First Leg of the IBO Northeast Triple Crown

7

   I got an early start on Saturday and headed to Connecticut to attend the first leg of the IBO Northeast Triple Crown. Although the forecast was calling for heavy rain, Jacob, Wade, Dad, and I made plans to attend, figuring it was no big deal if we encountered some nasty rain. After all, you can't control the weather at a national event, so you might just as well shoot in the rain at home to get used to it. I've always shot well in bad conditions, so I wasn't too terribly concerned about the forecast. 

  The trip to the shoot went well. There's no direct route to get there after leaving Albany, so we enjoyed our ride across the countryside. When we finally arrived, we got to see our friends John Freeman and Jay Spencer. We hadn't seen them in a bit, so it was good to catch up on things. Cole Bromley, John Vozzy and Jon Purdy were also warming up. We all got started about the same time in hopes of beating the rain, which was definitely going to hit with a vengeance when it finally arrived. 

  Walking to my first target,  I saw an elk in a dark hole. Barry and my father had solid 10s, so I had a good reference point. When I drew my bow, the pin settled nicely, and the shot fired after a longer than normal hold. The shot didn't feel 100% but it still felt good. I smoked the 11... off to a good start.

  Looking at the second target, I saw a grazing doe in a hole under a blowdown. I knew it was going to be a tough judge and a tough shot. I was standing in dark pines, and the target was across a very short opening at the end of a field. I couldn't see the head, the ass or the legs. I could see the midsection of the deer, which made it very difficult to judge the size of the target, and I'm a typical target judger. Although I had all of that working against me, I felt confident with my number when I set my sight and drew my bow. 

  When I hit anchor, I made sure I was tight on both ends, and I pushed my bow through the target. As I pushed the bow through the target, all of my doubts about the distance disappeared, and I got more aggressive. Seconds later, the shot broke and the arrow appeared in the 11. 

  Since I hadn't shot this bow one time at a 3D event, my confidence quickly grew. I knew it was driving tacks at home, and I set it up to shoot at the ASA in Kentucky next week. Although it's only going 291 fps, it hits behind the pin and seems forgiving. I wanted to shoot it on this IBO course because I knew there would be all sorts of terrain to contend with and plenty of yardage to test the slower speed. I find it tough to change between bows, even if the bows are the same model. I've never been able to get two bows to feel exactly the same, even if everything is set up the same. That's the case with this bow and the red bow I shot last week at the IBO. The red bow seems to allow me to break a better shot, but the black bow seems to group better, but I have to struggle to get my shot off. 

  Moving to the third target, a standing bear, I executed an average shot and had the right number. Unfortunately, the shot didn't have everything I had, and the arrow hit perfectly in line but under the 10-ring. I was not happy about it, as I've been having phantom lows this spring, and I can't fully identify what I'm doing to cause them or what in my set-up is leading to the misfortunes I have already encountered. 

  Over the next few targets, I shot a few more 11s and an 8 or two. I gained confidence with every shot, but the 8s with the right number followed me from the standing bear and made sure I knew they were quietly sitting in my quiver waiting for a turn. Although my shot didn't continue feeling like it did in the beginning, I still managed to stay in the 10-ring. However, when I came upon a long, downhill stone sheep that was between two big trees, the number didn't fool me. I knew it was max yardage, so I set my sight and made a great shot. However, the arrow landed just under the 10-ring. Since I led the target, I wasn't sure if I just aimed in the wrong spot or if I broke low and that's where the arrow hit. It bothered me a little bit, but I left it there when I walked to the next target. When we got to the fallow deer, the rain started coming down. You could hear it coming before it got to us, as it was pounding off the leaves on the trees back toward the clubhouse. We just waited, knowing we were going to take a soaking in a minute or two. When it came, it came with fury. I quickly put my raincoat on and slid my bow umbrella over the bow. 

  With a few targets left for the first half, we came upon a downhill javelina. It wasn't that far of a shot, but the target was leaning back quite a ways, and the rain had just soaked us. When it was my turn, I had a good aiming spot, as Jacob had centered the 11. The pin bounced around a bit before the shot fired, and I thought I got the bottom of the 10 when I saw the arrow hit. However, when we got closer to the target, we realized my arrow was actually on the 8-line, not the 10-line. The target was leaned back more than it had appeared, and this cut the size of the 10-ring in half. I finished off the course with a solid 10 on the bomb of a Corsican ram. I hit it an inch to the right of the 11. 

                                                            Second Half

  We quickly looked at the radar before starting the second half and realized we didn't have much time before the storm would make its presence known. When I looked at the mt. lion to start the second half, the number stuck out to me. I centered my pin on it and made a good shot. The arrow landed at the bottom of the 10-ring and a hair to the left, and I knew I had a good number.

  Moving along to the second target, a caribou, I felt good about my number. I executed another great shot and just missed the 11. Satisfied I moved along toward the Big 10 at the next station. I executed one of my best shots of the day and smoked the 11. Although the bow aimed well up to that point, my shot was difficult to replicate. I couldn't figure out if it was because I felt weak or if the set-up was a hair off somewhere. However, I was shooting 11s and barely missing many others. Over the course of the next three targets, a strutting turkey, bedded doe, and a coyote, I made some great shots and got one 11. The other two barely missed the 11. 

  After the coyote, the heavens screamed and beckoned us to get out of the woods but we continued through the darkness and waited for the pummeling rain to begin. This forced me to lose my train of thought and begin trying to rush things. This caused all sorts of issues because I could no longer hold the bow steady and I was trying to rush, which actually caused more issues with getting my shot to fire consistently. 

  When we came upon the leopard without spots, the rain began coming down in buckets and made it almost impossible to see the targets. Luckily, I 10d the leopard, but it hit at the bottom of the 10-ring and to the left, and I knew I had too much number. After we all shot the target, we basically ran to the next one, which was a polar bear. I think I made my best shot of the day on that long, uphill standing bear, but the arrow once again hit low and left of the 10-ring. I knew I had the right number on it, too.  When we got to the rubbing buck, I couldn't see anything out of my scope. There was so much water all over everything, and there was no escaping it. It had quickly turned into a monsoon. I aimed the best I could and thought the pin was in the middle but the arrow ended up low and left of the 10-ring. 

  When we finally arrived at the last target of the day, a bedded buck, the rain showed no mercy. Nobody could see the target, and our scopes and peeps were filled with water. Once again, I made a great shot, but the arrow found it's way to the low left of the 10-ring, but this time it dropped even farther below the ring and barely caught foam on the animal. I had even added yardage to that shot because of the previous three targets, but it wasn't enough. 

  I walked away from the last target and felt like my good day had washed away with the rain. I've never had much change on any bow in big rain, but after today, I can no longer say the same. The rain affected this setup drastically, and it did it quickly without warning. I'm thinking it may have happened because I have barely any miles on this bow or the strings and cables. I'm thinking they may not have been worked in well enough to handle the amount of water they absorbed. When I got home, I shot two groups of three arrows from 50 yards, and all of the arrows hit outside of the blue on a 5-spot. 

However, the third group of arrows found their way back too the white. I'm not sure what happened, but I need to learn from it and make the adjustments after the first shot gets away. Instead, I let the problem go and fed into it, which in turn made me lose nine points due to something that I couldn't control. Lesson of the day: trust yourself enough to adjust something after two shots in a row hit someplace they shouldn't hit while shooting in pouring rain. I ended up finishing at 10 down... 290 and nine of the points disappeared in the last three shots. 

                                                                    My Take on the Day

  

  Going into the day, I didn't know what to expect. I knew there would be a lot of tricky yardages, rough terrain, and shots that would test accuracy. Since national ASA and IBO events are different, I figured if I brought my ASA setup and it performed well, I would have a little more confidence going into the ASA Pro-Am in Kentucky next weekend. 

  Well, I got out of there with the confidence, but I need to figure out what's causing the random low shots this year. I do know I don't seem to get them when I shoot less holding weight, but I make better shots with the higher holding weight. I need to find something that is in the middle and works on both ends: aiming and execution. Considering the course had a lot of big yardage on it, with the blue stake averaging just shy of 42 yards, I think I held my own for having never shot this bow anywhere other than in the yard. I consider that a success. However, it's hard to walk off a course and feel good about the fact that I shot really well until the monsoon hit, and that is when I lost most of the points. I feel I'm better than to lose points due to those circumstances. I wish I could've shot the course on a nice day, but it wasn't possible. I did learn that this bow is one of the few that I've ever shot that had adverse reactions to getting drenched. I will now put that in my memory bank and remember it: I hit considerably low and left when the bow gets sopping wet. I'll have to add a few yards and give it a few clicks left if I encounter weather like that again. 

  I've had the pleasure of shooting with Jacob many times over the last handful of years, both indoors and outdoors, and his ability never ceases to amaze me, but I saw something on Saturday that made my smile and root for him even harder.   

  As we began, he started off well, and, as I always tell everyone, it only takes one to start a streak. Well, his streak started on target 1 and continued the rest of the day. His shot was effortless and his arrows found their way to the center on 2/3 of the shots, and this was not an easy course. In my time, I love shooting with him when his shot breaks and he says, "Yup." He knows he 11d it before the arrow is even half way to the target. 

  As we progressed through the range, he was clicking on all cylinders and it was incredible to watch. When you get to shoot with one of the best shooters in the world regularly, you become numb to it at times. However, there are some times when these people do things that are mind-boggling. Saturday was one of those days. It looked like he transported himself back to his youth and semi-pro days. I'm hoping the roll continues so we can all cheer him on along the way. 

  Some people think things come easy to shooters like Jacob. I can be the first to tell you that he encounters all the struggles that we all face every day, week, month and year. I've learned since the beginning of my time behind a bow that our struggles are what define us. They will either make us or break us. It's all up to us to decide what will happen in our own personal situations. 

  I choose to shoot with Jacob so often because he makes me better. He also makes me realize that nobody is perfect and nobody can be perfect. I've seen him shoot zeros, fives, eights, tens, elevens and twelves, but he always recovers and makes the changes necessary to be better the next time. I can only hope that in some small way I've made him better too, as my goal with archery is to make myself better, share my passion and help others get better too, even if it's just from a quick conversation or an inspiring quote. I'm never going to help Jacob shoot a better shot, and I'm not going to help him shoot more 11s. However, if I can give him a bit of advice from one of my past experiences, it might just help him somewhere in the future. He has given me plenty of shooting advice that has helped me along the way, and I'll be forever thankful for that.

  If you surround yourself with good people who are great shooters, it will improve your game and you won't even know it's happening. I challenge all of you to surround yourself with the best shooters you can find and shoot with them. Competition drives people to succeed. It will thin out the weak, and only the strong survive. 

  We are headed to London, Ky., this week to try our hand at the ASA Pro-Am. I'm going in with no expectations because the ranges aren't usually set up like all of the other other ASAs. London has horribly dark lanes and a lot of terrain if you get stuck on the wrong ranges. I have one goal for the tournament, and that is to get used to formulating a plan for the next two ASAs, so I have a place to start. I'm hoping to make Metropolis and the Classic providing I can do it. I'm not getting any younger, and I just want to shoot a few ASAs this year to see if I can hold my own. I used to be good at it back in the day and got on the podium a few times as a much younger man, so I'll take my chances again and see where it leads me. It's difficult to compete against people who solely shoot ASA, but I'm going to try my hand at it. After all, last week in Pipestem, many of the regular faces in the ASA shootoffs tried their hand at IBO and didn't fare too well, which is to be expected because the tournaments are not similar in any way, from aiming at lower 12s to the different types of targets. I'm hoping my transition this week will prove fruitful and give me something to build off from. Only time will tell, but I'll give it my best shot. 

  I encourage all of my Northeast friends to try to get to the two IBOs next weekend: Guan Ho Ha in New York or Catamount Bowhunters in Vermont. Show your support and help these clubs. Have fun out there and I'll see you at the next one. 

   

1st Leg of the National Triple Crown

 

  When I packed my bags and headed to West Virginia last week, I didn't leave with an abundance of confidence. After spending a lot of time preparing for the National Senior Games with a different bow, my 3D bow felt foreign when I got home and had one day to practice before leaving for the first leg of the IBO National Triple Crown. Then, the last shot I took at home allowed me to watch my arrow glance off the back of my impala and zip into the woods behind the target... not exactly how you want to end your day before you head to a national event. 

                                                                         Practice Day

  When we got to the event, I was agitated when Wade and Dad signed up for the field event and headed to that range to participate. I knew my dad's eyes would't allow him to stand a chance at having any fun, as thy have been getting worse by the day. Jeff, Rob and I dilly dallied around until we finally made our way to the practice range, and there were people all over the place waiting to shoot. 

  When we finally got going, I didn't feel that great, but most of the arrows hit behind the pin and I shot well considering the travel day and getting there in the early morning hours. My hold wasn't that great, but my shot felt decent, and I centered some tough shots. 

  As we were getting done, I saw Dad and Wade heading onto the practice range. They had just finished the field round, and Dad was not in a good mood. He lost arrows and broke a few too. He couldn't see the targets well enough to shoot them, and he wore himself out in the process... mentally and physically. I felt bad for him and thought he and Wade should've just headed to the 3D range to get in 20 targets rather than spending the day on the field range.

  While I was on the practice range, Bill McCall called me and asked if I would be interested in being on his team that TruBall was sponsoring, so I accepted the invitation and joined the team. The team is made up of Bill, Digger Cogar, Loren Robinson and me. I'm honored that those guys considered me to join them. I could never ask to be associated with better people, and I firmly believe that being surrounded by good people helps others grow and succeed. I hope I do my part on the team and represent TruBall to the best of my ability and make my teammates proud. 

                                                                          First Day 

  After the pro meeting at 9 a.m., we learned that we had to hike a ways to get to the range where we would be shooting. So Jacob, Jeff and I began marching up the road. We discussed a few things, and we all felt ready for what was ahead of us. When I checked the table to see who I would be shooting with, I saw that I would start on target 16, and Jeff Hopkins, Jim Livak, and Ralph Burkett would be in my group. I shot with Jeff at the IBO World last year, and we had a good time shooting, so I didn't expect anything different for this one. 

  As we waited for the horn to start, I glanced at the targets around me. I was relieved to see that I would be starting on a Corsican ram and ending with a bedded elk. Finally, when the go-ahead was given to shoot, I waited my turn. When it was my turn, I felt confident with my number and had a good aiming spot with a few arrows in the 11. My pin quickly settled on the arrows and the shot fired instantly. The arrow appeared in the 11. After a fist bump from Jeff, we moved to the next target, which was an antelope. 

  When I drew the bow and settled into my aim, the shot quickly fired and the arrow found its way into the 11-ring again. My shot felt great, and my aim was steady. I knew I was ready to have a good day, and my confidence was high. The next few shots were pretty tough, as I stayed steady and 10d both of them, a fallow deer and a long rubbing buck, which many people fived. That was target number 20. 

  When I turned the corner and a saw leopard with a pretty good angle to it at target 1, I knew it was going to be a tough shot. When I drew the bow on it, the pin never settled good, and I tried to muscle through the shot. It created a lot of tension and pin movement, and I knew the result was going to be ugly when the shot fired. Although I had the right yardage, the arrow smashed the plastic tubing holding the core in place, and a 5 found its way onto my card. I was not happy about it because I earned it and, it was nobody's fault but my own. I made a piss-poor shot and paid the price for it. The shot became weak and I let it live instead of killing it on the spot. I will not allow that to happen the next time. 

  I quickly made up for the bad shot on the next target, a bedded doe, and made a great shot. The arrow struck less than an inch from the 11, and I felt really good about the recovery. I continued making good shots as we made our way through the course, which meandered down a hill. 

  When I got to a target that was set amongst a bunch of low pine saplings, I couldn't identify the target. Finally, I realized it was a large black bear. It was clearly under 40 yards, but it was deceiving. The first guy led it off and smoked the 11-ring. I quickly glanced at the nock and knew I could slide my arrow down the right side of it. I held good and made a decent shot. When the arrow struck the target, I knew I had missed my mark by a hair. I figured it was a right-side 10. However, when I sat down and looked at it through my binoculars, I realized the slight miscalculation had resulted in an unnecessary 8. The arrow was in the 11, but the nock was well to the right of the 11. I hadn't paid close enough attention and paid the price for my lack of focus. 

  Continuing from there, my shot remained strong, and I shot a few inside-out 11s on a Dahl sheep and a snarling wolf. While waiting to shoot the snarling wolf there was a little backup in the area and three groups were in close proximity. Everyone began talking and joking back and forth, and we busted Gillingham's balls about shooting the black bear a few targets earlier for 44 yards. Then he laughed and said, "Yup, unknown yardage, the only place where two wrongs make a right." 

  The joking escalated from there, and before I knew it I couldn't stop laughing. It went from target sets, to other tournament to turkey hunting and everything in between. When we finally had our turn at a long, downhill brown bear, the number stuck out to me. As I was holding on it, my sight picture bobbled a little bit and the shot fired when the pin was low and left. When the arrow struck the target, I knew it wasn't where it needed it to be. Upon walking to the target, I wasn't pleased to see that I had missed the 10-ring about an inch to the right. 

  As we walked up to the next target, it was a downhill black panther that was set in some dark pines, making it look a mile away. I felt confident with my number when it was my turn to shoot, and I was excited to get after it. Almost every photo that has been taken of me while shooting in a national event has been taken when I shot 11s, so my confidence was booming. Well, the streak was finally broken. I shot out the top of it and got an 8. Here's the shot.

    After the black panther, I struggled through my last four targets and somehow was able to come out of the day at 11 down. What had started as a great day turned into something that reminded me of driving on a clean highway and instantly hitting an unknown snow squall at 75 mph. After day one, I sat in 12th place. It wasn't exactly where I had planned on being or where I wanted to be, but I knew I couldn't do much worse the following day. 

                                                                      Day 2

    When I walked to the table to get my target assignment for Day 2, I learned that I would be in the third peer group with Loren Lohr, Tom Pierce and Scott Price. I was actually surprised to see how far down I was after Day 1. I thought I would've been a little higher, and I knew I had my work cut out for me on Day 2. It's hard to make up any ground while shooting against the best of the best, especially enough ground to get into the shootoff. I would have to pass seven people to get there. Although it's not an unheard of task, it is pretty difficult at that level with only 20 targets to go. 

  As we picked our way through the course, I didn't capitalize on a few 11s that were there to be had, but I stayed in the 10 and didn't go backward. When we got to target 20, I couldn't see the target. We had to look all over to find it. Then... we found it. There was a lynx nestled into a spot in front of a big log on a side hill, and it wasn't exactly what I would call close. 

  I made a sub-par shot on it and hit the 8-line low. I was disappointed because I made a weak shot, and I should've gotten a 10 because I had the right number. Those are the points you can't afford to give away. Unfortunately, Tim's statement did't work on that one. One wrong didn't make a right. Maybe if I had misjudged it long by about three yards, I would've fallen into his statement of two wrongs making a right. It just wasn't meant to be on that target, so I packed up my stuff and moved to the next one. 

  I picked through the course and shot strong shots. When we got near the end, I saw a long, downhill grazing doe that was set below an overhanging tree. I knew it was between 45-50 yards, and I felt confident I could get it. When I anchored and settled in, the pin moved a tad more than normal but not too terribly bad. When the shot fired, the arrow landed just below the 10-ring. I was disappointed because I was convinced I had the right number, and after reviewing it with the other guys, I did. 

  The next target was a chip-shot strutting turkey, and the first shooter put an arrow in the middle of the 11. I briefly looked at it before drawing my bow. The pin settled on the white nock and I broke a good shot. I glanced off the nock and felt good about it. Then, I sat down and looked through my binoculars to see my arrow splitting the 8-line high. Once again, I did the same thing I did the previous day. The arrow was in the 11, but the nock was high due to the arrow being kicked. I hit my spot, but that spot wasn't the place I needed to be. I sat there dumbfounded, irritated, and asking myself what the heck I was doing. 

  Walking to the next target, I knew I had to get back on track. Getting to the top of a small hill, I saw a wolverine at the end of a downhill lane, and it was in between a bunch of low pine saplings. I couldn't see much of anything except the target, and I was hesitant about setting my sight. Finally, I decided on a number and locked the sight in place. Upon drawing my bow and the pin coming to rest in the 10-ring, I instantly knew I had the wrong number. However, I couldn't force myself to hold any higher in fear of possibly being wrong and sending one over the wolverine's back. It's amazing how many things can go through the mind in a matter of seconds. 

  Seconds later, my shot broke and my heart went into my throat. I wanted my arrow go grow wings to keep it high enough to hit the target. Then, I saw it appear in the belly, hanging by a thread. Like the previous day, I had a short stretch of targets that pummeled me. 

  After the three-target disaster, I made my way through the rest of the course and shot two 11s and two 10s, barely missing the 11 on the two 10s. I was done... and I knew I gave away a spot in the shootoff. I finished with a 385. I shot far too many 8s and the two fives did me in. I had to settle for a 7th place finish, but my consistency showed up again, as I seem to always give myself a chance. I've always told people that the best thing you can strive for is consistency because consistency will always have you within reach to strike. 

                                                                          My Final Thoughts

  Having only gone to two 3D events before heading to this one, I feel good about my performance. While I left a lot of points out there, I think I did alright. It was a new experience for me shooting low letoff, and I think it worked well. I let down very few times over the two days, and my shots broke much cleaner than normal. However, I did identify a few things I need to work on with the lower letoff. I need to pay better attention to shots that begin deteriorating and get out of them as soon as possible. 

  Looking back on the weekend, I didn't know how I got off the tracks both days, but I figured it out over the last few days. I got distracted both days and lost my focus for a short period of time. I missed the little things that you need to pay attention to and let my attention to detail slip away when I needed it the most. I"m thinking it probably happened because I don't have many shoots under my belt this year, so I know that will improve going forward. 

  I'd like to congratulate all of the people from my region who represented our region and landed on the podium. Congratulations to all of you. Hopefully, we can all work together and continue representing our fellow archers from back home.  Until then ---------------------> see you at the next one. The Angry Archer is signing out.

National Senior Games: Aging and Archery

 

  Last fall when Dad told me the 2021 National Senior Games had been moved to 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., due to COVID-19 and asked if I would be interested in going, I really had no interest. As most of you know, target archery has not been too enjoyable for me after returning to archery after having reconstructive shoulder surgery in 2011. I used to really enjoy it when I did it much better than I currently do it. However, it’s extremely difficult now to shoot consecutive good shots for any long period of time. While I can hold my own, it takes everything I have to do so. That’s the reason why my primary focus has turned to 3D over the last decade. 

  After stepping away and showing no interest in going to the Senior Games, I had a look-in-the-mirror moment and realized it was something I should do – and must do. How many children ever have had the opportunity to compete in the National Senior Games with a parent? I’m sure there haven’t been too many over the years. 

  I used the next few weeks to shoot at the 900-round target to see if I felt confident enough shooting at it to go to the Games and not make a fool out of myself. After a few go-arounds in practice, I didn’t shoot below an 890 in any of the scoring rounds I shot. I knew that would play, so I signed up. However, the ugly, nagging beast lurking behind the curtain poked its head out and winked at me. It made me aware of its presence, and I felt it: would I be able to shoot two 900 rounds over two consecutive days and have anything left in my shoulders when I got to the second day? Even after sending a lot of arrows downrange, I felt confident I could get through two rounds, so I signed up. I had qualified in a few different locations, so the qualification wasn’t an issue. 

                                                                Preparing for the Event

  As everyone knows, this spring hasn’t been the best time to prepare for any type of archery event. The wind has been extreme all spring, and when the wind hasn’t blown, it has been raining.  It simply didn’t allow me the proper amount of time behind the bow to get it to be what I would call a forgiving setup. I also dealt with a lot of pain in my shoulders because I shot way too many arrows on consecutive days to ensure I would be able to shoot the two rounds at the Senior Games. 

  So last week, I packed my bags, jumped on a plane with my dad and headed to Florida. Unfortunately, we were scheduled to travel with my mom, as she and Dad always to go to the Games together, but Mom couldn’t go due to the battle she’s been fighting. She wasn’t strong enough to make the trip, and she is our biggest supporter. We both knew it would be difficult without her because she always likes to go, and she is our everything. My mom doesn't get nearly enough credit for my success, but I can assure you that I get much of who I am from her, and I appreciate her support.

                                                                     Practice Day

 

  I wanted to make sure I didn’t shoot too many shots on practice day because I knew I would need my arms and shoulders strong for the tournament. Dad and I shot for a while, and things didn’t play out like I had planned. While I didn’t shoot terrible, I definitely didn’t light it up. However, I changed releases from my HBC Flex to my trusty TruBall Execute. I shot one last group from 60 yards and shot 5xs and a 10. With that, I decided I would shoot that release the following day. 

                                                                          Day 1

  We were welcomed on Day 1 with bright sunlight and scorching heat. I knew it would be a long day out in the sun. Although the heat doesn’t ever bother me, I’m not a fan of shooting arrows in a wide-open field all day in it. I’d rather be walking through the woods shooting at 3D targets. It’s just more my style, and I’ve come to like that game much more than shooting a lot of arrows at a target in a field where there’s no escape from the sun. 

  When we were called to the shooting line for our first of two practice ends, I executed a perfect shot and looked through the spotting scope to see the arrow squarely in the X. I was off to a good start. The next shot hit in the red at 9’oclock and I followed that one up with two more that were almost touching it, and they were perfect shots. Knowing something wasn’t right, I quickly found the culprit. The screw that holds the scope onto the sight had loosened up. I tightened it and shot my final arrow. The arrow landed next to the first one, which had landed in the x, and I felt good about it. However, my confidence was shaken because I wasn’t certain that the malfunction could’ve made the other four arrows hit that far to the left.  In the next practice end, all my doubts were set aside when all my arrows found their way into the 10-ring. I was ready for the official scoring to begin. 

  The first scoring end started, and I knew I was going to have a good day. Every shot broke cleanly, and I missed one, scoring a 59. I navigated through the next 24 arrows at 60 and ended up moving on to 50 at 6 down, but that’s when I ran into trouble at 50. I had to battle a few rising glucose issues throughout the 50 round, and the break we had to take between 50 and 60 somewhat distracted me. I ended up dropping the same number of points at 50, and I very rarely drop more than two at 50 under ideal conditions. 

  When we moved to 40, I got back on track and executed all good shots. One shot bobbed when it broke and hit a hair low, barely missing the line. I ended the day at 887, which was the highest score of any archer on the first day. I wasn’t overly satisfied with the day because I knew I hadn’t shot to my potential, but I also accepted it for what it was: it was a better day than anyone else on the range had been able to put together. Although it was below my average, I accepted it and moved on.

 

                                                                                   Day 2

 

  I didn’t sleep well the night after the first round. My legs, arms, neck, and face got badly burnt. Dad and I went to Walmart to buy some stuff to put on our burns. Unfortunately, Dad is taking Doxycycline for his Lyme disease, and you’re not supposed to be in the sun while taking it. Since we couldn’t control the sunlight, he had to be out in it all day, and it took its toll going into Day 2. I can relate to a medical condition doing its damage and not allowing a person to be able to shoot to his best ability. I’ve experienced it way too many times over the years, and I’ll be the first to tell you that you have no idea how it really feels until you experience it. I can recall seeing three targets at the same time and shooting the one in the middle, just hoping that was the actual target. Dealing with medical issues is tough enough, but it’s even worse when you’re shooting in a two-day event, and the condition lets you have it on one of those days, preventing you from ever knowing how you would have truly finished without having to deal with the complications.

  When we got to the site, we settled in and waited for the round to begin. I felt confident and knew my chances of topping the previous day’s score would be good. I had it rolling the day before, and I knew I could improve upon that. 

  Finally, the first practice end began, and I felt good. The bow held relatively well, and my shots broke cleanly. When I looked through the spotting scope, I couldn’t believe the arrows weren’t landing in the 10-ring. Although they weren’t in the 10-ring, they were close to it. 

  After the second end of practice, I knew I was going to have one of those days where I had to shoot the best shots I could shoot and hope for the best. When I had completed shooting all 12 arrows for the two practice ends, it became obvious to me that I wasn’t holding as well, but I couldn’t figure out why. I didn’t feel overly tired, but the bow had a steady jitter while I was aiming it. It even bounced around a bit. I surely wasn’t used to the sight picture, but I also didn’t think it was too terribly bad. I knew I could survive 

  I shot five good shots in the first scoring end. Walking to the target, I was irritated that I only hit two 10s. I should’ve had five of them with one barely out the bottom due to a weaker shot than the rest. That set the tone for the day. I continued making good shots and watching them hit all around the 10-ring. By the time I was done at 60 yards, I had dropped more points than I had probably dropped in any full practice game at home. 

  I put my head down and just tried to get through the round and stay above water. The damage had been done, and there’s basically no way to recover from any big damage during that round if you’re shooting against an archer who scores well on it. The round gets progressively easier, making it much easier to stay clean as you progress through it. 

  After we cleared 60 and moved to 50, I began figuring out some of the issues I was having. I was pulling and pushing too hard. While it’s okay to push and pull with even tension on both ends, I was giving it too much. This caused the shaky sight picture because I was creating too much tension with my push/pull instead of just maintaining the pressure and letting it build slightly on both ends instead of trying my hardest to do it quickly. You would think an archer who has shot for many years would’ve figured out the problem earlier in the round and made the adjustment to fix it. I guess, it just took me too long on this day, and I paid the price for it. 

  The wind picked up a little bit on the last game, and I stayed strong throughout it. The wind got me on two shots, as I couldn’t control the gusts that sent the arrows off course. I can deal with that during any archery event. Shooting in steady wind and shooting in gusty wind are two entirely different things. I’d rather shoot in a steady wind. 

  When the round ended, I was not a happy camper. I was irritated with myself and still haven’t let it go. Throughout any archery rounds, we all have things that eat at us, and this shoot will eat at me for a long time for a variety of reasons. I’ll come to terms with it in the next few days, but right now I’ll let it seep into my memory and improve upon the things that I confronted. 

                                                          

                                                                             My Heroes

 

  I’ve been at this game a long time, and I have come across many people who have influenced my archery career. Since I have spent most of my time shooting in New England, most of my dearest archery friends are from New England. There are so many guys I met when I was young, and I respected all of them and tried gaining things from each one of them. There are way too many of them to name, but a few of them who instantly come to mind are Bob Rowe, Roger Thibault and Steph Hamner. I learned a lot from them, and they became good friends. We shared may dinner tables and conversations over the years, and I ‘ll be forever thankful for that. They made me better. 

  I’m not sure when I met Sam Coffin, but it was also in that era. I liked Sam from the day I met him, and we have remained friends since then. I always wanted to be consistent like Sam the Southpaw. He always shot well and stayed under the radar. He was one of those guys who was always in the mix, and nobody ever talked about him. I wanted to be like him. I wanted to be that guy whom everyone ignored, but then I would find my way to the top. Sam was a good guy to model myself after. He was quiet, determined and could shoot a bow. I wanted to approach things like Sam did.  

  I got to see Sam this weekend at the National Senior Games, and once again, Sam was in the hunt after a disastrous start. His peep decided it wanted to pop out after the last practice end the first day when someone knocked a bunch of bows over. He did the best he could to fix it, and in the end, he won a bronze medal. Kudos to Sam. He hasn’t changed since I met him, probably 25 years ago or more. Sam is also in the hunt for shooter of the year in the national ASA Pro-Ams. Let’s all route for him. He’s what all of you New Englanders should strive to be …. as a person… and as an archer. 

  Sam wasn’t the only New Englander to come home with some hardware. Dana Cyr and husband Randy also laid it down on the rest of the country. Dana won her second National Senior Games gold medal and Randy came home with a fourth-place finish. I’ve always loved competing in New England because of all of the shooters we have who make us strive to be like them and achieve the things they achieve. There’s something about these Maniacs, though. The Mainers always seem to go to the next level. 

  Then, there’s a trip I took to the National Archery Festival about 25 years ago. I was waiting at the tent in the field behind the Anheuser Busch factor to be assigned into a shooting group. I wasn’t looking forward to shooting in the fields, especially with a light rain and some wind already getting a good start on the day. I also knew I would have those dreaded ticks all over me when I got done with that course. 

  Finally, a guy from Reedy’s showed up and asked if he could shoot with us. I had never seen this old-timer, but Dad and I welcomed him into our group. That was the beginning of our friendship with Leon Sepuka. We have learned many things from each other over the years, and I have watched him and Dad fight some serious health issues. 

  I don’t talk to Leon often, but I do talk to him from time to time. He and Dad have been going to the Senior Games for quite a while, and Leon has battled. Well, he was battling again on Day 1 and found himself sitting in second at the end of the day. We talked about a few things at dinner, and he told me what he was going to do the next day. He stuck to his plan and won the gold medal in his division. I’m not sure I’ve ever been happier for a friend than I was for Leon. I felt my eyes get runny when I gave him a fist bump and a little celebratory hug for his accomplishment. Way to go, Leon. I’m proud of ya, buddy. 

 

 

                                         My Take on My First Trip to the National Senior Games

 

  I won’t lie and tell you I didn’t prepare for this event. I was well prepared when I left home. I had also set a few goals. Although I very rarely set score goals, I knew I could break the national record if the weather cooperated. It’s always tough to break outdoor records due to wind. You usually need ideal conditions to give it a serious run. I also knew I could afford to shoot well below my average both days and still clobber the record. 

  After the first day of shooting, I was mentally prepared to drop the hammer. I knew I could bomb the second day and still break the record. I’m not sure if those thoughts permeated my brain or if something else happened. However, when my last arrow of the second day struck the 10-ring, I knew I had broken the long-standing record, which had been set in 2009 when that score broke the previous record set in 2001.

 I accomplished my goal of breaking the record, and I broke it by three points. I felt good about that but also disappointed because of how things worked out the second day. I just couldn’t ever get in the flow. I’m not sure if that’s why the records aren’t as high as I figured they should be. Two days of a 900 round take their toll on the human body, especially bodies over 50 years old. I’m not going to blame anything on that because I think it was just that my aiming didn’t live up to par on the second day , and I shot as well as I aimed. Back to the record... I knew I had broken the record, but I also knew the guy in my group was ahead of me, so I would have to settle for the second highest score ever shot. They keep track of the top 10 scores ever shot, so my name will go in the record book in the second spot for now. I’m proud of that, and I can live with that. Ten years ago, I never would've imagined shooting one arrow, let alone 180 arrows over two days of competition. The road was long and hard to get there. I'm glad I stayed the course. 

Here is the list of all the archers who participated in this year's National Senior Games

 

Now, I’ll be headed to Pipestem this week to try my hand at 3D. Hopefully, things continue going in the right direction. Good luck to any of my followers and friends who are headed to the event. 

 

 

  

 

  

Winning

 

     Sitting here gazing out the window, the gray sky and drizzling rain bring a chill that sits inside my core and seeps into my bones. My energy is low, and my feet are cold. The dark, cold day brings aches and pains with it that radiate throughout my arms and shoulders. My body has taken all the punches… and I have survived to compete another day in another tournament. 

  The reaper has raised his sickle throughout the dark nights over the last four months. He makes himself felt and stands above me until he nudges me out of sleep. His efforts do not go unnoticed, as I can barely move my hands and shoulders once he forces me to open my eyes and acknowledge his presence. I can feel the tension build in my jaws as the grating of my teeth shatters the silence of the night. They tell me what nobody else can see -- or hear: Father Time is undefeated, and he will catch up to all of us.

  I will be boarding a plane one week from today. When the aircraft touches down, I will collect my items at baggage claim and walk into the Florida sunlight with my bow rolling behind me. I will be headed to Mirimar Regional Park to participate in my first National Senior Games. Dad has participated for many years, and I know that not many father and son duos get to participate in the same Senior Games. It’s not too often that life allows that to happen, so no matter what happens during the event, we will both be winners. 

  I have gone out of my way to prepare for this event, and I feel well prepared. I have shot in calm conditions, high winds and rain.  Although the reaper has visited me nightly, I continue holding him at bay. This event will test every ounce of will power I have inside of me. We all know how grueling it can be to shoot 90 arrows in a tournament. Then, if any tension exists, it is felt the next day. This tournament will require two days of 90 arrows, with 900 being a perfect score each day. 

  The weather has not made this easy, and I have probably spent way too much time getting ready for this event. However, I don’t like to head into anything while being unprepared. I’ve had a few phenomenal practice sessions, many average ones, and a few dismal ones. I will just go shoot my bow and take the test to see if the time spent on my homework assignments leads to a good test grade. 

  As we get involved in training, we sometimes get lost in the reasons why we shoot our bows. I’m guilty of this, too. The last month has been extremely frustrating at times. The wind, rain and snow have made it extremely difficult to achieve things with a setup that can be trusted. When those things combine with the shoulder and arm issues I deal with every day, it often makes me wonder if I should gradually disappear from competitive archery. I find myself caught in thought but don’t want to give in until I absolutely must. However, I’ve always been a baseball fan, and I’ve seen far too many great players hang around longer than they should have. It’s all for the love of the game, and I love archery. I guess it’s just a matter of accepting you can’t be what you once were. As Toby Keith says, “I’m not as good as I once was, but I’m as good as I ever was.”

  This brings me back to my initiation to competitive archery. I always thought I was pretty good, so I decided to head to a local archery tournament at Iroquois Rod and Gun Club outside of Albany. I couldn’t believe the number of vehicles in the parking lot when I pulled in on that late spring day. There were archers everywhere, and it was an intimidating sight. I went with a friend, and after signing in, we were grouped with a few other guys. 

  When the dust settled and the scores were added up, I learned that I had won the tournament in the fingers class. We shot Cloud 2D targets, and 3Ds had not yet been introduced to the competitive archery world. 

  A lot of time has passed since that spring day in the ‘80s. I was in college, and the only aches and pains I ever experienced were from a hard skate while playing hockey or from running up and down the court while playing pick-up basketball for hours on end. 

  Over time, my body has encountered a lot of obstacles, and I’ve found a way to work around them. I’m hoping I figure out a way to work around these issues, but if I can’t, I will know the journey brought me to many destinations. I’m looking forward to the months ahead, and I’m sure things will figure themselves out in that time. I’m tentatively planning to attend a lot of events in case, in fact, this does have to be my last year. 

  Although I’m sure the reaper will not follow me off the plane next week, his presence will be felt. The fire from his breath will burn my neck and pierce my shoulders, but I will smile and be thankful that I’m on the field winging arrows. When the horn sounds for the first official scoring end, I will latch my release to the bowstring, draw my bow, anchor, and let the child inside me release my arrows. My face will broaden with smiles and an internal giggle will be felt in my belly when I know I’ve struck the highest scoring bullseye. Then, I’ll still smile if I must trudge down the field and pull arrows out of the grass behind the target.

 The 10-year-old Todd will appear, then look at me and wink. He will pat me on the back, ask me to bend down, and he will whisper, “I love shooting my bow with my dad.”

 I will look into his innocent brown eyes, wink back, and as he walks away, I will glance down the line to the man I call Dad and be forever thankful that that man bought me a bow and helped me chase my dreams around the country. We are not in our backyard shooting bows and wondering where life will take us, but we are still enjoying the flight of the arrow.

 Thump, thump, thump… smack, smack, smack. Listening to bows releasing arrows and the arrows hitting the target, I’m brought back to reality. Seconds later, my last arrow of the first end is on its way to the target. The Bohning Air vanes spin the arrow through the air like a tight spiral. I step away and see my younger self rejoicing in the backyard… hands over my head and I’m yelling, “YES, YES, YES.” My arrow is in the 10.

Pennsylvania IBO State Championship

 It wasn't until Thursday when I decided to gather a group and head five hours south to Pennsylvania to try our hand at the Pennsylvania IBO State Championship. I had heard a lot of great things about the club hosting it, Cushion Peak, and decided to go since it would be my last chance to shoot a 3D event before heading to West Virginia for the First Leg of the National IBO Triple Crown in three weeks. 

  Once again, it was impossible to get any decent practice in over the last week. The temperatures are still hanging in the 30 to 50-degree range and the wind didn't slow to below 20 mph one time last week. It has taught me to never take the weather for granted. I've spent the last month trying to get two solid days of practice in to figure out what needed to be done to the bow to achieve the most forgiveness out of it, but I'm still waiting on the weather. 

  Originally, my dad thought he would make he trip, but after a trip to the eye doctor, we got to the bottom of his accuracy issues this spring: he cannot see what he's shooting at. The cataracts in his eyes have made it impossible for him to achieve any type of stable visibility, making it impossible to hit in the same place regularly. His heart has been set on the National Senior Games in Florida in a few weeks, but it doesn't appear that he will be able to have surgery in time for the games. Instead, he will strap on his warrior helmet and fight until the end, although he will not be bringing his A-game, B-Game or C-game.

                                                 The Trip to Pennsylvania

  I rolled out of bed around 4:00 a.m. and headed to Saratoga to pick up Jeff. After getting him, we got Jacob in Clifton Park and began our trek. The roads were relatively clear of traffic and we made good time, arriving at the shoot location around 9:45. When we stepped out of the car, we were greeted with a clear blue sky and actual green plants. We figured that could be an issue since none of us have seen any greenery yet. 

  When we starting flinging arrows at the target butt, I felt confident when the arrows in both of my groups were all touching. It's amazing what can happen when you shoot in calm conditions. It actually boosted my confidence a little bit before heading onto the range. Although I shot a few good groups, Jeff seemed to be hitting to the left but decided not to move his sight. 

  Walking down the road to the first target, it didn't take long to see that we would be starting our day on a caribou. After a 5-hour drive and eight practice arrows, it felt good to know that our first target wouldn't be that bad.

  After the cards were scrambled and drawn, I quickly learned that I would be the third shooter. Jacob led off by smoking the 11, and Jeff followed with an 8 to the left. His stabilizer had come loose on the bottom of his bow, and he found it resting against the string after the shot. When I settled into my shot, it felt great. The pin drifted to the middle and I executed my best shot of the spring. The arrow landed inside out in the 11-ring... I was off to a good start. 

  The second target was the standing grizzly, and the number stuck out to me, but the low, green vegetation made me question the number even though I knew I had a good one. My arrow found its way into the 10-ring, and I felt confidence building due to the ability to execute two good shots in a row. 

  Making our way to the third target, I could see a gobbling turkey and knew I had to lead it off. Turkeys have never bothered me after making them my favorite target many years ago. I used to piss and moan about turkeys in the old days because I always shot them poorly. Over the years, I knew if I made them my favorite target, I would get better at shooting them, and that is definitely what happened. 

  I held to the left of the black stripe in the 10-ring and executed another good shot. The arrow struck near the bottom of the 10-ring, and I knew it had a chance. However, after Jacob shot his arrow, it slid down the top of mine and gave me no chance of pulling a line. It might have had a small chance before his arrow struck the target but none afterward. Moving along after scoring the arrows, I felt good about my start. After all, that arrow was close, and a gobbling turkey isn't an official target on national ranges. 

  As we picked our way through the rest of the first 10 targets, I began gaining confidence in my shooting. When we got to the eighth target, I saw a hogzilla. Jeff made a good shot to lead it off, and the arrow landed at 6 o'clock in the 10-ring. 

  When I began aiming at it, I think his nock drew me to it. Although I thought I was holding higher, I'm not sure if that's what really happened. My arrow struck the target directly below his arrow, and I walked away with an 8. Jacob's arrow hit right next to mine, and we were both sure we had a good number. Walking away from the target, I tucked the experience in my back pocket and moved forward. 

  When we got to the 10th target, I spotted a coyote down the hill. I made a great shot and blew it out the top of the 10-ring. It was my first bad number of the day. Looking at the card after 10, I felt good about where I stood. I had a 96 with a few 11s and two of the 8s were on targets that aren't in the official lineup of national targets. First 10 = confidence builder = success. 

                                                    Second 10

    When we walked down the road to start our second 10, I began feeling an attitude creep out of the depths of the my soul. I've never been a fan of novelty-type shots. I don't think they have a place in actual tournaments. Yes, they are fun for your average bowhunters and crowds who go to 3Ds to have fun, but they're not fun for me and never have been. Who knows... maybe I need to take the same approach I took with turkeys many years ago when I come across these shots in the future. 

  Jeff had to lead off the first target of the second 10, and it was a mountain lion that was set up in an old tree platform that was used at one time for elevated shots. It wasn't a shot you would ever come across at a national event due to the danger that a set like that can create. So before I shot at the target, I was already irritated and let it distract me from running my normal program. 

  Skipping the steps and ignoring the fact I did it, I drew the bow and settled onto the vitals of the mountain lion. Seconds later, I heard a loud noise and thought I had missed the target. The arrow stuck just under the core and smashed the plastic that holds the core in place. Now, my blood began to boil.

Making my way down the trail to the next target, I knew I had to lead it off. It was a bomb of a brown bear, and it was straight downhill. I did something that I NEVER do at these shoots. I looked at the other stakes and didn't really estimate the distance to the target. I just set my sight according to the other stakes and once again skipped all the steps in my process. The result wasn't good and I went on an 8 streak that I didn't think would end. 

  By the time I put an end to the streak, I had dropped 19 points because of being irritated. I might have misjudged one or two in there, but most of them were more than likely because I got sidetracked and didn't run the process. There was also a lot of nasty terrain we encountered in that stretch and Jacob and I both learned we needed to shorten our draw lengths a hair to be more comfortable on hills and be able to execute better shots. 

  The last 10 seemed to bring me back to my normal shooting, and I ran a long streak of 10s before finally shooting an 8 on a strutting turkey, as my arrow hit just over the 10-ring. I had no problem accepting that. The next target was a long, uphill Big 10 and it had a really steep angle on it for the distance. We all hit it barely out of the 10 to the right, and I hit exactly where my pin was when the shot fired. Here are Jeff and Jacob finishing their day on the white goat.

  We ended our day on a white goat. I made a great shot, and the arrow landed just under the 11. I could walk to the car with my head held high. Somehow, I survived one of the worst scoring rounds I've shot in a long time and was able to find a few positives: I need to hone in on the draw length and make sure I get it to the spot I need it for shooting on uneven terrain, and I need to work on staying focused at these shoots. 

                                                    Thoughts on the Day

  I'm glad I spent 10 hours in a car for the day. This was one of the better shoots I've ever attended as far as getting ready for a national goes. It was tough but fair, and it tested every skill a 3D archer needs to succeed. Unfortunately, it tested my ability to stay focused after letting little things irritate me, and I flunked that part of the test. If I throw that part out, I consider the day a success. I still don't have a 3D bow where I want it, but I'm hoping to gain ground on that this week. Time is getting shorter by the day to have this stuff ready and shooting at the level I consider acceptable. I'm just not there yet. I'm praying for better weather this week. I'd love to get three days in a row without 25 mph sustained winds. 

  Traveling to shoots like that is fun when you're with good friends whom you respect. We get to share a lot of stories about life in general, and we also get to talk about archery. I'm not sure I'll be writing on here until I finish the National Senior Games in Florida in a few weeks. Hopefully, things go smoothly on our trip. 

  Although Saturday didn't give me a pretty scorecard, it gave me hope that I might be able to perform while dealing with the incredibly difficult shoulder issues I've been battling. I had streaks of brilliance in this shoot, and I proved to myself that I can hold my own on a really tough course if I stay mentally focused. There are going to be a lot of bumpy patches this summer, but I'm ready for them. Father Time is undefeated, and he has a way of stepping into our physical abilities and hindering them. Hopefully, he's just giving me a gentle warning and not taking out his sickle. I'm not ready to battle the archery reaper quite yet.

------------------------> quitters never win and winners never quit........I'll keep grinding------->