The Bane of Bowhunting

If you are anything like me, you are probably constantly trying to figure out how to be better at what you do. I am not one that tends to settle for good enough. In this case, I am talking about a love that most of us share and that is bowhunting. The thrill of sneaking in close and sending an arrow through the vitals of our quarry is one that is unparalleled. It’s a feeling that wouldn’t be describe as “a dime a dozen.” For that reason, I think is why we want more and more of it. At least that’s how it is for me. I don’t know about you, but I have way more failures than successes in the field and I think that’s how it should be. If I killed something every time I went out, bowhunting would lose the mystique that I’ve grown to love so much. Still though, I am always trying to progress as an archery hunter.

Our late archery deer seasons are just about to start up down here in Arizona. Right now, I find myself reflecting a ton on last year and what I am going to do this season to rival the last. Something that has always plagued me in the field is indecisiveness, which is the bane of bowhunting if you ask me. Sitting there and wondering what I should do in a given situation for way too long. This is due to my attempted avoidance of failure. What I hope to do with this, is to accept failure with open arms, because they are lessons. Take each lesson for what they are and run with them. Sitting there and stewing about what to do is really not doing anything at all…..literally. I am a thinker and sometimes it bites me in the butt, leaving opportunities to fly out of the window.

What I am getting at with all of this is you can’t make every situation perfect. Sure, every once in a while the stars align and something just gets thrown in your lap. That is every once in a while though. What about the rest of the time? Maybe, there is bad weather and you are dealing with rain getting caught in your peep. Or perhaps the wind isn’t the most reliable. What about making a stalk where you have to lose sight of the buck for most of the duration? Is it still worth going for? The answer is YES! The only way you or I will know if something will pan out is to make a move and stop worrying about what COULD happen for the worse. Start worrying about what COULD happen for the best instead. I myself learn the best from repetition and if I am not doing the reps, I am remaining stagnant. So, I say do the reps, have fun, and get the most you can out of your hunt. Before you know it, the hunt will be over and we will be sitting here day dreaming about next year.