It’s hotter than heck out, tags are arriving in the mail, and I’ve been shooting my bow as often as I can. We are knee-deep in the pre-season of hunting, otherwise known as, at least to me, the refining season. Along with shooting my bow, I’ve been trying to refine not only my shooting skills but my equipment, and arrows are a massive part of that. I do believe I have found my best arrow build to date and I’m gonna share it with you.
It was about an hour before dark and I spotted a nice black bear feeding along the edge of a bluff. Quickly, I scaled the cliff I was sitting up against and scurried my way over to him. If everything worked out, I’d be able to come in from above and have a steep downhill shot at the bear. That’s exactly what happened and exactly where I learned a harsh lesson about my 3rd axis adjustment.
Serious bowhunters will likely have at least one story similar to what I’ve laid out above. I’ve been burnt more than once by 3rd axis and it’s stung each time. In order to try and save you some “sting” I’m going to give you the nitty gritty on your 3rd axis adjustment in the video below. If you’re not paying attention to 3rd axis, you’re asking to fail. Whether you’re bowhunting from a treestand or spot and stalking in the west, this applies to you.
I’ve had the pleasure of using a pile of index style releases. Some are great and some I wouldn’t care to try again. And over the last few years I’ve really come up with a certain criteria for myself on what makes a good index style release for me and my style of hunting. Usually that recipe costs a pretty penny. I just recently found a release that shatters that standard. The Stan SoleX is everything I need in an index style release aid, but with a much more affordable price tag.
I hope you enjoy the video review. If you do, please subscribe to the channel, leave a comment, you know the routine.
If you’ve used this release, I’d love to know what you think. I’m currently carrying this SoleX in my backpack as a backup release. I still prefer the Carter Like Mike II, simply because it feels more beefy than the Stan does. The Stan is every bit of functional though, and I have the same impact points with both releases. My brother uses this SoleX as his main release and he loves it. All in all, this is a fantastic index style release aid for anyone looking to get a full hook around their trigger and a surprise shot. From beginner to vet, the SoleX is a winner in my book.
Want to learn more about backpack hunting? Check out my book Becoming a Backpack Hunter: A Beginner’s Guide to Hunting the Backcountry.
This is the first post in a new series I’ll be doing called “Behind the Bow.” My goal with this series is to take one thing per episode that I have personally overcome or an AHA moment in my bowhunting/archery journey and break it down for you. All of this with the hope to provide you with real-world perspective and experience to help you along your own journey behind the bow. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel to stay up to date with all future episodes!
It’s like a disease. Target panic is something that infiltrates the minds of bowhunters worldwide. Whether it’s not being able to hold the pin on target, nervously punching the trigger, feeling like you have no choice but to shoot, or aggressively anticipating the shot. This is nasty business and it takes more than a good sleep to overcome it.
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.
This past January 2024, I spent 14 days bowhunting one of my favorite animals on the planet, the coues deer. It’s a spot and stalk hunt that I look forward to every single year and this past January was no exception to that. The exception was the number of days I stayed in the field though. The hunt was rough with lots of ups and downs. In the end, I was able to come out with a great buck, and now a great film that I’m super proud of.
The film is called Fourteen – An Archery Coues Deer Story. It follows me throughout my January 2024 season from the backcountry to living out of my truck. It explores the deep connection I have to my brother that was made through hunting long ago. And then there is the overall message to NEVER GIVE UP. There are snowstorms, failed stalks, laughs, frustrations, and all. Looking back it was perfect and I really hope you enjoy this film. If you do, please subscribe to the channel and share it with your friends. Thanks!
Something else I’m really trying to focus on for this upcoming backcountry archery spring bear hunt is strength training. I will admit, that this is something that I have lacked over the past few years. My primary way of training for hunts has been trail running and weighted pack hikes. This has gotten the job done but with a caveat. I’ve noticed that I’ve been more prone to injury. Which is where strength training comes in.
Back in March of 2020 I released my very first book Becoming a Backpack Hunter: A Beginner’s Guide to Hunting the Backcountry. The positive response was overwhelming and it continues even to this day as I sit here now in 2024. Shortly after writing that book, I started another. I’ve kept this as hush as I could over the years of writing it, but it’s time to get the word out.
This coming spring I’ll be heading into the Idaho backcountry for a spot and stalk archery spring bear hunt. The past few years I’ve done this hunt with a rifle and been successful doing so. It’s always brutal and I always look forward to it. With this being an archery hunt, the physical demands will be even greater and I’ve been chipping away on backcountry prep little by little to prepare myself.
Going on 4 years now, I have gone to Idaho during the spring to hunt black bears. Since my first trip, which was actually solo for 8 days, I have looked forward to this hunt every year. The first year I missed several bears. The second year I made a bad shot and couldn’t recover a bear. And the third I finally laid my hands on my first Idaho black bear. These were all backpack hunts with my rifle. There was one thing on my mind the whole time. A dream.
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