However, with 60 targets between two regional tournaments under my belt, I felt somewhat confident. My shooting has been going well, and my bow has been performing better than me. I figured I would rely on experience to carry me through.
Practice Day
After getting up at 5:00 a.m. to be at work at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, I was a little tired when Tyler and Tom picked me up at work. With them already three hours into their trip from northern Vermont, we would still have another 10 hours to cover before resting for the night. The ride went quickly, and we arrived in West Virginia around 3:30 a.m.
We slept until about 7:30 a.m., then headed to the tournament site, where Tyler, Wags and I would spend our day practicing and Tom and Wade would head to their ranges in an attempt to get 20 targets in before day's end.
We ended up meeting Digger Cogar and Destini and spent the day on the practice range with them. It was backed up most of the day, but we all had a great time and shared some deep laughs. I'm not sure I've ever had as much fun on practice day, and it reminded me why I still travel to play this game called archery. It's always good to spend times with my friends whom I never see anywhere else, especially my friends I made in this sport 30-plus years ago.
No matter how much we shoot, we all chase perfection, and that is what most likely keeps the majority of us coming back... because nobody can ever be perfect. While some days seem like nothing can go wrong, other days seem like you've just started shooting a bow and know nothing about sport. Either way, I enjoy watching the flight of the arrow.
As we progressed through the round, I found my shot becoming effortless, and before long, I was headed toward the homestretch. We ended up shooting 20 targets, and I never left the 10 ring. It increased my confidence and I knew I was ready for Day 1. Wags also shot well on the practice range, and he recently changed to shooting a button instead of a hinge. The change seems to be suiting him well.
Day 1
Day 1 greeted us with a warm morning and no wind. It was a great day to shoot. After getting my target assignment, I learned I would be shooting with Glenn Meadows and Aaron Kilburn. Although I had never shot with Aaron in the past, I have shared the stake quite a few times with Glenn, and he's one of my favorite guys to shoot with. He makes things relaxing and calm. He brings a sense of calmness with him and it radiates amongst everyone in the group. I looked forward to spending my day with Glenn.
I would start my day on a bedded Dahl sheep on the edge of a golf course, then I would have to navigate through a Hogzilla, caribou, gator and fallow deer before getting back into the woods. The Dahl sheep allowed me to execute a picture perfect shot like the ones I dream about in my sleep. The arrow landed inside/out in the 11-ring, and my confidence from the day prior instantly found its way into the empty space between my ears.
Making my way to Hogzilla, I knew it was a bomb, but I wasn't able to hear any arrows being shot from the group in front of us. I decided to set my sight a little short of max yardage. Once again, I executed one of those shots I dream about, but the arrow ran out of gas and stuck in the foam perfectly in line under the 10-ring. Satisfied, I walked up the hill and waited to shoot the caribou.
After being fooled by the previous target, I kept adding yardage. Before I knew it, I was standing next to the target retrieving the 8 that I had shot above the 10-ring. Now, I began getting a little anxiety as I looked up the hill and saw a gator lying on a berm above a sand trap. When Glenn misjudged it, I took some yardage off my tape. A few minutes later, I was retrieving my low 8. Now, 8 points down after 4 shots, with two of the targets being huge, I knew I had to settle in and get back on track.
I quickly got a couple of points back by shooting a few 11s with perfectly executed shots. My bow was aiming well, and I was shooting good shots. I knew I could make the ground up if I stayed the path. I stayed within myself and battled back and forth the rest of the day. I made some of the best shots I've made in the last two years and the 11s piled up as proof.
At the end of the day, I found myself sitting at 10 down, the low man in the group, but I also evaluated my day and realized I had recovered nicely after the first four targets and shot my way through the rest of the day at 2 down with seven 11s. Although the score didn't reflect my day, it told me I had a long climb to have a chance. However, thinking about practice day and the few regional tournaments I shot the last few weeks, I liked my chances.
Day 2
When I got my target assignment on Day 2, I realized I would be in the fourth group with Loren Lohr, Mike Sutter and Nate Dorsey. Having shot with Loren and Mike in the past, I knew I would have another easy-going day. It's always a good time shooting with Loren, and he keeps things in perspective, never being down when struggling and never being too high when pounding. He keeps things on an even keel, and I think that's what makes good shooters shoot well. Although your group shouldn't be responsible for how you shoot, I've seen some groups that make it difficult to concentrate at the level that is sometimes necessary.
Unlike the first day, I got off to a rough start when I shot an 8 on the first target. Quickly putting it behind me, I erased the 8 with a few 11s and quickly got into a groove where my shots felt good. Although they weren't effortless, they felt solid and made me feel like I would have a good day. After getting through the first 10 targets of the day, I was holding my own and hadn't gone backward. I knew if I stayed on the path and could somehow grab a few 11s down the homestretch, I would have a chance at getting in the shootoff. When I got through a gauntlet of targets stacked on top of each other and looked at a turkey on the back of a green on the golf course, where we would be shooting it from the woods, I knew I could make up some more ground with a good shot. With two arrows in the 10-ring when my turn came around, I put my pin on the nocks and let it eat. The arrow struck just to the right of the arrows for an 8. It was a good shot, so I couldn't complain. I accepted it and moved forward.
The next target was a long, downhill alert deer that was placed on a side hill. With an arrow on the right side of the 10, I made sure to stay to the right while aiming, and my arrow hit a tad to the right and low for an 8. Although it wasn't a bad shot, I quickly found myself going backward. After smoking a short snarling wolf for an 11, I found myself staring at a bobcat on a log.
Believing I had a good number, but second guessing it while aiming, I let down. When I drew the second time, I made a great shot, and the arrow landed directly under the 10-ring for an 8. Knowing I would have to bite and claw my way to the finish and try to get a few 11s, I stayed composed and felt confident about my number on a boar. When I drew the bow, I thought the target looked farther away than I had my sight set, so I held on an arrow that was on the 8 line high. The arrow hit directly behind the pin and found itself on the 8-line. Then, having to lead off my last target of the day, I executed a good shot and figured I hit right-side 10. Unfortunately, the arrow hit close to where I aimed, and I got myself another 8. I had quickly dropped 8 points and found myself at 382, about 10 points out of the shootoff. Packing my stuff up and heading down the trail, I could've beaten myself up and tore myself down, but I smiled and felt satisfied. I had given it everything I had and just came up a little bit short due to a few mistakes.
Final Thoughts
I didn't have many expectations going to this tournament due to the horrible conditions we've faced in the Northeast this spring, which hasn't allowed much of any time to get quality practice. With that being said, I also know my capabilities and felt confident I could still give it a run.
My first day wasn't great, but I learned I can stay the path and come out on top. I focused on shooting good shots and did everything I could to stay strong and execute to the best of my ability. I'll give myself a solid passing grade on that test, and that says a lot when thinking about last year. Although I shot a few too many 8s, I also made plenty of great shots to stack up a nice pile of 11s, and that felt pretty good.
Day 2 brought me to a familiar place, and I got a feeling from a few years ago that I liked. I figured I had crawled my way back into contention and was ready to finish it off. However, after going on and off the golf course and finishing in the woods, I had a hard time calibrating my yardage guesser, and that caused my demise. I'll definitely get better with that as time goes on. I also finally felt like I was and could be competitive again. I decided to bet on myself this year and shoot a bow of my choosing. That allowed me to test a lot of bows and find one that I thought best suited my shooting style. I landed with an Elite Victra, and I can say that so far it's one of the favorite bows I've ever shot. It also feels good to be home with Elite again, especially since I was able to win a lot of cool stuff with one as an amateur and shoot a couple giant deer with one. I can't wait to see how things play out with the bow as time progresses and we become better friends where we know how to act and what to expect with one another as things become intimate. I'm sure there's an elite performance hiding within this Elite bow.
I feel good going forward and I will do what I can do. I will be headed to the ASA in Kentucky in a few weeks, and I look forward to spending time on the ASA range with the guys who shoot that series that I didn't get to see at the IBO.
My dad also got out and shot the Northeast Championship Series ASA in Massachusetts last weekend. He made his debut in the ASA Legends Class. It was a lot for him since he recently had a hip replaced, but he got through it, and that's what is important. He's still able to do what he likes.
Until next time... shoot to have fun and have fun while you shoot. The picture below... only in West Virginia....
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