The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare. I want you to prepare for that win, whether it’s notching a tag or winning a competition.
Some people have tools for practice but then have other tools for the hunt. The real question is, “DO THEY KNOW THEIR DIFFERENCES?” That’s where prep comes in, learning what the differences in your gear does to the impact on the target.
I’m getting ready for a hunt myself, and I want to walk you through what’s on my mind on the prep side. Two things stand out- RELEASES & RANGEFINDERS.
Know Where Your Backup Release Hits
Here’s the setup.
I’ve got my primary release on me for this hunt, and it’s absolutely pounding dots. The important thing is that i know where this one hits. All winter long I have been training rep after reps with another release. Do they both impact “close” to each other? YES. But not perfectly, so its up to me to get my sight marks with what im taking with me on game day.
Plenty of archers take a different release on the hunt than the one they train with. I disagree with this approach. You have to know where that backup hits, and many times the two releases hit differently for two reasons:
- Hook depth on the D-loop. How deep your hook seats in the loop affects the release. It’s no different than grabbing a recurve string. When your fingers sit light on the string, the shot fires one way. When you grab the string deep, it fires another way.Mechanical releases work on the same principle. Different releases sit at different depths on the D-loop, and that depth carries into the shot.
- Jaw mechanics. Some releases have a jaw that opens forward when you trigger them. Others have a jaw that opens away from the string. You have to know that difference. The way the jaw moves changes where your arrow hits.
Verify Your Rangefinder Against Your Partner’s
The next piece of prep is your rangefinder.
Know where your rangefinder reads compared to your guide’s unit. If you’re running range-finding binoculars and a separate handheld rangefinder, know where those two read on the same target.
Sometimes the two units come back with different numbers. You’ve got to know what that gap means for your shot.
When you’re out in the field with a guide or with a buddy, get your range on the target. Let him get the range on the same target. Then see where the impacts come in.
I shoot a Leupold RX-FullDraw 5, and I want to know if it’s reading the same as my buddy’s unit.
Preparation Is How You Win
The difference is in the details of knowing the difference’s- IN YOUR GEAR! Thats where prep comes in. Field Point vs Broadhead or Training Release vs Hunting Release or Rangefinder vs Rangefinder. Anytime you change anything, you change everything. It’s up to you to know what was changed.
You have to prepare. That’s how you win. Put in the work this week.
Good luck.
