Camp Minden ASA

    This trip felt a little different than the previous two ASAs this year. Although I had been able to shoot outside for a few weeks prior to the event, I didn’t feel that I was well prepared. Instead, I felt like I was searching for something and hadn’t figured out what that something could be. I also didn’t feel all that excited to attend the event.

  We didn’t fly out of Albany until late Wednesday, and this felt awkward. We usually leave first thing in the morning, so it brought an unsettled feeling into the mix. Then, we had to wait in Baltimore for a long time waiting to catch our last flight to Jackson, Miss. The final flight was a little bumpy at times but not too terribly bad. 

  When we finally touched down and picked up the rental vehicle, it was approaching 8:30 p.m. We made our way to Minden, La., through pouring rain. It made the driving conditions poor, and it slowed down our travel. We were glad when we finally got to the hotel shortly after midnight. 

 

                                                 Practice Day

 

  About 90% of the targets were in ankle-deep water on the practice range, and shooting the range was basically useless. On the 50-yard range, we only shot two targets over 40 yards, with three targets in a row being less than 25 yards. It didn’t appear much effort was put into giving shooters a practice range that would remotely resemble a tournament range. I can only imagine the chatter online if the IBO did these types of things. I’ve often found it quite amazing that nobody starts these huge threads online with complaints the weekend after ASA Pro-am events. I’m not the only one who experiences these types of things at every event. I guess it makes it OK if everyone is told to bring boots.  In the end, it just makes me laugh to myself. It also makes me wonder who the people are who always start the threads about IBO complaints… kinda makes one wonder. Do the people even shoot the events?

  I really can’t write much about our practice day because the ranges didn’t allow any type of real practice. I shot my bow well, and it sat down nicely on most targets. Then again, it’s hard to not feel good when you’re pounding 15-yard coyotes and 19-yard blesboks. Heck, I think I could’ve given a few Jr. Eagles a run for their money. 

                                                   Day 1

  As I made my way down the range to get to target 13, I glanced at the targets on the range while walking by them. The range didn’t appear to be a ball-buster, but I can never truly tell until I step to the stakes to dial my sight. 

  When I arrived at my target, I spotted a leopard at about 38 yards and knew it would be a good place to start. The few targets following that one didn’t appear to be too terribly difficult. I guess I got a good starting point. I was also glad to see that Jeff Hopkins and Brian Barley were in my group. I’ve shot with both in the past, and both guys are pretty laid back. I’ve shot with Jeff a few times, and we seem to gel when we shoot together. Although I’ve never shot a top-end round with him, I’ve always shot pretty well. He, on the other hand, has had a few killer rounds while shooting with me. One of them was when he won the IBO World Championship a few years ago. He had a great weekend at that event. Unfortunately, I was told my Bowjunkie that I had made the shoot-off that year, only to find out I finished in sixth, one point out of the shootdown round. 

  When the cards were drawn for shooting order, I didn’t mind seeing that I would be leading off. I’ve always found leopards easy to aim at, and I felt confident with my number. When I drew my bow and settled in, the sight didn’t move much before the shot fired, and my arrow landed in the 12. 

  The first five targets passed quickly, and Jeff couldn’t miss. I shot before Jeff in the order, and my arrows were all around the 12, with two finding their way into it and one barely missing out the bottom. It was less than 1/8 inch out. I was disappointed because it was a perfect shot, but if you’re going to shoot at them, you must expect to miss a few along the way. That one was particularly disappointing because it hit the spot I was aiming at, and I thought the spot was in the 12.

  When we got near the turn, we came upon a close blesbok, and I made good on it. My shots were breaking cleanly, and my aim was solid. After getting 10 targets behind us, I had picked up four more points and sat at +6 after 10. 

  A few targets later, I picked up my last 12 for the day, and that put me at +8 after 15. Jeff was pounding. It seemed like every arrow of mine that hit just out, his would pound the middle. It was one of those days that I just couldn’t catch a break and have a handful of them fall in. It was a pleasure to watch Jeff shoot well. Although I always want to do well for myself, I also root for my competitors to be their best. We all want to beat people at their best. It also gives us motivation to keep moving forward. 

  Heading into the last five targets of the day, I felt good about my shooting and aiming. On my 16^th target of the day, a long wolverine, I set my sight for 50 yards and felt confident that if I aimed where the colors change, which is the 11-ring, I would be good to go. I’d take a 10 and move to the next target. There was no sense in risking anything on a target like that.

  When I drew the bow, the pin settled right where I wanted it to settle, and the aim was good. When the shot broke, I knew I had done my job. Then, I heard a sound that made my stomach sour. After that, I saw where the arrow appeared in the target, and it was barely catching foam on the belly. I had gotten a 5 and couldn’t figure out what caused it. 

  Still, as I sit here and write this, I have no idea what caused the arrow to hit where it hit. I thought I executed a solid shot. I need to dig deep and figure out what is causing the lows I’ve been shooting. Unfortunately, I’m not getting any of them while shooting at my targets (bullseyes or 3Ds) at home, but I’ve been getting them at tournaments. Talking to Braden Gellenthien after the shoot, we discussed how it’s impossible to replicate the scenario to figure out the root of the problem. I’ll have to do a lot of work to figure it out because it’s surely something I’m doing. 

  I guess a lot of people encounter different issues when they change equipment. Sometimes it takes a while to figure things out and have the new equipment fit like a glove. I’m sure things will improve in this area as the summer progresses. 

  I ended up finishing the round off with four straight 10s and barely missed three 12s. Although I had a good day and finished at 203 and in sixth place, I looked back on the day and saw what it could have been with a little luck. It was one of those days in which I felt like I never got a break. I shot my bow the best I’ve shot it all year, but sometimes you need to get a little lucky too. That luck was nowhere to be found on the first day.

  At the end of the day, Hopkins finished at 26 up. I believe he said that his personal best in all his years of shooting is 30 up, and at times, it looked like he might top that. It was a pleasure to watch. It was the type of day that all archers dream about having. Since he followed me in the shooting arrow, I’m just glad I gave him a lot of arrows to reference throughout the day, as I had an arrow extremely close to the 12 on almost every target. It felt good to be a part of someone else’s phenomenal round and share in the excitement. Great job, Jeff. 

                                                                     Day 2  

  I donned my raincoat and headed to the practice bags for a couple of shots before heading to A Range for my 7:30 a.m. start time. Before the round started, I shed the coat and decided to take my chances. I would be in the second peer group for the day and Digger Cogar, Keith Ahlstrom and Mark Keesee. Four out of the top eight guys from the first day were all shooting Darton Tempest E 3D bows. 

  After the cards were drawn, I learned that I would once again be leading off the day. Looking at the target, I figured it would probably be one of the closest targets of the day. It was a razorback boar, and the wood were extremely dark. It made aiming at it almost impossible, but I broke a clean shot and the arrow landed just above the 12. 

  As we picked our way through the first five targets, Digger got off to a horrible start. He shoots a 6X lens, and the woods got so dark you could barely see with your eyes, let alone looking through a small peep and 6x lens. He started off with two fives due to not being able to see well. It always sucks when your buddies have bad things happen, even if you are competing against them. I always root for the good guys, and Digger is one of those guys. It sucked to watch it happen, but, like me, he never quits, and I knew he would give it his best to climb out of the hole. 

 

  When the scores went onto the leaderboard after the first five targets, I had climbed back into the top 5 after being there most of the previous day. The 8 I shot early on was evened out with a 12, so I felt confident as we moved along. 

  Then, I went into a stretch where I knew I had to do something to limit the damage. We shot a deer that was down a slight hill. It was a little drizzly and raw outside. I felt confident about the number. When I drew the bow and began to settle into the shot, the bow fired. I didn’t realize my finger was on the trigger, and the arrow went quickly. It struck the arrow to the left of the 10-ring, clearly a mistake I could’ve avoided. 

  That was the second 8 I shot in a few targets, the first one on a blesbok that I felt confident about when I stepped to the stake. There was an arrow just above the 12, so I figured I would aim right at the 12 and let it eat. When the shot broke, I felt confident I got the 12 when I saw the arrow strike. However, Digger informed me I had hit just underneath it for an 8. That was a hard one to swallow because it was a 4-point swing. Although I made a good shot, I didn’t have enough number on it to get it, barely missing out the bottom. That shot also put me under even for the first time since my first target of the weekend. 

  Moving along, I came to a long leopard. The target had a little angle to it, and it felt incredibly awkward aiming as far forward as where the pin sat. I let that simple little thought, as well as my uneasiness with my number, distract me, and all hell broke loose at full draw. Things quickly went squirrely, and the arrow hit a sliver to the left of the 10-ring. I should’ve let down and started over. I owned it after the shot and had a chat with myself while walking to the next target. I visualized myself shooting a perfect shot on it and where the arrow would’ve landed. I quickly replaced the reality with the sight of my perfect shot in my brain as I arrived at the next station.  

  A few minutes later, I found myself standing in ankle-deep mud, with the stake barely visible. The 12 on the antelope down the lane stood out from all the arrow holes in the white paint. It gave me an incredibly easy place to aim. Leading it off, the pin settled into the dark area quickly. I could feel the shot building in my back, and it broke effortlessly, landing squarely in the 12. 

  After turning the corner, we encountered a bomb of a coyote a few targets later. Once again, the target had a good angle on it, but I felt confident. I figured I’d put 50 on it and make a good shot. Mark hit the target to the left of the 10-ring, and I figured the angle caused it. 

  My pin bounced around a little bit as I aimed, but I felt like it was in the middle when it fired. Well, it must’ve been too far to the lest when it fired, and I barely missed the 10-ring to the left. I was not happy about the result, but I put it behind me and navigated the rest of the course. I limited any damage, but 

Looking back on it, I’m not sure if I did the right thing. Over the last five targets, I decided to shoot everything in the middle. There were two targets I felt like calling upper 12 because something in my gut told me I would hit them in that area. Both would have been perfect calls, but I let the best of my mind affect the decision. 

  After firing the last shot of the tournament, I realized I was the first guy out of the shootdown round. If there were prizes for being the first guy out of cuts, I’d surely one of the best. It seems as if it’s been a recurring thing in my archery career. I beat myself up pretty good, but afterward, my mom sent me this and it made me smile. 

                                                          Thoughts About the Tournament

    The first three trips to national ASA Pro-ams this year have had their share of ups and downs for my father, Jacob, and me, with each of us having devastated things happen to us to prevent us from having any chance of doing well. In the first event Dad’s rest broke a few minutes before he started his round, which caused a disaster. 

  I was sitting in 6^th place in Foley after Day 1 and felt great about my shooting. I also felt great about my shooting through the first 10 targets, but I started off with seven unexplainable high 8s with the right numbers. Turns out my sight had loosened up, which caused all the misses. A simple equipment issue might’ve caused me a great opportunity. I’ll never truly know, but my shooting and judging were on par that weekend. 

  Then, as this tournament, Jacob ran into an equipment issue that was impossible to fix, so he had to grin and bear it until the end. We’re not there to have fun. We are there to compete and do the best we can. It’s never fun watching close friends or family members struggle through events when it comes down to a dose of bad luck at the most inopportune times. However, these instances also go to show you that, if you shoot long enough, anything and everything than can happen will happen at one point or another. There’s no way you can prepare for these things, and there isn’t much you can learn from them either. I’m still feeling the burn from stuff that happened over 20 years ago when I had chances to win at national events and the most idiotic things happened to my equipment that nobody could ever imagine. Here’s to hoping we have put all that bad luck behind us for the rest of the 3D season. 

  I went into this tournament without much worry or care. I just wasn’t into it with a lot of other things I’ve been dealing with on my mind. I did still go with the intentions of giving it my best shot, and I felt confident about my numbers and shot. 

  I was satisfied with my performance on Day 1. I had a winning performance, and I gave myself a chance to podium. A few bad breaks cost me sitting in the No. 2 hole going into Day 2, but I put that aside and realized I needed to make up some ground. 

  Day 2 started with poor lighting conditions and made picking a spot to aim much more difficult than it was on Day 1. I made some phenomenal shots on Day 2, but I just couldn’t seem to get any type of streak going. I wasn’t around the 12s like I was on Day 1. Instead, I was staying more toward the IBO 11 and couldn’t find the confidence to aim right at them. I’m still not sure why. Maybe I was in protect mode instead of being aggressive. I’m still working on ASA, but I’ve made improvements along the way. I’m thinking I’m getting closer to having everything come together at one of these events. I find it more difficult to shoot ASA events because I simply never get any practice playing the game. My practice is at each one of these tournaments and that makes it difficult when most others see the targets daily or have the targets. If I had younger eyes, maybe things would be a little different. I’m stubborn and determined to figure it out. 

  I have to give a shout-out to my buddy Glenn Meadows. When he parked the truck next to us on Saturday morning, he could barely open his eyes. An allergic reaction made it almost impossible for him to see anything. However, me battled the adversity and did the best he could do. He ended up in the third peer group after Day 1 and finished in 8^th place for the tournament. Great job, Glenn. That was impressive. Glenn’s day is coming. He’s been consistent, and when you’re consistent, you give yourself more opportunities to succeed. Hopefully, he won’t be dealing with any allergic reactions at the next one.

  Coming down the homestretch, I didn’t know where I stood, so I took a conservative approach. Maybe I should’ve just gone for it and went all in. We all want to make the shootdown round, but a 6^th place finish isn’t too shabby. I finished in the same spot in which I entered the day. Sometimes, I think many of us lose sight of that. I know where I need to focus right now to give myself a better chance. Hopefully the next few weeks go smoothly. Our weather isn’t cooperating and looks miserable for the next few weeks. Hopefully, things change in the forecast so I can get outside. 

  I could blame the phantom shot on the wolverine for not finishing better, or I could blame the minute misses that resulted in two four-point swings that totaled eight points. However, the blame is on me. I need to figure out what I’m doing to cause the unexplainable low misses the last few weeks, and I need to limit the misses like the leopard and deer. Doing my part is essential to my success, and that starts now. 

  I’ll leave you with one last thought that I got from talking with one of my very best friends after the shoot. I was explaining how it’s so tough when you’re competing against the best of the best. You just can’t make mistakes and survive too often. Well, my friend asked me if I listened to what those guys say because they say they’re proud because they competed against the best of the best and had to beat the very best to be at the top. Well, I’m one of those people those guys are speaking about. I’m one of the best of the best, just as are all my peers. Simple fact… the five guys in the shootdown round were better than me this weekend. 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

First Northeast ASA Shoot of the Year

 Friday afternoon when I decided to go to the ASA shoot in Massachusetts, I wanted to try a bow I hadn't shot an arrow at a 3D target with. I made arrows in the afternoon and decided to try to get a tape with it afterward. After getting it to the same speed as my Tempest E 3D, I headed tried to get a tape on my sight. However, I ran into an issue, as my father was helping a few new neighbors who showed interest in archery. We spent a lot of time while the man shot his bow and enjoyed himself. As the minutes dragged on, darkness was quickly creeping up on us, and I knew I had minimal time to get the bow dialed in. Heck, I don't even know if the new arrows would group well because they were the next stiffer spine up than what I had been shooting out of it. 

  I quickly got a mark at 40 and hoped the other distanced would fall into the same place on my #14 tape on my TruBall Axcel sight. Amazingly, the tape seemed to match... I was in luck -- or so I thought. I didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling with the groups, but I was also trying to rush to get the bow dialed in. You might ask why I decided to shoot this bow? Well, I had nothing to lose, and I figured it would be a good place to try it. If the bow performed at a certain level, I would head to Louisiana with it next weekend. If it didn't live up to the reputation it had been acquiring in my hands while shooting at spots outdoors with the other arrows, I would head to Louisiana with the bow I shot at the last two. At least this would give me a good chance to feel it out and make an educated choice. 

  After looking at the directions, I saw that it would take 3:20 to get to the shoot, so I told Jacob  that Dad and I would get him at about 5:40. Well as we got going, I noticed I must've read the time wrong, as the ETA said we would be there at 7:20. Upon arriving, we warmed up, and I felt good about it, but my 40 and 50 both his near the bottom of the dot. Instead of moving the indicator, I headed onto the range. We had to shoot through the chronograph before heading out and the chronograph read 292. My graph at home read 289, so the graph was a few fps ahead of mine. The only advice I can give to anyone concerning that is to always run their bow about 10fps under the maximum allowed. I've never had a graph read more than 8 fps different than my own. The 10 fps rule will most likely save you a lot of aggravation over time. 

                               First Half

  We started on the black buck next to the clubhouse and shot that range first. I was drawn as the last shooter, and my dad and Bill Romanchick both had arrows a hair above the 12. The arrows gave me a good marker, and I felt confident with my number. I held just below them, and the shot fired. It was a perfect shot, and I was rewarded with a 12 to start the day. 

  Moving to the second target, which I believe was a deer if my memory is correct. I made another great shot on it and barely missed the 12. I had good numbers on the first two. When I got to the third target, I realized we were probably going to be shooting a relatively boring round, with most of the targets in field archery lanes and the bales behind the targets. Although it shows a lack of effort to set a challenging course to judge, you still have to make the shot and judge the yardage. It also would give me a look at McKenzie targets, which I only see at national pro-am events. I believe the fourth target was a javelina, and I had to lead it off. A quick glance at it gave me a number, so I called the upper because I could clearly see a white dot I could use as an aiming reference. My shot broke perfectly, and I knew I would 12 it. When I saw the arrow strike the target really low, I was beside myself. I couldn't believe I could've hit that low. Well, I did. I had misjudged the target by about 4 or 5 yards. It was a horrible mistake but aiming at the upper saved me from any catastrophe. I actually caught the outside of the 8 line. I felt fortunate to walk away with little damage. 

  I made my way through the rest of the first half and felt good about my shooting. The trial run with the Veracity 35 was going well, but a few things concerned me, and they were just created from a lack of time behind that particular bow. I made one bad shot on the first half, and that was on the turkey. When I hit full draw, the stop hit the cable too hard and bounced it off the back well. Instead of letting down, I decided I'd stay with it and muscle my way through the shot -- something I would never do at a national event. So don't ask me why I did it. I guess I did what I preach against. I won't let that happen again. I paid the price, as I shot an ugly 5. The turkey also has a scoring 8 line on one side and just the core on the other side. Unfortunately we were shooting the side with just the core as the 8. I barely hit out of the core, but it surely would've been in had we been shooting the other side of the target. That's how it goes sometimes. I got off the first half at 5 down, and the 5 came on one of, what I would consider, easier shots of the half. Do not be lazy in your process or preparation of every single shot. This is proof of that. Do as I say, not as a I do. 

                   Second Half

  We breezed through the first half, but we ran into backups on the second half. The way the course winds through the hills probably led to that, but it easier to lose focus and get distracted. I started off well and barely missed the 12, shooting just over it, on the first target. I got the second one, as Jacob had an arrow in it, and I found it easy to aim at it. When we got to the long deer across the creek, dad led it off and called upper. He barely missed the upper to the left, but it had a perfect line. Although it was a bomb, I decided to go for the upper too. After all, I had a good marker and was pretty certain with my number. I never felt comfortable with my aim on that target, as it was leaning hard toward us. When the shot broke, I saw the arrow land just above the 12 and in the 8. That was simply poor course management for an ASA shoot. I should've stuck it in the center and let it eat. I lost two easy points by getting greedy. 

  If I didn't learn from that mistake, I felt confident on the next target, a hyena. The hyena is always easy to aim at too. It has a black dot right next to the 12. Well, I decided to go for it again and shot another 8, just under it this time. My number wasn't up to snuff, and I paid the price. Back-to-back 8s is never a good thing. Then a few targets later, I barely missed the 12 on the black panther. I don't think I could've gotten any closer to it, and it was really one of those shots you have to capitalize on. Picking our way through the course, I felt good about the bow and how it performed for its test run, especially with having sighted the arrows in the night before in the 20 minutes I had before it got dark outside. 

  When I got to the antelope, I was confident in my number and broke a good shot. It wasn't a great shot, but it was a good one. I couldn't believe when I saw the arrow on the outside of the 8 line, barely touching it. The arrow probably hit six inches below where I had aimed. There was no reason for the arrow to be there, and it ate at my conscience. I just could't figure it out. I usually have no problem letting things go, but when I can't explain something, it does tend to eat at me. 

  Nearing the end, I picked up a few 12s and knew I was probably going to finish up for the day. Then, on my second to last target, an average shot on a medium deer, I knew I had a good number. I held good and executed a good shot. Once again, like the shot on the antelope, the arrow hit extremely low, and I had the right number. Unfortunately, this one didn't come close to the 8 line, and I had to write another 5 on my card. Now, fuming, I made my way to the last target and 12d it.  I got off the course at 6 down and only misjudged one target badly, which was the javelina on my first half. 

   My Last Thoughts

  I'm glad I gave the Veracity 35 a test run at this event. The bow shoots well. I just need to figure out the couple of phantom arrows. I'm thinking I might've lost the peep and not noticed it. If that wasn't the case, I could've crept off the back wall and not noticed it, or as Jacob mentioned, the timing could be slightly out. I'll focus on all of that stuff and figure it out when I return from Louisiana. Until then, I'll be running the Tempest E 3D. I'm thinking the draw length could even be a few cable twists too short. When I used to shoot my Evoke 35 really well, I would get phantom low arrows like the ones this weekend when the draw was a tad too short, and that bow is very similar to this one as far as geometry goes. I can't wait to get back at it after getting home next weekend. When I figure it out, I feel like this bow is going to do great things for me the rest of the summer. 

  Although I'm thankful for having people want to run these events in our region, I also wish just one of the events could be done like a national pro-am to give people a true idea what the real ASA is like. I think it would only increase numbers and possible make many more shooters come to the events. A lot of people don't like wandering through the woods, and a normal ASA is a huge social gathering. It also allows all peers to shoot together. I"m not complaining about the event in any way, shape or form, I just wish they were set up in the same manner as the national events. I think it would be an eye-opening experience for a lot of people. 

  I have to say that I'm impressed with the way many people shot this weekend. I'd like to give a shout-out to a few people. Chris Hartley recently had a baby and has had limited time to shoot, as he now has many new priorities. Halfway through the day he realized he had a crack in his cam, but he kept shooting it and came out with a win. 

  I had the pleasure of shooting with Cole Bromely last weekend, and I always root for Cole. He's a great guy and X-Spot is lucky to have him representing their shop. Cole brought his A-game and almost broke par. Hopefully, he continues on the path he's on and keeps improving. It's a pleasure to watch his progress the last few years. Unfortunately, his traveling partner, Jake LaFontaine didn't fare as well this weekend, but Jake's score is a reason why we should never look at a score and put any significance into it. Jake's bow was not set up for this event and he was shooting an arrow that was going as fast as an arrow shot out of a longbow or recurve. He did the best he could, but you can only do so well when you're shooting unknown with a turtle-speed arrow. 

  Lastly, I've been mentoring Justin and Aiden Pfitze, a father and son, and they have been working really hard. They both had the pleasure of shooting with Payson Reindhardt, so I know they got to witness some great shooting by a great kid. He will be a role model for many people in the future. He's a good kid from a great family. Justin and Aiden both won their respective classes. Good job, guys! Way to persevere in some atrocious weather. 

  Jacob also did Jacob. When you're shooting unknown yardage and lay it down on everyone shooting known yardage, it says volumes about your ability. Jacob makes it look easy, but he works as hard as anyone. I challenge all of you to put in 1/4 of the work he puts in and see if it makes you any better. He's working while others are sleeping, and I'm looking forward to watching out things play out in the coming months. 

  If you're not shooting in a pro class in ASA, K-50 classes seem to bring out the best shooters at national events. The same seems to hold true in the Northeast ASA. I always enjoy seeing the competition in these classes because they sometime bring out some amazing performances. While this particular tournament didn't appear to have done that, I still had to take notice that they winner and runner-up, Craig Dunnels and Alex Taylor, laid down some big names. Their performances should be noticed, as they took down some titans of New England. The next three guys behind them have all won national events on the biggest stages. If anyone can lay down three of the best the region has to offer, they should be applauded. Hopefully, we can all watch them and cheer them on as they head to the big events and join the others who have made our region proud. If anyone wants to get better, I'll tell you what I was told when I was a much younger person, "Seek out the best shooters in your region and shoot with them. They will drive you to get better, and you can learn a lot from them." 

  Trust me when I say it works. Seek out the good guys and see what you can learn. Good luck to everyone at the next one. Jacob, Dad and I are headed to Louisiana this week to try our hand at the next ASA Pro-Am. We are all feeling confident about this one and hope to make all of you proud. There are our three arrows on a target from the weekend. Ol' Billy broke up the happy family, but boy did it feel great to shoot with Bill again. My dad and I have shared many great memories with Bill Romanchick over the years, and it felt good to share a day with the two of them. I think the last time we shot together was in Nashua, N.H., back in the '90s and Bryan Hunt was in our group too. I believe I might've won that shoot. 

  

  

Fort Benning ASA Pro-Am

  After going to Foley, I figured I would be able to prepare more easily for Ft. Benning. Unfortunately, the snowstorm that hammered the Adirondacks in northern New York didn’t care much for my thoughts on that. When the snow settled, the digging out began, and I realized I would not be getting outside at all.  Therefore, I sucked it up and put in a lot of work behind the bow inside. I hoped that judging targets would be like riding a bike and come back to me once I got on the range. However, maybe I would also just get lucky and have two wrongs make a right throughout the entire round. After all, according to a few high-profile pros, 98% of the archers in unknown classes could never compete in known classes because they don’t shoot that well. It makes me laugh. I’m not sure how you can win any pro class, known or unknown, if you don’t have great shooting skills, but that conversation is for another day. Here's a photo of the snow the week before we headed to Ft. Benning.

                                                                        Practice Day

 

  Practice day went OK for all of us. However, I never felt like my shot was smooth or fluid. Instead, it felt choppy, and I couldn’t hold the bow well. I battled through it and did alright. Although we shot every range, there wasn’t too terribly much yardage on them. It didn’t build my confidence, but it didn’t put a dent in it either. 

Dad and I joke with Jeff while waiting to shoot a target,

and Jeff sets his sight for the shot

  It was a great day, and we never could’ve asked for better weather. There was a bluebird sky and planes from the nearby base were overhead the entire day, as they were doing training exercises. Later, I found out that my Uncle Claude, Dad’s brother, was stationed at Fort Benning before being shipped off to the Vietnam War. After he passed away, I got his military trench coat from my grandmother and still own it today. It will always be a part of our family. Life passes quickly and being on this base where my uncle once served reminded me that we should treasure every moment of our lives. I was 6 years old when my aunt, uncle and three cousins tragically passed in a house fire that never could’ve been predicted when we all laid our heads on our pillows that night. I often wonder what would’ve become of those family members if they had the opportunity to live longer lives. 

  Some of the planes dropped parachuters out of them, and it reminded me that freedom isn’t free. With the things going on in the world today, I’m glad people are willing to go into the military to defend our country. Without these people, things would be much different in the world as we all know it. 

                                                                      Day 1

 

  When we drove into the parking lot, it was pitch black. There were lights shining on the practice bags, and the range was open for anyone who wanted to shoot. The sky didn’t begin turning bright until about 7, so we wandered over and took some shots before heading to our ranges. 

  Jeff and Dad both shot at the far end of the parking lot, and once again, the ASA had the Masters Class, which comprises the oldest shooters in the event, walking the farthest of any class to get to their range. I’ll never understand why this type of thing happens. Everyone in the class is over 70 years old and many of them are approaching 80. C’mon guys! Look at what you’re doing when setting up ranges. There’s no reason these shooters couldn’t be put on the closest ranges to the practice butts or somewhere they could drive directly to the course. 

  Jacob and I walked down the road to our range and got there a few minutes before they allowed us to go onto the range. Starting on target 12, I basically walked from start to finish to get to my first target. Glancing at the targets along the way, the range looked like most normal ranges. There were some shots that would be tough and others that would be there for the taking. I usually don’t give it much time to make a gameplan, as that usually happens from target to target for me. 

  When we began, I was drawn as the last shooter. I felt good about it because I was starting on a wolf, and it was set between some trees. I wanted to be able to hear some arrows, so I could get a better idea about the distance. Although I was pretty sure with my number, I knew the sound of arrows could confirm my guess. There wasn’t much guessing, as the wolf looked as small as a coyote.

  Ray Young put a shot right near the 12, so I did my best to use his arrow and try to put mine in the area it needed to be. When I drew my bow, I felt loose and sloppy, but the bow held OK. I held longer than normal, but when the shot broke it hit barely above the 12… I was off to a good start. 

  After our practice round, Jacob, Jeff and I talked about different things. I realized that during practice, I shoot at every 12 and usually do OK with that strategy. I really don’t shoot many 8s, and my arrows find their way into the 12-ring regularly. I figured I would go with that strategy instead of picking and choosing like I usually do. 

  After four targets, I was up 4 and barely missed the two I shot 10s on. Although I wasn’t holding well or executing great shots, I was still getting the arrows near the 12 rings. After five targets, I found myself on the leaderboard. As the round progressed, I got back to +4 before barely missing targets 19 and 20 out the bottom. I’m pretty sure it was due to weak shots. If I had made better shots, I’m sure I would’ve centered them. Unfortunately, I leaked a little bit of pressure and barely missed them out the bottom. 

  When we turned the corner and stared down a bomb of a wolverine, there wasn’t much guessing involved. I knew I just had to make a good shot. Going last, I knew I would have good aiming points. After drawing, the bow only sat still for about two seconds. Then, the sight started to bobble and I watched it dip and start coming back up, but it fired before it got back up. Once again, I had lost some pressure and paid the price. Unfortunately, I knew the yardage of the targets and got a five on it. That is unacceptable if you want to be at the top of any class. 

 After doing that, I went on a streak of seven 10s before I felt comfortable shooting at 12s again. Then I called an upper on a close boar and smoked it, putting me at 3 down with a few targets left. That’s when the wheels fell off the bus. I drew on a black buck, and the pin settled nicely, but the shot didn’t fire. I had to let down and start over. On my second draw, I got impatient, and the pin started dancing. Instead of letting down and starting over, I made a bad shot and paid the price. I collected another 5 for my card. 

  Getting to the next stake, I saw a hyena between two trees. It wasn’t that difficult of a shot, and I knew I had a chance at it. I decided I would shoot at the 12 and hold my pin next to the black dot where the 12 was hidden. Although my hold was a little long, I executed a good shot but heard the arrow clank of something while in flight. Then, I saw the arrow had struck the target in the ass. Nobody in the group could figure out what the arrow had hit. Then, Shawn Greathouse shot after me. His arrow did the same thing as mine. Unlike my arrow, his ricocheted off the same tree that we had determined mine had hit and landed near the 10/12 connector.  

  Looking at it afterward, neither of us saw the tree in our sight picture, but we both skimmed it. It appeared that our vanes caught some bark and sent the arrows sideways. Shawn joked that if I had fletched my arrows with four vanes instead of three, we probably would have gotten the same result.

  I simply beat myself on this first day. My shots never felt good from the beginning. Although I avoided a lot of damage for the vast majority of the round and still gave myself a chance to be in the hunt on Day 2, everything got away from me at the end of the day. I felt good about grinding through the round and almost finishing it off with a much better score than my shooting should’ve earned. However, that all fell apart in the end. I know I’ve gotten out of jams in the past, but it just wasn’t meant to happen this time. 

 

                                                                                  Day 2

 

The start of the second day made me laugh out loud when I thought back to all the comments on social media about the IBO after certain things were encountered in the past. I’ve noticed that people love to harp on the IBO for all sorts of “bad” decisions made by the organization during tournaments. Well, I’m not sure what to say about what I experienced on Saturday morning, other than it was different than anything I’ve experienced in the past. My start time was scheduled for 7:30 a.m., and the practice range was lit up by lights being run by big generators. It reminded me of my days of playing baseball under the lights in high school. 

  After firing about a dozen arrows, Jacob and I made our way to our ranges, which were located a considerable distance down the road. When we arrived, it was still pitch black when we headed to the table to find our range assignments. Having left my phone in the truck because of the predicted heavy rain, Jacob shined his flashlight on the paper to find where I would be starting. Then, we split up went our separate ways.

  Making my way to target 9, I couldn’t see many of the targets during the beginning of my walk. It was simply too dark to make out any targets. However, when I arrived at my starting point, I saw that I would be shooting a brown bear. It stuck out because of its tan color, and it was in an open area. 

  My card was drawn first, so when the round began, I fired the first arrow of the day. I settled well and made a good shot. The arrow landed slightly above the 12. It’s always nice to start the day with a good shot, and I felt confident I could bounce back from the previous day. 

  As we picked our way through the course, I went back and forth with 12s an 8s, but I kept shooting at them. Once again, I barely missed a lot of them, and the 8s I shot were barely out the bottom. When the round finished, I was lucky enough to be the guy to hand the cards in. I finished with four 12s and four 8s while staying out of the 5 column. That allowed me to be the high finisher in my group and the high finisher is responsible for handing the cards in before leaving the range. Although I didn’t gain any ground, I also didn’t lose any with my 200. While there were a handful of guys ahead of me for the day, my score for the day landed in one of the top five spots. Unfortunately, I didn’t gain any ground from the previous day. I ended up finishing in 30^th place, a few spots below the middle of the class, which is my lowest finish in the Senior Pro division. I finished with a 387 for the weekend. I must now work to improve my weak areas as the season progresses.

                                                                    Looking Back on the Weekend

  My weekend came down to three shots that I didn’t make. If I had made those three shots, I would’ve been in the shootdown round. However, it’s tough to climb out of a hole created by shooting three fives in the first round. I need to do better about limiting the mistakes and staying out of the 5 column. Every ASA event I’ve shot in, I’ve been near the top on one of the two days. I’m beginning to feel like I’m inching closer to everything falling into place in one of these events. Although I’ve been in multiple IBO shoot-offs, I’m still searching for my first ASA shootdown appearance.

  What caused the issues at this event? Well, I could give you a host of answers, but it really came down to me failing in part of my process a few times. I’m not sure if it’s because this was only the second time since last August that I shot a 3D target, with Foley last month being the other time. It’s difficult to compete at the highest level in unknown 3D archery when you’re not able to be outside regularly – at least it is for me. The weather up here in northern New York has made it all but impossible to be fully prepared when heading south. Hopefully, the weather will gradually get better and allow us to get outside and get in some good practice by early May. 

  I’m still transitioning into the new bows and haven’t found the perfect setup quite yet. Although I keep getting closer, I’m still not there yet. I’m still learning what happens when I’m under a little pressure, and I’m learning what to expect. Amazingly, the bow I’ve been shooting, the Tempest E3D hits right down the middle when I’m nervous. I haven’t shot many arrows to the left or right in the first two ASA events. Most of my misses have gone out the bottom, and that’s because of the location of the lower 12. I’m happy with they way my equipment has performed, as it has performed better than the guy shooting it. 

  I’ve been doing a lot of practice with buttons lately, and I might end up going back in that direction before the end of the season. Things feel good with them right now. I just need to continue practicing and see how things play out. It has been five years since I’ve shot a button in a tournament. I honestly can’t believe it’s been that long, especially since I shot one in tournaments for 25 years prior to switching to a caliper.

  I’ve been following a little bit of the back and forth on social media between a well-known Known Pro shooter and some of the Unknown Pro shooters. It has been comical at times. I’ve judged yardage forever, and I enjoy that part of the game. That’s why I stay there. It has nothing to do with my ability to shoot a bow. I think I do alright in that arena. Whether you win in known or unknown at the highest level, you’re shooting skills must be on point. You will never win if you’re not a great shooter, not at that level.

  Before beginning my round on Friday morning, I spotted this on Ryan Jeffries’ stabilizer and got a good chuckle out of it. I like Ryan, and we won a team event back in the mid ‘90s when we won the Midwest Classic IBO Championship. Ryan is a good guy to follow on social media if you want to be inspired. I believe his page his Ryan Jeffries Archery. He’s a genuine good family guy and a guy who is easy to support. Give him a like and follow his adventures. 

  It also wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention Benny Barger and Joe Snowden of B3. They both went out of their way to let me try a few things that I wanted to try. Although I’m not affiliated with B3 in any way, I would highly recommend supporting the company due to the people associated with it. They are good people and would do anything to see others succeed. I’m glad they chose Jacob to represent their company. They are a good match for each other. Unfortunately, Jacob missed the shootdown last weekend by one point. Many of us know what it feels like to be the first guy on the outside. It really does suck, even though it’s still a great finish. I’m sure that will motivate him to keep it from happening again in the future. He had three close ones near the end that had to have a double look to call. If any of those had pulled a line, we would’ve all been able to cheer him on again. It’s proof that sometimes the breaks just don’t go our way.

  Hopefully, this snow begins to disappear, and I’ll be more prepared the next time I hit the road to shoot in a national event. Until then, shoot them in the middle. 

Riding on the Bus, Becoming a Champion

 About 11 years ago, I sat quietly in a chair behind the line at my indoor range. It was the beginning of the indoor archery season, and I was out of commission. I was rehabbing my shoulder after having reconstructive shoulder surgery, so I went to the range that evening with my father to catch up with my archery family and share some stories about hunting season. 

  Every year, new people join our league. Some stay but most fall by the wayside and we never see them after a few weeks. They think they are superstars, look at the target and exclaim, "That looks pretty easy." After their first scoring round, they realize they're not that good and the obsession begins. 

  Well that evening, a group of guys pulled into the parking lot and hopped out of a vehicle to try their hand at indoor archery. They would all become some of my closest friends and share some incredible highs and lows with me. We all celebrated each other's victories' and we all consoled each other when a pick- me- up was necessary. We still do the same today. We have all learned a great deal from each other, and I'll never be able to thank these guys enough for encouraging me to get back into archery and pushing me to the next level when I thought I would never be able to shoot a bow again -- or at least be competitive with one. This group of guys is the reason why I've accomplished many of the things I'm the most proud about in archery. They are the Green Mountain Boys and they hop into the big ol brown bus and head to all the events across the region. The driver is none other than George Connors. George has gone out of his way to help everyone with their equipment to be the best shooters they can be. He spends more time trying to make others better than he spends on himself. It's just George's nature. 

  The other members of the team are Chuck Weeden and Todd Sargent. There have been others that have come and gone, but these guys are the core group who have stayed together throughout the journey. A lot of people think Todd and Chuck are brothers, but they are actually brother-in-laws. Todd is always the quietest competitor in the bus, but he does come out with some good ones from time to time. Whenever traveling east in the bus, Todd must always point out the bear in the river. The big bear was fishing in the river one summer day when Chuck spotted it on the fly. He told George to turn around so everyone else could see the black bruin. I'll just leave the story there because it's something that we all laugh about today. We're pretty sure that bear still fishes there regularly, but it must've headed into town and got itself some waders and a fishing pole along the way. It probably get sick of trying to catch the slippery little trout with its hands. 

  It took quite a few years before convincing Todd to head to the Lancaster Classic every winter, but after he got a taste of it, he goes every year. He never complains and he just goes and shoots his bow. I often wish I had his composure on the line. He appears as the most relaxed person out there and never shows any emotion. I commend his ability at keeping it all under the collar. Todd is the kind of guy who would do anything for someone else. He has offered me free Yankee tickets on more than one occasion, and I'm always thankful to take them since I'm a die-hard Yankee fan. I'm currently borrowing his bow case because I lent mine to my father to travel. If I ask Todd for anything, he never bats an eyelash, he just produces. Chuck and George are the same. That's why they always fit so nicely together in the brown bus. 

  Recently, Todd found his way to the top step of the podium in the New Hampshire Bowmen Grand Slam. This series of events has been running for a number of years and consists of three shoots. The first is a 600 round Vegas tournament; the second is a 300 round 5-spot; the third is a 600 round 25-meter shoot. Well, Todd and Chuck found themselves neck and neck going into the last shoot of the series this year. They battled back and forth on every end, with neither of them creating any separation. Then, it came down to the last end to see who would be the Grand Slam Champion in the Bowhunter class and Todd focused and shot three good shots. Those three shots gave him the win, and Chuck finished in a close second. George put the pedal to the floor in the series and crushed the competition in the Silver Senior class. 

  The bus pulled out of the parking lot in Keene, N.H., and headed back to Manchester, Vt. with a load full of podium finishers. I'd like to celebrate the victories of all of my friends. Too often we forget the people who support all of the shoots and never seem to get a lot of recognition. These three guys put a lot into archery for themselves and others. Congratulations Todd on your win. I was glad to see you finally get what we all work for. Great job, buddy, and thanks for everything. It doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated. Too bad the bear was hibernating and not fishing for you guys to see it on th way home after your victory. 

  

 

Passing Time, Idols, and Giving Back

 

    Pulling into the parking lot, my breathing became shallow and the clammy feeling in my hands made me acutely aware of the nervousness that I hadn’t expected. A few minutes later, with my camouflage bow holding my arrows in the quiver on its side, I walked into the range for my first attempt ever at shooting in an indoor archery league.

  Timidly opening the door and walking inside, I wanted to crawl into the wallpaper and disappear as the door closed behind me. There, in front of me, was archery gear I had never seen in my life. Guys had long poles sticking out of the front of colored bows, and their sights had scopes on them. I felt out of place – lost.

  An older guy who had a moustache pulled me aside and asked my name and wanted to know what I was doing. However, he didn’t seem to have any of the fancy stuff dangling off his bow. I estimated he was probably about 15-20 years older than me. He quickly filled me in on how things worked.

  A few hours later, I was as proud as a peacock as I carried my single-spot target to the truck. I had scored 226 points. Nobody shot a 300 that night, but there were a few guys in the mid to high 290s – the guys with the red, teal, midnight blue, and white bows.

 The guy who helped me when I walked in yelled over to me, “Hope to see you next week.”

  I responded, “I’ll be back.”

  Driving down the driveway that Friday night, I never imagined I would go on to become good friends with that guy who helped me the first night -- and even share many elk hunts with him over the years. His name is Dave Russell. He’s one of the few who never converted to a release aid, and he still uses a finger tab to shoot. He has amassed a long list of awards over the years and has always given back to the sport of archery and is still doing so at 70 years old.

 Dave still at it in his 70s

   I’m thankful there are people like Dave in the archery world, and one of my friends, Braden Gellenthien, sent me a text a few weeks ago that reminded me how crucial it is to give back to the sport that so many of us love. We are all immersed in loosing arrows from our bowstrings, and our passion for the flight of an arrow can only be understood by others whose candles burn the same as ours.

  Do any of us know where the journey will take us after we let our first arrow soar through the air? Some people may never shoot a bow again; others may buy a bow and shoot arrows in their backyards; some might decide they want to hunt with a bow; some might get their families involved; some might enjoy traveling to attend novelty events; some might be drawn into the competitive arena; some may join leagues; some may become top-level amateurs, while others may just head to tournaments for the camaraderie they present; and a few, very few, will go on to become professional or world-class archers, and those archers are the ones who put sparkles in young shooters’ eyes and give them something to strive for. They become heroes to many competitive archers – young and old alike.  

  When I began shooting, I always tried to pass my love of archery on to others and introduce them to the game I spent countless hours on while trying to perfect my craft. Archery was big back then, and we didn’t have to travel far to get to huge events, with the National Archery Festival in New Hampshire drawing a thousand or more archers. I introduced Aron Stevenson to these events, and he became engrossed in the competition and went on to achieve a runner-up finish at the IBO World Championship in Flatwoods, W.V., in the early ‘90s before graduating from high school, entering the U.S. Marine Corps and heading to California.

  When he returned four years later, his love of archery came back with him, and, as I had done at his age, he began passing it on. In his absence, I met the Sullinger family, and Dennis used to bring his two young boys and daughter to the club every Friday night for league. The boys Levi and Cruise quickly took a liking to archery and became quite proficient at it. They would travel to different archery events with their dad and sing a song. I never heard about this until last winter when things came full circle and Levi and Cruise returned to take part in the Friday night league. That’s when they informed me that they used to sing, “We’re gonna beat Todd Mead. We’re gonna beat Todd Mead,” every time they traveled to an archery shoot with their father. Dad would be the lead singer and the boys would contribute backup vocals.

  It made me warm inside when they told me about it last winter, and we all laughed together. As Aron used to help them when they were kids, he began helping them again when they decided to get back into shooting. All the old-timers from the club were glad to see them back at it. We welcomed the long-lost members of our family back into our home.

 Aron and Cruise in the early years       

 Cruise 20 years later

 Aron still at it

      

  Well, last winter I saw a man, his wife and their sons begin participating in competitive archery. After explaining to them that there were some noteworthy events across New England and New York, they began the journey that we’ve all been traveling for many years. They attended many shoots and were lucky enough to take home some hardware. In the process, Aiden, the oldest son, began following some professional archers and started routing for a few of them. In no time, he realized one of the best professional archers on tour lived within an hour of his home range, and Aiden instantly became a Jacob Sluzarz fan.

   Amazingly, I can look back over 20 years ago and see the beginning of Braden Gellenthien’s journey into the pro ranks when Brian Visco and Eric Griggs brought him to the Empire State Plaza. I can also recall the day after the Patriots beat the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game when the roads were atrocious across New England. A group of us headed to Massachusetts to shoot in a weekly MFAA 5-spot round. I shot 59xs that morning, and a young whipper snapper next to me who was shooting a blue Mathews single cam shot 56xs. He wasn’t happy about it either, but he walked off the range and said he was going home to work on things. That young man was Braden Gellenthien.

  Skip ahead a few years and Braden was breaking records and stacking up medals all over the world. Then, he returned to the Albany area to shoot in the annual Guan Ho Ha Vegas tournament, and he was wearing the black and gold jersey, just as the young local phenom was wearing one. After the tournament, Braden teamed up with the young up-and-comer Jacob Slusarz to shoot in the team event. I’m sure nobody knew at the time that Jacob would continue putting the work in and go on to achieve a level of success in his first few years as a professional that many shooters dream about their entire lives.

 Braden and Jacob about 10 years ago

  Anyhow, the year that Jacob and Braden teamed up to win the team event, there was a picture taken of the two of them, and Braden sent me the picture a few weeks ago when a picture surfaced on social media of Aiden with his idol, Jacob. The picture of them was taken in the same exact spot as the picture from 10 years earlier. It’s nice to see the tradition of passing down the passion of archery and giving others something to shoot for. If you shoot for the moon and miss, you’ll still end up in the stars.

  As New Englanders say, “Do your job.”

  It’s up to all of us to be role models for others. It doesn’t matter whether we are average shooters, good shooters, or phenomenal shooters, and it doesn’t matter whether we are club superstars, card-carrying professionals, or just guys who love archery.  I’ve enjoyed seeing both Braden and Jacob make their way through the ranks from being kids nobody knew to becoming professional champions. I’m also happy that we all three of us found our way onto the same team and are currently teammates now. It only takes a second to pose for a picture or ask for a picture. You never know what kind of gold nugget that picture could become in the years that follow. We all have treasure chests and what we chose to put in them will remain with us forever.