Camp Minden ASA

  In the days leading up to the Camp Minden ASA, I was under a lot of stress due to the many health issues I've been facing since December. When I headed to the ADK cardiac center two days before my planned trip to this ASA, I was unsure if I would have to cancel, as this was the visit that would make me aware of the challenges I will face in my immediate future. After a solid hour in the doctor's office, I was made aware that I could go on the trip. Although some stress was relieved from my shoulders for the short term, much of it will ride like a weight on my back for the rest of my life. I guess it's no different than the many things I've faced on my journey up to this point. I breathe in and breathe out and place one foot in front of the other. It's the same way I've always approached archery tournaments. I stay the path and don't get too high or too low until it's done. That's what I did last weekend, and it worked well. 

  After the Northeast ASA, I had a decision to make: should I shoot the Mach 34, which pounded, or should I shoot the black Dominator Duo 35? Well, I put the Duo to the test after the shoot and ran into a perfect setup by pure chance. Although the bow has held well, it wasn't holding like I really wanted it to. That's when I decided to take off my 15' back bar and try a 12' bar while adding a few more ounces on my front bar. After the first draw, I knew I had hit the jackpot. Luck was on my side, and the bow held like a rock. 

  Then, I went back a few years and examined some of my successes and failures and began seeing a much clearer picture. When I researched some of my best performances, I realized they were all when I used the stock wrist strap that came with the TruBall Execute release. After changing to a custom leather strap that had stiffer leather, my consistency slowed down a little bit. So before heading to Minden, I went back to the original strap. The original strap is softer leather and tends to stretch a little when under pressure. I believe the tiny bit of stretch helps trip the trigger as the shot is being executed. 

                                                       Practice Day

  After flying into Dallas, renting our vehicle and driving 3:40 to the place we stayed, I was exhausted. However, after unloading all of our gear, I realized I had forgot the backpack, which had all of my diabetic supplies (life support) in it, at the car rental place in Dallas. 

  So instead of practicing on Thursday, the time had to be donated to recovering the medical supplies that allow me to sustain life. It's something many people will never be able to understand, but it's a fact of my life: I'm on life support and times like this bring reality front and center. Without the medication, I will die. I figured I would book a flight home if I couldn't locate the supplies. I had enough insulin in my pump to last about two days, so I wasn't stressed to the point of being on edge, but it still created an uneasy feeling that is difficult to explain. 

  Jacob volunteered to shoot a few targets with me when I finally got to the practice range in the late afternoon. I was exhausted and could't hold well. However, I saw the yardage well and shot OK for all things considered. After 10 targets, I felt comfortable and couldn't wait to get some sleep. My eyes were heavy; my stomach was unsettled; my lower back ached; and my focus was all but gone. I would have to get a good night of sleep to see if I could recover and somehow find a way to save the weekend. Before heading to bed, we sat outside and talked for a while. It was a pretty deep conversation, and Jacob and I discussed a few things that stay within the inner circle. I expect great things for both of us in the coming months after being able to be a part of this conversation. When you talk with your friends about things you don't talk to others about, it has a way of uncovering things and bringing out things that others would never understand. I'm hoping we both look back on this evening in the future and realize it might've led to a new, old path. We are both headed in the right direction. Don Doherty used to call me the Little Badger back in the day. The Little Badger has been gone for a few years, probably since 2017, but he's poking his head out of the den, and he's ready to prowl for his prey. Badgers show now mercy, and they are feisty, nasty little critters who fight to win. They don't just fight to fight. 

                                                          Day 1

  My shot felt really good at the target butt. Although the wind was hammering, my shot felt strong. I didn't focus on holding the pin. Instead, I just wanted to get loose and feel things in my back. After a few minutes, I headed to my range to start the tournament. My confidence from home jumped in my back pocket and walked to the range with me. 

  After getting there, I realized there weren't many people in my class that showed up for this event. There were many empty stakes along the way, and I found myself on a stake with one person. That's when they moved us around, and I ended up in a group with Ray Young, Shawn Greathouse and Tony Tazza. I had no complaints with that group. I've shot with all of those guys many times, and I enjoy their company. I knew I was blessed to be in a good group, and that always lends to a better chance of having a good performance. 

  As we began making our way through the range, I felt great about my shots. Everything seemed to be flowing smoothly. I had good numbers, my hold was decent, and my shots were breaking cleanly. I was navigating the round and putting my new plan to use. It worked well. When we turned the corner, PJ Reilly was filming the Senior Pro division, and we were lucky enough to be filmed on the first target of the range. If you watch the beginning of the video, you'll see my group shoot the coyote. After Greathouse shot the target high, I was a little nervous. I couldn't figure out how he hit it high, so I trusted my gut and went with my original guess. I didn't let the placement of his arrow make me reset my sight. I was going all in, and if I messed up, I'd own it. I haven't shot with him enough to trust where his arrow landed. If I had been following Tazza, I would've instantly changed my sight setting, but I chose not to on this target. In the end, my choice paid off, as I walked away with a 10. 

  Heading toward the end of my round, the wind really picked up. Somehow, I escaped a few marginal shots and got off the round with a 200, which was the last spot on the leaderboard. I was satisfied with my efforts for the day, especially considering everything that happened over the last 48 hours. I couldn't ask for more than that. 

                                                               Day 2

  Going into Day 2, I felt confident. My new setup was clicking, and I liked the way it felt. I would also be shooting with Darrin Christenberry and Digger Cogar, two of my favorite people in my class. I can remember when we all started many years ago and battled back in forth in MBO for a few years. It seems like it was a couple of years ago, and it was just shy of 30 years ago. It felt good to be back with these guys, and I know that each of us wants to win for ourselves, but we also root for each other. Those are the people I value the most, and I'm thankful to compete against guys like them. 

  My day started off well when I was able to 12 a short antelope. The next few targets went well, and I knew I would give it a run. Although I shot out the top of one and missed a few to the left and right, I felt good about my execution. I never bent and kept moving forward, never knowing what could happen. 

  With five targets left, I knew I was only two points off the leaderboard. I stayed solid and barely missed a 12, hitting in a shot-out spot just above the 11, but not quite close enough to get to the 12. It was one of those that is ever so close, but just a pinch too far away. It was heartbreaking, but I knew I was holding well and shooting great shots. When I got the next one, I knew the previous one I didn't connect with might be the difference. However, Darrin had shot two 8s in the process. 

  

  When we got to the last target, the smaller boar, I reached inside my mind and tried deciding what to do after Darrin hit a 12. I figured I would probably make the cut if I just shot a safe 10, so I took my chance and tried to shoot it in the middle and hope for the best. I executed a good shot, and the arrow landed on the right side of the 11. I figured I had probably made it into the shootdown round, However, a few minutes later, I realized I was sitting in sixth place... first guy out of the shootdown round. I gave it my best and came up short. 

                                                 Looking Back at the Weekend

  I had the odds stacked against me at this tournament. Between the health issues I dealt with at the doctor's office before leaving, then leaving all of my medication at the airport and having to drive back and forth to get it, I'll consider this tournament a moral victory. I'd like to say I had a winning performance, but I can't say that in good faith. It was incredibly close to being a winning performance, but it lacked just a few things along the way. I'm close to having a winning performance, and we all must remember that although you might have a winning performance, you might not win. You cannot control what others do, but you can control your performance. 

  This was the first ASA I've shot in the last few years in which I didn't shoot a 5. I always figured I would make the shootdown round if I didn't shoot a 5. I guess I was pretty close to being correct. My plan of shooting all uppers seemed to work well. I did miss more than I expected out the top, but I guess that's going to happen. Of the ones I missed, I didn't miss them by much. It just shows you how much a score could change with a few inches on a ruler. 

  Hopefully, the weather will finally break, and I will be able to actually practice outside for consecutive days. However, it doesn't look like it will be this week, as rain is scheduled for the next two days. Between the rain, wind and cold, it has been impossible to get outside. At last I had one shoot here at home, other than the other two national ASAs, for practice before heading to this event. I look forward to being able to shoot some different courses now that spring is finally here. 

  After finding out I missed the cut, I talked with Joe Pitt for a while. We talked about how small the difference is between a great score and an OK score. Many of us are oh so close, yet oh so far away. This ASA game is unlike any game I've ever played. It definitely gets annoying, and it's a fact that you really do need some luck on your side. Luck is headed my way. I can feel it. When you have your equipment working well, see good numbers, and get a few lucky bounces, the sky is the limit. It's time. 

  On my way off the range, I walked back to the vendor area with Jamie Drouillard. Jamie and I met many years ago when we were both going through divorces. We both hunted in the same town in Ohio, and we also learned that we both competed at national ASAs. I never imagined we would both end up where we ended up, but we meet every month at ASAs to give it our best shot. We discussed the frustrations that come along with the game, and it's always good to talk to other people about the same things we all face. Sometimes we think we are on an island alone. However, we are all in this together, and we all face the same things. There are great moments, but there are also many low moments. The pursuit of perfection is what keeps all of us coming back. We have a passion that very few will ever understand, and we do everything we can to make the most of our passion. Father Time is undefeated, and we are all battling the great warrior. He gets some of us sooner than others, but we will all eventually succumb to him, so do what you can while you can still do it. 

  I've had a lot of people congratulate me on my performance over the weekend. I won't lie and tell you I'm not disappointed, but a congratulatory note on a sixth place finish is bitter sweet. We all shoot to win, and we all feel we have fallen short if we don't make the shootdown round. With that said, we also have to remember we are competing against the best of the best, so the moments of success are fleeting for the masses in those classes. While there are a few guys who seem to always be on the big stage, many others are always in the mix and occasionally get a crack or two at it. When we fall just short of a chance to make it happen, it stings a little. It's more than one sting from a hornet. It's more like walking across a nest of ground bees and getting stung nonstop until we get another chance. I appreciate everyone's support, and it feels great. Thank you for always giving me your best. I'll get it done for you if you stick around. Just be patient. We are all on this road together. My success is your success and your success is my success. I root for all of you, and I feel your failures and cheer your successes. It's now go-time for all of us here in New York and New England. Good luck in the coming months. 

  On another note, Noah Eisenhardt laid it down two weeks ago in Connecticut and continued his streak at Minden. He came home with his first national win and did it with a big performance. Speaking from experience, it's no easy feat to win a national event in any organization, especially the ASA. Congratulations on a great weekend. Wishing you much success in the future.

  

                                                

 

First Leg of ASA Northeast

  This spring has been filled with atrocious weather. It has been almost impossible to get any quality practice between the nonstop rain and wind. If it's not raining, the wind has been blowing at a steady clip. It makes it difficult to know if you have the bow where it needs to be when it's go time. I've played with a lot of things lately in an attempt to find a setup I can aim better and make it more forgiving. 

  That's why I decided I would shoot a bow that I haven't shot at all and see what happened. I picked the Mach 34, my hunting bow, to see if it could take over the starting job for Minden next weekend. The bow has been pounding in the yard, and I felt 100% confidence in it. 

  Although it was a little windy and chilly at times, it was a great day to shoot. Going into this event, I decided I would stick to the plan I drew up before Fort Benning. The last few years, I've done a lot of different things and adjusted my plans throughout every round. I finally decided that wasn't going to get the job done, so I went all in at shooting all uppers. I evaluated my tendencies and figured this plan would benefit me more than anything else. When I miss due to a less-than-stellar shot, I usually hit low, and when I misjudge yardage, I more often go low than high. With those thoughts in mind, I figured I would look at the target and call a number I thought could be the very least the target could be and shoot directly at the 12 with that number. I've always trusted my numbers and know that while practicing on dots at distance, I never miss out the top. This plan would allow me to be off on yardage on the low side by three yards and it would also allow me to shoot right at them with the right number and still give me a lot of room out the bottom to stay in double digits on the score card. Whether you're shooting marked or unmarked yardage, I'd suggest looking at your tendencies and reevaluate how you're shooting at the targets. No many people miss out out the top while shooting. Sit back and think about that. Weak shots tend to go low for most people and nerves can cause all of us to become weak at times.

                                                                Evaluating the Plan

  After shooting some arrows at the practice range, we started on the lower half. My hold was pretty shaky on the practice butts, and my shot felt weak, but all of the arrows found their way into the good spot. 

  Walking down the club's driveway, I didn't know what would welcome us at the first stake. When we got to it, I spotted a strutting turkey at the end of the lane. Unlike the Rinehart IBO turkey, the ASA turkey doesn't bring any type of the anxiety with it since the scoring ring is the standard size for all ASA targets.

  Following Jeff Wagoner, I knew I would have good arrows to shoot at all day. He was shooting known and I was shooting unknown. As his arrow made its way toward the target, it hit a twig in front of the kill zone and took a nosedive to the right. The arrow struck the bird just outside of the 10-ring. It was an unfortunate break for him, as I believe he would've smoked the 12 after watching him execute a perfect shot. It was a quick 4-point swing on target number one. He also had two shots where his shirtsleeve caused 8s when the string slapped the sleeve. If he had avoided those few issues he encountered, he would've put up a huge round. I'm sure he will have that figured out the next time around. With his new look this year, I have a feeling he's going to pound when he gets out there. He said going back to the '80s is going to do the trick. It will make him feel and look younger. What are your thoughts?

  I made a great shot on the target, barely missing the 12 on the lower side. I felt good about my start. Moving to Target 2, an antelope, the number jumped out at me. I quickly set my sight and prepared to shoot. When I hit full draw, the bow settled in and the shot fired. The arrow hit directly behind the pin. I missed the 12 by about a half inch on the low side. 

  Marching toward Target 3, I thought back to Fort Benning when I encountered the same type of thing. I consistently hit within an inch of the 12s and couldn't buy one. However, I feel more confident about the plan now than I did then, so I decided to keep doing the same thing. Within a few minutes, I was feeling good about my decision... on the board with my first 12. 

  After securing my first 12 on the scorecard, I gained a little confidence but quickly gave back the two points I had gained when I shot an 8. Then, I struck lightning in a bottle again on the next target... back to 2 up. 

  A few targets later, we got to the coyote, and I felt really good about my number. There were two arrows in the 12, which gave me a great aiming reference. I was extremely confident with my number, so I held right on the nock. When the shot broke, I couldn't ask for a better one. The nock quickly appeared in the cluster of other nocks, and I felt my confidence gaining. Then, as we got to the target, I was the unlucky one, as the arrow was barely on the 8 side of the line. After seeing the arrow, I listen to my therapist, Dr. Slusarz, and knew he was looking at the patient lying on the couch, and while looking at him, he wanted to slap him in the side of the head. After receiving some advice from the doctor, we moved to the next target. Jacob doesn't miss anything. He's a student of archery and offers great advice. If he ever offers advice to any of you, make sure your ears are tilted and you apply what he says to you. He knows what he's saying and never offers anything other than solid, noteworthy advice.  Those are the breaks with ASA. I made a good shot and barely missed the spot. I can live with that. It happens. I cruised through the rest of the course and felt good about the result. I finished the first half a + 6. 

                                                               Second Half

  I started off good on the second half. I had a great aiming spot on the turkey and could't have placed my arrow any better in the 12 than where it landed. It's always nice to get paid back with a 12 after you execute a good shot. Things ran smoothly for the the first half of the second half. When we headed down the homestretch, I lost my shot. I believe I may have gotten a little tired, and I wasn't liking the way things were feeling at full draw. I battled through and remained as patient as I could. 

  With seven targets remaining, we came upon a long deer, and I had to lead it off. Looking at the target, I felt confident with the number. I set my sight and figured I would avoid my original game plan and just shoot for the center. I didn't feel comfortable aiming directly at the 12 on that target due to the battles I was facing at the time. Holding in the middle, I broke a decent shot and the arrow plummeted in flight. It struck the target low and landed barely outside the 8 line. It was the first target I got truly yarded on for the day. I would go back there today and shoot it for the same number I shot it for yesterday. Sometimes, the yardage just gets us, and that was one. Jacob also hit that target low, and we both shot it for the same number. The difference was he was aiming at the upper and I wasn't aiming at it. He landed on the safe side of the 8 line. If the best of the best gets yarded, I guess it's acceptable that I did too. We usually see targets about the same, and this target was a reminder of that in case we had forgotten... damn deer. 

  We picked our way through the rest of the targets, and I hung on. Although the day didn't end like it had started, I found a way to navigate a rough stretch with my execution. Finding a plan to getting through times like that has been important during my archery career. It seems like we should always be doing the same thing and it should be effortless, but we all run into some obstacles along the way. I ended up finishing that half at 1 down. I believe that half was a little more difficult than the first half we shot, so I feel decent about the result. 

                                                              Lessons Learned

  

   

  This is the biggest lesson I learned of the day. Take a good look at the card. When I added the cards up and made sure we matched, my mathematical skills missed a beat. I knew I had finished at 13 down without any 12s and adding my nine 12s would be 18 points. That's five more up points than down and that doesn't equal 303... it equals 305. This should be a good lesson for all of you... always double check your card. Although it doesn't mean anything at this shoot for me, it could've cost me dearly at a big shoot. Those two points could've kept me from making a shutdown round or sitting on the sideline, or cashing a check. It's on me for not checking the card before signing it. Once you sign the card, you signed off on it, checked it and are OK with it. It happens to everyone. Days are long, and we get distracted. Just make sure you stay focused until the end. 

  Unlike many times I have shot ASA events in the past, I stuck to my plan throughout the entire shoot this time. It served me well and paid off, as I shot nine 12s and barely missed a bunch. Of the bunch I missed, many would've been 8s had I shot at the lower 12s. I feel really good about approaching things like this the rest of the year. 

  What's my take on the Mach 34? In all honesty, this is one of the best bows I've ever shot in my life. It holds well, I shoot good shots with it, and it hits behind the pin. The bow feels great in my hand, and it gives me a lot of confidence when I'm shooting it. However, as the day progressed, I encountered things that made me question bringing it to Minden next weekend. Being a carbon bow, the bow itself is extremely light. I have more stabilizer weight on it than any bow I've shot, especially on the front end, but it still seems too light. When I get into the aiming cycle and it starts to go long, the sight picture turns into something that I don't like. I can't put a finger on it, but whatever it is makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. It might just be because I have so many miles on the Dominator Duo over the last few months. I'm still not 100% what I should do, so I'll be showing up in Minden with whatever bow happens to hop into my case the morning I leave. I feel confident with all of them. They all shoot better than me, and they are all shooting well. I can't go wrong with any choice. 

  I've shot at Algonquin Archers many times over the last 10 years. I always enjoy shooting there, as it tests every technical skill you must use as a 3D shooter. However, as an ASA shoot, it doesn't give the same type of practice you will see at nationals. I feel like I'm from the South, where all the shooters bitch if it's not completely flat because that's what ASA is. It's comical to listen to those guys if they're on a lump the size of an anthill. If they ever shot the course we shot this weekend, they would probably have a cardiac arrest... either from walking or bitching. God, I love being a Yankee and living in the North. I enjoy a challenge. I know if I can hit ASA 12s while shooting on that terrain, I'll probably be pretty safe on flat land. Eventually, I'd love to see one of these shoots set up just like a real ASA with 15 targets down one side of the road and 15 down the other side, where the group on each side of you must be done before you all go to the targets to score and retrieve arrows. I think it would be a big hit to show people what real ASAs are like. It would also allow the shooters to socialize with each other and it would be easier for the people organizing the shoots and working at them. I kind of like lazy-man 3D shooting like the national ASA shoots. Until you experience it, there's nothing that can really compare to it. I heard through the grapevine that the first leg of the Northeast IBO Triple Crown is adopting this type of format for their shoot next week. I wish I could be here to see how they do. Who knows, maybe in the future, we will be having IBOs with ASA courses,  and ASAs with IBO courses in the Northeast. I encourage everyone to go support Cole and Jake next week. They are great guys and always show their support to everyone else. Please support them, their efforts and their club. I appreciate these guys more than they'll ever know, and I also appreciate all the work of the ASA people in the region. It feels good to have quality places to go to participate in both types of scoring. Let's work together to do a better job of giving people exactly what they will see at national events if they attend a national ASA or IBO event. Tyler Thygesen hit it out of the park last year with his IBO shoot. If you went to that, it was very similar to a national IBO. 

  We will see what happens in Minden. Next week at this time, we will be home and making a plan for the next one. I'm going to go enjoy this one and look at it as being my last event before I finally get to practice like everyone else who shoots the events. Living in the Northeast, it has been impossible for us to practice outside, so we will be halfway done with the national ASA shoots, yet we haven't even had good enough weather to be outside practicing. Here's to good practice in the coming months.