I'll preface this by telling you I'm going to try to keep this entry short. I'm exhausted from all of the traveling I did over the last couple of days, but I did it in hopes of smelling the roses at the end of the race. I'll also put this out there to keep all of the whispering voices from speaking before knowing anything.
Many people have already asked me why I attended the ASA State Shoot this weekend and not the IBO State Championship since I am an IBO State Director for New York. Well, the answer to that is pretty simple: in the last few years, most of my efforts for the IBO have centered around New England because we have one eastern New York club involved in the IBO Northeast Championship, and the last leg of the Northeast Triple Crown also took place in Vermont this year, and that shoot was about an hour and a half from my house. Tyler Thygesen, Rob LeLacheur, Sean Roberts, and I all worked together to provide shooters with the best practice we could give them for national events, and my presence at the Vermont event was more important than it was in New York, as my fellow directors in New York were looking after that.
So why did I drive five hours to Buffalo to shoot in the ASA event and bypass the IBO event? In case anyone out there in living in his own little cave with a bunch of other cave dwellers who like to stir the porridge next to the fire, I am shooting in a pro class and I have been attending ASA events also. Therefore, since I have no place to practice ASA in our region due to conflicting schedules, Jacob, Dad and I drove to Buffalo to get one round of practice in before the ASA Classic in Cullman, Ala., next weekend. It's hard to be competitive when you never see ASA targets, so we tried to get the only practice in that we could get. My priority is shooting and it always will be. I give my time to the IBO because I was born and raised as an IBO shooter, and that's where my heart will always lie. I also try to provide all of my fellow IBO shooters with the most realistic courses you will see as compared to national events, so you will be ready if you choose to attend the nationals or the World Championship.
We got up at 3:00 a.m. to make the five hour drive to Buffalo to be ready for the shotgun start. Upon arriving, I fired four practice arrows, but the issues I've been having with the severe pain in my elbow after returning from Nelsonville prevented me from daring to shoot any more arrows than that. The issue is in my bow arm, and the pain is excruciating when drawing my bow and aiming it. Getting into my orthopedic surgeon right now to have it looked at is all but impossible due to it not being an emergency and their unwillingness to give and immediate appointment.
When the shotgun blast sounded to begin, we were on our way. I executed a perfect shot on the first target, and thought I had a chance at the upper 12. I called all uppers for the day but informed my group that I would call a lower if I chose to shoot at one. I did that a few times throughout the day.
The issues started quickly with my elbow and the pain increased until my arm buckled at full draw about three targets in, sending the arrow well to the right. As we progressed through the course, I felt good about my plan. Over the last few ASA events I've shot, I've gone in with different plans. At the end of the day, I realized I had a great plan. I basically shot at almost every 12 but played in a manner that I thought would still keep me safe... if that's possible, while shooting unknown. At the end of the day, I realized that I was within the vicinity of almost every 12. Although I missed a few by a good margin, most of them were within an inch of the bonus ring. I could've shot a hammering round if they found their way into the rings. I'd say most of the misses were just from being unfamiliar with the targets and not knowing exactly where to hold.
When we headed down the homestretch, I got more confident with where to put my pin, and I ended up getting three of the last 12 and avoided going into the 8-ring on any of them. I walked off the course feeling good about the day. It was one of those days that made me well aware that I could shoot a big score with just a tad better aiming and a little luck. If the pain in my arm lessens, I will feel confident about executing the new plan I worked on at the event.
Jacob did Jacob at the event. He tried a few different releases and tried to get a better idea about the looks of a few targets. There were a few that we hit in the same spot and couldn't figure out how both arrows ended up in the same spot. I think that the sun or maybe glare or shadows plays a bigger part than we think on certain targets. That's the only explanation I can come up with as to why some targets steer everyone's arrow to the same place. After we shot about five targets in a windy field, things got much better when we got back into the woods and out of the wind.
Third Leg of IBO Northeast Triple Crown
There was a lot of excitement surrounding this shoot, and we knew Tyler Thygesen would give everyone a stellar course. Upon arriving, there were many peer groups gathering and getting ready to head onto the course. Not being in a peer group, we headed onto the course to get in front of everyone. Jacob, Jeff Wagoner and I all shot together.
After smoking the first target, a 40-yard fallow deer that was down a hill and out in some ferns in an open area, I felt good. I broke a great shot, and the arrow landed inside-out in the 11-ring. Walking to the next target, an extremely long downhill brown bear, there wasn't a whole lot to guess as far as the number goes. I just knew I had to make a good shot.
When I drew the bow, the sharp pain radiated from my elbow and into my forearm before bouncing back and streaking back through my elbow and finding a home in my bicep. In the few seconds it took for that to happen, the pain became too unbearable and my front arm started to collapse. Upon collapsing, the release fired, and the arrow barely caught foam in the belly. After struggling all year with shooting fives with the right number, I experienced it again. However, it was due to something beyond my control, so I let it go and moved to the next target.
I focused on bearing down, dealing with the pain the best I could, and trying to execute the best shots I could under the circumstances. I meandered through the course and did alright. While my sight picture was atrocious and my shot suffered, I didn't worry much about what everything looked like through my peep. I was still hitting behind the pin.
After shooting the bear, we made our way to the next target, a downhill wolverine. We shot the target and stepped aside to let another group shoot and pass us. It was about 42 yards and sitting next to a big tree. Jacob smoked the 11, and I barely missed it to the right. Jeff hit it just outside the 10 to the right.
While waiting for the group, we spotted a dead monkey. We quickly dispersed and took cover. Since we hadn't been to Vermont since monkey pox invaded the country we worried the monkey had lost its battle with the disease. We let it be and kept plugging along.
Although my arm was a mess, I picked my way through the course and felt good about the results. When we got to the water cooler after the howling wolf, Tyler was walking the course and caught up to us. I took a quick glance at the spike buck and knew I would smoke it. The number popped out to me. When it was my turn, the same issue I had with my elbow on the bear happened, and the shot broke. I barely caught an 8 high and to the right. I felt thankful to hit the target. I knew I was dealing with the adversity , although I also knew it probably wasn't in my best interest to continue shooting.
When we got to the 46-yard turkey, a sun spot was pointing directly at the middle of the 10. When my pin hit the middle, my shot fired and I exclaimed, "Oh, shit!"
I thought I saw the arrow strike the turkey near the brisket, but my eyes played a trick on me; the arrow was sitting in the middle of the 11. I had made a perfect shot and received a perfect grade on the scorecard. That shot was one of my best shots of the day.
As we approached the end of that course, we came upon a black panther, and the number stuck out to me. Jacob had an arrow sitting in the top of the 11, and I figured I would slide mine in under his. Before I drew my bow, we were all having an entertaining conversation about trapping. Tyler seemed more knowledgable than us on trapping terms and began explaining what the thought about different pelts from different areas. I was thinking he had been watching a lot of "The Frontier" on Netflix. The show is about the Hudson Bay Trading Company.
While I was at full draw, Tyler began talking about Saskatchewan beavers, and the conversation took a turn that I couldn't help but listen to. When I began listening, I lost my concentration and the shot broke. I hit the panther in the belly and had the right number. In the end, it was probably the best five I've ever shot because it was surely a conversation I'll never forget. I think this is a Greenfield Center beaver, but it could be a Saskatchewan one. I'll have to let Tyler feel it next time to see if he can tell where it came from because this beaver pelt rides on the console in the truck when we travel to all the events.
When we finally got to the last target of the first half, my arm was burning. Jeff and Jacob both hit the bedded buck a hair on the high side. I was pretty sure I had a good number, but I also couldn't help myself from listening to Tyler talk about blown-out raviolis. Between the blown-out raviolis and Jacob's theory on gravity, I was finding it a little hard to concentrate. When the shot fired, the arrow struck their arrows and we had a group the size of a dime. We all walked off the course, and I felt smarter from the conversations we shared. I learned that Jacob likes ravioli, Tyler's a trapper, and Jeff has shown the Amish folks in his area some stretching exercises. It was surely a round that I will never forget, even though I dropped 12 points I probably never would've dropped in a regular event when I was in full-bore concentration mode.
As we made our way through the second half, the pain in my arm became increasingly worse, almost to the point that I was going to call it quits after the uphill wolf when we got out of the field. Instead, I decided to grit my teeth and finish. I'm not a quitter, and I have a high tolerance to pain. I knew I could get to the end. Once at the end, I figured I would hang my bow up until next weekend.
When we walked out in the field, the wind was hammering, and I had to lead off the leopard. I decided I would aim to the right because the wind was blowing so hard, and I would try to get through the shot as quick as possible. Well, my plan worked flawlessly. However, I didn't take into account that I should be concerned where the arrow was going to hit. I put it way to the right, got it off in a hurry, and the wind had turned and was blowing the opposite direction. The arrow hit right where the pin was sitting... way to the right. I walked away with an 8.
I was the last shooter on the gator, and felt good about my number. I dialed the sight to 48. When I got to full draw, my entire body went limp and the shot fired... dead center 11. The turkey became my second best shot of the day. The gator just took its place. I made a perfect shot, and it was flawless.
We finished off the last few targets, and I stayed in the 10-ring. I was happy to survive the day at 14 down with two fives and a handful of 8s. While it wasn't the best score I've shot, I had to deal with a lot of things throughout the day, and it was miserable to shoot my bow. I persevered and did the best I could under the circumstances. Although I should have approached this shoot like a big event, I let my concentration slide a little bit and did a few things I should not have done because I never would have done them at a big event. I need to work on that going forward, and I have to take these things a little more seriously at times.
Two of my people did a phenomenal job this weekend. Michael LeFever, got the job done at the New York ASA this weekend and won K-45 with a great ground. We are proud of you Michael. You shot a solid round and never gave an inch. That's the way to hang in there, especially after struggling a little bit the day before at the NY State IBO Championship. Thank you for supporting all types of archery and giving it your best. Your hard work is showing up, and it's really nice to watch your progression. Thanks for being one of the good guys and having a great time with your wife while shooting your bow. It's fun to watch. Thank you for all your support too. It doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated. The Bordwells are lucky to have you on their staff. Good people find good people, and I'm glad they found you and you found them. Great job.
I"d also like to congratulate my good buddy Chuck Weeden, who won the IBO Northeast Triple Crown. Chuck works his ass off and never makes excuses. If he doesn't perform up to his best, he owns it. Chuck was the first to tell me he didn't shoot well today, but he also said it was good enough to take home the overall title. This achievement makes me prouder than anything I've accomplished on my home. I've always tried to give Chuck some insight on archery in hopes that he could use it if he ever needed to. He had a lot of nerves in th beginning of this shoot, but as I told him, the chasers usually have less nerves than the leader. All the pressure is usually on the leader, and leaders tend to shoot defensively instead of just getting after it. If you find yourself in the lead or even in a shootdown round, you need to focus on staying in the moment and just shooting your bow. The pressure is something we put on ourselves. You need to remember that you are in control of yourself, so take care of that and everything else will fall in line. Chuck fought his nerves but ended up realizing he needed to bear down to finish it off. Then, he sprinted to the finish line and got himself a victory. Great job, Chuck. I'm proud of you.
I"m headed to the Classic this weekend. I'm hoping my arm will allow me to perform at 100%, but if it doesn't, I'll still give it everything I have and see where I land. It won't be for lack of trying. I apologize for all of the typos in this, but I'm exhausted and I'm not going to read it before posting it. Thank you for following along. I appreciate all of you.
Here's a little message for all of you who had a rough time this weekend. We all encounter those times while shooting archery. Nobody can be perfect. Archery is difficult, and sometimes we forget this when we watch others and what they do week in and week out. Take your lumps and learn from them. Archery is my thing. I'll keep doing it, whether I fail or succeed. I've finished first and last, and I'm thankful for both. Keep pushing forward.
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