|
The weapon should never leave your hand. This is a good example why:
“A white flag and 170 inches of antler, going straight away at MACH-10.” This was the report from a good friend of mine as he recounted his tale of the one-that-got-away this past fall. There were some understandable expletives included which are unfit to print.
Here’s how his hunt went down. It was November 15 and he was bowhunting some family land in south-central Minnesota. His portable stand hung on a white oak atop a narrow ridge that split two sparsely-covered sloughs. The ridge was a perfect funnel that fed big stretches of timber on either end.
The stand site was ideal. The wind couldn’t have been better. My buddy had crept in long before daylight with every stealthy detail covered: rubber boots, scent-control clothing, cover scent, leafy camo, face mask, the works.
He got into his stand silently, hung his Mathews bow on a hanger and positioned his grunt call, doe bleat can and rattling antlers within easy reach. Then he waited.
The sun had lit up the eastern horizon as my friend watched a mature doe feed her way along the distant edge of the slough to the west, more than 100 yards away. He kept a watchful eye on the cover behind her looking for sign of a trailing buck. Then he heard it. Rrrrrrt. The deep, soft grunt of a buck to his left. Close. He turned only his eyes and immediately saw the behemoth dude standing stiff-legged and also fixated on the distant doe. He had come in like a ghost and was only 15 yards away.
Shifting his eyes quickly to his hanging bow, my friend began a painfully slow reach for his weapon. His hand was almost to the handle when the buck caught the movement and snapped his eyes over and up. Both hunter and hunted froze for several agonizing seconds until the buck redirected his attention back to the doe, giving my friend the opportunity to lift the bow from its hanger – which he did without getting busted. Now came the task of affixing his release to the bowstring – another enterprise that requires both movement and focus.
The open jaws of his release were almost to the nock loop when the subtle movement again caught the attention of the buck. This time, however, the 170-incher decided things were rotten in Denmark and got the “H” out of Dodge.
As my pal summed up the experience, he ended it by vowing to never, EVER hang his bow again. He’s convinced that if he’d had the bow in-hand, with the release already clipped on his string, the buck-of-a-lifetime would have been on his wall and in his freezer. He’s probably right.
His story made me think. I hang my bow too. Or should I say, I HUNG my bow too. Because I’ve decided to put his vow into practice too. I’ve had deer bust me when I reached for my bow also. Never a 170, but who knows – that next one could be a 180.
Think about it, you’d never set your turkey gun on the ground or lean it against a tree when there are gobblers in the area. Heck no, that scattergun is always resting on the knee, ready for action. You’d never hang your upland gun on a sling over your shoulder when walking a pheasant-filled field. You keep it at-the-ready for lightning-fast snap shooting.
So why do us bowhunters hang our bows? I guess the main reason is weight, which kind of makes us wimps. My Switchback weighs in at a mere 3-1/2 pounds, and I’m a pretty strong guy. I should be able to hold that bow up until the cows come home. But after a few hours, that 3.5 pounds starts to feel like 35.
Luckily, there’s an assistant available. It’s called the Bow Rest from Hunter’s Specialties and it acts like a holster for your bow. You attach the Bow Rest to your belt and it has a pocket at the bottom that accepts even the largest lower limb cam size. Now nearly all of the bow’s weight is distributed to the big muscles in your body instead of your arm. The rest also positions the handle at the ideal, relaxed height for your bow hand.
As with any endeavor, it’s the little things that often make the difference between success and failure. Keeping your bow in-hand 100% of the time might seem like one of those little things – but the potential reward is huge – maybe measuring 170+ inches. I hope this little tale inspires you all to get a grip on that bow come deer season. I know I will.
Good Hunting.
|
