Show me a bowhunter that enjoys missing and I’ll show you a liar. Especially after so much effort, it is crushing to watch your arrow sail harmlessly passed an animal. It’s damn near debilitating mentally. While there is no shortage of suck that comes from missing, I will say that there is a lot to gain.
This past early season in the high country was one that I won’t soon forget. I’m a guy that prides himself on his shooting ability. And while I’m no professional archer, I do consider myself to be a good shot and a dedicated one too. So, when I miss, it really hurts. And I did plenty of that this past August/September of 2023.
We’re sitting less than a month out from the 2023 Fall hunting season at the time of writing this. Along with my uncontrollable excitement, e-scouting, and focus on fitness, there is one other thing heavy on my mind. That thing is accuracy. To me, it doesn’t matter how fancy your bow is, it doesn’t matter how good the hunting spot is, and it doesn’t matter how in shape you are. If you aren’t accurate behind your bow, none of that other stuff matters.
It’s been a while since I did a more personal post on here, so I figured I’d give it a rip before hunting season kicks in. A sort of pre-season personal assessment if you will.
Bow season is something that I look forward to literally every single day of the year. I fell in love with archery hunting many years ago and it was for several reasons. Some of them are the sheer difficulty involved, intimate encounters with animals, and honestly just the act of shooting a bow and arrow. Along the way to each bow season, there is an immense amount of preparation. This is what I want to share with you. The Road to Bow Season if you will.
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In all honesty, I’m not a guy that shops around too much for hunting arrows. For one, when I find something I like and that works, I stick with it. There are way too many things to go wrong in bowhunting to leave even more chances to arrows that I am not well acquainted with. With that being said, I’m also a busy guy and always looking for ways to become more efficient. This is where Method Archery caught my attention.
Another year and another Fall hunting season has passed us by. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been doing some serious e-scouting for next year, crushing workouts, and making sure you’re proficient with your weapon. Maybe you’ve even got out on some after-season scouting trips. It’s pre-season prep time for next Fall and I love this just as much as I love hunting season. I don’t know if it’s because of the anticipation it holds, being proactive in the process, or if it just helps make hunting season not seem as far away as it is. Whatever it is, it plays a vital role in consistent success in the field. Pre-season preparation leads to a positive mindset and a positive mindset leads to filling tags. There are a few things I like to stay conscious of as I go through this process each year.
It’s no secret that backpack hunting is physically demanding. From carrying camp on your back and traversing merciless terrain day in and day out to just going through the motions of the whole thing. And that doesn’t even touch on when an animal lay at your feet accompanied by the effort it takes to handle that situation. The bottom line is everything is harder out there and it should be in your best interest to have backcountry hunting prep on your mind.
You’re excited. With a loaded-down backpack, a desolate trail ahead, and a big game tag in your pocket, adventure is no doubt on the horizon. Each step you take is one closer to a cozy backcountry camp and endless opportunities. Along the way though, you’re greeted by an uninvited guest. A muscle cramp proceeds to begin “cramping your style.” Now with each step you take, all that’s on your mind is “why me, and how the heck do I get this cramping in the backcountry to go away?”
You’ve been lacing bullseye after bullseye most of the year with your bow. Confidence levels are at an all-time high as is the anticipation of the coming archery hunting season. In light of that, you finally pick up those broadheads and give em a whirl downrange. Suddenly, the confidence that once stood tall is squashed into the very ground you stand upon. While your field-tipped arrows rest in the bullseye they’ve grown to know so well, your broadhead-tipped arrow does not. It is the outlier in a suddenly uneasy situation. The reality of broadhead tuning is now present.
Coues deer are a special little deer that have a way of capturing the hearts of hunters. This is the story of how that very thing happened to me years ago. Since I started hunting them on accident as a kid, they’ve ingrained themselves in me for the long haul. From many failed attempts to simply watching them do their thing, they captivated me. Coues Deer are found in Mexico, a little in New Mexico, and my home state of Arizona. It’s a privilege to live in a state where I get to see and hunt them as often as I do.
The full film will be covering how I started hunting coues, my struggles through the years of doing so, the Arizona landscape, and then underneath all of that is an actual archery coues hunt. The hunt took place earlier this year in January. It turned out to be a great time with good friends.
You can look for the full film to be released on my Youtube Channel October 4th! Don’t forget to hit SUBSCRIBE to stay up to date with future posts and videos. I’d also love to know how you got started hunting coues deer! It’s always nice hearing stories from likeminded folks. Drop them below in the comments!
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