RE: Bowhunters - Competitive archery - do you do it?
 

I havn't shot in an indoor league in years,I also havn't shot a 3d tournament/shoot in years.As Greg said they did provide much of the foundation for my present shooting proficiency.
I had to make a choice,and I chose to stop participating in leagues and 3d,any free time I had was either going to be devoted to my family or to hunting related endeavors such as scouting,scouting and more scouting.Like most of us here I hunt a lot and I scout a lot,my wife hates September through late December.For me to be taking up chunks of time on weekends to be at 3d's the rest of the year wasn't fair in my opinion.
I derive the greatest satisfaction in shooting when I am by myself,for me it is like meditation,fortunately I am able to practice on my property,and in my garage where I practice for form and feel.
Everybody has to do whats right for them.

RE: Bowhunters - Competitive archery - do you do it?
 

Many years ago.... I mean MANY, I used to shoot NFAA all spring and summer in Georgia. There was no such thing as 3D shoots back then. I did it to improve my shooting and to get ready for hunting season. I used my hunting rig to do it. I didn't drop down in weight or arrow weight. It was in total prep for the upcoming hunting seasons. Every weekend you'd find me and my 3 buddies traveling to Alabama, SC or throughout Georgia to different tournaments. We had a ball and were competitive. I always used to shoot fingers Bowhunter Limited class. 5 pins with targets out to 80 yards(or 78 on the Hunter Rounds) My best shooting buddy David Norton won the Southeastern Tournament(11 States)on year. He shot unlimited class with all the long stabilizers and adjustable sights etc. He choose not to go to the Nationals. He was rock steady. I finished 6th in the Bowhunter Limited class that year. Also shooting all the same tournaments that time was Jessie Morehead. The one and same you see on TV now who's also a big prostaffer for Muzzy. He shot barebow and always won by a mile. He always shot better than a lot of the freestyle shooters. Bare bow, no sights, releases or anything... just instinct with stick and string. He now shoots a compound, but he was really something in his prime with just a stick.

RE: Bowhunters - Competitive archery - do you do it?
 

Comparing Matt and Matt to Troy and dan is nuts[8D]
Look at the terrain each hunt in. Look at the size they each hunt.

Both Matt's can master where they hunt and still enjoy 3d and indoor league.
Hell I shoot indoor league for the past 20 years. I don't do much scounting Thursday night at 7:30PM:eek:in Jan, Feb and March.

Quick if you are spending all this time scounting I expect to see a P & Y deer next year;) No excuses.
I will spend another weekend in KY and about 3 more in Ohio. I will take one weekend and setup both farms in MI. I don't shed hunt simple because Ido not want to spook a mature buck just to dind an antler.

I can look at a map, walk a place once and have a good understanding on how deer will travel. It's not rocket science in the Midwest, where Dan and Troy hunt is a different beast all together. I do not understand it, so I am not going to write about it;) I read everyone of their post so I can learn.

Here is a lesson for you, instead of walking all over the damn place where you hunt in the off season. Try staying out of it a bit, maybe the reason you never see a mature buck is you are running them off;) Feb 29th is my deadline, after that I do not step foot in any of my areas until opening day.

Here you need a good beating;) I still love ya[8D]

RE: Bowhunters - Competitive archery - do you do it?
 

You know I don't know why I bother to type this because we all know that Fran is never wrong.....I'm sure he will type something to respond to this and either belittle me or twist what I have to say........but here goes anyhow.

The only difference between the amount of time I spend and what others you mention may spend is the distance between me and my hunting grounds......the places I have access to all require overnight travel, I cannot simply hop on aquad or the shoe leather express and head out without driving 2-4 hours each way to get there.I know this is something I'm in control of as well, and I'm working to get access to properties for this upcoming fall that are MUCH closer to home, but for now I honestly don't know anyone that puts in the same amount of time as I do while living as far away from my hunting areas.If I put in that effort and $$$ into competition Iprobably would have a national title or two. Too many irons in the fire though and hunting will always be my priority. The fact that those guys spend more time in the woods than I do has nothing to do with "whatI enjoy doing inmy free time", it's not a priority thing and I do spend more time doing hunting related things than I do anything competitive. When it's time to compete though, I play to win, it's in my nature, and I will work hard to put myself into a position to win as long as it doesn't cut into my family or hunting time.


Last yearalone I made11 weekend trips away from home between February and Septemberto work on, scout, and improve my hunting spots. In two years I've gotten 15+ stands and blinds setup, basically gotten to know most every resident buck and doe on the property to the point that I recognize them on sight, added almost 4 acres of food plots, bought 26 acres, built an entire camp to hunt out of, managed a logging project specifically to maximize the carrying capacity of deer, and gotten exclusive permission to bowhunt a neighbors 100 acres in addition to my family 130.......................and that's only the work I've done at my place. I've put injust as much time at Dan's camp as well over the last 3 years. Between hunting season and offseason, I put 15k miles on my vehicle commuting to and from hunting spots. I've turned down chances to compete at the national level 2 years in a row now (qualified both times) because it would have cut into my vacation time that I save for hunting season, and travel to the tournaments would have cut into time I use for projects to improve my hunting property and scouting, it simply wasn't that important to me.

RE: Bowhunters - Competitive archery - do you do it?
 

Germ - I don't shed hunt in my hunting areas, just new areas and abandoned ones. And I think I did allright this year, considering.

Y'all are missing the point here...and I think it's quite funny.I intentionally picked Matt and Matt to use as examples because they EACH killed big deer this year.

I have a good buddy, and he's a big 3d/spot guy - and we have a VERY different approach to hunting season. While he's off at the triple crown, I'm usually hunkered down next to a field edge with a turkey call in my mouth. Just 2 people - both love archery - but do it in 2 different ways.

We both get deer.

He doesn't look down his nose at me b/c I'd rather be hunting. I don't look down my nose at him b/c he'd rather be competing nationally.

Matt - I don't know why you're getting all offended. I used you as an example b/c I know you're a guy who is involved and goodenough (on the competitive side) tothe point whereyou had to decide to limit one or the other. Same withScott andMatt/PA. Like you, buckeye hasn't beenfocused on the competitive side as muchas he had been in the past. Hunting is a big time commitment - but you guys are the few who actually can do both. But there does come a point where, if you want to be the best at either trade- you have to sacrifice.

RE: Bowhunters - Competitive archery - do you do it?
 

If that's what you'd initially said.....no one would have said a thing. Given.

I agree with Gary on shed hunting.

Also....and we're just discussing this......how many sheds would Troy find in Matt's (either) woods? How much time does one need to take to scout 200acres? How much time would you, I or anyone else spend to learn our herd if we had access to the type of grounds these guys have?

I take nothing away from anyone mentioned. Respect abounds. Different situations. Different tactics required.

Your follow up and your initial don't resemble one another much.

RE: Bowhunters - Competitive archery - do you do it?
 

OK.....Jill has been on the computer here so I couldn't comment until now.

No offense Fran, but Germs first two sentences are spot on. I know very little about the technical aspect of hunting. I also don't know much about deer hunting in farm country....I admitted that last night.

Matt and Matt would school me both in shooting competition as well as hunting in PA. Now if they came to my neck of the woods, it would be a totally different ball game.

I actually envy these guys....I would love to get into competitive shooting and shooting more in general, I just don't have the time.....its not because I spend every waking moment studying deer, I don't.

Actually, over the last few years I have been able to spend precious little time scouting the woods I hunt.....but when I do I make more of it than a lot of people would. Last year I got to shed hunt for a grand total of 2.5 days. This year may be no different. During the summer, I have almost zero time to devote to deer. As most of you know I own a fishing and bear hunting resort that takes up 16 hours a day from the day I get there in April to the end of August.....a few hours off turns into "scouting" for fish or bear hunting areas for my clients.

The only reason I know my area and the deer so well (you'd never know it from my last season's results[&:]) is because I spend a lot of time during the winter studying topo maps, Google Earth and logging maps. When I do have that precious little time to scout, its spent wisely....not just tromping through the bush.

Could I give Matt and Matt any advice on how to hunt their deer? Highly doubt it. Can they give myself or Troy any advice? Again, I doubt it. Could they teach me somthing about shooting? I gurantee it!


Also, I forgot to mention that I live 500 miles, 9 hours, from the area I hunt.

Man, did my post have anything to do with the original topic? [&:]

RE: Bowhunters - Competitive archery - do you do it?
 

I don't mind going to a 3D shoot every now and again but i try not to go to very many, for this reason: When i go i do shoot well, but because i don't shoot them alot or set my bow up for them i get beat. Now when i get beat i get P!$$#& and want to win!! If i shot more than three of these a summer i would find myself spending the time and money, that i don't have in the summer time,that it takes to win. Do i think i could be competitive and once i got some expierience win? Yes i do,butfor the afore mentioned reasons i wont(at least until i can't stand get beat anymore. That is why i don't shoot 3D.

RE: Bowhunters - Competitive archery - do you do it?
 

I used to love to shoot the IBO triple crown back in the day of 90 pound bows and dreams of 300fps. I was caught up in the keeping up with the Jones's and bought 3 new bows a year, a3D, a backup, and a hunting rig. I truely enjoyed the fellowship with all the other shooters but it did not make me a better bowhunter. In fact foam an paper helped me develop a serious case of target panic. I got to the point where I couldn't hit the broadside of a barndoor. During all the competitve shooting I never killed a single deer with my bow. I nearly gave it up all together. I walked away from shooting for half a year, picked up a more forgiving bow and focused on hitting the single hair in the vital zone. That fall I killed my first deer with a bow(little doe)and everything clicked. I was on autopilot when shooting at a living breathing creature. I have not choked a shot on a deer since that day (knock on wood). I tune my bow and then it is broadheads only starting in late July and 6 best arrows per session. I have developed a horrible case of tendonitis and shooting is not as pleasurable as it once was, so I limit practice to save my best shot for the moment when it really counts. Sorry I made a short story long.
Tom

P.S. When I say that I have not choked on a shot I am referring to the target panic. I still have the occasional missed opportunity shot in my quiver that I manage to shoot every once and a while.

RE: Bowhunters - Competitive archery - do you do it?
 

Boy, you guys can turn a simple little poll into a real mudslinging match... Let's get back on task.

We're all restrained by the confines of life itself - whether it be family, work, money, kids, other hobbies, etc... Everyone here has limitedamounts offree time. This isn't rocket science:
[ul][*]I'd be willing to bet the farm that competing at the top national level in archery does require a significant time investment.[*]Shooting a big deer every year, DIY-style,also requires a similar time investment. [/ul]

Time, by its basic nature, is mutually exclusive. That is, you can't do two things at the same time. You're either hammering away at an x-ring, or you're out in the woods somewhere playing Rambo.

So, as archers, we choose to apportion our timealong a sliding scale. Going too far in either direction can have disastrous consequences. The question was:where do you lie?

I'm sure everyone here would love to have perpetual amounts of time to devote to both pursuits, but it just doesn't work that way. You have to make a choice. Some guys choose to take a shot at being the best competitive archer in the world. Other guys choose to spend almost 100% of their free time in the woods.

Rare are the guys like Matt, Matt & Buckeye - who are actually good at both. The fact is, most of us lie pretty faron one side or the other of themedian line. Since this is a "hunting" forum, I'd guess most of us would put competitive archery on the back burner in hunting season. However, that is NOT the case for everyone. I know plenty of guys around home who barely bowhunt at all. They choose to focus almost purely on competitive archery year-round. I could've cited them as examples, but none of you know who they are, so that would've been fruitless.

Me? 95% of my free time goes to hunting. I'm lucky if 5% of my hunting time is burned in front of a target. 5 arrows, and I'm bored out of my mind, unless I'm shooting with guys who are making it fun.

...and for whatever it's worth - I think Dan and Troy would do just fine out east. They might even luck out and find a shed or two. [8D]