. That's why we tend to work well as partners. We somehow have the ability to bail each other out when we have to. We never get too high, and we never get too low. We have very similar personalties when it comes to that.
As we continued meandering through the woods, we just couldn't seem to get going. Neither one of us was shooting poorly, but we also weren't increasing our score very much from the even mark. We both felt fortunate to get through the first three targets without being down any points -- a first for us at this shoot. We always start slow at Shawn's shoot, and it takes us a while to get in a groove.
When we got to the downhill mountain lion on the power line, we both started feeling better about shooting and began our trek up the mountain, a mountain that Sean and John were well on their way to the summit. Jacob and I were slogging along the trail behind them. While we could see them on the trail ahead, we weren't worried about sprinting to them. We figured we would just keep walking and, hopefully, reach the summit before them. You never know in this game, especially when the hikers in front of you are killing it. After shooting a long downhill Mckenzie HD, we felt good about our progress. The next target, a Rinehart rubbing buck, was set on a flat spot at the bottom of a gentle grade. I enjoy shooting that target and always do well on it. Before shooting, I noticed some greenery hanging a little ways in front of the target. In my mind, I had a feeling I might hit it, but I ignored it. My pin settled nicely, and I broke a great shot. I knew I had it. As I waited for confirmation from the guys that the arrow had found the middle, I heard a few gasps and someone saying, "the arrow hit those leaves." Looking at it with my binoculars, I could see that it landed to the right of the 10-ring. I guess my height-deficient body and the speed of my bow didn't cooperate with putting the arrow where it belonged. We were a little disappointed, but once again, my teammate bailed me out.
When we came off the first half, neither of us had shot the way we normally shoot 3D targets, but we shot well enough to put up a pretty good number, especially for starting as slowly as we did. We were at 18 up and had finally caught the hikers, Sean and John, in front of us. We had a 10-point lead on them and didn't have a clue where anyone else stood. We knew we had left a few points out there that we normally would've gotten. I wasn't happy about the first half, but Jacob told me we would be fine if we kept doing our thing. His confidence in himself and me never ceases to amaze me in these team events.
Headed to the second half, we hoped to repeat last year's performance. Last year, we took a while to get going, but when we started clicking on all cylinders in the second half, we felt like we would never miss. This year, we got a good start on the first target of the second half when I put one in the 10-ring, giving Jacob a chance to work his magic. When his shot broke, he knew it was a good shot but also knew the pin was a hair below it, which is where the arrow landed. Once again, John nailed it and instantly closed the gap to 7.
Knowing I had to lead off the next target, a standing bear, I felt confident. I always center punch standing bears, and I knew this one would be no different. The pink 14 stuck out like a sore thumb and seemed larger than any 14 we had seen up to that point. My pin sat nicely in the middle of the bear's chest, but the release fired when the sight dipped, and the arrow hit just below the 10 line, licking at it but out. Jacob bailed me out once again. Up to that point, anything I had missed was barely out the bottom. I seemed to be hitting low for the majority of the day. As I knew I messed up, because I was certain Jacob would have centered that pink dot, I watched John smoke another 14... cutting our lead to 4. Quickly, within a few targets, the lead had shrunk to one. Jacob and I were treading water, hoping to somehow find a way to get on a roll. When I shot the woodland boar, I finally broke a great shot. After I shot the arrow, I realized that I had been thinking about my shot and the things I needed to do instead of just aiming my bow and letting the bow shoot itself. Suddenly, everything clicked in, and I felt like I might be able to turn a subpar day into a day in which I might be able to eagle a hole and possibly chip in a few birdies on the way into the clubhouse. Jacob had been lugging around my clubs and his own clubs all day. It was time for me to join the party.
When we made the turn near the end of the road, my shots started to feel really good. I began executing better than I had all day and my arrows began finding their way into the 11 and not straying out of the 10. Suddenly, our less-than-average day turned into what we normally do. When we got into the field and looked at the wolf that looked like a pot-bellied big due to the distance, I felt calm and confident, after all, I had just shot my snarling wolf a few days earlier and shot 4 10s on it at 65 yards. In the same neighborhood for distance, this one was easy. I had flat footing and a wide open sight picture. The pin settled and the shot broke, sending the arrow on its way -- bottom of the 11. Not to be outdone, Jacob stepped up and centered the 14.
When we got to the boar inside the baseball field, I felt confident again. I could see where I wanted to hit, but there was a little bit of wind I had to battle. My hold wasn't the best, but when the shot broke, I thought I had it. When the arrow landed, the heckling gallery claimed the the spotting scope revealed an 8, just out low. I have Leica Geovid binoculars, and I could've swore it was cutting the 10-line at 6-oclock. John has high end Swarovski glass, and he said it was out. Sean and Jacob were both on the fence. None of us could convince the other that we were right. Finally, Jacob decided to avoid shooting at the 10. He played safe and shot his arrow, making sure we wouldn't lose any points -- and we didn't. When we scored the target, we learned that my arrow had caught the bottom of the 10 ring, and it wasn't even close. It was a full shaft into the line. Not being familiar with that target, it gave us a hard time from 60 yards determining if the arrow was in. I felt badly because Jacob had been a roll, and I felt like he would have surely gotten that one if he had shot at it. We had the same thing happen a few times throughout the day. I continuously hit everything low throughout the day, many of them landing at 6'oclock.
When we got to the final target, a 70-year McKenzie mule deer, we learned what everyone had shot in the first half and found out we had a nice lead. I made a good shot and hit at 6 o'clock again. This time, however, the arrow was just out. Jacob decided to shoot at the 14 and missed it a shade to the right.
When the rest of the shooters came off the range, we found out that we were lucky enough to come out on top. Here's the damage from all of the shooters.
My Take on the Day
Many people think this team stuff is easy for Jacob and I because somehow we get lucky enough to win. Yes, people, Jacob does carry my ass through most of these. I never have been and never will be his caliber. It's an absolute pleasure to watch him shoot a bow and arrow. But when you shoot in an event like this one, both teammates need to pull their weight. While I didn't have a bad day, I definitely didn't have one of my better days. Jacob wasn't on point like he normally is either. Both of us enjoyed a really good year, and we were both spent going into this. He continuously told me to keep doing what I do, and we would be fine. It's funny how your teammate can build your confidence by uttering a few words here and there. That's probably why we usually shoot well when we shoot together in individual events and team events.
Everyone noticed I was hitting everything low throughout the day. While most of them caught the 10-ring, a few of them landed barely below it. When we got to the end of the road on the second half, where we started turning it on, Jacob told me to add two yards to my sight on every shot. He said I would be fine and not to worry about it until I shot an arrow out the top. Well, that's when we turned the corner. I shot a fair number of 11s, which took pressure off from both of us, allowing us to shoot carefree and relaxed like we usually do. As 3D shooters, when we get on a roll, I know we become hard to beat. If only one of us is doing his job, it makes it much more difficult. This might have been one of the most satisfying team events I have shot with Jacob. I learned even more about him at this one than I had in the past. It's awesome to watch him.
John Vozzy's performance blew my mind. I just can't get over the fact that I was in his basement on his indoor 30-yard range just 8 months ago when he was telling me he didn't know what he would ever do if he could no longer shoot a bow. After all, he had just gotten a new plastic shoulder put in and didn't know if he would be able to draw or shoot his bow ever again. He has worked his ass off and has overcome all odds. What a story. I can't explain to any of you how amazing it is to watch him to what he has done and come back to the same level. It's hard for me to believe that nobody has covered his journey. It's not a minor miracle; it's a major one. Congratulations, John on doing something that mere mortals could never do. Having had major shoulder surgery, I totally get it.
Throughout the day, I had a hard time getting going because I wasn't allowing my subconscious mind to shoot my shot. When I finally put my conscious mind in timeout, everything changed, and shooting became easy. When shooting is easy, it makes it difficult to miss. I never figured out why I was hitting low all day. It might just be because I was aiming in the wrong place, or it might just have been one of those days. The shots felt good but maybe they were a little weak. When I got home, I checked my marks to make sure they were okay. I shot a few groups on a Vegas target at 50 yards, and this is what happened........ I guess my marks were good. Far too many people blame their equipment when things go wrong. I very rarely blame my equipment. Sometimes, to a fault, I put the blame on myself, but I know more times than not, the issues are due to a form flaw.
The best part of this shoot for me was when Shawn and Braden donated money to he Jimmy Fund. I can't say how happy this makes me. This is a stand-up act, and these guys deserve a huge pat on the back. All of you who attended should know that you were a part of this, too. Thank you for helping them do what they did.
New England's Intro to ASA
I'd like to give this a long write-up, but I've already rambled on long enough, and I'm sure most people are probably sick of it by now. All I can say, is that it felt kind of cool to jump into the time machine and go back 20 years to my days of shooting the national ASA tour. I was lucky enough to win a lot of money on the tour and have a great time doing it. Today reminded me about how much fun I had back then. I like the different approach, and the gambling always fit my style. I also liked it because my normal IBO speed back then was 276, so I never had to change a thing. It really showed who could judge and who couldn't. Heck, there weren't any marked yardage classes, so everyone was judging.
I was spent when Dad picked me up. I'm just sick of shooting competitive archery for the year. He shoots ASA tournaments all winter in Florida when he's down there, so he wanted to go. I love my dad, so I went too. When I got there, I was already mentally checked out. Mark Myers has told me that my concentrations skills are what allow me to shoot well under different circumstances, and I've always taken pride in that. Well, today my concentration skills were lacking and not present. We spent the day shooting with Sean Roberts and his boys. We had a great time and enjoyed the day. My buddy Don Doherty even came to the club and walked with us for a while. I love him like a brother, and I was really glad to see him.
When I got home, I realized that my card was still in my case. I must've stuck it in there when I was packing my stuff up and not turned it in. In case anyone was wondering, I shot the black stake and shot two down. I was all over the 12 ring and basically shot at the vast majority of them. I felt good about it. I did shoot my fair share of fives. Although the score doesn't sound too poorly, it's a prime example of what happens on some days to some people. My heart and mind weren't into it today. Jacob told me he wasn't attending because he was done. His mind couldn't handle it. I learned today that I should have followed his lead. In the end, I'm glad I went just because of the memories that it brought back.
Going forward, I hope all of you take advantage of all of the shooting opportunities that will be available to you in the future in your region. You guys are the reason that this sport keeps moving forward. We are all family, and it's always great to see each other and catch up with one another. I got to talk for a while today with Ray Chartier, and it was good to hear about how his day went and what he thought about things. I always like visiting with Ray. He has great stories, and I enjoy listening to him. I also got to talk with John Cislak. It was cool to see a picture of the big buck he will be chasing in a few weeks. I hope he gets a look at it. I'd like to see the before and after picture. John has really taken an interest in promoting archery this year, and he has enjoyed learning different things. It was refreshing to listen to him talk and hear the excitement. I also enjoyed seeing many of the antelope pictures this week from the Beastmode guys. Kudos to a great time for all of you and thanks for sharing your hunt with all of us. It gives all of us a little incentive to get out there and take advantage of any opportunity we might get. Great job with the updates and hats off to Mike and Eric. Way to get it done.
I look forward to seeing where this goes and hope that everyone continues supporting. Yes, family members tend to argue with one another from time to time, even archery family. I saw it today with Sean's kids. They're good kids, and they made me laugh. I also saw how quickly one can get under the skin of the other. After they took a step away from each other, they struck a deal and the older one promised to play with his younger brother for the next two months if the younger one gave him the gold shotgun casing he had. Everything has a way of working out. They were both happy at the end of the day. Thanks, Sean, for bringing the boys. Dad, Donny and I had a good time with them. Also thanks for all fo the volunteers today and thanks to Shrewd, Nunzio and X-spot. X-Spot, you have some of the best guys out there representing your shop. Rob, Jeremy and Matt are good guys whom you should be proud to have on your staff. They do a tremendous job representing your business. I've gotten to know them over the last few years, and they truly show what it's all about to represent a business.
I apologize for all of the typos tonight. I know I shouldn't be this way, but I'm hanging it up for the night. Thank you to everyone who was a part of my weekend the last two days. It was good to spend tie with all of. you. Shoot straight and enjoy the hunting season.
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