Third Leg of IBO Northeast Triple Crown

 

  The image above sums up my journey through the last year, including life, lessons and archery. There are days when it seems like I have no clue what I'm doing behind the string, but then I look at the results and realize that things aren't nearly as bad as my simple mind tends to make them at times. 

  With all of that being said, I headed to Grafton Fish and Game club in Lebanon, N.H., to shoot the 3rd leg of the IBO Northeast Triple Crown on Sunday. Amazingly, I had the day off, as finding days off on the weekend is quickly turning into a thing of the past. My world will be unlike anything I've experienced in the last 35 years, so it will definitely take some getting used to. The new job also prohibits me from following the routine I've always followed to practice properly. Between the commute and the hours, it's extremely difficult to get good practice. 

  On the trip to the shoot, I found my eyelids getting heavy. Eventually, they closed and my mind drifted into a peaceful place. The trip to this serene place didn't last long, as the journey to Grafton only took about two hours. 

  After parking and unloading our gear, I shot about 12 arrows to warm up before heading onto the range. Although the groups weren't great, they weren't horrible either. When I go to tournaments, I never focus on where the arrows hit. Instead, I focus on trying to get loose properly. Sometimes I spray arrows all over, but that usually has a lot to do with the fact that I'm not concentrating on aiming. 

  When we got to the first target, I felt good about things. I also decided to shoot a Scott Apex release. Although I had shot it a little bit at home, I hadn't used it during a tournament. With a longer neck, it allows me to aim a little better, essentially lengthening my draw length

  As I aimed at the coyote, the shot wouldn't break. It seemed as if I held for 30 seconds before the release fired. Finally, when it fired, the arrow appeared on the right side of the 10 ring. The next few shots felt similar, so I decided to change releases and go back to old reliable, my Stan SX2. My shots suddenly began breaking faster, but my aim suffered. There's a fine line between the aiming and the execution, and I've been battling to get them to a suitable place to perform my best. 

  As we made our way through the first half, I had moments of brilliance, including a shot on a steep downhill rubbing buck and a bomb of a brown bear that had an angle on it. However, I also encountered a few less-than-stellar incidents. 

  Coming off the first half, I wasn't too terribly happy about the fives I shot, but fives are a part of 3D shooting, and you have to learn how to limit them along the way. I felt good getting off the course with a great shot on a mountain lion and a big 10 buck to finish off the last two targets. 

                                                              Second Half

  Going into the second half, I was struggling mightily with getting my shot off. However, I made a commitment to get through the day without doing anything dumb behind the bow. After making a good shot on a Caribou that was set back in the woods out of a field, I felt confident. The next four shots were my best shots off the day, as I held well and executed even better. I missed one yardage, but seemed to get a little roll going. Nearing the end of the course, I made a perfect shot on a white goat and followed it up with two more perfect shots on a snarling wolf and antelope. 

  The snarling wolf got the best of me. I aimed at an arrow in the 10-ring, and my arrow landed just above it. Walking to the target to retrieve the arrows, I figured I was a solid 10 with a chance at an 11. When we got to the target, I was disappointed to see that it was an 8, barely out of the 10-ring on the high side. I simply hit behind the pin, but I aimed too high. That was on me. 

  When we finally arrived at our last target of the day, a downhill black bear that had seen better days, I felt confident with my number. I could tell the target was tilted toward us, but I felt confident. When my shot broke, I knew I had smoked it. Glad to have finished with a perfect shot and a perfect score on it, we headed down the hill to retrieve the arrows. After getting to it, I realized I had shot another 8 out the top. I hit right where I aimed and didn't realize how badly the target was leaning toward us. I guess those are the breaks sometimes. 

                                                                          Last Thoughts

  Looking at the scores from the shoot, I'd say I shot OK, even though it felt like I was pushing a giant boulder uphill all day. Nothing ever seemed to flow smoothly, but I ground it out. It was one of those days that I had nowhere near my best, but I found a way to survive the gauntlet and take my beating. After getting out of the gate with two fives in the early going, I held on and focused on making good shots. I muddled through the day and worked on some things that needed attention. When all was said and done, I walked away with a few positives, and I also learned I can shoot the Scott Apex and hold my own. I forgot to mention that I went back to that release a short time after going to old reliable. I also tried my Scott SB2, too. My aim was really good at times, but at other times, it was a little scary. 

  The course was difficult, due to the lighting, terrain, length of walk and size of targets. There were a lot of targets that fell into the smaller range, and this made it difficult to find the spot a few times. Small targets at long distances can sometimes be intimidating, but I never felt intimated on the course. There was one spike buck that was a bomb, but I knew the distance. My pin didn't hold the best on it, but I was still able to walk away with a 10. 

  This weekend as a different type of shoot for me. With my new job comes a new schedule and getting weekends off will be extremely difficult. If I were a guessing man, I'd bet this will probably be my last regional shoot for a while. I just won't have the time to shoot anymore of them. It may even lead to the end of my attendance at national events. While I would like to continue shooting, I'll have to see how the path in front of me plays out. 

  I hope everyone shoots well in all of the remaining shoots for the summer. Good luck in your travels and may your arrows fly true. I just want to give a shout-out to my buddy Digger Cogar. He's one of my favorite archers on the national tour, and I've shared stakes with him since the mid '90s. He's always performed at a high-level, and I've enjoyed the competition he has always brought to the table. He's been feeling a little under the weather, and I'm hoping he gets back to top form so he can enjoy the big shoots coming up. I'll be rooting for him from afar for the events I can't attend. We have shared similar journeys, and I appreciate everything it has taken over the years to get to where both of us ended up and where we are at this point in time.  

2nd Leg of IBO National Triple Crown

 

  Although it will take a while to explain things, the image above sums up my trip to the Second Leg of the IBO National Triple Crown. Still feeling a little black and blued from the performance, I think someone may have been hiding somewhere in the in-between, where they were having a ball jabbing pins into Todd the voodoo doll. 

  Going into this event, I hadn't felt more confident in a long time, and I shared my confidence with the other soldiers in my local army. I had everything in order, the plan of attack looked unbeatable, and I just sat around patiently waiting to go into battle. I was finally ready after a few years of feeling lackluster before heading into events. My shot has been improving, and I had it right where I needed it. It was good enough to get me to the finish line ahead of most others. However, with all of that being said, I had the least amount of practice I've ever had in the month prior to the event. With my new schedule and the time spent on the road every day, I simply had no quality time to practice. Although I was able to shoot a few targets here and there, I was doing it in crappy weather and with the light fading quickly every day, leaving almost no daylight to study things as they need to be studied. 

                                                                  Practice Day

  Dad and Logan picked me up after work in Utica, and we left for Franklin from there. We quickly got on the road and arrived at the Airbnb at 9:00 p.m, leaving us plenty of time to get settled. Finally, I would get a good night's rest before heading to the range on practice day. 

  After getting up and grabbing a bite to eat, we headed to the venue to register. There weren't many people around, so we made quick work of it before hitting the bags. My bow felt good, and I shot some good groups to top it off. My confidence remained steady. 

  When Dad, Tom, Wade, Doug and Logan headed to their ranges, Tyler, Jeff and I decided to head to a local archery range to shoot 20 targets. We knew it would give us a similar look to what we would see the next day and decided we would benefit from that more than anything else. 

  After seeing Digger, Bill McCall, Glenn Meadows and Dave Tetrick at the club, we all decided to shoot the course. Since we had three people, we started in front of those guys and made our way from start to finish. The first target was no joke. It was a bomb of a gator. After getting a 10 on it and shooting a horrible 5 on a roe deer on the next target, I settled in and pounded the next 18 targets, never leaving the 10-ring and shooting a lot of 11s on some tough shots. I'd rate the difficulty level at about 6.50 to 7 out of 10, 10 being super hard. We definitely took similar shots to the ones we normally see at national events, so my confidence stayed on the train headed to the top of the mountain. I was ready, and the practice round proved it, leaving an imprint that I stored in my head. 

                                                                            Day 1

  When target assignments were taped to the picnic table under the pavilion, I knew who I would be shooting with, but I didn't know what target we would be on. Everyone is always peered from the first leg, and senior pros usually start on 20 and go backward. The top group is usually on 20, second group on 19 and so on, so I figured we would be on target 19. I knew Tony Tazza, Digger Cogar and Mike Sutter would be in my group. I had mentally prepared for this for the last month. Since I didn't have much time to shoot, I did use the travel time every day to visualize things I would encounter, including the sights and sounds that would accompany my group. Having shot with all of these guys in the past, I know their tendencies, and it was relatively easy for me to visualize things. I felt confident with the work I had done. 

  Then, as I glanced down at the paper, it was as if I was gut-punched when I ran my finger along the paper and saw my target assignment. There was no Tony, Digger or Mike in my group. Instead, I would have two guys in my group. It would be, me, Jackie Caudle and Greg Heberlig. 

  Although I have nothing against Jackie or Greg, I do have an issue with the decision made to split groups as they were split. We all earned our starting positions. It's no different than qualifying in NASCAR. Qualifying happens before every race to determine the poll position, just as it has been done the last six years at the second leg of the National Triple Crown. The qualifying round for the starting positions is the First Leg. If you qualify in the top 8, you should be slotted in the first four rows, not the 16th row. I know I'm not alone in these thoughts, as there were a lot of pissed off people. If these changes are going to be made, maybe people should be made aware of it beforehand. Yes, people are peered differently after the first day at every shoot, but the first round of the second leg has followed the same format for years. Then, to claim it isn't normally done that way when questioned about it is an epic fail. It's better to just own it and say "I made the decision and that's it." Since I always speak my mind, I'll leave it at that. I know I'm not alone with this, so I speak for many others. 

  After walking down the trail and getting to my stake, I spotted a Corsican ram at the end of the lane. It was next to a giant tree, but it looked like it was all of it. However, being dark in the woods, I roughed my sight to 47 yards and figured it would probably be OK. If it were 50, as I thought it was but wasn't sure, I would still stay in the 8-ring. 

  The wait passed quickly. Then, when we were told to shoot, I had to lead things off. As I drew and anchored, everything felt perfect. My body was relaxed, and the pin sat solidly behind the shoulder of the target. When the shot broke, I knew I stroked it. Feeling the after effects of a perfect shot, I walked away from the stake to glance at the arrow. Suddenly, I got the feeling that great target archers get when they shoot unmarked 3D. I had just executed one of my best shots ever and spotted my arrow under the 8-ring in the 5. I was beside myself. I knew I couldn't do anything about it, so I left it there and moved on to the next one: hogzilla. 

  I made quick work of it and executed another great shot. I walked away with an 11. My mind felt some relief. However, the relief didn't last long. In the next eight targets, I shot four more 5s, hitting every target under the 8-ring. In my entire archery career, I've never had a stretch of targets like that. Furthermore, I never executed a poor shot. I had an impeccable line, and I couldn't go anything but smile. 

  As I made my way toward the finish line, I didn't feel like I would normally feel after a round like that. Instead, I accepted it and recalled what the eye doctor had told me in the fall. He had warned me that my past in unknown 3D would be very difficult to replicate in poor lighting conditions due to the things wrong with my left eye, including the cataracts that aren't operable yet, the loss of depth perception and the poor vision. I guess my good right eye couldn't overcome all those things on that first day. I gave it my best but came up a little bit short. Those are the breaks. I did walk away from Day 1 feeling a little disappointed and still ticked off about the peer grouping, but I shot well. 

                                                                        Day Two

  Although Day 2 started off well, it didn't stay on that track too terribly long. I got off to a great start, even though I could barely see the targets to aim in the right place. A little way into the day, I shot a high 8, then a high 5, then seven 8s in a row. However, I did finish the day on a high note, putting up a 102 on the last 10 targets. I guess I finally got rewarded for the good shots I made all weekend. It was kind of like hitting a perfect drive on the golf course on the last hole of the day after shanking 13 of the previous 17 drives into the woods. That one last drive keeps us coming back because we know we can do it. I know I shot well enough to score well if all the cards lined up, and I briefly got teased as the tournament faded into the rear-view mirror.  Here's a sequence of pictures of me shooting a perfect shot. 

                                                                            Final Thoughts

  This was a strange tournament to reflect on. Although I didn't accomplish what I set out to pursue, I shot my bow well. I still can't accept that the misjudged targets was caused by complications in my inner eye, even though the doctor says that's the case. I'm owning the fact that I just didn't perform up to my abilities, and I'll work to figure it out. I may only have one chance left to do that this year due to my work schedule, but I'll give it my best shot. I've never been a quitter, but sometimes I wonder if I should just hang it up and walk away. Although I've been competitive at times over the last two years, I have a long way to go to get back to where I was in 2021 and 2022. I believe I still have what it takes, but as Dennis Green, the coach of the Vikings at one time, said, "We are what the record says we are." I guess you could say the results say I'm not too good right now, and I need to improve. 

  Although my weekend stunk, many of my good friends showed up and did what they went there to do. Tyler Thygesen had a solid Day 1 and followed up with another great Day 2, finishing in third place. Nice job, Tyler. You never cease to amaze me. If anyone needs some great service or a new bow or some archery gear, check out Tyler's shop, Northwoods Archery. He can get you almost anything you need. 

  My longtime buddy Wade Chandler got it done yet again. He has showed up and let people have it two of the last three years. Recently, he realized he needed to make a few changes and took it upon himself to experiment and do what he could to rectify the issues he had encountered. He did just that and came home with a silver medal. Nicely done, Wade. Great job. 

  Jacob Slusarz is no stranger to shootoffs and found himself in yet another one after having to good, but not great, days. When he's not at his best, he's still better than almost everyone in the field. There's nothing more impressive than that. He went into the shoot-off in third and came out in second after shooting a few inside out 12s and an 11. 

  Matt Tibbals has fought the battle for a long time. Dad met him on the range at a national when he was a young kid. He was impressed by Matt's manners and the way he conducted himself on the range. Dad said he was a great shooter. Over the years, we would become friends with Matt and his mom and dad. I always root for the Tibbals family, and I appreciate all the support they have always given me. It's easy to root for the good guys. Congratulations, Matt, on a great achievement. I hope this opens the door for some more big moments in your career. I know how hard you've been working at it, and it was music to my ears when Tyler told me you had won. 

  On one last note, I almost forgot to tell you about the end of my day on the practice range before the shoot. As we were walking down the hill, Jeff Hopkins was practicing at the butts. He greeted us with a big smile and told me his tee time was at 9:50, then asked what time I was scheduled to start. Looking at him with a confused stare on my face, he asked me if I had gotten my time. Knowing I hadn't gotten my time and not knowing they had switched to tee times, I inquired about his question. Finally, he broke his poker face and knew he had me. Yup, he got me. I wished him luck and went on my way. 

  That brings us to the next morning when the IBO announced our start time would be delayed to the afternoon. I texted Jeff right away and told him his tee time got moved to 12:50. He responded, "I wish." I laughed with Jeff and Tyler because I knew I got him. A few minutes later, he texted me back thanking me for letting him know the start time had been delayed. 

  At the end of the weekend, Jeff walked away with the win, shooting a killer round and trouncing all the rest of his class. Nice job, Jeff, even though you played me like a carnival fool. hahaha Congratulations on a great weekend. 

  See all of you at the next one. I recall one other time in Gem City when I was in SPM and shot a phenomenal round and finished near the bottom. I also recall some times that I shot horribly and finished near the top. It just goes to show you, you have to be ready when your time comes. This past weekend wasn't my time, but I'll prepare myself and be ready if opportunity presents itself.