What is an archery spring bear hunt without the bow and arrow part right? Shot opportunities in bowhunting don’t grow on trees. Each one is earned and the earning part is gonna be on the healthy side for the backcountry bear hunt I have planned. In light of that, confidence in my setup, and confidence in my shooting needs to be absolutely dialed. I may only get one shot, so I’ll need to make damn sure it counts.
The setup I’m bringing on my archery spring bear hunt is one I’ve gained a ton of confidence in over the last few months. From the bow to the arrow/broadhead.
The bow is a Prime RVX 34 set to 65#. I have really grown to like my bows around the 65# mark for draw weight. They just seem to feel the best to me there and it has worked great on animals. One of the things I’ve always loved about the Prime bows is how they hold. This bow sits rock solid on target, which is what I need. I don’t command shoot, so I’m waiting for my shot to break. The steadier I can hold it, the better, and this Prime knocks it out of the park. It’s also very quiet and dead in the hand. I don’t feel like I’m shooting a tuning fork. Not to mention, this bow is a looker.
The arrow/broadhead combo I’m running has proved itself time and time again. Arrows are the Victory VAP TKO(Evolution Outdoors branded). These are truly little missiles. VAP TKOs seem to excel at everything across the board from my experience. They are tipped with an Evolution Outdoor Hyde broadhead. This is a hybrid head that I’ve found to be absolutely devastating and it flies like a dart. I’ve said this before, but these broadheads are quite literally the most consistent flying heads I’ve ever used. Accuracy and devastation.
Other Accessories on the bow:
As far as practicing goes, any reps are good reps in my mind. I love getting down to the archery range and shooting 80+ yards, but shooting 20 yards in my backyard does a whole lot too. The process of shooting is the exact same, no matter the distance. So, the biggest thing for me is staying in my shot process, being calm, and working through my trigger. I know that if that stuff is dialed, I’ll hit what I’m looking at.
The truth of this section is that I simply don’t have time to go to the range every single day. And I know that’s a reality for many. Between my beloved husband/father role, work stuff, and then we just got a new puppy too(so exciting) time is thin. With that said, it’s no excuse to not practice at all. So, I’m making due. The archery range is where I’ll make sure longer distances are dialed on my setup, but it isn’t the brunt of my practice. Simple reps are.
Something that I’m doing to aid in my archery game is working with a resistance band. Earlier in the year I was getting a pain in the draw arm of my shoulder. Since then, I’ve been doing several exercises to strengthen the muscles around my rotator cuff and just my shoulders in general. These are very basic exercises that aren’t going to get oogly eyes on Instagram. I’m happy to say since doing these resistance band workouts I’m pain-free. They are as follows(I apologize if I get some of these names wrong):
There are more variables in bowhunting than I can lay out here. Because of this, you can only prepare for so much and there is only so much in your control. All of that said, I think it’s good to have goals. It can help keep focus and give some type of structure in an oftentimes chaotic heart-pounding moment.
Going into this hunt, I really want to give myself room to breathe. In the past, I have sometimes jumped the gun and gone after stuff too quickly. It’s the “they’re gonna get away” mentality, which has its place, but that is a fairly narrow place. I want to really watch bears and dissect opportunities for what they are. Making a stalk in the terrain I’m walking into is no easy task, even with a rifle. With a bow, it’s going to be a notch up for sure. So, I need to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze before setting off. Both in terms of the bear and the setup.
I have a sight tape on my bow sight right now. I’ll admit, this has gotten me in trouble in the past and influenced me to take longer shots than I should. Sometimes, they end up great, and others not so much. My goal with shot distance going into this is that I don’t want to shoot past my pins on the first shot. Pins on my sight go from 30-70 yards. So, if the animal is at 78, I don’t want to shoot and I want to try and get closer. This is all to ensure I make the absolute best shot possible. I’ve tracked and lost a bear in this terrain, and it’s not fun.
I keep saying “Stay the course” in this archery spring bear preparation series. It’s because I really believe that is the part that separates folks that “do” from folks that “don’t.” I heard a quote recently that really resonated with me. The quote is “Done is better than perfect.” I am by nature a perfectionist, but that has bit me in the butt before. For instance, settling for a 20-minute workout instead of the 60 minutes I had planned before life happened. Or shooting settling for shooting 20 yards in the backyard rather than the 100 yards I wanted to shoot at the archery range. A past Josh has chosen to not settle in both instances. A present-day Josh says that’s silly. Do the work. So, I’m gonna keep doing.
Want to learn more about backpack hunting? Check out my book Becoming a Backpack Hunter – A Beginner’s Guide to Hunting the Backcountry.
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