An early morning archery hunt. Sun up would come in about 30 minutes and I had a brush blind set up not far away. Just as I was coming down the hill that led to the blind, I fell, and I fell right on my release aid. It seemed ok until I tried to do a practice draw inside the blind. Can you guess what happened? Yup, clocked myself right in the face. Luckily, I had the tools to fix it. Had I not though, I would have been up the creek without a paddle. I didn’t have a backup release aid either. It was a turning point for me.
I may not have thought this at the moment, but looking back now, I’m glad a buck never walked by me that day. Confidence is something you can take to the bank and I didn’t have any money to my name in that department. It was a mental thing when that release prematurely went off. It honestly scared me a bit. Had I been carrying a backup release aid in my backpack, there wouldn’t have been a worry in the world. An easy switch and business as usual.
Bowhunting opportunities are few and far between. Not to mention when they do come around it’s usually not without a great deal of hard work. And I know I’m not the only one who daydreams about archery season all year. It’s something I look forward to immensely. So after all of that waiting and the slim opportunities that are out there, it’s no time for not having something like a backup release. Deciding to throw one in the bottom of your backpack could literally save your hunt. I’ve talked to folks that have fallen victim to it, and every one of them wishes they would have had one after the fact. It’s not worth taking the chance.
Let’s not beat around the bush here. These release aids can get really pricey. It’s not uncommon for them to cost a few hundred dollars each for a top-of-the-line model. While I fully believe in the buy once cry once mentality, you don’t have to buy twice cry twice here.
Let’s not forget what we’re talking about here. This is a backup release. The likelihood of you actually having to use it are pretty slim. Can it happen? Absolutely, as we’ve already covered that. But, being that it’s mostly going to act as dead weight in your backpack, there’s no reason to buy a super-expensive one. Now, I wouldn’t by any means buy a cheap model. We do need to have confidence in the release. Middle of the road though? Yes. I used to run a high-end release as my main release and I had a $40 wrist strap in my pack as a backup. Never had to use it, but it was there in case I needed it.
Simply carrying an extra release in your pack doesn’t entirely solve any unforeseen future issues. You’ve also gotta know how to use the release. Be familiar with how it feels. How quickly the trigger breaks. The slightly different motions you might have to go through with it in comparison to your main release. Even if you have the same exact backup release as your main release, they are always a smidge different. There could even be different impact points between the two. Being dialed on these things can save you in the field.
I like to shoot each release throughout the year. And not just that, I try to be a master of both of them. I’m referring to not just being familiar with them, but quite literally how to operate both of them to their fullest, and my fullest, potential. For instance, my main release is an index finger and my backup is a thumb release. With both releases, I get a surprise shot, void of target panic, with the same impact points. In order for me to do that consistently, I need regular practice behind both releases. Remember, there are no warm-up shots in bowhunting.
That crisp morning in the desert wasn’t ideal in the least. I mean, I rocked myself in the face. However, it served as a valuable lesson that I still carry with me to this day. There are so many things that need to go right for your arrow to sail through a critter. And there are even more things that can go wrong and backfire on your endeavors. On top of that, no situation is the same. In order to seize the day, both you and your equipment need to be on your A-game. Know your release aids and how to use them. That is something you can take to the bank.
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