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How to Properly Anchor Your Bow: The 3 Point Process

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Archery Tips | A Consistent Anchor Point

Whether it’s for competition or for hunting, a consistent anchor point is a crucial component to shooting your best. Accurate shooting is repetitive shooting, and to be repetitive, you need to have an archery form that you can repeat subconsciously. This means knowing how to properly anchor your bow. There are three main components when developing a consistent anchor point: release-to-hand contact, hand-to-face contact, and string-to-face contact.  All of three of these points are crucial in assuring repeatability in your form and becoming the best archer or bow hunter you can be.

Release-to-Hand

The first point to focus on is where the release sits within the hand. Altering this position can affect form, draw length, and subsequently, accuracy. That’s why finding and practicing with the release in only one position of the hand is crucial in your success as an archer.

There are two aspects to consider when finding the correct release-to-hand contact position.  These are comfort and consistency.  It is essential that your release of choice fits comfortably within your hand. Secondly, this comfortable position needs to be repeatable.  That’s why I recommend marking that comfortable spot, either with a marker or a piece of tape.  This will help you to assure that you place your release there every time, until it’s the only place comfortable place to do so.

    

Photo: The first point to focus on when developing a consistent anchor point is where the release sits within the hand. Altering this position can affect form, draw length, and subsequently, accuracy.

Hand-to-Face

Once you have the release in a comfortable position in your hand, you need to find a consistent position to mount your hand to your face. When doing this, it’s important to make actual contact without pushing too hard.  No contact makes it nearly impossible to be repetitive, while pushing too hard makes it difficult to execute the shot.

I personally use my first and middle knuckle and lightly anchor it against my jaw bone, avoiding excess pressure. This is both comfortable and easily repetitive.

 

Photo: When it comes to hand-to-face contact, I personally use my first and middle knuckle and lightly anchor it against my jaw bone, avoiding excess pressure. This is both comfortable and easy to repeat.

String-to-Face

The third anchor position is “string-to-face”.  This is the position where the string makes contact with the face, which for most people, is the nose.  It’s common to touch the string either to the tip of the nose or to the side of the nose, and although there isn’t a right or wrong, I find one to be more consistent than the other.

Many archers will choose to anchor on the side of their nose, which is fine as long as they can keep it consistent. However, I find it difficult to make contact on the same spot every time. That’s why I personally use the tip of my nose.   

How much pressure you apply to your nose is important as well. Many hunters find themselves putting too much, or too little, pressure against their nose as well. That’s why I recommend very lightly touching the tip of the nose.  This leaves less room for error, and therefore improving shot consistency.

Consistency Matters

To be accurate is to be consistent. This means there isn’t a “right” or a “wrong” shooting form, but rather a form that is repeatable. To be repeatable, your gear needs to fit you correctly and your anchor position needs to become a habit. That’s why I recommend practicing consistent release-to-hand, hand-to-face, and string-to-face anchor points. The combination of these three components helps assure consistency in your overall form and therefore improve your performance as a hunter.

Bow Hunting Tips

Levi Morgan’s Aggressive Whitetail Hunting Tactics

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Bow Hunting Tactics | Aggressive Whitetail Hunting

I love the entire whitetail hunting process. From sitting in the deer stand to the never-ending battle searching for that mature buck, whitetail hunting has been at the forefront of my archery career. This passion has led me on hunts from Ohio to Oklahoma, Pennsylvania to Kansas, and throughout the whitetail’s range. However, this type of fast-paced hunting doesn’t come without its challenges. Participating in this type of “run and gun” style hunting in several states requires a special type of aggression. When I show up to a new property or hunting lease, it often means I only have seven days to hunt. That’s only seven days to scout, plan, and execute a strategy. That doesn’t leave time for error. That is why I have to get aggressive with my bow hunting tactics.

Aggressive Tactics V.S. Season Long Tactics

The tactics for a quick hunt differs significantly from year-long investments you might make on your personal hunting property. With these quick hunts, you don’t have time to sit back and plan over the course of the off-season. You can’t be patient to the point of planning for weeks and wait for the right conditions to go hunt a particular buck. This means making mistakes is quite easy but disastrous once they are made. Being aggressive is important, but being too aggressive can push a deer off of the property. This deer may not return for weeks, a sudden end to a limited hunt.

Therefore, although I’ve found success going hard after these deer, I’ve also found the need to be patient and smart. Just like any whitetail hunt, you are going to have to find time to prepare and scout, while being able to capitalize on any opportunity you can.
When planning, keep in mind that every whitetail hunt is different. Factors such as weather, wind, time of year, food sources, and property details can dictate how to run an aggressive hunt. However, there are a few core principles that can always improve the odds of success in the field. These include:
  • Relying on your cameras
  • Observing information before acting
  • Being smart about access points
  • Choosing the right times to be aggressive

We smoked the oldest deer on the farm here in Illinois! He was a shooter 4 years ago and we’ve never gotten a daylight picture or seen this deer since! At 1:30 yesterday we saw him slipping through the thick stuff! Hit him with a grunt….he started ripping a tree apart! One snort wheeze later he walked a straight line to our tree and the “big 7″ is dead … he has been a ghost and I really can’t believe it!

Utilize Cameras

When jumping from property to property, especially in different states, rely on your cameras to do the scouting for you. This is obvious to most hunters but it seems like the finer details to successful camera scouting can evade most hunters. When you reach a property, be sure to grab the cards, analyze your property’s history, and start determining what activity is happening where. This will be your best resource when analyzing deer quality, activity times, and locations. Writing detailed notes and mapping out these activities can reveal patterns to capitalize on.
Preparation is key! Put in the time, work on yourself, use the best equipment, and know and understand your equipment! That is the recipe for success in this game! Happy hunting everybody!
However, when doing this, it’s important to not be careless. Putting too much pressure on a core area once it’s identified can push your deer out of the area altogether. So how can you avoid this? By setting up your camera in easily accessible areas. Ideally, these are areas where you can pull your cards in the middle of the day. This helps you become as least intrusive as possible, but also lets you pick up on patterns in easy to hunt areas!
Therefore, a good place to start is on food. By setting your camera up over food, you’re able to get an inventory of how many deer are feeding, where they’re filtering into the field, and when they start to leave/enter. This also keeps excessive pressure away from core areas.
In addition, being able to access your cameras with a vehicle, rather than by foot, is also beneficial. Deer tend to relate humans to danger more than they do with vehicles. Therefore, being able to access your cameras by vehicle can present a large advantage or collecting cards by foot.
That’s why I often hunt the edges of a field and avoid bedding areas as much as possible. This helps keep the deer on the property rather than pushing them off immediately. Deer that get booted may not return to the same area for over a week or two (or even permanently). The goal is to keep the deer as comfortable and avoid letting him know you’re there.
If you do choose to set up a camera in a bedding area, be careful how often (if at all) you check it during the hunt. By limiting commotion in the bedding areas, you‘re increasing the odds of keeping your deer on the property.

Setup Observation Stands

If the cameras don’t show any promise, be sure to set up observation stands. My goal with hunting observation stands is in an effort to cover as much ground as possible. This means being able to see far. Don’t be afraid to put your time in scouting, despite how tough it may seem (especially with only seven days to execute).
Once you have a deer dialed in, make sure to put in the time you can and move when the weather and conditions are right (as right as they can be for a seven day period that is).

Watch Where You Access

You must also be careful of where you access your property. Keep in mind that bucks will pattern you just as much as you pattern them. Therefore, accessing the property without getting noticed is key to limiting pressure and having a successful hunt.
This also means using vehicles when possible (rather than walking) and avoiding critical areas as much as possible. There have been times when I’ve sat in a stand at night waiting for over an hour for a vehicle ride. This is to avoid pressuring the deer off the property when leaving.

Choose the Right Times

It’s important to choose the right time to go in after a buck. Choosing the right time means being aware of the weather and the time of year. Throughout my hunts, I’ve found sunny, high-pressure days to be the most successful. One of the biggest weather variables to monitor is wind. Make sure to play the wind like you would any other hunt. Try to execute when it looks like it’s going to be as right as it can be.
In 7 days it’s hard to be picky, but if I can I will be smart about when I go in. If I know of a buck’s core area, I may only hunt the outskirts for the majority of the trip, going into the area on the best day only to improve my odds.

Putting it Together

Short whitetail trips require a different level of preparation and aggression than home-based hunting. While the principles and information are the same as bow hunting tactics we follow throughout the season on a property at home, the level needs to be taken to the next level on a hunting trip. There is no break to let the property, the deer, or a tree stand rest. Each move has to be calculated and optimized for the highest likelihood of success.
Keeping it simple by avoiding over-pressuring deer, choosing non-intrusive access points, relying on your cameras for scouting, and making the move when it’s smart to do so. It’s also good to have stands in place early in the year. Cameras should be out year around and you should be keeping a history of the activity and patterns on the property if possible. This might mean trips in the off-season, or a local contact doing some of the work for you.
Aggressive whitetail tactics are often needed for bow hunting, but especially required for out of state trips. Speeding up the normal process of season long scouting, planning, and executing in just a few short days is an aggressive tactic in itself. The added tactic of moving into a core area quickly can be considered overly intrusive, but might be the only way to harvest a buck in 7 days!

Post Season Bow Hunting Gear Care

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Post Season Bow Hunting Gear Inventory and Storage

The thrill of the chase has come to an end and spring will be here before you know it. For many bow hunters it is time to pack away bow hunting gear for storage during the off-season. For other bow hunters and competitive shooters, it may be just the opposite. This is the time to get some practice in and adjust/tweak your gear to perform better. Whatever the case, the winter months provide time to properly adjust, maintain and care for your bow hunting gear.

Bow Hunting Gear “To Do List”

Frayed strings, rusty bolts and screws, soured clothing, moldy backpacks…if you want to avoid any of these problems follow the “to do list” below.

 

Gather

Like most hunters, at the end of the season you will have gear scattered in a multitude of places; your vehicle, in the laundry room, gear bags, rubber tubs, and the floor in your gear room. To start the task at hand, you will need to designate a place to gather all those items in one place!  

Inspect

While you have all of your gear in one place take inventory of what you have and what needs to be replaced or repaired. This is also the perfect time to take advantage of the end of season sales in big box stores and online. Look to replace any batteries or worn out gear.  Also, inspect your safety equipment, your stands, your arrows, and of course your bow. Take notes and create a list of items that need attention.

Method and Area of Storage

Preparing a permanent hunting gear storage area, away from direct sunlight, heat, or dampness will ensure that your gear will be ready for next season with little effort. Carbon lined or ozone-generating boxes are great options for storage. A simple and affordable Rubbermaid box will suffice and is stackable so you can store clothes and gear by season. It is important that your storage container has a sealable lid to keep any scents from permeating the gear inside. Storing with earth scented dryer sheets, scent wafers, or natural fiber such as dry cedar chips or pine twigs can add a good cover scent.

Clothes

Wash and dry all clothing, base layers, mid layers and outer layers with scent-destroying detergent and dryer sheets. For heavier items, line drying is recommended. Fold each piece for storage in a scent-proof gear bag or large sealing tub. Include socks, gloves, beanies, and caps.

Footwear

Often hunters will splurge in investing in good hunting boots, after all, boots are one of the most important components of hunting gear. Inspect your boots for splits, cracks, worn insoles, and replace if necessary. Rubber footwear should be brushed off and wiped down with a damp cloth. Remove insoles for inspection, replace if needed, spray boots inside and out with scent destroying spray and allow to air dry. Do not use soaps or chemicals on rubber boots; chemicals over time can break down the rubber. Leather boots should be brushed off removing mud and debris, and wiped down with a damp cloth. Inspect the insoles and use scent destroying spray inside and out, allowing them to air dry. After the boots have dried completely, use a good leather conditioner with weatherproofing to condition and store the boots.

Backpacks

Empty your backpack out completely, all pockets, and shake out any dirt and debris that may have ended up inside it. If necessary, wipe down the interior with a damp cloth. Brush off any mud and wipe down any areas that may have dirt or stains. Store the backpack empty making it easy to pack for storage.

Small Hunting Gear and Accessories

Small hunting gear like ratchet clippers, tow ropes, knives, screw-in hooks, or any other gear needs to be stored. All liquids should be discarded and purchased fresh the next season, especially any animal urine or estrus. This includes scent destroying sprays because many of these sprays only have a 3 to 6-month shelf life of effectiveness after opening. Binoculars need to be wiped down and stored in the products original case or directly in the storage method.

Deer Calls

Any mouth calls that you have used during the season needs to be wiped down and completely dried before storing to keep bacteria from building up and deteriorating or locking up the working parts such as latex and rubber rings on reeds.  

Electronics

Remove batteries from all electronics you do not plan to use until next season such as GPS units, rangefinders, flashlights, scent dispersing units, and game cameras to deter from possible battery corrosion, damaging and rendering the product useless.  

Caring For Your Bow

Wipe down the riser, limbs, and cams of your compound bow or the stock, fore-end, and limbs of your crossbow with a damp cloth or scent eliminating wipe. Inspect all moveable parts, screws, bolts, string wear, sight, and rest. Should your strings need to be replaced now is the perfect time to do so. Regardless if you have new or old strings, you will need to wax the strings for storage. You can use a small amount of oil to coat any bare metal bolts, washers, or screws to keep them from rusting in storage. Do not hang your bow by the strings for storage; this can cause issues with the strings stretch and cam timing. The best method of gear storage for your bow is in a bow case, if at all possible.

BOW LIFE TV APPAREL

Taking the time to do this post-season routine will not only extend the life of your gear but it is also going to save you valuable time. While proper care and storage is important for your bow hunting gear, don’t let it sit too long during the offseason. Use this time to practice and prepare for next year’s deer season or the upcoming spring turkey season. Need some things to work on? Check out the archery and bow hunting tips in the “Archery Fit” video section below!

Compound Bow Anchoring

Reducing Target Panic

Shot Timing

Tips for Late Season Bow Hunting

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Late Season Bow Hunting Tips

 The dream of November bow hunting has come and gone.  The craze of the rut and its pull on big mature bucks has passed.  If you’re a bow hunter with a tag still in your pocket the late season could be your chance at redemption. The tactics and techniques you have used thus far for fall will not work, so you will have to reevaluate and adjust your hunting specifically for the late season.   Here are some bow hunting tips and tactics to help you get within bow range of a late season mature whitetail and salvage your season!

 

The Best Hunting Is On Its Way!

Whatever the reason, the simple problem is that you weren’t able to fill your tag this fall.  We’ve all been there! The excuses or legitimate reasons can range from not enough time off from work or family to the more absurd like…”the rut never happened”. Whichever excuse you choose, go ahead and let the blame rest on your shoulders. Use the frustration to your advantage and fuel your drive to grab success during the final weeks of deer season.

 

The late season is the perfect opportunity for redemption. Why? There are several reasons: 

  • Overpressured bucks might be seeking refuge on your property 
  • Cold temperatures can force deer to more vulnerable patterns centered around food 
  • Fresh snow can create ideal opportunities for in-season scouting 
  • Funneling deer for shot opportunities or intel through trail cameras is easy to do with the help of food or cover 
  • Late season cold fronts are easy to identify and hunt around 

 

These are just some of the reasons the late season can be one of the best times to harvest a mature buck with a bow. Now you just need to know how to capitalize!

Start Fresh

First things first, it’s time to get a picture of what’s out there…literally!  If you’ve slacked off of your game camera routine throughout the rut it’s time to pick it back up.  Knowing what deer are in your area, when they are moving, and where they are moving to is key to success in late season bow hunting.  Start out with a quick and low-pressure scouting trip. Identify fresh sign, bedding areas, and major traffic areas centered on food and cover.  Bring your cameras with some fresh memory cards and batteries.  

 

Top Late Season Trail Camera Locations 

  •  Funnels and pinch points– where deer enter and exit food sources.  Setup cameras keeping prevailing winds, entry, and exit routes in mind so you can check batteries and memory cards without busting deer. 
  •  Water sources – can be critical in late season.  Locating a deer herd’s water source in frozen or dry winter climates is a great find.  It’s likely that few open water sources are available in sub-freezing temperatures. Hunters who can provide open water may find it as effective as any food plot.  Set cameras up to see who is coming and going at the watering hole. 
  •  Transition areas – from bedding to food sources are critical this time of year.  Calories are paramount in the cold and for recovering from the rut.  Deer are looking to conserve as many calories as possible, so locating a suitable bedding area near a quality food source can be a golden opportunity for any bow hunter. Putting a camera on a trail between bedding and feed is a great way to pattern a mature buck using the area.  If you don’t get the consistent pictures you are hoping for, don’t be afraid to move your camera until you find the deer’s travel corridor.

 

It’s important that you understand that some of the mature bucks in your core group may have been harvested by other hunters. It is also likely that some bucks may be busted up with broken racks from the rut. However, you will also start noticing new deer you have never before. They may have moved into your area pressured by other hunters or just need to recover from the rut.  It may seem like a waste of time this late in the game, but identifying the deer you will be hunting in late season is a great tactic. When you are running and checking your game cameras keep in mind you are hunting late season deer that have been pressured.  Hunt your cameras when you check them like you are hunting deer, wear scent–free boots and use the wind.  It’s better to skip a day or even a week without checking your camera than to blow deer out of your hunting area due to scouting under poor conditions.

Understanding Late Season Wary Bucks

Next, late season and the cold winter months of the post-rut mean one thing to a battle-worn bruiser buck…survival.  Bucks have spent literally weeks neglecting their body and burning calories trying to get a chance to breed as many does as possible.  Now that the rut is over and the temperature is dropping those bucks need quality calories to make it through the winter until the spring green up.

 

Food 

The acorns and standing crops the deer were feasting on in October and November are drying up quickly. For this reason, it is critical to identify the late season food source in your area. Some of these food sources may include: 

  • Winter wheat or cereal rye cover crop 
  • Recently or late cut corn fields 
  • Brassica cover crop or food plots 
  • Oak flats in a bumper year 
  • Standing crops (beans or corn)  

Spend some time behind a pair of binoculars and figure out where the deer are feeding and where the deer are bedding instead of limiting yourself to one stand location. If you can locate bedding cover near a quality food source, hopefully your scouting and some game camera pictures will confirm a quality buck in the area!

Cover 

The bedding area deer are using during the day near the food source is key when hunting late season bucks.  Hunting a bedding area is always tricky, you must consider the deer’s travel patterns, the wind, and your entrance and exit routes to and from the stand.  It can pay to be aggressive when you are moving in on a known buck on your hit list, but be careful not to blow the deer out of your late season hunting area.  These deer have been pressured for a while now and the wrong move or the wrong wind may send them packing.  If busted, they might travel well beyond the nearby area without looking back, and settle into a new core area.  Don’t overlook a small patch of cover, brush, or tall grass that receives sun as a bedding area. This is especially true for any southern oriented topography.  

Bow Hunting Tips for Staying Deadly in the Cold 

Late season bow hunting has its own challenges and will require you to adapt your early season tactics.  Cold northern winds blowing frigid air and freezing temperatures make it tough on hunters, but those same conditions make deer get up to feed.  Layering warm clothing during late season bow hunting is an important part of your cold weather arsenal.  Loading your hunting pack with various fleece, wool, and shell garments to stay warm and comfortable will allow you the flexibility to stay on the hunt longer.

  

Keep in mind that heavy activity like walking through snow or climbing elevation can cause you to work up a sweat even in frigid conditions.  Be sure to use clothing layering to keep from sweating only to freeze as soon as you get on stand.  Chemical hand warmers can go a long way to keep you comfortable in the cold as well.  A hand warmer in the toe of your boots, in your jacket pockets and inside a layered vest can make the difference between an enjoyable late season bow hunt and misery. 

Moving to the Ground 

The conditions and environment of late season bow hunting can provide great opportunities when hunting from the ground.  The leaves are off the trees and cover in a tree stand becomes tricky in late season.  The deer are spending more of their time in winter feed fields and places to hang a tree stand may be hard to find.

When bow hunting late season whitetails, a ground blind in winter feed can be a great way to lay in wait for a buck.  Tucking a blind along the end of a row of hay bales, or in a depression of a weedy terrace provides an ambush point that tree stand hunting cannot.  Utilizing a lightweight, quick setup popup blind can also help you to be more mobile and access bedding edges when the wind is right.  Don’t overlook moving your hunting to the ground in late season.   

Keep Hunting!  

One of the biggest obstacles to late season hunting is getting in the field.  The days are short, and the challenges of hunting pressured deer in cold temperatures are real.  Chasing late season bucks can be emotionally tasking.  Be prepared to overcome some challenges and for some fantastic encounters. These late season bow hunting tips can help you capitalize on a great time to be in the deer woods!

 

Levi Morgan’s Mathews Triax Bow Review

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Mathews Triax Bow Review

Today I want to talk to you about what has been so exciting for us lately, the all new Mathews Triax™ bow. In this Mathews Triax™ bow review I will tell you the reasons why I feel Mathews absolutely hit it out of the park with this bow!

 

I have used this bow for several hunts. It has been tested with mountain hunts, whitetail hunts, and spot and stalk hunts, and the size of this bow is perfect for every scenario.  Now this bow is 28 inches axle-to-axle, which many of you might think is a short bow for someone with a long draw length like me. However, I have this bow at its maximum draw length and this bow works for me! I have sacrificed zero accuracy, and this is due to several reasons. The first is the Crosscentric Cam system, a very successful cam system requiring less human effort but still has the same power and same speed as a more aggressive cam system. This bow also features the new and improved harmonic 3D damping technology. Naturally the bow wants to wiggle left and right on the shot.  With the new technology however, the bow is almost completely dead in the hand without the addition of any stabilizers.

In my opinion Mathews hit it out of the park with the all new Triax™ bow, and you need to give one a try.

 

Archery Tips for Hunting the High Country

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4 Bow Hunting Tips for Rugged Terrain Hunts

Archery hunting is often characterized as a sport that requires a high level of patience and persistence.  Becoming an effective and efficient archer is not an overnight process.  It requires a level of commitment and dedication that is virtually unmatched within the sport of hunting.  With that said, success in the archery woods is often predicated on not only how sound you are as an archer, but also the conditions in which you are hunting. Making an effective shot with archery equipment can be tricky enough on level ground in ideal conditions.  However, toss in the challenge of navigating uneven terrain, extremely variable winds, and difficult shooting angles, and you have certainly stacked the deck against you.  Archery hunting big game in the mountain high country of the Western United States and Canada is where these situations are encountered. Here are a few simple bow hunting tips and techniques that you can employ that will help ensure that you are sending your best arrow down range despite hunting the difficult conditions.

 

Of course, when discussing any type of hunting in rugged terrain one of the first “tips” must be to be in shape! Why? This video should be sufficient reason enough…

 

Archery Tips for High Country Hunting

 

Below are 4 quick bow hunting tips that could drastically improve not only your experience with your high country bow hunt, but also that critical moment just before releasing your arrow.

 

 

Tip 1. It’s all in the Hips

 

Without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges of hunting in rugged terrain is overcoming the difficulty of shooting uphill or downhill.  Though it may seem simple, shooting at an angle requires a little more thought than you might expect.  The trick to mastering an uphill or downhill shot is all about bending at the hips and waist, and is an archery tip that you can master very quickly.

 

 

The proper technique for mastering a shot such as this, regardless of the angle, is draw the bow back as you would normally on level ground.  Once you have your anchor point set, bend at the waist toward your target.  This method will ensure that you maintain your form and your anchor point, which is critically important in maintaining your accuracy.

 

Read my full blog on shooting tough archery angles here.

 

Tip 2. Keeping the Time

 

Shot timing is an important part of being an effective archer.  From the time that the bow comes to full draw to the time the arrow leaves the bow is different for everyone. However, everyone has the window of 3 to 4 seconds when the arrow needs to be released.  Push it too far one way or the other, and your rhythm and form can be off which can greatly affect your accuracy.  Why is shot timing relevant to the topic of hunting in rugged terrain?  When you have hiked all day and you have finally worked to within bow range of your target, the adrenaline can be pumping.  As a result, you will most likely have a tendency to rush the shot.  It is critically important that you remain patient and make sure that you are calm and ready to make the shot before drawing your bow.  This will help you keep your shot timing as consistent and effective as possible.  You want to do all you can to make that first shot count, it may be the only opportunity you will have.

 

 

 

Tip 3. Reduce Your Target Panic

 

Hopefully you are reading this months or weeks out from your western or high country hunt. If that is the case, taking the time now to reduce your target panic could drastically increase the chance that you make a well placed shot on the game animal your pursuing. Rugged terrain, long distance shots, high wind, and threading the needle through brush can, and probably will, be encountered on your hunt. If you have even the slightest bit of target panic at home, it will be compounded on the mountain. If left uncorrected, this feeling of anxiety and fear of poor shooting can spread to every time you draw your bow back. If you think it’s frustrating not hitting your mark on the target in your backyard, you will reach a new level of embarrassment and frustration when you miss your mark on your big hunt! So what can you do to fix it before it gets to that stage? Check out the archery tip video below.

 

 

Tips 4. Take a Hard Look at Your Hunting Gear

 

Archery hunting in rugged conditions can be extremely hard on you and your archery equipment.  Automatically assume that your equipment will take a few bumps and knocks along the way. Therefore it is critically important that everything from your optics and pack, to your bow, arrows, and other hunting gear is durable enough to withstand the abuse.  The last thing you want is to hike uphill for several hours and finally get in a position to make a shot, only to find your archery equipment damaged and unusable.  If you find yourself heading to the high country for the very first time, do your homework and take some time to research the area.  This can help you get a feel for exactly what you will be facing when you step out of the truck and can help plan ahead and ensure that your hunting gear and archery equipment are up for the challenge!

 

 

 

If you have the opportunity to hit the high country with your archery equipment, toss your bow and hunting gear in the truck.  Archery hunting in these landscapes can offer some of the most exciting experiences that an archer could ever ask for, and if you keep these 4 simple bow hunting tips in mind, you will set yourself up for success!

“Archery Fit” Ep.8 Bow Setup Notes | Bow Life TV

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Levi’s Archery Tips for Bow Setups

On this episode of “Archery Fit” fueled by MTN Ops, I quickly run through some archery tips regarding bow setups. All of us at one point or another had that absolutely perfect bow setup. The setup was forgiving, accurate, and comfortable more than any bow you have ever shot. That bow setup could be described as that “dream setup”. Hopefully, today’s archery tip will help you mimic that exact setup regardless of the bow you shoot.  

Your bow will constantly be changing year to year. Whether you are switching models or installing new strings, each and every bow has its own personality. However, we can take any model bow, for example, a Matthews TRX, and set it up to get as close as possible to that dream setup by taking detailed measurements of our best setup. What I do and what I have learned to do the hard way is to simply write every detail down about the bow once I find the perfect setup.  

 

Here are some of the measurements you should write down:  

  • Draw weight 
  • Draw length 
  • Holding weight 
  • Axle-to-axle measurements 
  • How long the nocking loop is 
  • Bow rest positioning 
  • Brace height 
  • Distance from top axle to nocking point 
  • Distance from bottom axle to nocking point 
  • Stabilizer setup 
  • Arrow setup 

With these notes, you should be able to set your bow up close to or even to the exact feel as the perfect bow setup you had in the past! 

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How to Accurately Shoot Extreme Archery Angles

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Archery Tips | How to Shoot Extreme Angles

Archers spend hours of practice working on shot technique and form. Days, weeks, and months are spent striving to develop repeated accuracy. While in practice this can be achieved, real-world scenarios can cause archers to throw form out the window. One such scenario is when an archer is forced to shoot an extreme angle. Whether it’s in a tournament or while bow hunting in the field, you need to know how to approach shooting these tough angles correctly. These archery tips should tell you how to do just that!

When you are shooting at an angle, the most important thing to remember is to keep your proper form. This is true for every different scenario. Tough tournament courses in rugged terrain can throw even the best archers off. Hunting scenarios such as an elevated whitetail stand, down a steep incline on a fall elk hunt, or uphill at sheep are uncontrollable shot opportunities that will happen. There is no way to avoid these tough shots, so the best thing for you to do is learn how to correctly keep your form and shoot these tough angles.

The correct process of shooting tough angles can be broken down into a two-step process.

Step 1: Starting with correct form

When shooting extreme angles the bow should be drawn back level using the same correct form that is used in practice. The bow is drawn level and the anchor point locked in.

 

 

Step 2: Bending at the waist

Once you have drawn level and have the correct anchor you need to acquire your target. This is where the problems normally start. Most archers will skip the first step, drawing uphill or downhill immediately without first achieving the proper form. This will usually shorten their draw which will affect the shot. To correctly acquire the target when shooting extreme angles, the shooter should bend at the waist after the draw is completed. The technique of bending at the waist after the bow is drawn and the shooter is locked in allows a target to be acquired either uphill or downhill without negatively affecting accuracy.

 

Many coveted hunts take place in the rugged country that requires shooting at steep angles. A shot opportunity at a bighorn or desert sheep, mule deer, mountain goat, and even a big bull elk are often not presented on level ground. Rugged terrain and country often present these shots. Using these archery tips when presented with this situation will ensure that you use correct form when conditions and terrain present an uphill or downhill shot.

Learning how to shoot up and downhill is a critical skill for any archer to have. By bending at the waist and holding the correct form after a level draw cycle, shooting on steep angles can be completed accurately. Following the archery tips in this blog will allow you to shoot with the correct form throughout the entire shot regardless of the angle.

Discover more archery tips here!

 

Why You Might Consider Using a Back Tension Release

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Back Tension Release | The Pros and Cons of Archery Releases

Being an effective and accurate archer is more complex than you might expect at first glance. From the size and weight of the arrows that you shoot, the anchor point, and your form and follow through, everything must work together in unison to achieve consistent accuracy. Understanding not only how your bow operates, but also how your accessories and gear can impact your accuracy, is a big part of being a stable archer. Whether you are simply focused on bow hunting, or are engulfed in the world of competitive archery, there is a wide selection of bow releases available on the market today. From thumb trigger releases to caliper style releases, there is no doubt that all have their positives and negatives. Back tension releases are becoming more and more popular with both the bow hunting and competition communities.

Back tension bow releases certainly have their benefits in contrast to other styles of bow releases, and here are a few archery tips and that can help you decide if a back tension bow release is right for you.

“No Go” or “Gone”

Caliper and thumb button style bow releases are certainly popular among both the competition and archery hunting communities. Both are effective bow releases, and can certainly help you get the job done. However, one drawback that both of these releases have is the opportunity for the user to “punch” the trigger. Punching the trigger is a term that simply means that there is no real ability to apply gradual pressure to the trigger mechanism on the release. I like to explain this style of release as “no go” or “gone”.

What I mean by that is there is no middle or gradual slope to get to the actual point of release. Imagine the operation of this style of release as jumping straight off a cliff to get to the bottom of it. There is no gradual slope, no parachute, you just have to jump. That “jump” can cause the user to “punch” the trigger as soon as the pin has settled on the target. This can often lead to inaccurate shot placement which is a negative on both the range and in the woods.

The back tension bow release allows the shooter to apply gradual and steady back pressure once the pin as settled on its mark. The ability to calmly “squeeze” the trigger can help improve accuracy and can even serve to calm and relax a shooter, which can also help to improve accuracy.

It Rubs Off

It is true that not everyone who shoots competitively will use the same bow release for both hunting and competition. That is completely understandable. That said, if you find yourself looking for a new way to increase your accuracy at the range, then consider moving towards a back tension bow release. The simple reason is that using a back tension bow release can help improve your mechanics and timing when it comes to shooting your bow. Even if you move back to a caliper release for the hunting season, shooting a back tension bow release during the off-season can help you understand what that “perfect shot” feels like.

If you are looking for a way to improve as an archer, consider giving a back tension bow release a shot. I firmly believe that it will help you become a more confident and accurate shooter on the range and in the woods!

Find more archery tips, bow hunting tips, advice, and information here: https://www.bowlife.com/archery-tips-tricks-news/