Thank you for the kind words! It's great when it all comes together and ends like our hunt did. Kinda makes the not so great times seem insignificant. I screwed my shoulder up a few months before season started and I didn't do as much shooting as I normally do before the season opener. As a result I set some limits for myself. The main one was a 40 yard maximum shot distance with the right conditions. There are so many variables that can cause a poor shot placement without adding anything else into the mix. I will do everything in my power to assure a quick kill. I drive my boys crazy with some of the prep work I do. Once I find an area the game is using, I try to determine all the shooting scenarios that may occur and select a couple locations I can set up on. Which location I ultimately use is primarily determined by the wind direction at the time I set up. Once I select the locations, I start pruning the branches that may interfere with my arrow. This process doesn’t take as long as it might seem and I never attempt it during prime hunt times. Once the prep work is done I start ranging and memorizing various points out to my maximum yardage. This practice has worked out well for me in the past but has been quite a bit more complex (and essential) since I started archery hunting a few years ago. All of this becomes a mute point if I am stalking the game. I enjoy stalking game more than any of the other options but it is a whole different ball game when you switch from modern firearms to archery. I remember the first time I entered the field for archery season and started ranging distances. My first thought was “You have got to be kidding me! How will I ever get that close to an animal to make a shot?” The night before I got the 4 point I crossed paths with a 5 point in the same meadow. I entered the woods later than I should have and when I got close to my stand I could hear a bull molesting some trees in the middle of the meadow. When I was within 10 yards of my stand he came around the end of the trees and turned to cross in front of me at what I estimated to be 45–50 yards. He was walking at a slow pace and presented me a potential one shot opportunity. Last year I wouldn’t have hesitated making the shot but this year was different. With my bad shoulder and the lack of practice I had prior to season I held fast to the 40 yard maximum I had placed on myself before season started. There were also a few other factors that caused the conditions to be something less than right for a shot at this bull. Not so on the following evening. Even though the bull came out in a spot I had not anticipated, he came out just shy of my 40 yard landmark. The wind was right and I had good cover to shot from. I would have preferred a little different angle on the bull. I always envision a broadside double lung shot but I felt confident in the shot I had. There are many times everything seems to come together only to fall apart at the last minute. It is nice to be able to close the deal every now and then. Good hunting guys! I will be looking forward to your successes and by the way, don’t forget the pictures! Charlie
