Annual Royalston Team Money Shoot

   The last few weeks since getting back from the IBO World Championship have been unlike most of the time I've spent behind the bow for the last four months. Although I shot a few rounds in preparation for the Maine Senior Games, I really didn't put much into it. Since I decided to shoot the same bow at the team shoot this weekend as I shot at the Maine Senior Games, I didn't know what to expect. The bow shot great at the team shoot last year, which was the last time I had shot it. I expected it would be the same this year. With all of the rain we've had recently, I wasn't able to get much practice in on marked yardage. I was fairly certain my marks were good, so I headed to the shoot on Saturday morning and felt confident about it. 

  When we got to the stop sign next to the club, we saw George Connors and Todd Sargent cruise by us and pull into the driveway in front of us. It's always nice to see people who share the same passion heading to the same place. It made me smile to see them drive by us, as they also had about a three hour trip to get there. 

  Friday night didn't leave me much time to sleep. I went to my camp after work on Friday and marched all through the woods to do some scouting, By the time I got home, got packed, took a shower and settled down, it was midnight. Dad and I left for the shoot at about 4:30 a.m. and I had a restless night of sleep and probably only got two hours of actual sleep. 

                           The Practice Butt

  As usual, most people were warming up when we pulled into the annual shoot. It's always great to end our year at this shoot that Shawn Couture puts on. It's a great way to say goodbye to that year's 3D season and head into hunting season. The shoot is always relaxing and fun. 

  I decided to shoot a few arrows at the 40 yard bale and was satisfied to see all of my arrows land in one of the tiny dots. Luckily, the arrows were stacked in the one I was aiming at. As we waited for the woods to get a little lighter, we shot some more arrows. Jacob was stacking arrows at 60 yards like most people stack them during 10-yard practice drills. I continued shooting groups at 30 and 40 and felt good about my shot. 

                          The First Half

  As we marched across the field toward Target 16, we could see that there were some groups backed up at the beginning. The humidity was oppressive and our clothes were instantly drenched. I never sweat much, but I could feel sweat running down my spine and legs. It was an uncomfortable feeling. 

  Jacob and I have never started well at this shoot and wanted to see what we could do to put that behind us. When we got out of the gate with a solid 14 on a mid-range antelope, we felt good about our chances. 

  The walk to the second target was long, and the humidity beat on me. It felt like someone was holding a blanket over my head in a sauna. I could feel the sweat pouring off my back and soaking my shirt and pants. My shirt began clinging to my skin as if I had just been caught in a heavy downpour. 

  Looking at my insulin pump, I saw that my blood glucose level was causing some of the issues. It was already at 50 and heading down, which blurs my vision, gives me the shakes and causes dizziness. I began dumping Gatorade down my throat to offset the low blood sugar. I knew it would take at least 15 minutes to have an effect, and I didn't want my blood to rebound and go through the roof. It's a fine line I have to walk during many tournaments: one that nobody can truly understand unless he or she is a Type 1 diabetic. 

  After waiting a few minutes, it was finally my turn to shoot at a little Rinhart bear on a stump. It was about 35 yards away from the stake. When I drew the bow, I couldn't hold steady or see any clear definition on the target to know I was aiming in the right spot.  I used a 3X scope all year with a big peep, but I had a small peep and a 5X scope for this tournament so I could see the 70 yard targets more clearly. The black bear in the dark hole, combined with my low blood sugar, made it almost impossible to see. When my shot broke, I had no idea what to expect. Jacob told me it was in the 10-ring at 6 o'clock........ wshewww, escaped that one. Jacob followed me and had the same issues seeing it. He couldn't see the pink dot that well because of the lighting and ended up hitting just to the right of the 14. Although it was a close target, we felt fortunate to walk away from it without dropping any points. Sometimes in these shoots, the targets that seem like they should be the easiest end up being the hardest. 

  The next target, an old delta pig with a 10-ring about the size of a tuna can, presented some anxiety. It was a bomb and there was no doubt that some teams would definitely be losing points on this one. I can't remember the exact distance, but I know it was in that 60-yard range. 

  As the sweat continued pouring down my back, I could feel my heart beating in my temples. It was an uncomfortable feeling... the pitfalls of dealing with a lifelong illness while doing one of the things I love the most: shooting my bow. 

  When I drew the bow, the pin settled nicely and I felt good about the sight picture. When the shot finally broke, I knew I had it. The pin was rock solid and the shot was flawless -- 11. When we walked away from that target with a +1 for it, we felt good about it and talked about it. 

 That target started a roll for us and we both clicked on all cylinders. I felt like we were unstoppable. In all of the years we have shot, we never really clicked simultaneously. We've always had ebbs and flows and we have gone back and forth.

  The next target was a long, uphill spike buck in that 50-yard range if I remember correctly. I always forget marked yardage numbers because I never have to work to get the number, so I just kind of forget them. I just shoot my bow after I click the rangefinder. It was a tough shot, being that it was uphill and long. Once again, my pin sat like a rock until the release broke free from the loop. I knew I had it... 11. Jacob missed the 14 just a hair to the right. He was getting dialed, and I knew it was just a matter of time before he started pounding them. His bow was so steady during his aiming process that it looked like it was hanging on a bow rack.

  As we approached the next target, a mountain lion, set straight uphill in that 60-yard range, I felt good about my chances. I had shot my mountain lion earlier in the week at about 64 yards and centered it after misdialing my sight  by 10 yards and sending an arrow into the dirt on my first attempt. 

  When I came to full draw, I felt really good about my aim. The pin locked onto a small piece of foam on the right side of the 11 and the shot fired... 11. A few seconds later, Jacob followed me up with an inside out 14, and we were finally on a roll. 

  I believe the next target was a large McKenzie, and Jacob and I joked about the one he hit in the plastic leg at the ASA Pro-Am in Kentucky this year on the first day. It was about in the same range, mid to high 40s and uphill. Fortunately, this one didn't have the plastic legs. 

  When my pin hit the center on this one, it wanted to sit in the 11-ring, and sit it did. When the shot broke, it felt like someone had taken a pair of scissors and cut the string while I was at full draw. The arrow instantly appeared inside out in the 11-ring. Once again, Jacob followed with an inside out 14. 

  Moving to the mini backyard coyote, we both laughed. It looked about the size of a chipmunk. I had a great aiming spot, and the arrow hit directly behind the pin... 11. When my arrow hit it, the insert pushed through the back, so I had to pull the arrow out so Jacob could see the 14-ring. The force of my arrow hitting the target had made the 14 disappear into the core like a whackamole getting pounded by the plastic hammer at the carnival. Well, Jacob whack-a-moled that 14, too. Inside, I knew we had never had a showing like this, and I also knew we had been on point this year. We were finally going to both perform at the top of our ability spectrum... both of us... and it felt incredible. 

  I'm not sure, but I think the next target was a razorback boar, one of my favorite targets, and I knew I would get it.  After 11ing it, Jacob followed with another 14. Neither one of us could miss. Unfortunately, my blood was still sitting at 50 and not climbing. With the heat and humidity, I just couldn't get it to come up. I knew I would be encountering problems if I couldn't fix it. That's when I ate a blueberry Nutrigrain bar and prayed it wouldn't make my blood go through the roof in the next hour. 

  That's when we got to the dreaded power line shot. You never know what's coming when you get there every year, but you know it's not going to be good. That's when we saw a rising boar in front of a huge boulder, and it was at about 65-67 yards if I remember correctly. 

  I had a terrible time trying to find a spot to aim. I just couldn't see it well, and being unfamiliar with the target, I felt uncomfortable. When my shot finally broke, I felt good about it. It was a good shot. When the arrow struck, we didn't know if it caught the 10 at 6 o'clock. It was either touching the line or breathing on it. It was so close we just couldn't be sure, so Jacob decided to try to shoot a safe 10, especially at that distance. The 14 was pretty hard to see. He picked me up and smoked the 11. 

  Going to the next target, my shakes were back and my head was pretty fuzzy. I was having a really hard time seeing, but I plowed through it. I didn't want to pound more Gatorade because I had just eaten the blueberry bar. When I aimed at the Delta brown bear, I felt good about it and the shot felt good. Unfortunately, it hit low and out of the 10-ring. I couldn't figure out how it could've hit there, but I also knew I didn't feel well, no matter how well I was trying to hide it. My strength was fading quickly. Jacob picked me up with a 10. I couldn't wait to get off the course so we could take a little break. 

  I stayed in the 10 ring the rest of the way, but most of my arrows were hitting at 6 o'clock in the 10-ring. I continued shooting a perfect line, but the low arrows were beginning to worry me. 

  I added a few yards to the elk and felt confident I smoked it when the shot broke. The arrow also struck low in the 10-ring, and it was a perfect shot. Jacob went on a tear during my low 10 streak. Luckily, we didn't need any 11s with him pounding every 14. Here's the 14 on the elk he shot at 70 yards. Amazingly, when he shot the arrow, he asked if he got the top of it. When we told him he had gotten the top of it, he told us that's where the pin was when the shot fired.........yes, at 70 yards and sure enough, the arrow was sitting right at the top of a quarter-sized dot. It was one of those WTF.... for real type of moments. When you're shooting with a world-class shooter who is on his game, there is nothing that can compare. It should be every archers' dream to witness what George, Wade and I witnessed on Saturday. It was nothing short of phenomenal.  Over my time behind a bow, I've shot with some of the greatest the game has ever known, and I have never seen another person shoot a bow like Jacob shot his bow on this day.

  After the elk, I missed the mule deer by setting my sight incorrectly. It was one of my best shots of the day, and I knew it was going in the 11 if my low streak didn't continue. Highly disappointed, because Jacob could't miss a 14, we had to settle for a 10 on the target because of a huge mental error I made. My mental capacity was as weak as my body. I just didn't win the battle I was fighting. We walked off the first half at +39. We had both finally put a round together that equaled our abilities, and it felt awesome. We both knew we were within reach of our +80 goal. 

  

  I went to the practice bags to figure out my sudden low issues. I was hitting low, so Jacob and I moved my pointer about two yards. It made me uncomfortable, but I knew something had to be done. I was shooting too well to suddenly be hitting low. However, I still couldn't get my blood to come up. Heading onto the second half, my blood was still in the high 40s... keep in mind that you can go into a coma at 30. I've had diabetes so long, I really don't recognize the symptoms anymore. 

   

                                 Second Half

    After walking across the field to the first target, I wasn't too happy when I saw a Catalina goat in the woods. I knew I wouldn't be able to see it with the sighting combination I had on my bow. George led it off and smoked an 11. When I drew my bow, my prediction came true. I couldn't see any part of the target. I tried everything I could but nothing worked. Finally, I took my scope out and tried shooting with just a pin. That didn't work either. I still couldn't see it and shot an 8. Jacob picked me up and shot a 10. 

  

  Moving to the next target, a large deer, I felt confident and shot an 11 on the long, uphill shot. Jacob followed with an inside out 11. 

  

 I really struggled through the rest of the targets on the left side of the road. Most of the shots were uphill, and my blood problems had finally settled in and taken effect. I became weak and my mind was somewhat hazy. I became irritable and moody. I felt like I had been transported back in time to my early 20s when my blood sugar levels had the same effects before I eventually became numb to them. I'm not sure why those mood swings came out again, but they did. I'm not proud of it, but they come from a disease I had no choice over acquiring. The irritability lasted until we got to the turn and started heading back down the other side of the road. I got a second wind and started putting the arrows where they needed to be again. I apologize to anyone whom I may have been rude to during that stretch. It's something that cannot be controlled while dealing with low blood, so please don't take it personally. I also thought I was having a hard time shooting my bow on the uphill shots but realized it was just due to what I was facing. I had pounded all of the long uphill shots on the first half, so it definitely wasn't a draw length issue like I thought it might have been while shooting the second half. 

  When we got to the field and the last three targets, I felt good when I looked at the standing bear, leopard and wolf. I figured we would finish it off in style. 

  Although my rangefinder read about 3 yards more than everyone else's on the standing bear, I still trusted mine, even though it didn't agree with the card on the stake. I set the sight, drew the bow, settled in, and made an absolute perfect shot. I expected Jacob to tell me I had smoked the 11-ring. When he gave me that one-off look, I was somewhat stunned. Then, looking at the arrow dead high above the 10 ring, I knew the rangefinder hadn't done its job. I've never had an issue with it, but I had multiple strange numbers with it during the shoot. I'm not sure if the humidity led to it or if the unit has finally run its course. After all, it is just shy of 30 years old. Maybe it's finally time to upgrade. The way Jacob was shooting, I knew he would've gotten the bear. The pink dot looked huge on that particular target, and it presented a great aiming spot. I felt like I let him down way too often at this shoot, but that would be the last time I felt that way for the day. I wish I could've continued through the entire shoot like I had been shooting through the first 10 targets.

  After we 14d the leopard, we got to the final target and wanted to end it in style. When I drew on the wolf, my pin settled nicely, and I executed the best shot I made all day. The arrow landed inside out on the 11, and I felt really good about the end, especially considering the internal battle I had to face for 3/4 of the day. Jacob followed my lead and drilled the 14.........allowing us to finish at 77 up.....a 377. What a day!! We broke our all-time high of 72 up. 

                      My Short Take on the Day

  I could never truly tell anyone what it was like to witness what I witnessed on Saturday. Luckily, I'm able to shoot with a world-class archer almost every weekend or during the week. It gives me motivation to get better, even at my young age of 52. I love watching Jacob shoot, and I admire his drive and determination. Success is hard-earned, even though you think he doesn't practice like you. He practices harder than you will ever know. He earns everything he achieves. Work harder. No one will ever outwork him, so you need to just work the hardest you can. Use him as an example.

  What Jacob did throughout the day made it seem like I was watching a fantasy cartoon. It seemed as if he was a new cartoon character who could do nothing wrong. He made two shots he didn't like and both of those shots still led to an arrow in the 14 ring. He was like the Roadrunner and the rest of the field became the Wiley coyote. It was inspiring, stunning and flat-out amazing to watch. Wade, George and I rooted him on every time he pulled his bow back. We encouraged him to keep pounding, and he obliged, even when George was telling the story of when he was 5 '6' and layed a guy out who was 6 '3'. Imagine that, George Connors was 5 '6' when he graduated from high school. Jacob had to let down during that story. It's the little things that make a great day and that target was a memory maker because of George's story and Jacob letting down to say he wanted to hear how the story ended. 

  I received a lot of congratulatory messages, and I'm always thankful for them. I"m also not sure what people think about us as teammates. I know in the past I heard a lot of stuff about the two of us being partners and a lot of people trashed me. I laughed because I enjoy being the underdog. I just hope after watching what transpired this year on the national level, that many of these people are now able to see that I can perform at an elite level against the best the sport has to offer and hold my own. Putting me in that arena and watching Jacob do what he always does should make it easy to understand why we work well as a team. We support each other and back each other up when we need to. Last year, Jacob had some bow issues, so I did my best to make up for the difficulties we encountered. I shot 20 11s last year out of the 30 targets. This year, we encountered health issues with me, and Jacob had my back. It seems that over the years, both of us are able to hold the fort down while the other gets back on track. Jacob always offers his support and assures me that we will be okay; we just need to stay the course. I've shot with all sorts of people in team events over the years, and I've never had a partner who I feel as mentally in tune with as Jacob. He and I have a very similar mental approach, and I firmly believe that's what allows us to put up some huge numbers at times. Being mentally strong is almost more important than being a good shooter. An average shooter who is mentally stronger will succeed more than a great shooter who is mentally weak. We both work at this part of our game a lot. 

  I'll be giving my annual wrap-up sometime in the next few weeks. I hope you enjoyed this recap of the team money shoot. Feel free to sound off on your thoughts about your own day. 

  

  

IBO World Championship

 

                                                                              Practice Day

  When I headed onto the practice range, I realized it was going to be one of those days in which the pin wasn't going to sit down. Instead, I would have to rely on my shot execution to get through the round. Right from the get-go, I had all I could do to settle the pin down. Although the pin never cooperated, I still got off the course at +3 and felt good about it, knowing I would run into the same situation over the course of the next two days. There are always times when your aim won't look like it normally does. Those are the times you much rely on your shot and just trust it to put the arrow in the middle. 

  Going into the second set of 10 targets, I continued focusing on my shot. By the time I got near the end of the range, I realized I hadn't shot one arrow outside of the 10-ring. When I looked at a 38-yard lynx, I felt confident I would stroke that target, as my aim had finally improved a little bit from earlier in the day. I held good and made a great shot. Unfortunately, the shot landed a little bit under the 10-ring. When Jacob looked at my sight, he informed me that I didn't shoot it for 38. Instead, my sight was set on 36 yards. It was the second or third time Jacob had caught me doing the same thing in the last few weeks, every time causing me to shoot 8s that were over or under the 10-ring. I think I finally need to cave in and bring reading glasses with me to set my sight. After packing my bow back into the case, I knew I was ready for the first day of the IBO World Championship. I couldn't wait to get it started at 11:30 the next morning. 

Triple Crown Awards Ceremony

  After my practice session, we headed to the awards ceremony. Although it was highly disappointing to know I had missed an opportunity to secure a podium spot for the overall Triple Crown, I was happy to be part of a team that won the National Triple Crown. The two points that kept me from a podium spot in the individual category will give me motivation to make better shots next year, as I lost the majority of my points due to poorly executed shots at inopportune times throughout the Triple Crown. It's always difficult to accept a loss when you are directly responsible for beating yourself. I need to improve that part of my game, and the fourth place finish overall is proof of that. 

  Back in the spring, John Vozzy contacted me and asked if I was interested in being on his team. I gladly accepted and said I would do what I could to participate. Before long, I learned that he was going to sponsor a team called VozzyGen and my teammates would be John Vozzy, Glenn Meadows and Tim Gillingham. 

  We all fought hard throughout the Triple Crown and battled our ups and downs as we all experienced them. In the end, we had a stellar third leg in Nelsonville, Ohio, and secured the win. We won the shoot and found ourselves as National Triple Crown team champions. I'd like to think John for asking me to be on his team, and I'm thankful I had really good teammates in John, Glenn and Tim. Thanks guys and congratulations on our finish. I'm glad I could be a part of a team you guys had belonged to for the last few years. Glenn wasn't at the ceremony, so we only got pictures with me, Tim and John. 

Day 1

  I felt good when I fired my last few shots at the target butt and headed toward the sign-in tent to begin my day. Upon arriving, I expected to be able to unwind and relax for about 30 minutes before being sent onto the range. Unfortunately, the men at the tent said we could head to the range if we were all present. That's when I got up and headed toward the first target with the guys. Allen Connor, Art Brown and Jeff Hopkins would be my shooting partners for the day. I knew I would have a good time because I had shot with Art and Allen earlier in the year a few times, and they are good guys to be around. They are positive throughout the round and encourage one another. That always makes it easier to shoot. I hadn't shot with Jeff before this shoot, but walking to the target, I felt like he and I would get along. 

  After drawing cards, I learned that I would be the third shooter on the first target. It was a coyote that wasn't too far away, and I felt good about starting on it. When I drew my bow, the blue fiber disappeared. Then, I couldn't even see the fiber or the shank of the pin. I had to let down and start over. Before drawing again, I tried to figure out a plan of attack. When I hit full draw the second time, I couldn't see anything except an empty housing. It looked like there was nothing in the housing except a coyote. I decided to pull and see where it landed. When the arrow struck the target, it was low and left. It landed between the 10 and 8. 

  Extremely disappointed, I marched toward the second target. When I got to the crest of the hill, I could see a grazing doe that was at the bottom of a steep bank. It was intimidating to look at, and I knew I was going to have to make a good guess at the yardage and top it off with a better shot. Already down two points, I knew I could't afford to dig a four-point hole in two shots. 

  Following Jeff, I got to listen to his arrow in flight. That helped me to justify the number I had decided on. When I hit full draw, the pin went to the middle, drifted a hair right, and the shot fired. The arrow appeared just below the 11 and tad right. I was relieved, but looking out into the field, I could see that I was going to be leading off a nasty uphill wolf at the next target. 

  With Art and Allen still left to shoot, I sat in my stool and mentally prepared for the wolf I would be shooting in a few minutes.  I visualized myself coming to anchor and getting a solid aim before pulling. I could see myself relaxing as the shot fired, and I saw it appear in the middle. 

  A few minutes later, I was on the stake, and I got ready to draw as a little wind gust cut through the grass. My mind centered on what I had just seen a few minutes earlier, and within seconds, my arrow appeared directly next to the 11. We actually thought it was an 11 until we got to the target and learned it was just a 10. It would be the second of my many near misses on the 11s for the weekend. 

  As we moved toward Target 4, I saw a big 10 looking at me from he woods. I knew it was going to be hard to see, but I would be last, so there would be arrows to guide me. When I drew the bow, my pin settled nicely, and I broke my third perfect shot in a row. I was finally finding a groove and beginning to relax. My aim was improving on every shot, too. My nerves began finding a home in other competitors, as I let the devil jump onto theme as we passed a few different groups. He tried his hardest to get me to join him on the first few targets, but I let him ride until putting him to bed at the Big 10.

  I found a few more 11s on the next few targets. Then, I came upon a lynx. It was in the 35-36-yard range and wasn't intimidating to look at, but I also know any lynx target is hard to 10. When my arrow struck the 11, I knew I was on a roll... four in a row, and my shots were breaking smoothly. 

  As we meandered through the rest of the first 10, I stayed steady and had three more near misses on the 11. Coming off the first 10 at 103, I couldn't believe how easily it could've been 107. The near misses combined with the 8 I shot on the coyote because I couldn't see the pin could have easily catapulted me to the top. I know everyone needs some breaks here and there to win, and the breaks weren't falling in my direction. I just continued battling. 

  Target 11 was a long, uphill brown bear. I'm still not sure why it made me nervous. I knew the number looking at it, as I had shot my brown bear at the house all week in about the same range. The devil quickly jumped out of the bushes and planted himself in the outside of my ear. He kept whispering for me to go with him, and I teetered on the fence. Finally, my shot broke while the pin was dancing. My arrow found it's way into the bottom of the 10-ring. 

   I sat down on my stool and knew I had to do something to center myself. I began meditating and tried to get my heart rate down. I knew I had a battle ahead of me. My conscious mind was already headed toward the finish line, and I know that's a dangerous path to follow. The little red man desperately tried getting me to walk the line. I inhaled and exhaled as the others shot, and I tried to free myself from his hold.

  Turning the corner, I saw a bedded buck. The target was severely angled, which was a big surprise. I've never seen a target angled like that at a national event. I almost wondered if we were looking down the correct lane. After assessing the situation, I felt confident with my number, but couldn't convince myself the target was as close as it turned out being. Knowing I was incorrect with my guess, I set the sight three yards hot. It's a mistake I've made here and there over the years, and I know I'm doing it incorrectly when I do it. My mind doesn't get back in the way and allows me to do it. Well, I shot directly out the top of the 10-ring for an 8. 

  After pulling our arrows, we walked to the next stake a few yards away. It was a boar, and it resembled one that I had shot at the house before leaving for the tournament. The yardage stuck out to me, and I felt like I was shooting marked yardage. However, when I drew the bow and settled in, the little red-faced man ran into my ear canal and got inside my head. He began jabbing my brain and bouncing up and down. Finally, he jolted me so hard I loosed the arrow, and it was on its way. I couldn't stop it and had no idea where it was going to land. Luckily, I heard Art tell me I had caught the 8 line low and to the right. It was one of the worst shots I made the entire year, and the nerve demon was solely responsible. I let him get inside my head and win the battle. 

  After pulling the arrows, I felt lucky to walk away with an 8... really lucky. I had escaped. Then, I saw a strutting turkey at the next station. I knew I could not afford to drop six points in a three-target stretch. I needed this one badly. On the first draw, I overaimed at it and almost let the little fella jump on me again. I let down and brushed him aside before drawing again. Then, I proceeded to shoot a 10. I had escaped again. 

  I battled my way through the rest of the course, misguiding an antelope and hitting it out the top. I also shot low 8 on the last target of the round, a bedded stone sheep. I had the right number but made a weak shot. I felt good about the day but knew I gave away six points on bad shots. I still found myself sitting in fifth place after Day 1. Here's the interview after the round. 

https://www.facebook.com/Bowjunkymedia/videos/344854284034982

Day 2

  At the practice bags before my round started, my shots were effortless and the arrows grouped great. I felt confident that I would have a good day. My shot felt great. Upon arriving at the tent, I saw that the rest of the guys were just getting there too. We would be sent out as soon as we gave the guys at the tent our cards. Although we were supposed to start at 9:30, we headed toward Target 1 at 9:00. I was happy to know that we would be off the range early. 

  When we got to the first target, the shadows were tricky. I knew it was going to be tough to aim, as I always have some aiming issues with poor lighting conditions. My shot felt good on the first two targets, and I expected both arrows to land in the 11-ring. Unfortunately, they both hit at 9 o'clock in the 10-ring. Tens are your friend, so I was satisfied with the result. 

  Looking at Target 3, a javelina, I knew I needed to 11 it. It was a little under 30 yards, and it's one of those targets that you lose points to the field if you don't 11 it. I led it off and smoked it... then went on a roll, getting the next four 11s. After the fourth one in a row, I was beginning to feel the zone coming into my surroundings. I felt like I couldn't miss. Then, I allowed something to distract me and shot an 8. I was irritated with myself and knew I had just given up two points to the field. 

  As we moved along, I continued executing good shots and felt good about how they felt. However, the arrows were landing all over around the 11 but not finding their way into it. Then, we came upon a boar and it was in the 30-yard range. I knew I would have to blast through some arrows to secure an 11, as all three of my shooting partners already had arrows in it when it was my turn to shoot. I decided to aim right at them and take what I got. When the release fired and I heard arrows clanking, I felt confident when Art said, "You got it at 3 o'clock. When we got closer to the target, we saw that my arrow had ricocheted a hair to the right and was going to be one of those arrows everyone had to look at. After getting a flashlight out and looking at it closely, we determined that it was on the outside looking in. It was no more than a fingernail width from touching the line. I just didn't get lucky. Looking back on it, I probably should've tried aiming to the left of the arrows and sneaking it in on that side. I did what I thought was best. Getting off the first 10 targets with a 103, like the previous day, put me sitting at 1 up with 10 to go. Here's a picture from an open pro group on the same target. 

 

 A few targets later, I saw a wolverine staring back at me. I knew it was between 40 and 45 yards because I had looked at mine at that distance many times in the two previous weeks. Although the little red-faced guy had remained hidden all day, he instantly jumped into my ear and started jabbing me with his pitchfork. Then he began racing through my mind. When the pin settled on the wolverine, he did everything he could to make sure the pin danced wildly across the kill zone. Then, he smacked me in the knees, made my back become weak, and the arrow was on its way. I knew it wasn't good, and the arrow landed in the 8-ring. It was low and right of the 10-ring and I had the right number. 

  Taking my 8, I sulked toward the next target, a blemished stone sheep. The blemish presented a decent aiming spot. I'm still not sure why I hit the 8-line low, but that's where the arrow found itself after I shot it. I do know it wasn't one of my best shots, but it wasn't too terribly bad either. Now, I knew I was probably done. I would have to 11 out to stay afloat. Coming down the stretch, I shot an arrow no more than an inch above the 11 on a fallow deer and one even closer than that on the alligator. I ended the day with an 11 on a brown bear and signed in with a 201 for the day. I knew I was going to be on the bubble and figured I would probably be the first guy out. 

The Waiting Game

  I've always enjoyed the years when there was no wait to find out if I made it to the final day. However, on this day, I knew the wait would be grueling. After an hour or two, a bunch of people began texting me and messaging me with congratulatory remarks. They told me they had read on Bowjunkie that I had made the shootoff. I was relieved and excited. I knew I hadn't been at my best, and I was still able to get in. 

    Well, a few hours after the posting, I learned that a few other shooters had passed me, and I was now sitting on the outside looking in. I had missed the cut by one point, and all I could think of was the arrow that glanced out of the boar and landed a fingernail width out of the 11. I wanted to lay blame on the glance out, but stepping back and looking at it, I knew I had to own the five bad shots I made over the weekend when I had the right numbers. Those five poorly executed shots cost me 10 points. I will work on that this winter and make sure I'm shooting as few bad shots as possible. I will make sure I don't let the devil sing in my ear and steer me off course. I ended up finishing in sixth place. Although I'm disappointed, sixth place in any professional class is still a great place to be, so I'm walking away from it with my head held high, especially knowing that I had far from my best day, and I was still in the hunt when I had finished. It is comforting to know that I can have a so-so weekend and still finish near the top. 

My Final Thoughts

  I had a phenomenal group to shoot with. We had a great time on both days, and all of our personalities seemed to gel. We had good conversations, and we all gave each other good arrows to shoot at. We also all congratulated each other and rooted for each other throughout both days. It's always good to know your competitors are cheering you on. 

  When I was done, I instantly knew I had beaten myself. I never mind losing to my competitors, but when I beat myself, I have a hard time accepting it. I know I need to work harder to make sure my mind stays 100% focused on the task at hand until I get to the finish line. I let the demons show

themselves two times over the two days, and I paid the price my joining their shenanigans, losing a total of eight points in the process. I've kept them at arm's length most of the year, but I let them convince me to look toward the end without going through the target by target process to just allow myself to get their before thinking about anything. It only takes a few seconds or a few targets in which we become outcome oriented, and everything we have done to that point can quickly wash away. I will not allow that to happen again in the future. I held back from doing that all year. I'm still not sure why the devil beat me this time in convincing me to think about irrelevant things he wanted me to think about. I know I'm not weak-minded, so I will not give it anymore thought. It's just one of those things that even the best of them deal with occasionally. 

  Everything happens for a reason, and I believe I missed the cut by a point, so I could cheer on Jacob and my father. I would rather see either one of them on the podium than me. I thought I had finally seen Jacob conquer the 4th-place finish when he stroked a long javelina on the last shot of the tournament. Unfortunately, after a lot of looking, the arrow was scored a 10, putting him in 4th place. 

  As I watched my dad shoot in the top peer group, I was excited, even when his day unfolded in a way that I didn't like. Nine months ago, he couldn't even draw a 30-pound bow, yet I was watching him now. He shot the highest score in his class the first day and went into the shootoff in third place. I couldn't have been more proud or happy for him. I also thought it was great that Digger Cogar was with me watching his dad. Our dads were in the same group. It was a lot of fun to hang out. We both would've been happy to be in the shootoff, but we also enjoyed doing what we were doing. Sometimes things are bigger than ourselves and something or someone makes sure we are able to experience those things. I'm thankful for that. The year I came in sixth place in PSR will go down as one of the best years ever because I was able to witness my father's journey back to the archery range, and it was nothing short of incredible. 

  There are too many people from my region to list, but I want all of you to know how proud of you I am for making it into the shootoff. I wish I could have joined all of you, but you guys having success is just as good for me. I enjoy that as much as you do, so congratulations to all of you. 

  Also, I can feel the disappointment that many of you who missed the cut by one point. I've done that more times than you can imagine over the last 30 years. This year almost brought a tear to my eye like it did in 1998. It was the same type of feeling, and I don't ever want to feel it again. Unless you've felt it, it's hard to explain. Although I've missed many times, those two years stand out more than any others. 

  I'm participating in the Maine Senior Games this year. I haven't shot that target in two or three years, and I'm scrambling to get the bow set up to my liking. One of these days I will set something up well in advance and use it for that type of shooting. I just don't put much into it, so I can never expect much on the result end. I think it's a game that requires finding a good setup that works for your style of aiming and shooting. 

  Next week, I will be attending the annual team shoot that Shawn Couture puts on. That's always fun and enjoyable. It's relaxing and feels great to end my season each year. After those events, I will do a yearly wrap-up. I hope you all stay tuned and enjoy the rest of the summer.