It is undeniable that hinge releases have grown in popularity for bowhunting. What is also undeniable, though, is that many of us thrive on the DIY mentality. So, when it comes to buying your first hinge release, this often translates into not properly learning how to use the release from the get go and trying to figure things out on our own. In light of that, I’m going to lay out my 3 favorite methods to using a hinge release. These are all what I believe to translate the best to hunting and what have given me the most in terms of accuracy and feel.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Water is life. For a backpack hunter, there are few things as exciting as finding a reliable water source from which you can nourish yourself off the beaten path. Without water, we simply cannot survive out there. This poses a problem for those of us who live/hunt in dry climates. What do you do when backpack hunting in dry conditions? How do you do it?
Back before I ever had my very first rangefinder, my perception of them was always that they existed for one to range an animal to get an accurate distance to aim for the shot. And while they absolutely own that space in terms of use, there are other ways that I have found to effectively use rangefinders to make me a more efficient hunter. 2 in particular to be exact.
It’s getting close now. I’ve been waiting all year for this and it’s about to be go time. Since I drew my elk tag back in February I’ve been daydreaming about hitting the hills with my bow. Getting another opportunity at an Arizona bull of my own and immersing myself in the whole experience. There are some things that need to be in order before leaving though. Hunting Preparation is not just about hunting.
It’s the end of September as I’m writing this. I’ve been seeing tons of success photos scrolling my social media feed and I love it. Big bulls and high country bucks are getting backpack rides and filling the hearts and freezers across the West. While that warms my heart, I can’t stop thinking about the month of October and it’s not for the deer or elk. It’s for Arizona Fall Bear Hunting.
We learn by doing. It’s the only way to find out what works and doesn’t work for us individually. Archery has been an enriching journey for me. It’s also been humbling, especially on the bowhunting side of things. That has a way of truly bringing you back to zero, which in my opinion is healthy. It urges progression because it brings to light any issues that may be present in your game. The key in these instances to getting better is owning up to these archery issues.
Since the beginning of my bowhunting pursuits, there has been one thing that has been a constant in the archery issues category. Waiting on my shot. What I mean by that is I wait too long at full draw before my shot breaks. This causes my form to break down, which degrades my aim, and nothing good comes of it.
When this happens it’s one of two things. In my early years, I’d overaim. The perfectionist in my mind battled with the natural pin float we have and I’d want my pin to be rock solid on my target. This would cause me to hyperfocus on what I was aiming at, all the while my form would start to crumble trying to get everything perfect. Not ideal.
The second thing, and the more relevant of the two at this time, is engaging my trigger, or the lack thereof. Sometimes, I’m a bit light here and don’t put that much pressure on the trigger. The shot always breaks, but a lighter pressure means it won’t break as soon. When I’m cognizant of this, I’m fine. It’s when I’m not it catches me off guard. Again, not ideal. Especially with a buck behind your pin.
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This is just me being open with you and taking a bit of my own medicine. I always urge people to own up to their faults to get better. What I’ve gone through above is me doing just that. The only way to squash this stuff is to be proactive about it. Be intentional. And that’s something I’m currently tackling to better myself as a bowhunter and honestly a person. This line of thinking can be applied to all avenues in life. All of it with the same end goal. Be better.
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