Preparation
is an interesting concept. From the old
scouting motto of ‘be prepared’ to the new word of the day ‘doomsday preppers’,
it means one thing; being ready.
For
deer season, preparation includes things such as planting food plots, scouting
for funnel areas and game trails, setting stands, and sighting in weapons. Even the daydreaming that consists of
visualizing the big buck come out and taking the shot is a form of preparation
for what may come.
And
then there is over-preparation. This
will sound strange and contradictory but I am not a believer in over
preparation myself. However I do believe
you can convince yourself of something and become so expectant on the
foreshadowed result that when it does not go exactly to plan, mistakes will
result.
For
instance, I have been fortunate to escape the anxiety of so called ‘buck fever’. Granted, I have only been in a position in which
I was even within shooting range of the ‘big one’ a couple of times, and then
only when I could not take the shot due to either legal shooting hours or the
shot just not presenting itself to make it ethically. On opening day last year I was prepared to
take a big doe or buck. I did all the
things mentioned earlier. I knew when
the deer would come out. In fact, the
first doe came out within 10 minutes of when I expected, at exactly the
location I expected. She walked up to
within 10 yards of my stand. The problem
was I was not prepared for the other five deer than came out right behind her and
kept looking toward her. By looking at
her, they were also looking in my direction, making it all but impossible to
draw the bow for the fatal shot.
For
those that do not know, I am an avid bowhunter.
Over the last decade of my life the bow has become as much a part of me
as any piece of clothing or facial feature I may have. I bowhunt year round, and have become
extremely fond of bowfishing as well.
But I have never competed in an archery competition.
Until
this weekend.
I
have shot in a couple of 3-d tournaments in which I did not keep score. A 3-d tournament is one in which targets
designed as game animals are placed at different yardages in natural cover
(usually in the woods) so that the archer has to judge distance and accurately
hit the target in what would be the vital area of a real animal. The vital area is then sectioned off to
smaller circular areas that count for higher points if hit.
The
first tournament I shot in was at Cherry Point.
It was mainly a way for me to, here comes that word, prepare for hunting
seasons by visualizing the game in a natural setting. The second tournament was located in the
mountains. It was a charity fundraiser
shoot. My nephews and oldest son tagged
along and we got to walk a beautiful course in a fun and challenging
location. Each time I shot my hunting
bow the way I have it set up for hunting, you know, since I was preparing for hunting
season.
Now
we are to this weekend. I recently took
a position with Ben Pearson Archery as their Marketing and Media Director. Basically it means I write some stories for
them, assist in some social media advertising, and get the thrill of being
associated with the oldest bow manufacturer in the U.S. It also meant I would be abandoning the bow I
have used for the last five years. Short
story here is I sold my old bow and ordered my new Ben Pearson bow. The two week void between the new bow arrival
and the sale of my old bow left me feeling as if I forgot to wear clothes.
Even
worse, my new bow arrives within days of when I am to leave to Florida to shoot
competition in an environment foreign to me.
How do I prepare for this?
I
prepare the same as with anything. I
just have to be a lot more flexible in my preparation so I can expect whatever
may happen. In this case, it is like
preparing for the hunt before you know what you will be hunting with. I still scout, only this time by studying the
animal targets that will be used. I
still study where I will be ‘hunting’, only this time by watching videos of
last year’s competition at the same facility.
I
stay focused, but ready for whatever may be encountered. I just have to focus on a much larger picture
with more variables rather than a singular task.
And
as I prepare, and I now start setting up my equipment, I find that I have
prepared myself to understand my equipment better. I have the forethought to be ready quicker
without taking shortcuts and jeopardizing the experience. I have also found a lesson in preparation
that will carry over to future quests.
The Western
North Carolina Archery Circuit is composed of five clubs and will resume their
competition February 9, 2013. The
schedule and locations can be seen at www.blueridgebowhunters.org.
The Central
Carolina Archery Association consists of eight clubs and will begin their
schedule on February 10, 2013. They can
be found at www.centralcarolinaarchery.com.
The Downeast
Archery Coalition consists of five clubs and will begin their schedule on
February 17, 2013. They can be found at www.downeastarchery.homestead.com.
Each association
is off this weekend for the Archery Shooters Association (ASA) Easton Pro/Am in
Newberry, Florida.
