The week prior to the shoot, I felt confident about our chances. However, going into the middle of the week, things started to unravel. With my sight bottomed out to the right, I didn't feel confident leaving it there. Instead, I decided to move the scope to get it in the middle of the travel so I would be able to move it left or right if needed.
After moving it, I had a hard time getting it dialed in. It seemed that my tape no longer matched, and it almost seemed like the bow started shooting erratically. Of course, I knew it was all operator error, but the confidence in the equipment definitely took a hit.
On Thursday evening, I figured I would shoot a few arrows and put the bow in the case. Well, that plan didn't go well. After about five arrows, the ring that holds the fiber in the scope loosened up. In the process, I lost both screws, and half the scope fell off the bow. Things were coming unhinged.
That brings us to Friday afternoon. I needed to run out to help my buddy Chris Hall with some of his archery gear. While getting into my truck, I slipped and landed on my back. Pain instantly radiated across the top of my left shoulder, and it was a bear to breathe. It felt like a broken rib, but my ribs were nowhere near the injury. I tried ignoring it, but as the evening wore on, it became bothersome.
I called Jacob to tell him what time we would be picking him up. That's when I learned his week wasn't going much better than mine. He couldn't figure out what was going on with his sight tape. Finally, he had learned he was between two sight tapes... neither one worked. The tape was good from 38 yards to 63 yards. The numbers under 38 and the numbers over 63 were somewhat of a guessing game, even though he thought he had it figured out. We never said we didn't like a challenge, even if we were the ones who created it for ourselves.
Game Time
When I woke up on Saturday morning, the injury to my back could be felt. The only good thing about it was that it felt more like a strained muscle more than anything else. The ride seemed like it passed quickly. When we arrived, a lot of people were warming up and getting ready to head onto the course.
It took us a bit to get ready. Jacob tried figuring out what he was going to have to do with his tape. Finally, he thought he had it roughed in close enough to hit a few rings. I shot about 10-15 shots to ensure I didn't aggravate my back any more than it was already aggravated. Actually, when I drew and held my bow, it didn't feel too bad. I could deal with it.
As always, there was a little backup at the first target of the day, but it didn't last long before we were on our way. The bow sat down nicely when I drew it on the stone sheep. My hold was a little long, and I could instantly tell that the less holding weight was going to create a challenge. After all, I was shooting a bow that I hadn't shot any 3D with the entire year. I decided to shoot the Vegas E3D that I used for the National Senior Games, and I used it because I needed to be fresh when shooting so many arrows over the course of two days. With six-arrow ends and all of my shoulder and elbow problems, I have to set things up to make sure I can withstand the rounds I'm shooting. When I do this for target archery, it's easy to get used to because I tend to get in a rhythm while shooting target archery versus 3D.
When the shot finally broke, it went straight high, catching a 10 at 12 o'clock. It was somewhat embarrassing to hit the target in the place I hit it, but Jacob erased the embarrassment when he smoked the 14.
I had to lead off the next target, a Rinehart wolf, which was made to be set with a deer and give the impression it was attacking the deer. It's a target I've only seen one other place in my life, which was at a local shoot in Danby, Vt. Being unfamiliar with it, I looked long and hard to find a place to put my pin. When my shot broke, I said, "Yup," knowing I had smoked the 11. That's when Jake looked at me and said, "That's an 8 to the right." In disbelief, I began cussing and kicked a few sticks. The arrow had appeared exactly where I was looking. Instantly, I knew this was not a good thing. Looking at the target, I knew we had to have that one because I was almost certain Jacob would've 14d it. It was just one of those targets that he never misses... and of course, he smoked the 11... our first missed opportunity of the day.
After we all shot, I walked away from the target knowing it was going to be a long day. Getting my release to fire was a bear. I guess the only bonus was that Jake LaFontaine was having the same issue. We cruised through the next few targets, and I felt good about the actual shots when they finally broke. I was holding good, and the arrows were finding their way into the proper landing zones to give us a shot. Within a few minutes, we were sitting at plus 16, and I hadn't found my stride yet.
After shooting a long brown bear with a redone kill zone, I felt halfway decent. My arrow hit a pinch over the 11 and had a perfect line. Walking up the hill to the next target, I had no idea that the next five targets would turn out to be the reason we did not repeat our past successes this year.
We came upon a downhill spike buck when we got to the next stake. It was a relatively easy shot. I believe it was in the 45-yard range or something like that. Well, when my shot went off, the arrow hit at 12 o'clock out of the 10-ring. I missed a giant 10-ring. Once again, like the shot with the stone sheep, the arrow hit high, and I couldn't give anyone a reason why the arrow hit where it did. This was another target with a large, bright 14 that I'm almost sure Jacob would've centered. He had been on point. He picked me up with yet another 11.
At the next stake, we looked at a long Delta brown bear, I knew it was going to be tough. Jacob and I have struggled on that target in the past for some reason. When my shot finally fired, I instantly knew it was going to the right. It hit less than an inch to the right of the 10-ring. The pin had drifted too far to the right when it fired. Once again, Jacob had to pick me up.
Two targets later, there was a Catalina goat on a hill. Although it was an uphill shot, it wasn't anything to write home about. I believe it was about 38 yards. Once again, I shot an arrow at 12 o'clock outside the 10-ring. I had now fired three arrows that hit in almost the same exact spot. Things were not shaping up as we had planned.
Trying to put that miss behind me, we moved to the next target, which was a Delta boar. I believe it was in the 39-yard range if I remember correctly. Jake put a perfect arrow in it and gave me a great aiming spot. Struggling with my shot, I began thinking about everything I needed to do to shoot a good shot... exactly what you don't want to be doing when you're aiming.
When the shot broke, I about lost my mind. The arrow hit at 12 o'clock out of the 10-ring... once again. Once again, on a very gettable target, Jacob had to pick me up. I'm sure he was probably getting a little irritated at that point in time. How the heck could I be missing these targets? We were headed up shit creek without a paddle. It was getting away from us quickly. I was free falling with nothing below to catch me.
After a brief discussion, he told me to start taking yardage off until I shot low. So, that's what I did. Looking up the hill at a bedded buck, the sun shone on it brightly. I think it was in the 65-plus range if I remember correctly. When I drew the bow, I couldn't see the pin at all. The sun washed it out. I let down and turned the light up as high as it could go. Drawing back again, I still couldn't see the pin. I decided I was in the general area I needed to be and shot the arrow. It struck the target just to the right of the 10. I just couldn't stop digging a hole for us to climb out of. If both teammates don't do their part, it's impossible to succeed. If the receiver drops all of the perfect passes the star quarterback throws him, it's impossible to get first downs... that's where we were at.
Then, we finally got back on track. I started taking yards off, and we got off the first half OK. It did seem that we were getting to a lot of targets when it was almost impossible to see the 14s. I'm not sure if it was like that for everyone, but it was extremely difficult to see many of them for us.
Going into the second half, we felt pretty good. We were sitting at +29, and my issues hadn't help matters too much. Since we have shot better on the second half every year, we were optimistic the trend would continue. However, when I shot out of the top of the first target, the chamois, I got irritated. Unlike the last three targets of the first half, I didn't take any numbers off my sight, and the arrow hit at 12 o'clock right above the 10-ring once again.
I didn't pay much attention to it as we moved along. After that shot, I got things back under control and got into a groove. My shots seemed to improve, and the arrows were finding their mark. As we were cruising along, I began feeling like I couldn't miss. Then, we got to the mule deer, which was a bomb. When my pin got to the middle of the body, the arrow was on its way. I knew I would get it. When I stepped away from the stake, I saw that, yet again, another arrow had found it's way to the 12 o'clock position out of the 10-ring. Fortunately, that was the end of the disastrous day for me. I cruised through the rest of the day and gave Jacob a small chance at making up some of the ground I had prevented us from gaining along the way. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough.
My Final Thoughts on the Day
Realistically, on paper, Jacob and I were not supposed to win. While we have competed against Braden many times in this team event, he has had different partners every time. However, all of his partners have been stout shooters, definitely some of the best New England has to offer. We have only competed against him and Tanja one other time, and that one ended in our favor. Of course, that event did not have pink dots on the targets and benefited me and Jacob due to our familiarity with the Rinehart targets being used and the location of the scoring rings.
In this style of team event when you're competing against the all-time greatest international shooter and his wife, who is one of the best professional female archers in the world, you know you have to limit the damage to give yourself a chance. I didn't put my teammate in the most ideal position for us to be successful.
Looking back on it, I'm not sure what caused the 12 o'clock issues on all the ones I missed. I did have the smallest peep I've ever used for 3D in my string, and I did that because I was using a higher power lens than I normally use. If I had to go back and take a mulligan, I'd probably use the same bow I shot all summer. I figured the one I used would do the job. However, without any miles on it on a 3D course, my assumptions were grossly miscalculated. While the bow didn't shoot poorly, the things I couldn't explain played on my mind. I went a little over the top to make sure I didn't shoot bad shots. That's a fault I sometimes have that doesn't lead to the best results.
When all was said and done, I was ticked off at myself until I took a minute to look back on the day. That's when I realized, it really wasn't that bad. I shot a great line all day, with exception of an arrow that fired on a drift, hitting to the right, and another one that hit to the right because I couldn't see the pin when I lost it in the sun... mid 50s eyes aren't what they were when I was 40 -- or 20. Every other arrow I couldn't explain went in pretty much the same exact spot. If I had more time under my belt with the bow, I could figure it out. I just didn't figure it out in time yesterday. That's the way it goes sometimes.
I don't think most people realize that a team events consists of two people, and both people must do their job in conjunction with the other person. Although neither one of us performed at our best, we certainly did not perform at our worst. We both had some unexplainable moments that pissed us off. That's the way it goes sometimes. When I was at my worst, Jacob was at his best, and when I was at my best, Jacob was barely missing the 14s. Here's a look at how close they were. We had three of these, and I finally decided to take a picture of one. I'd say this is as close as you can get to being in without it being in. While missing three just like this one, all of the others he missed (with exception of two that I can remember) were within an inch and a half of the painted ring.
Here's another trivial fact that would seem almost impossible. I couldn't shoot an 11 to save my life on any of the targets Jacob missed the 14. I was all around it, but it was like my arrows had been sprayed with 11 repellent when Jacob's were barely missing 14s. However, when he was in the 14s, I was in the 11s. That's just the kind of day it played out to be. We've never really experienced anything like we experienced this year.
Losing sucks, but we still had a great time. Cole and Jake were great to shoot with, and I love those guys like they're my little brothers... even though they're young enough to be my kids. I've never had a dog dislike me, but I should've known when Braden and Tanja's dog didn't take a liking to me, it probably wasn't going to be a good day. I got snubbed by the dog. I've never had that happen, so I must've had bad vibes on me or something.
I'd also like to give a shoutout to Tom and Tyler Thygesen. We better hope these guys build more garages next year and don't have any time to shoot. After finishing their duties around home this summer, they came out to play. You guys had a phenomenal ending to your year. Congratulations. Cherish the moments. Dad and I are still making them, just like you two. There's nothing like sharing this great stuff between a father and a son. Great job, guys.
Jacob is the best teammate a person could ever ask for. We've been shooting as teammates for quite a while, and things have always had a way of working out, even when we have both struggled at times. Although I'm sure he has wanted to say, "WTF are you doing?" at times, he has always remained positive and gives the pep talk that people need when things are going South. He never loses faith, and he thinks he can move mountains... which he usually can. I've been blessed to shoot with the up-and-comer, and it pushes me to stay in this game I've been at for such a long time. I've seen many people come and go, and I just keep coming back, even after being bloodied and beaten. I've had plenty of good moments on the tournament trail, and I've been lucky enough to taste success at every level, including the highest level, but there's nothing like having one of the best in the world to shoot with regularly. Without his presence and motivation, I'm not sure I would continue doing this. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for him. I can truly appreciate what he has gone through up to now and what he will face on the road ahead. Thank you, Jacob, for letting an old timer who refuses to ever give in tag along for the ride. I truly appreciate it.
I'll be writing a few things in the coming weeks, including my recap of the year. This year was filled with many things, and I'd like to touch on a few of them. In my travels, I came to a fork in the road, too. I'll share with you what I did when I came to the fork. Life is full of twists and turns... just like archery. That's why I love the game.
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