Well, hunting season is here or rapidly approaching and the stories will start coming in about game that is shot. There has been a lot of talk recently about the performance of gear on game and it's effectiveness, and for good reason. For example there are the mechanical vs. fixed blade debates, the fast vs. slow debates, the heavy arrow vs. light arrow debats and so on. My thought is this; do we question our gear so much so we have an excuse when things don't go perfect? There will be people that don't get their deer and they'll say, "I'm getting a faster bow" or "I'll never use those wimpy carbons again" or "Darn mechanicals didn't work."

I think we are placing so much blame on our gear when the component at fault is in the mirror. Let's face it, the gear that is out there today is far better than anyone could have imagined 10 years ago. So if something goes wrong, it probably (note: I said PROBABLY was not the gear. I know most of us practice endlessly and prepare for the moment, but when the moment happens emotion takes over and sometimes makes all that preparation for naught.

If you mess up, say so. Most guys here will admire you more for admitting your mistake than if you blame it on your gear. On the doe I shot this year I had a perfect broadside shot on a calm deer with her head down. I knew the distance within one yard and placed my arrow squarely in her shoulder resulting in poor penetration, a lousy blood trail, and a 400+ yard mid-day tracking job. I know my bow put the excellent penetrating expandable broadhead tipped arrow right where I aimed. Unfortunately, I aimed poorly at a distance that I normally smack half dollars at. So in closing, we all make mistakes. Be big enough to admit yours and do the best job you can to recover the game when a mistake is made. And most of all, good luck this year.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>