2021 Mid-Atlantic Sectionals

 

  This past weekend, I participated in the annual NFAA Mid-Atlantic Sectionals. I felt prepared going into the event, and I've been working on my shot for the last few weeks. After shooting in the NFAA Virtual Indoor Nationals in January, I lost my shot for a little bit and needed to get back on track. I made it a point to do a lot of shooting at my blank bale from a few feet away. I worked on my process and finger placement on the trigger. Going into the event, I was in a good place. I've learned to put expectations to the side and just go shoot my bow. I knew if my tournament took the same path as my mental preparation and blind baling, I would be in good shape. 

  Saturday's round seemed choppy. While I experienced good moments throughout the round, I never really found a good rhythm. I had a little more sight movement than I liked, but I know you can't stop a moving sight. Knowing that, I accepted the movement and did the best I could do under the circumstances. 

  When the round came to an end, I wasn't too happy about the score, but I also wasn't disappointed with my shooting. I made good shots and accepted where the arrows landed. After all, we can't walk to the target and place them where we think they should hit. Instead, we need to follow our steps, execute with good form and see the rewards for our efforts. 

  I felt confident going into Sunday's round. I knew I had not performed close to my abilities on Saturday, and I knew a better version of myself would make an appearance in the second round. I couldn't wait for my second round to start the next day. 

                                                         Sunday: The Second Round

  My shots went off smoothly in the two practice ends before official scoring started. They were smooth and crisp. When the announcement was made that we were on the first official scoring end, I felt good. The pin settled on the lower right bullseye, and I began executing. A few seconds later I saw the arrow land in the X-ring. The next four shots followed the first one, and I was off to a good start. 

  I cruised through the early rounds without a care in my mind. I didn't think about anything other than aiming, and the arrows broke cleanly from the bowstring and began creating a hole on the lower half of the X-ring. Finally, in the fifth end, I lost one out the bottom. It was out about the width of a human hair, but it was out. 

  After taking a break and switching targets from top to bottom and bottom to top at the halfway point, I felt pretty good. I was halfway home, and my form was feeling like I'd finish it off as I started. Then, the first end after the flop, I struggled with my shot a little bit and got slow. I ended up missing another one that was out no more than the width of a hair. I believe it hit directly behind the pin, and the hole on the bottom of the X sucked the arrow in and spit it out below the line. About now, I was wishing it was legal to move the sight in the bowhunter classes. I knew if I could give the sight a few clicks, I would probably be clean. I was aiming at the top of the holes, but the holes were low of center, and most of the arrows were hitting right at 6 o'clock in the X-ring. 

  The second end after the flop gave me the most problems of any end throughout the two days. I had to let down on my third shot three times, but I still finished with 45 seconds on the clock. I'm not sure what was causing the struggle, but I shrugged it off and told myself it was like me to make good, relaxed shots in a consistent time frame. After reinforcing those thoughts after the final arrow of that end, the rest of the round went smoothly. 

  When I got to the last end, I knew I would finish strong, as I am always a strong finisher. When the opponent's legs are weak, I can throw the knockout punch, and I knew my Xs were weak. I decided to punch them out and put them away. I pictured the knockout punch for each of the five arrows, then saw the image appear in real time. My last shot of the tournament was executed flawlessly and landed in the scribe of the X. 

  After the scoring was completed, I pulled my arrows, stuck them in my quiver and walked back to the line to put my stuff away. No matter where I end up finishing, as sectionals are mail-in tournaments, I knew that I had had a winning performance, and nobody can ever ask for more than that, no matter what their scorecard might have for numbers on it. I gave it my best and didn't quit. Here's my card for the weekend. I shot a 600 with 110 Xs, but in the Mid-Atlantic Sectional, for some unknown reason, they only take your best score, so my score getting mailed in by the host site will be 300 57xs. I'd say I'll stand a good chance in Senior Bowhunter Freestyle. 

                                               

Closing Thoughts on the Weekend

  Looking back at the weekend, I've learned that I can go into tournaments and temper my expectations. The old me would have gone into the tournament expecting to shoot what I've been shooting in practice sessions. The new me just goes to the tournament and figures if I use the tournament to practice what I've been practicing, then the end results should be similar. That's what has been happening. I leave the expectations outside of the range before I go inside. Expectations can suck the life out of you and destroy any chance of having fun. If you have expectations and don't meet them, it leaves no room for you to realize your growth. Instead, it breeds negative thoughts and negative thoughts give birth to negative results. You will never accomplish goals if you don't set a realistic plan to reach the goals. The secret is executing the plan -- both in your mind before you achieve the goal and in real life. If you execute the plan enough times in your mind, it will be much easier when your'e living that moment in a tournament. The mind is powerful ... use it to give you power, not to suck the life out of you. 

  Sometimes we don't realize how fortunate we are to be surrounded by good people and good shooters. In all the years I've shot tournament archery, my home club has produced some phenomenal archers and many good ones, too. Our leagues have always been run like tournaments, too. That helps all of us get the same experience a tournament provides. I've been able to stand next to these people and try to improve myself and gain knowledge. We can never know too much, and sometimes we can gain the most valuable insight just by listening to what others say. Always be open-minded and listen while watching. 

  The last few years we've shot our NFAA Indoor State Championship, Jason Clark, Jeff Wagoner, Jacob Slusarz, and I have won our respective classes. We all get to shoot with each other regularly, and we all get along. When you're shooting with one of the best shooters in the world, there's no way that can't motivate you to get better. Sometimes a person's presence drives you to try harder and do better but also just take what your work gives you. When you have friends who are that good, it makes you route harder for them. I'm a firm believer that when you route for people, it makes you better. You can ignore your bad times and talk about the good ones. When you focus on the positive and talk about it, it builds everyone around you. Nobody wants to hear about the bad shots or experiences that so many others like to share. Instead, the good ones talk about the things they battled and conquered during their round. A lot of people don't realize the struggles that great shooters face in almost every round they shoot. They need to be able to adjust on the fly and find a way to make things work. You are never going to be perfect every single time you shoot. 

  I shot in a lane next to Jacob all weekend. We usually shoot well when we shoot together, and the same held true this weekend. We have similar personalities and they kind of give fuel to each other. I enjoy being around young people who know how to work hard toward a goal. It seems like it's a rarity these days to see that kind of desire, dedication and perseverance in someone who wants to achieve something. Having the same type of dedication to different things in my life over the last 30 years, I can relate to the long hours of hard work when nobody is watching. I love the people who say, "I wish I could shoot like that." Well, I'll be the first to tell you that I'm sure you'll never be saying, "Gee, I wish I could put that much into it and drive myself crazy with all of the work I put into this sport." It just doesn't happen. That's where the great ones separate themselves from all others: they work in silence when nobody else can see their work. We only see it on the scoreboard. 

  As you continue shooting your bow this spring/summer try to remember that everyone works hard at this game if they shoot a lot. However, the great ones have a little something extra that others don't have. It's okay to ask these people how they go about doing things. Jacob, Jeff and I talked for two hours after we were done shooting today. We talked solely about archery. Conversations like that give me new life. They make me realize I could try something Jeff does or something Jacob does to improve myself. It may work and it might go in the other direction. Either way, any thoughts from great competitors go a long way with me. 

  Although I would love to go to the Indoor Nationals in Yankton, S.D., I can't justify going out there. If the nationals were in Louisville, I would be heading to the tournament. I'll shoot the NYFAB/NFAA Indoor State Championship in a few weeks and call it a year for the indoor shooting. I'm ready to get outdoors and focus on 3D shooting since we missed so much shooting last summer. 

2020 NFAA Quarantine Indoor Nationals

 

    Although I had every intention of participating in the NFAA Indoor Nationals last March, I wasn’t able to attend due to COVID-19 causing the cancellation of the event. I was highly disappointed because I had been putting numbers up that would give me a chance at challenging the national record for my class, which is 600 113 and was set in 2010. When you start increasing in age in the senior class, your chances tend to go in reverse direction. It’s just the nature of the human body. Although we think we can still do things we could do when we were younger, our bodies make the tasks more difficult. 

 

  During the summer, I participated in the NFAA surveys and checked the box for doing the Indoor National tournament like they do the Sectional tournaments every year at different host locations in the regions. Then, when the news came out that there was going to be a virtual Indoor National tournament, I was excited to participate in it. 

 

  When I looked through the places I could shoot, I chose the one that would take place the week before Christmas because it would give me about one week to get a bow ready to go. Anyone who knows me knows that 100% of my focus and energy goes into deer hunting throughout the fall. Although I wanted to do well in the tournament, I chose not to miss out on the magical weeks of fall when I could hunt. Therefore, I stuck to the grind and never fired an arrow until the week before the tournament was scheduled to take place. 

 

  That Sunday, I entered the range and spent an hour or two shooting. Although I shot at a target, I didn’t focus on impact point. Instead, I wanted to make sure my shot felt good and the draw length was good.  After all, Sean Roberts had helped me with a few issues on my bow, and we tried to get the draw length in the exact spot where I thought I could execute my best shots and perform my best. He did a great job helping me with my equipment, and we ended up at 28 ¾ draw length, holding about 17-18 pounds. I’m shooting a PSE Supra Focus (the original one), and the ability to adjust the let-off is one of the best features with PSEs in my opinion. I settled on the 70% let-off location for the draw stop. It felt the best in that location and made my shot break the best. Although I could aim better at higher let-off, my execution was better in the middle. The lower let-off made the bow feel too jittery for me, although I’m sure I could shoot it now after sending a lot of arrows down range. My bow has GAS strings on it, and they have performed flawlessly since installing them.

 

  By the end of the week, I shot two games and scored 58xs and 57xs. I felt confident going into the weekend. Then, the blizzard hit and the tournament had to be postponed. I was disappointed but glad, because taking care of the three feet of snow did a number on my shoulders. 

 

  After getting the new date, I decided to focus my efforts solely on the tournament. I worked hard on my shot, my self-image, my recovery strategy and my ability to stay in the moment.  In the next month, I never shot above 58xs or below 55xs. I guess you could say I’m pretty consistent. I also knew my misses weren’t mental. The misses I was making were due to a combination of poor execution and pin movement. For the most part, the arrows were hitting as good as the bow was holding. It’s hard to hold a bow really steady with short bars and no lens, especially with 51 ½-year-old diabetic eyes. My execution should've given me multiple 60x games, but the pin just didn't sit still enough to cooperate, and you can't complain when the arrow hits behind the pin.

 

                                                           The Tournament

 

  Well, last week I decided to practice like I would perform, so I ended the week by shooting a 300 game on Wednesday evening and another one on Thursday evening, taking Friday off for rest.  I figured this would replicate Saturday and Sunday. I had two good practice sessions and shot 57xs in both of them. 

 

  When I arrived at the location on Saturday morning, I felt good, but I could also feel a little nervousness jittering around between the top of my chest and my throat. The little devil has sat in that cavern on more than one occasion over the years. I acknowledged the little beast, but I didn’t feed it. Instead, I welcomed it to give me its best shot. The little fella knew that he had beaten me a few times in the past, but he and I were going to throw down today, and I was going to beat him. I had practiced beating him in my mind many times over the last month when he was nowhere to be found. Now, I was ready for him when he appeared at the top of my chest. 

 

  The two official practice ends felt okay but a little shaky. I scattered some arrows around the target and mostly found the middle. As in all practice ends, I don’t really care where I hit; I just want to get a feel for my shot.  In the second practice end, I usually focus more on getting my hold to settle down. In that end, I noticed it was still a little jittery. Unfortunately, I made a mess of the target in the practice ends and never replaces it with a fresh one before the first official scoring end.

 

  When the horn sounded for the first end, I felt pressure I hadn’t felt in my month of preparation leading up to that moment. Drawing down on the lower right bullseye, the pin settled nicely and I felt a sense of calmness run through my veins. The bow fired and the arrow pierced the scribe on the dark blue X. I was on my way. 

 

  The tension built over the next four arrows, with each arrow becoming more of a battle to fire. When the last one cut loose from my bowstring, I put my bow down, looked deep inside my soul and lightly said, “This is not you. You have 55 arrows left to shoot like you. Now, it’s time to be you.” 

 

  After scoring had been completed for that first end, I was the low man. I had shot two, yes two, Xs. After five arrows, I was already at my final score average for the last month. On the way back to the line, I thought of sitting in a tree during hunting season and watching everything wake up in the woods. I saw deer meticulously picking their way through the trees, and I imagined myself in their world. I had worked on my recovery strategy really hard, and I never figured I would have to use it in the first end, but I gave it my best. After all, I knew I might have to use it again. I knew I could roll 55 in a row, so that’s what I set my mind to doing 

  When the round came to a conclusion, I knew I had beat the beast within. I kept him from winning the battle, and he tried like hell in that first end to get the best of me. When the cards were added up, I had gotten out of Day 1 with 57xs and 35 inside out. With exception of that first end, I held the bow like a rock. The bow held as steady as I’ve made it sit this year. On my way home, I knew I was in the game. Like any two or three-day tournament, you can never win on the first day but you can sure as hell lose. I gave myself a chance and that was my goal for the day. 

 

                                                            Day Two

 

  Going into Day 2, I felt more relaxed. I thought I would feel more pressure, but I actually felt less. The two warm-up rounds were less than stellar. I missed half of the Xs, and the bow just wouldn’t sit down like I wanted it to. I knew it was going to be more of a battle than the previous day. 

  Amazingly, my shots were smooth on the first end, and I missed one, but the arrow hit exactly where the pin was when the bow fired. I couldn’t complain about that.  As I marched through the round, I mentally battled. The Nerve Beast, still there, must have been skipping rope between my upper chest and the lower extremities of my throat. Every time he hopped the rope, my pin danced like the dancing bears around the fire. I stayed focus and tried my hardest to stick to the program and look through the pin. Looking through the pin can be tough for me at times because I aim with my pin. I’m not the kind of person who stares through it, but I knew I would need to stare through it on this day. If I didn’t do that, I would be in a heap of trouble trying to stop it. 

 

  Luckily (or unluckily), the pin began setting down as the round progressed. At times, the pin sat so still, I just sat back and enjoyed the show I was watching. I did nothing to participate in the archery game. Instead, I was content to watch the pin sit almost motionless in the middle of the X. It slowed my shot down and caused a lot of tension. I began having to let down more than I would like, and I realized that the problem was coming from the fear of missing. 

 

  Finally, as the last end of the tournament landed in my lap, I pulled the bow back for the first of the final five shots and began to panic. I could no longer see my green fiber optic, as the light had just about faded out. Scrambling to figure something out, I decided I could get by, even though I knew I probably should take an equipment failure and find a way to fix it. 

 

  I knew the shots would have to go quickly before the pin faded out to nothing. I could still see it but it wasn’t bright enough to be able to commit to a shot with great confidence. The next five shots went smoothly, and all arrows found their way into the X. I am a great finisher, and I stomped across the finish line and gave a swift kick to the Nerve Beast. I kicked him and watched him roll across the floor like a tumbleweed beginning its journey across the Kansas prairie. I had beaten him on this day because I had practiced beating him. He can be incredibly difficult to beat because he is more practiced than 95% of all competitive archers. If you take the time to practice defeating him, you will have your share of battles, but you will know you’re able to beat him. I’ve never won a tournament that is as great as one I’ve won because I beat him at the same time. It’s a two-for-one special, and I always lay my money on the counter to cash in while it’s there for the taking. 

 

                                                       Final Thoughts

 

   Along the way, I’ve become friends with a lot of archers, and I’m thankful for the friendships I’ve made along the way. I remember watching Roger Thibault, Steph Hamner, Al Lane, Bob Rowe, Dave Gravlin, Brian Visco, Donny Goodwin, Bill Trybulski, and many others throughout New England when I started my journey into competitive archery. These guys set a standard that I wanted to carry on, and I feel like I’ve done my part. 

  

 I even got to watch some of the younger guys when they were in the youth class, and I wondered where they would go.  Eric Griggs is always one who stuck out to me. I always loved to watch his fiery personality. He had a sleeping bear lurking inside, and you wanted to try to avoid the sleeping bear at all costs. As he got older and became a professional archer, he kept that competitive edge. I believe at one time, although I can’t be sure, that he might have set the record for most Xs ever in Vegas with his MQ1 that he filed the handle off, but he shot a 9 that year. Heck, this was probably 25 years ago, and he was still a kid. It was in a time before everyone shot 30X games. It was impressive to watch him compete. Then, I saw the sleeping bear awaken when he left his last job and opened GAS Bowstrings. The bear wanted to become the best in the business and that’s what he set out to do. When he started out, he said he would help me because I was one of the old-school New Englanders. He graciously reached out and helped me with strings for multiple bows. Then, I settled on shooting a PSE Supra Focus for indoor archery. He made the strings for me, and I put them on there. Although I know strings are like car engines and oil, I’ve ever felt the need to change those strings the last three years. This is the beginning of the third year I’ve had those original strings on my Focus, and they have performed flawlessly on that bow. I know the strings on that bow perform and that’s why I haven’t touched them. They have given me the confidence to get the job done. So thank you, Eric, for providing me with an opportunity to represent your brand and help you out while you help me out. I’ve learned over the years that one hand always washes the other.

 

 I put a lot into this tournament, and my mind has been anything but calm and at peace for the last 10 months. I’ve fought plenty of internal battles in life in that time period. I’ve learned to separate and overcome each battle as it presents itself. I’ve allowed myself to focus on the here and now while ignoring the things I can’t control. Instead, I control the things I can control and let the other things pass by like water in a stream.  Since many of us are Patriot fans, we can all use the famous Belichick line after each archery tournament……….. “On to Cincinnati.” It's amazing how fast it is to feel the rush of the finish, then move on to the next. It's important to set new goals and keep moving forward. 

 

Royalston Team Money Shoot

 

 

 Another summer of archery got put to an end this weekend at the Royalston team money shoot. It's a fun shoot that I look forward to participating in every year because I get to see all of my closest archery friends and say goodbye to them until winter. There are always a lot of smiles, laughs and ball-busting that  is shared amongst all participants. There are the same teams that return every year. There are people who try different partners every year. Every year usually sees a few new people come out to the event to see what it's all about, and we welcome them into our New England family of archery. There's no drama or complaining, and everyone who comes enjoys the day. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, and it doesn't matter if you hit one 14 or 10 of them. Those 14s are like a perfect drive on a golf course. They are unforgettable, and we talk about them for years after they happen. Sometimes, we even get to talk about the ones that got called out. Jacob and I will always remember this one.

 This might have been the first time I saw Jacob throw his subconscious mind into kill mode. As we walked away from this 55-yard antelope that year, he told me he would not allow another one to be close enough to be called out. I believe he shot seven 14s in a row after this one. Do you remember that Sean and Josh? It's one of those things I will never forget. I looked for his Superman cape, but I could never find it. Instead, I saw Jacob walking down the trail in front of me in his jeans and t-shirt. He didn't have a care in the world. He just put on a show for all of us to watch. I figured I would never see anything like it again. It took a few years, but I saw it again. 

  As we were walking to the second half of the course a few years ago, we were notified that we were behind by a wide margin. He said, "Not today. Nobody is beating us today. Let's get this done." Then, he got it done, hitting almost every 14 from there to the end. I think he 17 of them that year, and there were some absolute bombs. That's why I love this event. I will always remember different things about every year. This year was awesome watching Barry Gates shoot a few 14s. Barry puts in more work than most people and has been plugging along for a while. He has finally started getting over the hump, and it is awesome to watch it and be a part of it. I love to watch other people succeed, especially when they put in the work. 

                                                            This Year's Event

  Jacob texted me on Thursday and told me he was having some issues with his bow and had somehow lost poundage, which caused him to lose his marks on his sight tape. He didn't know if he would have time to get something together for the team shoot. Although I was disappointed, I felt confident he could figure something out. He decided to take out his hunting bow and set it up to see how it would work. He got it close on Thursday night and sighted it in Friday night and decided to head out with it. We would take the good with the bad. 

  Barry was on vacation with his family in Saratoga, so I picked him up at 5:15 and we headed on our way. Since Jacob hadn't committed to anything due to the bow issues, I didn't know who he was headed over with. At the last minute, when he decided he would be going, I told him I would pick him up and cram him in the truck with Barry's stuff. 

  When we got to the club, many people had already gone out. I shot four arrows at 40 yards. There was a small black dot and I stuck three arrows on top of each other and another one less than an inch to the right of them. It was an x-sized group on a 5-spot. I felt good about my shot and the day ahead of us. I shot four more arrows at the 20-yard butt to feel my shot. 

    As we headed across the field to the first target, I felt good about the day. I had decided to shoot my PSE Evoke 35 with Gold Tip Pierce Platinum 500s going 289 fps. It's definitely not an arrow that will get you many lines, but that arrow shoots really well out of that bow. A few weeks ago, I shot a K-50 ASA course in New York with the boys from Massachusetts. I shot a 326 and felt good about the way the bow performed. I figured I wouldn't do too much practicing after that as long as I knew the arrows were hitting behind the pin.

  When I drew on the first target, a standing bear, I had a hard time keeping my bubble in the middle. There was more of a grade on the hill than I thought would show up in my bubble. Amazingly, the pin sat still. Dave Allard had hit just under the 10-ring, and I had a hard time getting my pin off his arrow. My bow sat like a rock, though. However, I became an aimer and not a participant. My shot was in my back, but I wasn't increasing pressure on either end. When the bow fired, it caught the top of the 10-ring. I believe I just held too high after I got my pin off from Dave's arrow. I made the adjustment, and the adjustment was a little too much. Jacob nailed the 14, and we were on our way. 

  When I got to the second target, I had to lead it off. I wasn't overly happy when I saw a strutting turkey  in front of me. Although it wasn't a very long shot, it was dark and I couldn't see where I was on the target too well. The problem came about because I changed my setup to a small peep and more power in my lens so I could see exactly where I wanted to hit on the longer targets. If I can see where I'm trying to hit, I can usually hit it. So I made that change for this year, and Jacob made a change this year too. He decided to shoot a lens for the first time so he could see the pink rings on the longer targets. 

  When I drew the bow on the turkey, I couldn't make out a good aiming point. I put it where I thought I needed to be and pulled. The arrow landed just above the 11. Jacob once again got the 14. When Barry placed an arrow in a good spot on the mountain lion after the turkey, I felt good about it. When I hit full draw, the pin just sat on the 11 ring. The bow fired and the arrow found its mark. It was a good shot, and I had it in my back from start to finish. It was that perfect golf shot that we all search for. 

  After our first five targets we were plus 14 and I had shot three 11s. Although I was struggling a little with letdowns, I was making good shots. I think it might be because I was shooting with a little less holding weight than I had over the last few years. 

 When  we got to a long downhill ram, it got really dark and we could hear thunder banging in the skies above us. The target became very difficult to see, and my small peep made it even harder to find any type of spot to hold on. I struggled mightily but couldn't come up with anything. Finally, I followed the advice of Terry Wunderle from many years ago, "If you can't see the target well, put it where you think it is and make the best shot you can make." So that's what I did. I didn't miss by much, but I did miss the 10-ring.....barely. The arrow hit a hair to the right and just out the bottom. Jacob couldn't see the target much better than I saw it. His arrow struck on the outside line of the 10-ring. We felt fortunate to walk off with a 10. There was a lot of luck involved. It was just bad timing between the dark skies from the passing storm and the target in a dark area. When you encounter those things, you just need to make the best of it and move on. That's what we did. 

  As we continued down the trail, we were both making good shots. I made a perfect shot on the 70-yard mule deer down the power line. It hit in the bottom of the 10-ring. Jacob made a perfect shot after my shot, and we all thought he got the 14. Unfortunately, it was less than 1/4 of an inch out. In the meantime, Chuck Weeden lost his rangefinder and thought he had dropped it in front of the mule deer. He waited for us to finish and walked down to the target to find it. It wasn't there and couldn't be found. As he walked away, I felt really bad for him. He had a rough week at work, and I knew losing an expensive rangefinder probably wasn't helping matters. I led off the bear on the stump after the mule deer and made an absolutely horrendous shot. I had let outside thoughts into my mind and they took over. I was thinking about Chuck and feeling badly for him, and I momentarily lost all focus. I shot an 8 and Jacob followed my 8 with an 8, our only 8 of the day. We both lost focus for a minute and lost track of what we were doing. Neither one of us gave it any more attention than the few minutes we dealt with it while pulling our arrows out. It's 3D archery and 8s happen. 

  Meandering through the rest of the top half we held our own. Jacob started hitting low on the really gettable 14s. When we missed the 14 on the woodland javelina, we thought we were headed for trouble.We missed three 14s in a row that we should have gotten and would have gotten on any other year. Sometimes, you just have to take what you get and keep moving along. That's what we did. We didn't get down about anything and enjoyed our day in the woods.

   When we got to the last 10 targets, we knew we had to find a way to rack a few points up. We thought we sealed our fate when my pin drifted to the right on the 46-yard medium deer before the elk. It wasn't a bad shot, it was just one of those things that can happen from time to time. I expected it to be in the center of the center of the 11. As good teammates do, Jacob picked me up, and I gave him an opportunity to shoot at the next three 14s. Unfortunately, we battled some pretty good wind gusts when we were shooting the elk, rising boar and antelope. I managed to shoot a few 11s, and Jacob centered the 14 on the rising boar. 

  When we added the card up, we like what we saw, but we weren't sure if it would be enough. We both knew that we didn't capitalize on the majority of the closest targets on the course, and they were all gettable for every shooter. We figured we would wait it out and see what the cards dealt when they were all laid on the table. 

  I couldn't have asked for a better day. I believe I ended the day with 18 11s, one bad shot, one shot that probably hit where the pin was when it fired, and one shot that drifted to the right and missed the 10-ring by the width of a fingernail. This bow shoots well, and I'm glad I decided to give it a whirl with the micros. The 11 count shows you that the size of the arrow really doesn't matter a whole lot if you're making good shots. 

  It was really nice to see so many teams this year. Chuck Weeden and Todd Sargent, who usually shoot 35-yard max tried their hand at it after I convinced them to go to the shoot, and they had a great time. Mark Myers and Brett Powers came for the first time and laid it down. Those guys can shoot and showed some of their game on Saturday. Congratulations to them for such a strong showing. Rick Baker and Karla DeVincent proved that co-ed teams can never be underestimated. 

  Rob D'Alfonso and Matt Baer came from six hours away and had a great time. Rob came to our region to support something that brings all of us friends together. The reason he came is because so many of us have been able to support him over the last few years. Whole some of us haven't been to his shoots, we still support them and tell others they should attend. So next year, try to support the stuff in his region, so we can hopefully grow our little event and get some more of his people to come along next year. If you need any information about anything he's doing, send him a message on Facebook or reach out to him at Ram Archery. He holds some indoor tournaments at his place in the winter, too. 

I've attached a photo of our scorecard and the results for the day. I also want to thank Shawn Couture for  running the event this year and always being gracious. It seems like yesterday when he and Wendy were still teenagers and attending all of the events in the region. He has mastered how to set a course to make it fun for everyone and allows everyone to feel good about the day and competing. I really think this was his best work for the entire crowd, so we can make it competitive for everyone and make people feel good about how they shot. Great job, Shawn. 

                       

Northeast ASA at Baypath

    This year has been a battle with my own mind. It seems that random thoughts come and go in my mind while at full draw, causing me to have to let down and regroup. Although I've encountered issues like that in the past, I'm battling them almost every time out this year. I'm convinced that it's because there's no rhythm to shooting this year. I've only attended a few shoots, and my mind is overloaded with other things that take priority over archery. It has been a challenging 3D year.

  On Saturday, I headed to Baypath Archers in Southbridge, Mass., to participate in the ASA federation tournament. I didn't expect much since I haven't shot at any lower 12s since the days I participated on the national ASA circuit with my dad and friends. Although it was so many years ago, the feeling came back quickly when I got on the course.

  When I took a glance at the first target of my day, I saw a brown bear in a dark hole. Jacob and Donny both had arrows close to the 12. I couldn't' tell if they were in it, but they gave me a good reference point. I put the pin between their arrows and executed a good shot. The arrow hit behind the pin, and I started my day with a 12. That's when I realized that it's hard not to aim at the highest scoring ring on the target, even when you're guessing the yardage. Although I haven't shot much this year, I have put the work in at home. I've practiced my shot and my yardage regularly. I need to spend more time on my mental training. I've let that slide this year due to the lack of tournaments.

  As we pulled our arrows and began the march to the next target, I felt like I was looking back in time. Rick Baker and Bill Romanchick were waiting in the group behind us, and Don Doherty was in my group. I've always loved shooting with these guys over the years, and I'm glad that they have all stayed in it over the years. I've had a lot of great laughs with all of them, and we have some good memories over the years. I can still remember shooting with Billy at the Vermont IBO State Championship in the mid '90s and again at the first leg of the Northeast IBO Triple Crown in Nashua, N.H., one year when he and Bryan Hunt shot with me and my dad. Billy has always been a fierce competitor, but he always keeps it light along the way. My dad nicknamed him the Mayor of Middleburgh many years ago and it stuck. I always like the Back-Brace Billy moniker we tagged him with. He has always been a good sport about it, too. I'm glad to call him a friend.

  Ricky and I have been at this as long as anyone in New England. We both started as kids and are still at it today. Archery is a part of our lives that has always been there and will stay with us until the end. Although I'm in the senior class now, where our heroes were when we were growing up, Rick will be with me in a few years. It doesn't seem possible that I've reached that class so quickly. Where does time go?

  It seems like just a few years ago when Pete Lucas was running the ASA Trifecta, a three series shoot, in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, and I was in a group with Scott Tozier, Brett DuFour and Rick. We all gunned at the lower 12s and had a good time doing it. When the dust settled, I came out on top that day in Sturbridge, Mass. I'm thankful for having competition like that in the old days and still having it today.

  So as I walked to the next target, I thought about the experience surrounding me. Everyone in my group had won IBO National Triple Crowns and IBO World titles and everyone in the group behind me had made the cut at the IBO World. It's pretty impressive when you realize all of the people are your close friends. It makes you route for your friends and competitors. It's also pretty cool when you know you're shooting with one of the best shooters in the country.

  As we picked our way through the course, we tried adjusting to the McKenzie targets. I didn't have that many problems with them. My yardage judging went well, and I really only got fooled on one target. It was a medium buck with really big antlers. I thought it was a large deer, but Jacob warned me that the target was small. I shot at the 12 and still shot out the top of it, hitting the 8 line. If I had shot at the middle of the 10, I would have surely gotten a 5... the benefits of a misjudged target in ASA when you judge it as longer than it is.

  I felt like my judging carried me through the first half. I got a few 12s and missed a few, too. As an unmarked shooter, I try to play relatively safe and only aim directly at the ones that I think I'm absolutely sure I have the yardage pegged. I thought I had one pegged halfway through because it was long. I put the pin right on it and executed a good shot. The arrow landed pretty low and barely caught an 8. That's the disadvantage of a missed number on the low side in the ASA. You just have to stay in the game and have a plan as you continue through an ASA course, whether you're shooting known or unknown. You must have a plan and stick to it.

  As we headed onto the second half, the heat had turned up a notch, but I didn't sweat. It was nice with all of the canopy in the woods creating a lot of shade. My numbers stayed good throughout the day, but not quite good enough to get many 12s. I got the close ones that I aimed at, but there weren't many close ones as far as unmarked yardage goes.

  When I got to the chamois up near the solar panels, I had a hard time getting a number. The target was lit up in bright sunlight and looked really big, but the ground distance told me it was a lot farther than it looked. When I settled the pin down around the 12, I didn't feel comfortable with it and had a hard time committing to the shot. When the release finally fired, I watched the arrow hit about an inch over the 10 ring. I knew it was going to go there before I shot it. That's all part of the game.

  As our day was coming to an end, I had to lead off the last target, which I think was a warthog. I had a great aiming spot, as the 12 was lit up by a sunspot. I thought I had a perfect number, so I held right on it. The pin sat nicely but dropped right as the bow fired. My heart missed a beat when the bow fired, and I thought I had my first five of the day. Stepping away from the stake, I saw that the shot wasn't as bad as I had thought. The arrow was sitting just underneath the 12, putting me at 2 down for the tournament. I'll take that for not shooting at lower 12s in almost 20 years.



                                                    My Take on the Day

   I was happy with the way things went. I had adjusted the trigger on my release the night before the shoot. I made it stiffer and shortened the length of the strap on the release. These things allowed my shot to go off a little better, but I struggled holding the bow steady because the shot felt a little different. I think it will be much better as I get used to it.

  I enjoyed the course, as Baypath always puts on a good shoot. It's a good location because it's somewhat centrally located. It only takes me about 2 1/2 hours to get there. They have a lot of terrain, so you get everything you want to test your 3D shooting skills. There are downhills, side hills, uphills, flat shots, shots into tunnels and shots in the open. I thought it was one of the best IBO-type sets I've seen in a while. The yardage was really well hidden, and it was extremely tough to judge.

  Being an ASA shoot, I kind of wish it had more of an ASA feel. Now that we have the two organizations in the same region, it's a great opportunity to express the differences in each and show the people how both are run at the nationals.

  I've always enjoyed both types of tournaments. I enjoy the walk through the woods and never knowing what's coming next with the IBO shoots. I always feel like I'm hunting. I also always liked the ASA events because they were like a big social gathering while shooting. You could see everyone because you were all on the same road together and you would pass each other on the road. If someone was on the course, you would definitely see that person. I liked it because you never had to walk very far either. I'm hoping that we get something like that as time goes on. I don't mind it this way, but it would be cool to get that social gathering type of thing at one or two of them. I used to like the lazy-man tournament where all targets are side by side and you have to wait for shooters on each side of you to finish before going to the target to pull arrows.

  With all of the chaos going on about the IBO World being canceled, there's a possibility that I've shot my last 3D tournament of the summer. In all reality, it wouldn't bother me if that's the case.

Second Leg of the IBO National Triple Crown

   That pictures sums up my weekend. As I hemmed and hawed about what day to head to Pennsylvania to participate in the second leg of the national triple crown, I finally decided the rain wouldn't be too bad, and I would shoot all 40 targets on Saturday. Heck, I've always shot well in the rain, and the forecast called for intermittent showers. As the week wore on, the forecast changed multiple times, and I just gave up looking at it. I figured I would just go and shoot my arrows and come home. So that's what I did.

  While Jeff and I were traveling to the shoot, the temperature climbed so high that I could feel its effects through the windshield in Buffalo. We watched the thermometer go from 94 to 100. It never got above 100, but that's where it topped off.



  When we got out near Erie, Pa., the temperature started to drop, and by the time we arrived in Franklin, the thermometer hung steady at 80 degrees. We picked up our cards and headed to the motel  for the night. After watching Vozzy trying to get some net on the hoop at the hotel, we went inside and got a good night's rest. Oh, the Vozz looked awesome on slow-mo video. He was only 16 inches short of touching the net. We are hoping he might break out his high-tops from the early '80s for his next try. Stuff like that is what makes the traveling to archery tournaments worth it. You can share memories with your friends that will last a lifetime. I'll be forever thankful for my ability to go to so many tournaments over the years.

                                             Saturday Morning

  When Jeff and I got out of the car and put our bows together at the target butt, we figured we were going to have a dismal morning to shoot. Although it wasn't raining, it was dark and dreary. Within minutes, all of that changed and the heavens let loose. The rain came down in buckets.

  Walking to the tent for our range assignment, we readied ourselves for what was ahead of us. The rain has temporarily stopped, but the woods were so dark you could barely see 30 yards. Some of the Heritage Archery Academy shooters on the youth range said they could't even see some of the targets they were supposed to shoot.

  Standing under the tent, I caught up with Brian DiBona and Dave Ferguson. They had shot 30 targets the day before and were looking to finish their last 10. Within a few minutes, any chance of that happening was washed away as the rain started coming down again and the woods became even darker. Dave said there was no way he was going out. I didn't blame him one bit. Unfortunately, Jeff and I didn't have a choice. I only had the hotel room for one night, and we had already used that night. We had planned on shooting all 40 on Saturday, and nothing was going to prevent that from happening.

                                                 The Tournament Begins

  Finally, we found someone to accompany us onto the range. We shot with a crossbow guy named Joe. I had shot with him in the past, and he's a nice guy. He was from Kentucky but had moved there from New York. After walking a considerable distance to the first target, the rain started coming down again.

  Looking down the hill, I could see a coyote on a log. What a way to start! I started it off and caught a 10 on the left side, perfect height. I made a good shot and it broke smoothly, even though I had a few shakes going on due to the adrenaline of the beginning of the tournament. I also had the shakes because my blood sugar level was at 49. I had walked a long way from the target butt to where I was at that point, and my blood sugar was plummeting. I sucked down a small bottle of apple juice and figured I would be good to go.

  Unfortunately, we wandered our way through the range, and my blood sugar would not come up no matter what I did. A combination of everything finally caught up to me when we got to a long uphill white ram. The rain was coming down in sheets, and I could feel a steady stream of water running down my back, into the crack of my ass, down my legs, and into my boots. It was't a comforting feeling, but I ignored it. My aim quickly deteriorated on the white ram and my blood sugar could't keep up with my activities for the morning. Not being able to hold the bow or see the target due to the rain, the shot fired and I hit the target in the middle of the rear ham, about 13 inches from the back of the 8 line. My chances of doing anything at this tournament had faded with my blood sugar. When I got to the last target on the course, my level finally reached 92.

  When we got to the bedded ram to start the next 10 targets, the rain was coming down in sheets. I couldn't see through my scope at all, so I held it in the area I thought might be okay and pulled. When the arrow came off the bowstring, water parted on both sides of the tube as it plowed toward the target. It looked like a vapor trail behind a jet, but it was a trail of water behind my SuperDrive 23. The arrow found its way into the 10 ring. I'm still amazed I even hit the target when I look back at the conditions at that moment in time.

  The rain didn't let up, and we didn't stop marching through the course. When I walked up to the black panther at the next station, I just shook my head. It had a bit of an angle on it and it was anything but a chip shot. I made what I thought was a perfect shot, and I watched the water part on both sides of the arrow again as it made its way into the black foam. I hit it just barely out of the 10-ring on the top side. I'm fairly certain the arrow hit directly behind the pin. Standing at the stake, I thought I had pounded the center of the 10-ring. I was disappointed when I got to it and realized I had shot an 8.

  I was beginning to feel my shot at this point. I stroked the next target, and impala, and felt good about my shot on a downhill bedded buck and a fallow deer in a swampy area. The fallow deer was almost impossible to shoot. The rain had made the area feel like ice. The mud was so greasy, I could barely stand up. I fought hard to make a good shot, and I did it well. It might have been one of my best shots of the day.

  The rain didn't want to let up, and I began battling my blood sugar again. It had risen quickly when we finished the last course, so I took a dose of insulin to counteract the rise. Well, it started falling like a rock again due to the dosage. The first 20 targets gave me a battle unlike I've ever experienced while shooting. Although it was warm out,  being soaked can make you get chilly quickly. As we neared the end of our second 10, my hands were shot. They felt and looked like raisins.



 When we finally finished the first 20, I wasn't too terribly happy. I was down 16 points, and every lost point except two were due to poorly executed shots. I felt like I held my own under the conditions and made a vow to somehow try to minimize the damage the rest of the way. I figured I would be somewhat ok if I kept my score around 380. I knew most people had shot on Friday because we didn't see hardly any people on the course. I would just have to do the best I could and accept the results. I made sure to never cave in and become defeated. When you do that, you are done. I always fight and claw until the end. I always look at it with the mindset that if I'm struggling, the other good shooters will probably struggle too. We parted ways with Joe at the end of 20 and waited for two hours to find someone else to shoot another range. I highly recommend the bow umbrella. It helped keep my bow dry one year during the IBO World, allowing me to win, and it also helped me this time. It's important to keep your strings as dry as possible. Unfortunately, I watched Jeff's strings become waterlogged, and he lost about 4-5 yards off his sight. It made for a very unfortunate situation.



                                                              The Last 20

  After waiting two hours, we finally got paired up with a young lad who was shooting in the MBR class. He was a good shooter, and it finally gave Jeff and I some arrows to aim at. Unlike our first 20, we could now use this kid's arrows for markers. It made my life a lot easier.

  I changed releases for this 20 targets. The release I shot on the first 20 wasn't breaking cleanly, and I felt like I was getting hung up on it and my aiming was suffering. The attachment is a hair longer on that release. With the hills and the rain, I changed to a shorter release. I could see the change on the first target, as my shot broke perfectly. I was excited to get it rolling. When I got to a javelina that was  straight up the hill near the end of the course, the rain was pounding off the trees -- and us. I just looked at everyone in the group and laughed. Somehow, I smoked the 11 on it and continued to the end. I'm still not sure how I got the 11 on it. I guess it's true when Mark Meyers tells me that a lot of my success comes from my ability to concentrate far more than most people. When we added the scores for the 10 targets, I had a 101........I was holding on to a miserable day. I had saved the light from fading into nothingness, but I still had 10 to go, and the rain wasn't helping matters.

  After waiting another two hours for someone to go out with us, a group finally approached the tent. There were five people in the group, and one of them was Mike Guraly, a great shooter. I was happy when he decided to go out with us. I knew I would have good arrows to look at, and he's a nice guy who is as passionate about archery as me. He has a list of accomplishments in archery as long as anyone I know, and you would never know it by talking to him. That's my kind of person. He just shoots his bow and lets the rest speak for itself. The few times I've been around him, it has been a pleasure.

  Dealing with the day we had, my nerves and body were about shot when we headed onto the course. I knew I would have to dig deep to stay in the game. I started off with a few good shots and managed to pick up an 11 or two along the way. I was a little perturbed when I made a perfect shot on a leopard and a strutting turkey and shot out the top of both of them, barely missing the 10-ring. The arrow on the turkey slapped Mike's arrow, which was nicely placed in the 10-ring. The arrow on the leopard was no more than 1/4 of an inch out.

  When I pulled my bow back on the gator, the last target of tournament for me, I was happy when I executed a shaky shot and the arrow found it's way into the 10-ring. I couldn't have been happier. Somehow, I had survived the day after getting walloped in the beginning. I held on with everything I had and refused to quit. Although my score wasn't great, I was proud that I stuck it out through the entire day and made a slight comeback. When all was said and done I finished in fifth place. I guess I'll take that since I'd imagine most others in the class didn't shoot in torrential rain. I've always done well in inclement weather. I never let it bother me. I just shoot my bow. Mike moved on to shoot another 10 targets, and I knew I had done ok on that loop. Mike and I finished within a point of each other, and whenever I finish close to him, I consider it a success.

  When I got back to the car, my boots were filled with water and my clothes felt like they weighed about 10 pounds. I rung out my shirt and shorts and changed in the parking lot. I didn't give a hoot about standing bare-assed in the field to change. It felt incredibly refreshing to put on dry clothes and get into the car to begin our eight-hour trip home.


  I'd like to give a shout out to Rob LeLacheur. He shot all 40 in the same conditions I shot in, and he brought home the bacon, getting his best finish ever at a national event. Way to go, Rob!! I'd also like to congratulate Sara Kay. She's on a roll this year. She notched her second victory of the year. I sure bet she and Ted are glad they decided at the last minute to attend the triple crown. Sometimes that's the way it works. Things just have a way of coming together. And last but not least are the Thygesen boys, father and son, as they flat-out pounded and made a statement for New England. Thank you guys for holding our place on the map as good shooters. There's a longstanding tradition in the IBO for great shooters out of New England. I'm glad you guys did your part in keeping us relevant. These guys attend their first-ever IBO national and Tyler brought home a win, crushing the rest of the competitors in the class.


 


I'm sure that was a good feeling, as I can remember my first trip to a national many many moons ago. There were 1,250 shooters in MBO that weekend and somehow I was lucky enough to come home with some hardware. It's still one of my most memorable tournaments of all time. I shot a zero on the second to last target due to a spring breaking in my Carter Big Kid 3D during the draw, but I still finished near the top. Great job to everyone who shot. Here's the damage. It wasn't pretty, but I'll take solace in the fact that I got the train back on the tracks when it started careening out of control along the riverbank.

1st Leg of the IBO National Triple Crown

  As we all know, this spring and early summer haven't been what we have become accustomed to over the years. I've always found myself traveling to a lot of archery tournaments as I prepared for the  IBO National Triple Crown. I've always tried getting in as many tournaments as possible to see a lot of different targets and target sets. If I see a lot of targets, I'm able to register things in my mind to go back to as the season progresses.

  Unfortunately, I didn't have that opportunity this year, so I headed to West Virginia to try my hand at a national event without one unknown yardage tournament under my belt for the year. The last unknown event I participated in was the IBO World Championship last year. Although I didn't get much practice in, I always expect a lot from myself and felt like I could still hold my own without any practice. I did shoot my own targets, but we all know that's not the same as going places to shoot.

  I went to the tournament with Barry Gates and Jeff Wagoner. We had a great time and made the most of our time away. We got to try out Barry's new truck, and it passed with flying colors. I've always enjoyed traveling to and from the shoots. Although the trips are long and boring, some unforgettable laughs come to the forefront on every trip. It's something I will cherish for as long as I live. Friends, family and fun are things that can't be matched when it comes to archery.

                                                            The Arrival

  When we showed up at Pipestem State Park in West Virginia, we were greeted with an almost unbearable noise. Cicadas had emerged from the ground, and were giving us the best songs they could sing -- and the songs weren't pleasant. The noise was never-ending, and it was deafening at times. After I began shooting, it became background noise, but it is something I will never forget.


                                                             Go Time

  Jeff and I headed to the range to get 20 targets under our belt after shooting a few arrows at the target butt. When I fired my first three arrows, I couldn't figure out why I was hitting about six inches low. It unnerved me when I saw the arrows grouping well but low. As I stepped off the line and moved toward my stool, I suddenly identified the problem: I had left my bow-pod on the bottom limb while shooting. After taking it off, my arrows all grouped well in the spot. For many years, I've always made fun of people who do that and don't notice it. I"m still not sure how I didn't notice it. I guess I just have too many things going on lately, and my mental awareness has been taking a hit over the last several weeks.

  When we got to the tent, we had to wait a few minutes to get assigned into a group. When I saw who we were going to shoot with, I wasn't too terribly excited to get going. We were shooting with a guy who has been around as long as me, and the guy really likes himself. He also likes to jabber nonstop. I've never been a fan.

  When I walked across the golf course to the first target and took a look at it, I knew I wasn't going to shoot the shot. The entire kill zone was blocked by a huge branch sticking up from the ground. We all agreed that the target couldn't be shot from that location. I volunteered to head back to the tent to get someone to take a look at it. After getting halfway to the tent, I could hear the people in my group yelling to me to return.

  When I got back to them, they told me that we were looking at the last target of the course. They pointed up the hill at an antelope and told me that was the first target. Jeff got off to a good start by placing an arrow in the middle of the 11. I barely caught a 10 on the low side. The placement of the arrow concerned me because I thought I had a good number, and I made a good shot.

  Heading toward the second target, I began doubting my range-finding abilities for the day. Then, looking at mountain lion that was in between two trees up a gradual hill and on a flat in some dark timber, I knew it was going to be tough to hit. When Jeff hit it a little bit high, I subtracted some yardage off from my original guess. The pin settled nicely, and the shot fired. The arrow found a home an inch above the 11.

  When I got to the strutting turkey a few targets later, I was glad that I would be getting it out of the way early. I knew after I shot it, I wouldn't have to see another turkey during the tournament. When I glanced at it, I knew it was one of those difference makers that gets put on national courses. The target was there to separate scores. It was a bomb. Anything above an 8 would be a bonus. My pin settled perfectly on an arrow that was in the 10-ring. Amazingly, the pin didn't move. When the bow finally fired, the arrow struck slightly below the 11. It was an incredible shot, one I can still feel as I type right now. It was one of those blind bale shots that finds its way onto the range.

  As we meandered through the course, I managed to shoot 10s for a while, but had a hard time capturing any 11s. The man in our group was one of the most disrespectful people I've ever shot with in all of the years of my shooting. It's hard to believe he's related to a professional. I knew it was coming when he was put into our group, so I tried to mentally prepare for it between the tent and the first stake. Unfortunately, the walk was only about 150 yards to get prepared.

  As the day wore on, I couldn't focus at all. He would stand behind me and talk nonstop while I was at full draw. He would try to engage in conversation with everyone around him, people in our group and the other groups nearby. He wouldn't stop talking when I was at full draw, even when Jeff purposely ignored him. Amazingly, he only did it a few times while Jeff was shooting.

  Everyone is probably wondering why I didn't say anything. Well, I picked my poison and decided that if I said anything, thing probably would have gotten worse. He's the kind of guy who instigates and antagonizes if he knows he's bothering you. I've seen him in action. I figured he might have matured over the years, but in his 60s, he's still the same as he has always been.

  When the day came to an end, I was four down at 196. I had shot four 8s and four 11s. Every 8 was less than 1/2 inch out. Two of them hit at 12 o'clock, and the other two hit at 6 o'clock. The first one happened on the brown floppy bear, and it was a slam-dunk shot. It had 11 written all over it. The man was jabbering in my ear, and I found myself listening to the dumb conversation. I lost focus and missed the shot. The arrow hit where the pin was sitting. The other high miss was on a small deer on a gradual downhill slope. The target was leaning considerably forward. I barely missed the 10, but the lean caused it to land outside of the ring. If it had been upright, I'm pretty sure I would've gotten it. I backed that up with another 8 on the next target, a bedded ram. The pin dip-banged when it fired, and we had to get on our hands and knees to determine if it was in or out. I needed the next shaft size to secure a 10. When we got to the second to last target of the day, a Corsican ram, I made an incredible shot. The pin locked on a shot-out spot, and the bow fired. I saw the nock appear in the middle of the 11. The shot felt incredible.

  Walking to the last target, a bedded buck, I knew I could get off the course at one down. I figured I would easily shoot an 11 on it and move off the range. Unfortunately, I overheld the shot, hitting it low. Although I couldn't call it in, I was pissed at myself and probably stole points from myself. I called it out, although the angle of the arrow made it touch the line about an inch from where the point had it. The point was out, but the arrow was touching. Being pissed, I called it out. In hindsight, I probably should have called it as it should've been called. That should sum up my mood for the day. I just wanted to get off the range. The two guys we were shooting with were driving me crazy. I felt fortunate to get off the range with the score that I put up. I knew it should've been much better, but I took it and ran. When they asked to meet us to shoot the last 20 the next morning, I declined.

  When we got back to the truck, we found out that Barry had shot with the wife of the man in our group. He said she talked nonstop, too. I decided to call it a day and shoot the last 20 the next day with a fresh mind. Although the course had some tough shots, I thought it was relatively soft. The back and forth sight moving in the beginning made it tough, then a stretch where most of the targets were really similar yardages. Those stretches can play mind games on even the best 3D archers. The next day the woman told Barry that her husband and his friend shot with two snooty guys who didn't talk much. Gee, I wonder why we weren't talking. Etiquette must be an overrated thing these days.

  Before we packed it in for the night, I asked Jacob how his debut went in the pro class. He said he just couldn't catch a break. He said he broke good shots, but didn't have any luck. We ended up having very similar days. He ended with a 195/3 and I ended with a 196/4. Neither one of us was too terribly excited about our debut.

                                                                Day 2

  Jeff and I shot about 10 practice arrows and headed to the tent first thing in the morning. We were quickly assigned a group, getting one crossbow guy from Texas and a guy from Virginia. Jeff started off right where he left off and drilled the brown bear on the first shot. I followed his lead and got off the first two targets with two 10s. Like the day before, I started off a little short with my estimations, catching the bottom of the 10-ring.

  When I walked to the top of the hill for the third target, I saw a boar down the hill. It was a no-doubter for me. I instantly knew it was all of it.  I dialed my sight and waited. Then, I looked at the guy from Virginia, and he wasn't looking at the boar. He as looking at the target I had missed. It was a coyote that was on the edge of a green on the golf course. It was a downhill shot, and it wasn't hard to get the number. It was pretty similar to the boar I had just looked at, so I didn't need to move my sight.

  The guy from Virginia led off with a 10 at 9 o'clock. As I watched Jeff come to full draw, I put my head down to listen. I just wanted to confirm the distance by listening to his bow go off and hearing the arrow hit. It's something I always do on the longer shots.

  When his bow fired, I never heard the confirmation of a hit from the target. He walked off the stake in a dejected manner. His mind had thought about letting down, and in that moment in time, the wheels fell off the buss. The bow drifted to the right and fired. The arrow landed in the bank under the coyote's chin.

  As I passed him on my way to the stake, I felt really bad for him. I also knew he was still in good shape. With that zero, he was only down 3 points, and we still had 17 targets left to shoot. He was still in the hunt for the win, and he could easily get back to even with some solid shooting. I let his misfortune eat at my conscience while I stood at the stake. Although I knew the distance to the target, I kept thinking about how badly I felt for Jeff. I always cheer my friends on, and he was having a great tournament. It felt awful to watch what had just transpired.

  When I drew my bow and came to full draw, the pin settled nicely at the black spot in the top of the 11-ring. As the pin sat there, I waited for the bow to fire. The shot took longer than I anticipated and started to break down. Although it wasn't the best shot when it fired, it wasn't one that would find its way out of the 10. I figured I would hit the bottom of the 10. When I heard the arrow strike the target and watch it ricochet off the belly, I couldn't figure out what went wrong. I was beside myself. Instantly, I went to 14 down. Walking back to my stool, I looked at my bow and noticed the bow-pod was still attached to the bottom limb. I had never taken it off when I shot. I guess I can call it a senior moment. I've never done that in my life, and now I had done it twice in two days. The answer to my miss was staring me in the face. I wanted to crawl in a hole. I knew all of my chances went up in smoke with a dumb mistake that never should have been made.

  Walking to the next stake, I made a plan. I figured I I could somehow get back to 10 down for the tournament, I would be satisfied. I figured it might put me in the top  five too. I focused as hard as I could for the rest of that course and made some fantastic shots. I ended up getting off the course at 7 down with a miss. I had made three of the points back up and only had one to go to get to where I wanted to be.

                                                           The Last 10

  When I walked up to the impala to start the last 10 targets, I knew it was a tough shot. Since I've shot the target so many times at my house, the number kind of jumped out at me. I executed a great shot and scored a solid 10. It hit just over the 11-ring.  Moving through the course, I made some of the best shots I can ever remember. I stroked a great shot into the cheetah and moved on from there to execute a picture-perfect shot on the bedded white Dahl. Feeling confident about the direction I was heading in, I thought I might be able to run off one of those streaks I've had in the past and 10 out. All of those thoughts were dashed when I got to a long black panther. I couldn't see it that well and my shot broke low. It wasn't a great shot. When I got to the target, it was no more than a fingernail width out of the 10-ring at 6 o'clock, right where the pin was sitting when the shot broke.

  When I came upon a javelina a few targets later, I knew it was another target that was put there to make a difference. It was a poke, but I love shooting at javelinas. I made my best shot of the weekend on the javelina, and the arrow hit directly behind the pin. Unfortunately, I was aiming at the wrong white dot and got a 10 instead of a 11. It was a fantastic shot, the type you dream about making when you're under pressure.

  The last target of the day was a bedded doe behind a log. I made a great shot, and the arrow hit behind the pin. I thought I had drilled the 11. When we pulled arrows, I realized I had barely missed it to the right. I was really disappointed because the arrow had hit right where I aimed. When it was all said and done, I had gained the points back that I wanted to after shooting the zero. I ended the day at 195 with a miss. I shot a zero caused by a dumb mistake, and one 8 for the day, and the 8 was due to a less-than-perfect shot. I'll take that for my first 3D shoot of the year. I wish that I could've gotten to some shoots before heading to this one, but it just wasn't possible this year. I guess finishing tied for seventh isn't too bad for shooting a zero at a national event.






                                                       Kudos to the Kays

  I talked to Ted a few weeks ago, as he has called me a few times to check on my dad. I'm appreciative of friends like that. When people reach out to me with concerns about my dad, I'm very grateful. My dad is my hero, and it has been hard to watch him struggle through this battle he's been fighting. I feel very fortunate that he's such a tough son of a gun. I admire his strength, tenacity and will to overcome. I could only wish I had some of the same internal strength that he has always displayed. There are tough people out there, but he's one of the toughest I've ever seen.

  Anyhow, I've always been taught that when you do good things, good things will happen to you. Although I have the ability to tell people off and tell it like it is, I also respect people who respect me. I was super excited to see that Ted Kay when the Bowhunter Defense Shootoff. Ted did good deeds leading up to the shoot, and it came back to him. When we spoke a few weeks before the shoot, he told me they weren't going to go to the shoot. I was disappointed, as I have seen the for as long as I can remember. It just wouldn't be the same without them. Great job, Ted. I wish I could've seen it.

  Not only did Ted win the big money, Sara took home a national win, too! She got the job done in her class and showed the other ladies how to do it. Sometimes when we win, it can be ugly, but a win is a win no matter how we get it. I was hoping with all my might to podium with my miss, but when I wasn't able to get there, I was happy to see that Sara was bringing the gold home to New England. Great job, Sara. I hope you get another one at the next one.

                  

                                                Highlight of the Week

  Jacob made a great run the second day to get into the pro shootoff, but he came up a little bit short. He shot a 210/12 and ended at 405, just missing the top 5 by a point. We are both satisfied with our debuts and hope to actually get some practice in before we head into the rest of the summer. I'll be cheering him on from the sideline. Hopefully, his hard work earns him a spot in some of the shootoffs.

  Well, as I was working this morning, I heard a noise outdoors. I looked outside and this is what I saw.





  Chuck Weeden let me borrow his daughter's bow so Dad could try to shoot it. It's set at 30 pounds, and he was able to shoot some arrows. We need to put his module in it to get the draw length right, but these pictures right here make my heart happy. Looking at the pictures reminds me of the day I walked on the path about 20 yards up the hill from where he's standing and cried as I returned to the shooting line. I had put an arrow through the center of his recurve bow when I shot an arrow out of his new compound. That day started my journey with compound bows, as he went out and bought me my own compound the next day. I'll be forever thankful for that.

  I wish all of you luck the rest of the summer. Cherish every day................each and every one of the is fleeting. Remember to enjoy archery, even on your bad days. Remember how luck you are just to pull your bow back and shoot arrows. Many people who want to do that can't do it. Instead if putting so much pressure on yourself to succeed, try to fully enjoy having the ability to do what you love -- shoot arrows.