40 Sits

Sometimes the hunt unfolds fast, with a moment’s notice the story unfolds and a tag is notched. I have had a couple of those, the feeling of achievement and success floods over you in such a whirlwind that you are left feeling beside yourself. “Did that seriously just happen?!” One year I shot a mule deer doe 5 minutes after pulling up to the trailhead on the first evening. The goal of this article is not to belittle or devalue that hunt, but this is not that story. My 2023 Nebraska whitetail tag took a whole hell of a lot more time and patience than that and by the time the dust, or snow rather, had settled, I had notched my tag on what could quite possibly be the largest deer I will ever shoot. Enjoy.

October 28th 2023 came with icy eastbound  freeways, blowing snow, and a father and son bound for a whitetail hunt in Nebraska. For the first time, it was the son who was more experienced hunting this particular animal. Over the last seven or so years I have become thoroughly obsessed with hunting whitetail deer. My father has only hunted them briefly once before, many years ago. As you may know from reading previous articles, my father and I have hunted elk together for the last two decades. He taught me all of the basics of bowhunting and instilled the love for this lifestyle deep within my heart and soul. Now it was my turn to give some back.

After a long and nerve wracking drive going about forty miles an hour the entire way to the farm, we arrived, unpacked our bags and got ready for the evening hunt. The snow had not quite made it all the way east yet but the frigid north wind told us it was not far off. As we got dressed, I cautioned dad to wear all of his layers. “There is no hiking to warm up, we just sit in the cold.” He reassured me that he would be fine. He was in fact not fine and after only 90 minutes in the tree he was visibly freezing and shivering. So about 45 minutes before sunset we climbed down and headed back to the house to warm up. Needless to say, he learned just how cold a guy can get sitting in a tree with the wind ripping in your face.

The following morning we headed out to another property that had a few good deer on camera. This year I made a deal with myself, I was only going to shoot one of the four shooters we had on camera and nothing else. Two of the shooters had vanished, one we only had a single picture of, and the fourth was one we called the big 8. I gave dad the green light to shoot whatever he felt like since this would be his only trip out.

The snow had arrived overnight and a gentle breeze carried the flakes down through the early morning darkness. After getting dad to his ladder stand, I made my way to a tree I had picked out on the map to hang my saddle. This was my first season using the saddle and also my first ever hang and hunt with it. As I got to the tree and began to unload my sticks I realized something I had not quite planned for: the tree was too big for the strap of my stick to reach around. Fifteen minutes until first light had me panicking, I scrambled to find a tree, any tree. I found one about 50 yards to the south and got my stick up and ascended to the top of it, only to look up and see a giant tangle of branches was preventing me from going any higher. What. A. Nightmare. I was livid, almost didn’t even bother bringing my bow up the tree, but I did, for “practice”. I was five feet off the ground as the light began to replace the darkness. Surely I would see nothing, or worse, blow out one of the shooters on the first day. It was quite the opposite as I saw probably fifteen deer, including the big 8. He chased a doe to 20 yards and stood there for about a minute. That damn tangle of branches that prevented me from climbing was blocking my shot, so I was forced to simply watch him. Dad had him at 35 yards earlier as he moved north to south but couldn’t get a shot as the buck was moving through the creek bottom too fast. As noon approached, we climbed down and met at the truck. Dad’s first morning was awesome! The property we were hunting has a stretch of timber about 600 yards long and 50-100 yards wide, so when two people hunt it, you usually see the same deer, which we did.

The rest of the trip was rather uneventful as the snow stopped and the temperatures climbed into the high 50s. Dad enjoyed his time and so did I. Although not tags were filled, our hearts were. The time spent together on a new hunt was something we both enjoyed.

The next trip out was mine alone, and I was pumped! Peak rut week in south central Nebraska is usually the week before rifle season and bleeds into that week. A short cold front was in the forecast, and I was filled with anticipation. A couple of encounters with small bucks and does dulled that excitement and I drove back home empty handed again.

Thanksgiving week brought me back, this time with Brandon. I got there a night early and quickly rushed out to sit. My second encounter with the big 8 took place about an hour before dark. A doe worked north to south along the outer edge of the creek bottom, the far side that I was not on. The big 8 followed her intently. I grunted, snort wheezed, rattled, begged and pleaded to no avail. I had to settle for a sighting and no shot opportunity. The rest of the week was quite slow despite a cold front and some snow. Friday after thanksgiving was a cold, calm snowy day, neither of us saw a single deer. Again, I went home with nothing but some new memories.

My next trip out was by far the worst for deer sightings. The first week of December I sat for two entire days and didn’t see a single deer. I decided that my season was probably over with the holidays coming up and work piling up at home. I remember it very clearly, I was going through my hunting gear, putting things away, December 20th. I thought to myself, “the season is still open, why the hell are you not hunting?!” With three days left in the year (and season) I returned, one last hoorah, it would be now or never.

The morning of December 29th was cold, dead calm, and exciting. A fresh blanked of snow had fallen and now covers the sleeping creek bottom as I sit in my saddle anxiously awaiting daybreak. The first sit back after time at home always gets my blood pumping. Light broke and with it came a pile of deer. A group of does approached my tree from behind me, sitting in the saddle, it was tough to get turned around completely to see them, but eventually they hit my wind and bounded away, crunching the snow as they retreated. Next came a second group of does, this time from the north, they worked in down the two track road directly below my tree and one presented a hard quartering away shot at 18 yards. I remember just how nervous those deer were late season, any move or noise and they were on you. I drew back using the cover of the tree and settled the pin just in front of her hind leg. The shot broke and I immediately knew it wasn’t good. I see a lot of arrow sticking out from way too far back. I had center punched her hind leg bone. After an hour I got down to follow blood, only to find there was literally none. For 500 yards I followed tracks, found my arrow, only 4” of blood on it, and no deer. I returned to my tree at around 9:45am to climb up and grab my stuff to head in for lunch. I left my bow on the ground since I was leaving. No sooner than I get up my sticks, I catch movement to my north. Another two does are coming in. They come in to the literal base of my tree, smell my bow, smell my bottom stick, and then move on. It was pretty comical, but in the long run, one less deer blown out is a win.

After a quick lunch I returned to the tree at 12pm to sit the rest of the evening. The snow had melted a bit since the morning sit and it had warmed into the high 40s now, my favorite temperature to be in a tree. I sat for a couple hours as the woods calmed from my arrival like they usually need to. Around 4pm a couple does showed up and walked the same trail as the ones from the morning did. I was still a bit shaken from my poor shot that morning so I decided to pass. As darkness came closer and the light had about a half hour remaining before night closed in, a small buck approached from the south, walking a trail through the bottom that would lead him to the base of my tree. I made that deal with myself earlier in the season, so this little guy was safe as he worked down that trail all the way to five yards before catching me taking his picture and returning the way he came. About five minutes later, another deer came trotting across the CRP from the west, dropped into the bottom, and got on that same trail. I thought it surely was that small buck again. As he got to about fifty yards I quickly realized it was not the little buck, it was the big 8!! I had two things going for me, my bow was already in my hand ready to go, and I was positioned in my saddle perfectly for a shot since the small buck came in the same way. Some things get etched into your memory forever, the sight of his bleached antlers coming down that trail is one of them for me. There was a tree about five yards down the trail from me, he split off the trail there. As his head went behind the trunk I drew, he stopped quartering away at 13 yards my pin buried and the arrow went. I knew the shot was perfect, but after the lost deer that morning I was still nervous. I watched him run off and disappear over a rise in the CRP to the west. This is about the time that I came unglued, 40 sits, five trips, 3,000 miles on my truck, it all came down to a single opportunity, lord help me if I blew it.

I climbed down 15 minutes later, brought my pack and gear to my truck, then returned with my bow and headlamp. I began where the shot took place, but with waist high grass I couldn’t see any blood in the dark. I decided to go to where I lost sight of him. As I approached the rise I saw him lying dead, right on the edge of the timber! I walked up to him as I was on the phone with Brandon, another memory etched in my mind forever. “Did you find him?” “I’m looking at him! Holy shit it’s the big 8! Oh my god it’s not the big 8 it’s that big 10!!!”

The ghost buck we had a single picture of from late October, was a freaking tank, turning out to be a 13 point 178” buck of a lifetime. Without a single broken point, we guess he spent most of the rut moving from doe to doe and avoiding any fights or exposure. When you’re 50” bigger than any other deer in the area, you can basically get whatever you want, and he did, until my stubbornness and persistence put me in that tree to close the book.

I learned so much last season, I froze my ass off a lot of days, found flaws in gear, found a new love for hunting from a saddle, and experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows. All said and done, I wouldn’t change a thing, a deer like that needs to be earned and after seven years of hunting the amazing whitetail deer I had earned a great buck. If I never top that buck in my life, I would be just fine with that, but you better believe I’m going to try!

Inspiration Strikes

   Throughout the past several months I have spent very few days in the confines on my home in Denver. Hunting season for me begins in mid August and to this point in mid November I still hold several tags yet to be filled. As I sit here amongst the chaos of totes filled with gear, camo clothes in the dryer, and an explosion of various gear in my man cave, I cannot help but reflect back on the season up to this point. This article will serve as an update and a reminder, enjoy.

      August 15th, the morning dawns from the tailgate of my truck. As the grey light illuminates the vast rolling hills of the eastern Colorado prairie, my heart is filled with joy as another hunting season has arrived. An antelope tag in my pocket, a bow leaned up against the truck and my friends by my side bring feelings of joy, anticipation, and gratitude rushing back. The sun’s rays break over the horizon and the golden contrast floods over the expansive country as we gaze through our binoculars. Many days come and go throughout the end of August as opportunities are had, stalks are blown, and memories are made. Out of the sixteen days the season has been open up to this point, I have  hunted for eleven. The season has much more to give, but as September arrives so hastily the focus shifts to the high country.

      September 1st, I find myself driving to hunt the high country basin I faced off with the giant mule deer from last year in hopes he had made it through the rifle seasons and the harsh Colorado winter. My anticipation was short lived as we receive a call that there are seventeen camps in the basin and surrounding area. At 10pm on the night before the opener, we call an audible. Two and a half hours and almost 200 miles later, we arrive at plan B. As we leave the truck in the darkness, I feel the excitement of entering the unknown. I had hunted this spot once before for a very brief time, but never with the full power of a team of certified killers like I had in tow on this occasion. We traverse upward and crest the rise onto a ridge top. The landscape is overpowering, a burn from two decades ago engulfs the mountains as far as the eye can see. Massive boulders, a sea of down timber, and willow bottoms are sure to be hiding a muley buck or two. After settling into the feet of a boulder, we begin our search through our binoculars. A short ten minutes turns up three bucks, two of which are deer any of the three of us would gladly notch our tag on. We watch them as they work their way towards us on the hillside across the canyon. After two stalks and one arrow in the shoulder, the blood trail dried up. Demoralized is an understatement. The fact is, I had done everything right, the stalk was perfect, the shot broke clean, and the arrow hit behind the pin. Unfortunately for me, the pin was too far forward and the buck would live to tell the story. The feeling of failure is nearly impossible to overcome. Those feelings of excitement and anticipation have been replaced with those of inadequacy and disgust. We hunted a few more days before calling it a season. To add injury to insult, my buddy also shot a buck, in the shoulder, and didn’t recover it. Shortly after the shot he slipped and fell, bruising his ribs and damaging his bow. We went home defeated.

  The story still had more adversity in store however. The day after returning from our deer hunt I headed back out for antelope. The plains will always hold a special place in my heart. Abstract beauty is often the most powerful. Once you see it, you will never know it any other way. The first evening back, I find myself at 88 yards of the biggest antelope buck I’ve seen all year. Full draw came and went, and so did the antelope. At some point my sight has gotten bumped and was drastically off, shooting 50 yards back at the truck and being six inches right confirmed my worst fears. At least I had missed the antelope clean. Bowhunting is really, really hard.

   At this point, I had lost all confidence in both my abilities and my bow. Time to grab the backup. Returning to the plains, I would not get another shot opportunity. Time to head west to chase Elk with my father. This year, the highlight of the trip was the conversation, the quality time, and the beautiful scenery. Not a single animal was seen in five days of hunting. As the season came to a close, I was left holding three unfilled tags from my home state, two of which absolutely should have been wrapped around a set of antlers. I believe in a plan that is bigger than us, call it religion, call it divine intervention, call it whatever you want. When I see the places we hunt, the sunrises, the animals that inhabit those places, I cannot help but feel small. For a moment in time we are gifted with the opportunity to stand where nobody has ever stood, if only for a moment. The places we are hunting out west are powerful, unforgiving, and vast, however as long as we are willing to slow down and soak it all it, they are where our most cherished memories will be forged. I doubt I could tell you what I had for breakfast last Monday, but I damn sure could tell you every single detail of every wild encounter I experienced this season.

   For the past two months I have spent most of my time in a blind or tree stand. But that is another story in itself. Stay tuned for that. As we continue through this marathon of hunting season, express gratitude, not only for the places we can go, but for the people who allow us to go there. My family, friends, and loved ones allow me to travel to these places, to take time away, and to enrich my soul with these grand adventures every single year and for them I am eternally grateful. I am also undeniably grateful to you, our customers. Without your support, without your passion for archery and the outdoors, this would all be for not. I ask you one simple thing, when you are out there, take a moment to reflect on just how lucky you are to be in that moment, no matter how bad the hunting might be, because at the end of the day, you will always remember the time spent out there.

Serenity In A Stand

Whitetail hunting has grown to be my absolute favorite hunt all year. Contrary to the dream of chasing elk around the majestic mountains of the west, I have grown to yearn for the stillness of a tree stand. For over 20 years I have hunted the high country of Colorado, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. However, my schedule has grown more hectic, my daily grind has become more fast paced, constantly analyzing, problem solving, and stressing. The pursuit of western game often requires the same, the search for the animals. When I get into a tree, that all becomes irrelevant. You are where you are, there is no second guessing, no change of plans, no analyzing, you need to “let go” and be 100% present in the moment and location you are in. The work and planning done preseason has cultivated an opportunity to be tested and all that is left is to do just that, trust your efforts.

Hours before the dawn it begins, blindly fumbling to silence the alarm on my phone that sits somewhere seemingly unreachable on the wooden floor of the loft bedroom. Not many worldly things seem to pull you from a warm bed quite like the anticipation of a late October whitetail hunt. My tight muscles hesitantly loosen as the hot water of a shower rinses the drowsiness away. Sliding into my camo in the warmth of the living room, the darkness outside hums a tune of cold tranquility. The overhead light of the truck cab constricts my pupils as I step out into the void. Slowly, under a vast sea of blackness, my eyes return to their primitive state. Clumsy steps in the dark become more precise, cautious, quiet. As I make the turn at the bottom of the hill to walk along the edge of the timber, my senses are buzzing. Every sound echoes through my ears and into my brain sending a signal to dissect and evaluate what is causing the rustling within the river bottom. Silently, one step at a time, I advance until reaching the familiar tree, branches stretching out over the two track. Although still engulfed in the blackness, I know this is the trail to get to my stand. Now within the river bottom, the dark is amplified, trees surrounding me shield my path from any light attempting to slip through. In the black I see a faint silhouette of the familiar ladder. Climbing up, this is the moment of truth, my muscles are tight, senses pulsating with anticipation, a metallic noise now would be a deal breaker. Slowly pulling my bow up the tree by it’s paracord harness, I always feel such relief when the carbon riser is in my grasp. Entering an environment completely void of noise while maintaining total silence is a necessity to setting your mindset for the morning. If you can slow down enough to get to your stand without alerting anything to your presence, you are well on your way to being immersed in the stillness that encapsulates hunting from a tree stand.

Whenever I do a morning sit, the goal is to be in the stand, fully settled in and ready at least an hour before first light. Aside from allowing things to calm down in the woods around you, this also primes your mind for the task at hand. Often I will close my eyes and listen to the silence, sometimes I nap, sometimes I simply just exist and anticipate the light. It is also amazing how every sound you hear in the dark is imagined to be a deer. As the blackness turns to grey, then to light, I hone in, staying still, and tight to the tree. The grey time is often when you can catch previously nocturnal bucks moving, and if you’re lucky, it might even be legal shooting time. Most often however, it is not, and you must simply watch the dark silhouette of a deer walk past.

Seemingly out of nowhere you catch it, a subtle rustle of leaves. My brain shouts out to whip my head over to see what it was, but my experience dictates a slow and stealthy rotation in that direction. To my right, on the edge of the timber I see him, a buck standing right where I had walked in earlier, carefully picking apart the timber in front of him before advancing. The sound of a deer walking towards your stand is one that gets my heart racing like nothing else. The tempo of steps and subdued volume of caution foot falls is unmistakably exciting. As the buck walks a trail in front of me, I see a second buck following behind him. The first is vastly larger, both in antler and body size. As he hits a clearing I can see his right antler is broken off after his g2. I shift from killing mode to video mode as I also determine the second deer is a young buck, not mature enough to hang my tag on. As quickly as they appeared, they were gone. Once past 50 yards, the sound of their steps was again indistinguishable. The silence returns as the sun now breaks over the horizon.

The crisp autumn air presses against my face as I peer out into the timber. Scanning, listening, appreciating the stillness, I feel the most at peace. We all hunt for our own reasons, but at the end of the day, it is the wild places, the moments that make us feel foreign and out of place that truly call to me. Sharing a fleeting instance of coexistence with the animals that live there is an experience that cannot be replicated. Not only have you made it into their world, but you have made it there undetected, and correctly chose the exact location that you felt would yield the best opportunity for that interaction. Truth be told, I could have shot either of those bucks and would have felt grateful and blessed to do so. But, was I ready for my season and my chances to slip in to that world of stillness in hopes for another encounter to be over, absolutely not. Sweet November is only just beginning after all. The best sits of the entire year are just around the corner, and you better believe I will be in a tree stand to experience them.

Bowhunting the Lone Star State

This year, as was the case last year, tags are becoming more difficult to come by. An increase in hunters applying, point creep, and in some cases decreased tag allocations all contribute to fewer hunting opportunities. If you are like us and plan your entire year around hunting more than 30 days, it may be time to consider hunting in a different state. Texas offers such a broad variety of opportunities and game animals to hunt that it simply cannot be overlooked. Where else can you shoot a zebra in the United States?! Although the vast majority of the land is privately owned, there are still hunts to be had on a budget if you forego some of the frills. In this article I will recall the adventures the Cutter team had on two separate Texas hunts this past season, enjoy.

Our journey begins with a 15 hour drive from our home state of Colorado, and to put into perspective just how big Texas is, 10 hours of that is within the state. A mutual friend had invited us down to hunt what turned out to be one of the coolest and most memorable places I have ever hunted in my twenty years afield, a 7,000 acre ranch with a golf course and country club. We would be staying in a 10,000 square foot mansion for the two days we had to hunt that property. We arrived at 11pm to be greeted by our buddy Patrick. After catching up and unloading our gear, we get to bed around 1am. With the mansion being the summer home of the property owners, the air conditioner had not been on in nearly six months, and with the 90° temperatures, it is safe to say that not much sleep was had. We rose before the sun, headed out to hunt for the day. Patrick and I got dropped off to sit in a ground blind at a feeder in a small meadow surrounded by dense native vegetation. Waiting for light, we grew more excited every minute.

Before we continue, I feel it is necessary to address the elephant in the room, hunting over feeders. In the western states it is nearly unheard of to hunt over “bait” or a feeder, however in Texas and a lot of southern states it is commonplace. Hunting is comprised of several “pieces” if you will: locating the animals, getting into bow range of the animals, and executing a perfect shot resulting in a clean kill. Hunting a feeder simply checks one of those pieces. You still need to hunt the correct wind, you still need to be silent and wait for your shot, and you still need to make said shot. Believe me, the deer are exponentially more alert and skittish around feeders than in any other scenario. In most cases, there are also multiple animals in the vicinity all looking out for danger. Before you stick your nose up in the air, I invite you to go try and shoot a deer over a feeder and neglect the wind, make noise, and aim mid body.

Patrick and I had quite the eventful morning, seeing over 30 deer. Unfortunately we were unable to shoot any of them. The thing about hunting other people’s property, (that they let you hunt for free) is that you often get told which animals you can and cannot shoot. The ranch was in the early stages of being managed for trophy quality so we needed to get confirmation from the owners on which deer we could shoot. Does of course, were fair game however. More on that later. About 20 minutes into legal shooting light I saw the deer I absolutely wanted to shoot. A beautiful 5 year old buck with a drop time on one side. Unfortunately for me, someone already had “bought” that buck for a lot more than I wanted to pay, so we had to painstakingly watch him feed and walk around for almost a half hour. My first morning in Texas was overall a success.

Bowhunting a golf course was quite out of the ordinary for me, however, I’ve never had more fun. The sheer quantity of deer on the property was astounding. With a buck to doe ratio near 30:1, doe management was vital to improving the herd. The plan was simple, we would drive around in a side by side through the rolling hills, keeping an eye out for does in approachable spots to put the sneak on. The three of us hunting were all able to connect in the two days we hunted. My doe was spotted as we crested a hill, she trotted across the road in front of us, went up a steep bank to our right. We turned around, went back over the crest of the hill, and hopped out. Slowly walking towards where the doe should be, I spotted her. Patrick gave me a range, 57. The broadside doe stopped with her head behind a large tree facing right, the left edge of the trunk sitting right on the edge of her shoulder. I drew, and held on the edge of the tree. I knew that if I missed the tree it would be a perfect shot. Pull, pull, pull, let that pin dance and wait for the shot to go. My arrow arched in and passed through both lungs. 40 yards away we found her. What an awesome experience!

As our time in Brownwood ended we began our journey east to the town of Rockdale, Patrick’s hometown. His parents live on a nice piece of property with a feeder 300 yards from the house. They had been seeing an old 8 point come in at first light every morning and Patrick’s father, Tiny, was kind enough to let me have a crack at shooting the buck. Justus and I snuck down to the box blind in the early morning darkness. Five minutes before legal light, the buck stepped out. Still too dark to see my pins, we had to wait. As the light grew, so did my heartbeat. The feeder was at 25 yards, the buck was broadside at 29. I drew, and began to pull through. Shooting a hinge release with a “click” was a mistake. I hit the click, signaling that I was close to the release firing. The buck heard the click and turned frontal. Shooting 80 lbs and a 480g arrow, I let it fly. The buck ran a long way before expiring in the thick hardwood creek bottom. My largest whitetail deer to date now laid at my feet, what a feeling!

When you think of Texas, you probably think of wild hog hunting. We did our fair share of that as well, late nights, early mornings, whenever we found ourselves out of the deer stand, we were chasing pigs. Not much sleep was had on either of our trips to the lone star state. We hunted pigs in several different ways, at night via thermal, during the day by driving roads through various properties, and even at our deer stands. Hogs were introduced to Texas and thrived, causing million dollars of damage to the local landscape, breeding rapidly, and pushing out native wildlife. Hunting and managing the population is critical to keeping the numbers in check. A pig can begin birthing a litter of up to 8 piglets at 6 months old, so it does not take long to have an explosion in population very quickly. One of the properties we hunted in a town south of Houston had a pig problem. The roads were torn up, green meadows rooted and destroyed from hogs browsing for food looked as though a backhoe had torn up the earth. Luckily the Cutter Stabilizers team was here to save the day!

Sitting in an elevated box blind over a feeder, I waited for the seemingly always startling sound of the feeder going off. Even if I knew exactly what time it was set to go, it would scare me every time! Once it went, it took perhaps ten minutes for the pigs to show up. Using a borrowed 300 Win Mag, I set the crosshairs on the largest in the bunch. BOOM! The pigs scattered, but one remained, dropped in her tracks under the feeder. My first ever rifle kill, my first wild hog, what a morning!

Our December trip was quite the adventure, hunting with both rifles and archery equipment provided ample opportunities. On the property that I shot my rifle pig, Justus was able to connect with an awesome whitetail buck. Sitting an elevated blind over a feeder, the buck came out, then went back in the trees before returning. In Texas there is a 14” wide inside spread minimum, and on a property someone is letting you hunt out of the kindness of their heart, you do not want to judge a deer poorly. Justus scoured over the buck’s antlers for nearly five minutes before placing a perfect bullet from his borrowed 6.5 Grendel. A buck of a young hunter’s lifetime. What an epic evening!

Co-owner Brandon also was fortunate enough to come home with a very unique and awesome buck on this trip, back in Rockdale on Patrick’s parents property. They had been seeing a big, spindly frame “8 point” come in occasionally, so we found ourselves on the back deck with Patrick’s rifle before first light. As dawn broke, I saw a buck cutting through the hills and approaching the strip of pasture in front of us. Brandon got on the gun and lined up the shot. A loud “MEHHH” followed by a louder BOOM woke Justus up from his peaceful nap. We followed a short blood trail directly to Brandon’s amazing SEVEN POINT. Such a cool deer, this buck would score 114” net.

Now with all these rifle kills, you might be thinking “isn’t this an archery company?” Me too, and I made sure to let the boys know that I was the only one to put something down with my bow on that trip. Staying in College Station with Patrick, we would make a three hour drive north to a town called Frost. We had one evening to hunt this property, but the owner had been seeing a 160” buck regularly and we had the green light to shoot him if we saw him. LFG! Brandon and Pat went and sat a field edge while Juice and I would sit a two man stand over a well used trail. No feeders on this property made it difficult to know where the deer would come from, and no insight from the owner kept us on high alert. About twenty minutes into our sit, I heard something approaching. A nice sized hog followed by another 15-20 other adults and 30-40 piglets filtered through the thick underbrush. Staying around 30 yards away, they browsed, and squirted through shooting lanes for nearly two hours. I came to full draw EIGHT times before finally getting a shot. A large black sow was feeding through a thick alder patch when she hit an opening we had ranged at 29 yards. I was at full draw when she hit the opening, pin settled, release went off, arrow was on its way. THWACK! The arrow hit and the woods erupted before silence prevailed. We heard a crash almost immediately after the shot, but it wasn’t until after reviewing the footage that we realized it was my pig dying. Four seconds after the arrow hit her heart, she was dead. A 430 grain arrow tipped with a 3 blade mechanical broadhead did her in. After crawling through the thick, thorny underbrush, we found a small tunnel through and recovered her. She was a giant! Patience and staying in the moment prevailed on this one.

Brandon also was able to shoot a GIANT boar on this trip from another property. Since I wasn’t there, the details are lost on me. However, this boar was huge and he apparently did a backflip after being shot. The picture below is on a full sized truck tailgate, and Brandon and I are both over 200 pounds. This bruiser was a walking tank!

If you have a week, a little bit of spending money, and the ability to make friends, you can certainly have yourself an adventure in Texas. We were not staying at a fancy lodge, we ate pizza and went to Hooters, we slept on floors, and we drove about 5,000 miles all said and done. Despite the lack of luxury, I will be the first to say, I will never forget either of those trips to Texas.

Our 2022

This year is shaping up to be very exciting for us, both as a brand and company, as well as from a hunting point of view. I’d like to first take a moment to thank all of our loyal customers for supporting and continuing to help us grow. Without your patronage we would not be in the position we are. In this article, we will discuss our new products, along with our plans for hunting season, enjoy.

January brought the debut of our all new target stabilizer line, the NRD series. Starting with an ultra-stiff UHM carbon tube, we knew that target archers typically run a lot more weight on their stabilizers than most bowhunters. In order to accommodate this, we went back to the drawing board to ensure the NRD series would stand up to the challenge of creating a micro diameter bar that would be stiff enough to provide adequate stabilization without excessive post shot vibration. Give one a try and see for yourself. The NRD Target Series is available in front bar lengths from 24”-30” and side bar lengths of 12” and 15”.

The highly anticipated release of our offset bracket was literally years in the making. The Cordillera Bracket will certainly live up to the hype. Over 1,000 days of field testing among the whole team ensured that we nailed every detail. Rock solid mounting to the bow, individual vertical and horizontal angle adjustment, and most importantly, a ROCK SOLID AND IMMOVABLE mechanical design make The Cordillera Bracket the ultimate hunting back bar solution. Our single bar QD is also available for pre order currently. A streamlined profile that pairs perfectly with the end caps of our stabilizers, combined with the ability to store your front bar vertically, make it a purpose built solution for the hardcore bowhunter. Both products will ship out late May 2022. Be sure to pre order yours if you want one for this hunting season.

This hunting season is shaping up to be as action packed as ever. Starting next month, Justus and Beau head to Alaska to chase black bear. Stay tuned for video and photos of that epic adventure. We all will be hunting antelope with our bows, along with elk and mule deer. Brandon has a tag that could potentially yield a 200” buck. Beau, Justus, and I decided to “bro down” and all hunt the same unit for mule deer. A low country spot and stalk hunt with potential for a 180” buck. Justus and I have applications in for mountain goat and moose respectively, and if the draw gods see fit, we both have a high chance of drawing those tags. After the magic of September subsides, all efforts will shift to whitetail, here in Colorado, Nebraska, and once again in Texas with our buddy and “certified dirt nap dealer” Patrick.

As summer approaches, we grow closer to once again attending Mountain Archery Fest (mountainarcheryfest.com) as a sponsor and vendor. MAF, as it is better known, is an incredibly fun event that is held at ski resorts across the west in Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado. Multiple courses varying in difficulty from beginner to “why the hell is that python target 121 yards away?!”, ensure there is something for everyone. Visit their website to get registered and come hang out with us!

Once again, we would like to thank you for your support and business. We strive every day to continue building the best stabilizers available, right here in the USA. As hunting season approaches, we can’t wait to see you all finding success afield. Be sure to follow and tag us on Instagram @cutterstabilizersofficial ! Shoot straight. -Earl S.

The Wild Frontier

As I sit here, five days away from opening day of archery antelope here in Colorado, my mind races. Anticipation, excitement, and the realization that I soon will be reunited with the wild landscape that holds the dearest place in my heart, the prairies of the west. When you ask someone what they envision when they picture the west, you will often get stories of mountain peaks, golden aspens, and the overwhelming beauty of the high country. My soul is free and I thoroughly appreciate the mountain landscapes of the west, but my true love lies elsewhere. In this article, I want to shed some light on why I enjoy time spent in the high prairie so much.

Spot the lizard…

The great prairies of the west appear desolate, lifeless, and even boring at first glance. An endless sea of grass and nothingness, shadowed by vast skies, vagrant clouds casting down onto the canvas of greens and golds, begs for attention. For those who slow down, spend time here, and have patience to see the prairie for what it truly is, the reward and fulfillment is without bounds. Over the past several years antelope hunting with my bow has forced me to become familiar with these primitive places, and looking back I am eternally grateful for that.

The waining darkness slowly surrenders itself to a sliver of light on the far horizon. The air is crisp, humid, and clean. The deafening silence is only broken by the faint and drowsy chirps of birds on the prairie. As my boots hit the dirt, the grass, still wet with dew from the evening, brushes against my pants. Opening day is here, and my mind is finally able to relinquish the stress of daily life. My pupils widen to absorb the vast sensory overload I am begging them to ingest. A brilliant, magnificent red fills the horizon as the sun breaks through the twilight. The calm I am surrounded with is contagious, the prairie comes alive and I immerse myself within it. As I leave the gravel of the road behind, the swoosh of the grass against my legs reminds me of hunts prior. Heading along a white sand coulee, the sun now illuminates the waves of green. Chest high willows reluctantly bow to my advances as I move further along the cut in the hillside. These terrain features are plentiful out here, but you would never know it from the road. Rolls, folds, cuts, and dry river beds reveal themselves once you show them you are here for the long haul. This seemingly flat wasteland becomes ever more complex. Learning these nuances of topography is a prerequisite to hunting with a bow and arrow, especially when oftentimes it is truly a game of inches.

The first time I went out to hunt antelope with my bow, I knew it was going to be difficult, but that vague idea was all I had. Learning how to utilize a minuscule change in the contour of the land, I have been able to get within bow range of dozens of antelope. The sheer size of this country is often overwhelming, and it soon will become obvious that antelope are built for it. Walking along the coulee, I soon found myself looking at a nice antelope buck 200 yards away, that was staring right at me. When you can see for miles in every direction at any give time, you need to do just that, LOOK! I learned very quickly that finding a stationary position to observe my surroundings was a much better strategy than trying to absorb the massive amount of country I was presented with.

Spot the antelope…

Thinking back to the first moment I knew these prairies were my favorite, I find myself sitting atop a hill overlooking an enormous valley at daybreak. Ten miles of visibility in all directions, I felt so small. I believe that in today’s world of convenience, comfort, and concrete, that feeling of helplessness, of weakness, of uncertainty is incredibly necessary to remind us that we need to be put in our place every so often. As the daylight materializes, I look through my binoculars and spot an antelope buck nearly two miles away, still bedded from his evening rest. Leaning up against my small backpack, I continue to watch him. Trying to imagine living out here every day, how well he must know every hill, every fence, every feature, then he stands up. I observe his path of travel and decide to try and cut him off. After a 1000 yard sprint out of his view, I soon learn that I am not as familiar as he is with these great grasslands and he somehow gave me the slip. Oh well.

Spending time in the grasslands has given me many things, although archery success on an antelope is not one of them. I have found peace after the loss of my younger sister, solitude from a busy work schedule, calm away from the rush of daily stress, and a sense of belonging thanks to the subtle rustic beauty of a landscape. The glaringly obvious beauty of the high country is simple to see and absorb. When you realize that taking the time to look deeper into a beauty that is not so easy to see, you may be surprised at just how breathtaking the plains can be. Life is everywhere, from the plants, to the bugs, to the little camouflage lizards, to the pronghorn antelope. If you find yourself with a spare weekend, get yourself an antelope tag, and go see for yourself. Happy hunting everyone, it is nearly our time. Welcome home.

Our 2021

Spring is here, draw results are coming, and 3D events are in full swing. The anticipation of the upcoming season is building every day. We wanted to take a few minutes to go over what we have planned for this season, which events we will be attending, and what else we are working on.

Brandon and I kicked off our hunting season in Nebraska with a turkey hunt. For years we have talked about doing an actual turkey hunt on our farm instead of just “spot and stalking” aka scaring turkeys away and dropping unsuccessful long bombs. This was the year. We took two legit turkey hunters with us to show us how it’s done. Our buddy Randy, and a mutual friend and owner of Almost Alive Taxidermy, Jared were our teachers. The first evening Randy tagged out with two toms five minutes into the hunt and Jared also shot a nice tom. Three birds down in the first evening, the farm is LOADED with turkeys. These pros had never seen anything like it, nearly 15 different roost trees and prime turkey habitat for the entire 450 acres.

The next morning, Brandon shot his first turkey with Randy guiding him, a nice tom. Jared and I sat on the edge of a corn field and didn’t see anything. The afternoon we switched “guides”. Jared is a traditional turkey hunter, sitting in a blind and calling over his two taxidermied turkey decoys. Randy prefers a run and gun approach (my style for sure!). We went out and immediately got two different response gobbles. We set up his stuffed jake decoy and watched a tom come in silent. I was able to make a perfect shot and put him on the ground. Brandon also shot his second bird that afternoon over the same corn field we had sat in the morning. Our bird total for a day and a half of hunting was six birds. Not bad!!

Back to Denver we went to get on with work, etc.. This summer we will be attending three of the four Mountain Archery Fest events, Durango CO, Beaver UT, and Huntsville UT. Come hang out with us and enjoy an awesome 3d archery weekend. Go to mountainarcheryfest.com to register before they sell out.

This is going to be a busy year of hunting for Brandon and I. Here in Colorado, draw results come out tomorrow! If I draw all of my tags, I’ll be hunting deer, elk, antelope, and moose (not holding my breath on that last one). Brandon will be hunting elk and deer here on the home front. Before that, Brandon is heading on a dream hunt for many people, Africa! He will be bowhunting a wide variety of plains game including kudu, sable, zebra, impala, and warthog. Stay tuned for some epic photos and video from his adventure. After Colorado season wraps up, we will be heading to Texas for whitetail and hogs in late October. Come November, it’s game on for Nebraska deer. After all of that, it’s going to feel so good to sit in a tree and enjoy some tree stand therapy.

We also released some really cool products this year and have one more to come. Our 20” 3D bar (the BOMB bar) has been a success so far and we anticipate it’s popularity to grow as we get into the summer. Our highly anticipated offset bracket is nearly done with testing and is almost ready for pre order. Trust me when I say, I am SO READY. Perfection is what we are pursuing, and although the wait has been long, it will be worth it. Versatility, unrivaled durability, plenty of adjustability, and a lightweight design will make it your new favorite. Please remain patient with us and keep an eye on our social media (@cutterstabikizersofficial on Instagram and Cutter Stabilizers on Facebook).

We are extremely excited for this season and we know it will be here and gone before we know it. Enjoy the summer, train hard, shoot a lot, and appreciate what you have, just like we appreciate you all who support our brand. Shoot straight.

How To Best Utilize 3D Archery

Spring is here, the longer days, warmer temps, and sunshine mean it is time to get out and shoot some 3D courses! Whether you have access to a course near home or make the trip to an event such as Mountain Archery Fest or TAC, the practical application of 3D to hunting is easy to see. There is certainly nothing wrong with simply going out for a fun day of shooting, but if you really want to improve your skill set for hunting utilize the tips and ideas we will outline in this article.

Shooting 3D archery holds many similarities to hunting. From the varied terrain, the changing lighting, or the uneven footing, it is a great way to hone your skills come season. Mountain 3D events are a phenomenal way to test your skills, and your gear. Having a course close to home is a great way to also become familiar with how your bow aims and holds on a familiar target without it having a “spot” to aim at.

Aside from shooting at varied distances, angles, and targets, there are a wide variety of ways to utilize 3D to improve. One of my favorites is on at least a few targets on the course, hold at full draw for at least 30-45 seconds before executing your shot. The practical application for this will become obvious if you ever have an elk come charging in to your calls and stop with a tree in front of his vitals. By holding at full draw, controlling your breathing and heart rate, and then executing a great shot you will have a new level of confidence come September.

The uneven terrain of most 3D courses provides a great training resource for us as western bowhunters. When it comes to proper shot execution, it all starts from our foundation, our feet! Being able to create a stable platform on a steep slope or with one foot on a rock will allow you to make accurate shots in any situation. On targets that are close, I like to either stand on one foot, or purposely elevate one foot on an object before taking my shot. By challenging yourself in practice, you will be ready when it comes to the real thing.

Shooting in your backyard or at the local range are great ways to improve on the basics, but when it comes to dynamic terrain, such as steep uphill or downhill shots, it is tough to mimic that on flat ground. Some of the targets at these mountain style 3D events are INSANELY STEEP. If you want to test your form when shooting uphill or downhill, that is the place to do it (not to mention your 3rd axis on your sight!). Always remember to draw your bow from a level stance then bend at the waist to engage the target.

One last way to practice for season is to combine all of the previously mentioned aspects and add in some seated, kneeling, or crouched shooting. Shooting from a seated position is HARD! Sometimes that is our only option when hunting though, so being prepared for all scenarios is important. Maintain your proper “T” form no matter what your lower body is doing.

3D archery is a ton of fun, so whether you decide to utilize it as training or not, get out there and enjoy yourself. If you are going to a mountain style event, bring plenty of arrows, trust your shot process, and prepare to be humbled! Failure is a prerequisite to success. Missing a target is bound to happen, and if you ask me, I’d rather it be one that is made of foam, not flesh! Hunting season is only a few months away, enjoy the summer and get ready for our favorite time of year.

Heavyweight Sight Battle

The following article was written by Justus Nielsen. Justus aka “Juice” has been with us since the beginning. I remember handing him one of the first prototypes to test back in the spring of 2019. With his help, knowledge, and outright obsession with archery and bowhunting, we were able to thoroughly test both our original and current bars, ensuring they would hold up to the rigors of a hardcore bowhunter. In this article, Justus dives into two of the most popular high end hunting sights on the market and recalls his experiences with both, enjoy.

Having worked behind the counter at No Limits Archery (one of the largest pro shops in the country) now for three and a half years I’ve been asked countless times, “which sight should I go with?”. This depends on a vast array of things including, hunting style, budget, and preference of sight style. The questions asked to reach this conclusion will not be covered however, the differences between two of the most popular driver style sights, Spot Hogg and Black Gold will. Having never ran Spot Hogg I decided it was time to try them out in order to give people a more honest and thorough opinion on their sights. The Hogg Father has been on my bow for four months now. I’ve run multiple variations of black gold sights for the last four years and have been incredibly impressed with every sight I’ve run. We’ll cover the pros and cons of each sight and then compare and contrast the two. In the end I’ll share my preference of the two and why I chose it. 

Spot Hogg 

This year thanks to the help of good friend Keith Douglas I was able to run the Spot Hogg, Hogg Father sight on my Mathews vxr 31.5. I’ve had this sight on my bow for about 4 months now and have been blown away. As with any piece of equipment it has its pros and it has its cons. We’ll start with a basic rundown of the sights specs and then explain the good and bad. 

Basics  

• Quick Release Knob

• Detachable Dovetail Bar

• Micro Adjustable 2nd & 3rd Axis

• Coarse Horizontal & Vertical Adjustments

• No Tool Micro Adjust Windage & Elevation

• Micro Adjustable Pointer

• HRD Technology, No Bushings, No Slop, No Buzz

• Spreads Out Sight Marks

• Large Easy to Use Yardage Knob

• Removable Rack For Traveling

• Precision Laser Engraved Sight Scale & Knobs

• Universal Scope Rod

• Solid 6061 Aluminum Construction

• Traveling Case Included

• Sight Scale Compatible with Archery Programs 

    Pros 

There’s a ton of things to love about the Hogg Father. From undeniable durability to incredible micro adjustments the sight seems to have it all. For starters it’s made of solid 6061 aluminum and its gears are all enclosed. There isn’t really a “weak spot” on this sight. One of the first things Keith said to me when he lent me the sight was “don’t worry about being careful you won’t break it”. I was obviously a little hesitant to be rough on the sight because it’s not cheap and it also wasn't mine. I found this to be completely true. I put this sight through the paces from Colorado, to Texas, to Illinois and took a total of 4 whitetail and plenty of geese with it. One of my favorite things about this sight is the covered gears. No chance for anything to get stuck in them and lock the sight up, in turn increasing the overall durability. The driver is INCREDIBLY smooth and never catches while dialing the sight. The driver wheel is very large making it easy to move whether you're sweating bullets in a blind in Texas or fighting frostbite in the Colorado cold. The micro adjust clicks are very consistent and very positive. Lastly the large dovetail is great in the fact that it gives you the ability to set the sight exactly where you want it. Whether you are torque tuning the bow or getting the housing to match your peep just right, this 6” dovetail will accommodate it. 

Cons 

    As with all equipment the Hogg Father does have its shortcomings, the biggest of these being mass weight. This thing is a straight up brick. Coming in at a whopping 14.4 oz without the riser mount or dovetail knob. When I swapped my previous sight for this I had to adjust my back bar further away from the riser because of how much heavier it was. This wasn’t a huge issue for me but it was definitely noticeable. Second and honestly more important than weight is the fact that there is no first axis adjustment. First axis being the ability to square the actual driver of the sight. This can cause huge problems in long range accuracy if your driver isn’t tracking straight up and down. You will start to see left/right misses at distance and no one wants that. Because of this you have to level your second axis to the driver, when the driver is squared to the riser. In addition to no first axis, the adjustment for the second axis is not my personal favorite. Another thing that I really didn’t love is how dull the pins are in comparison to other sights out there. On multiple occasions I had to use a sight light to see my pins while in Texas. Without it they appeared as solid bars. On top of the pins being dull, Spot Hoggs pin adjustments are not my favorite. Some people absolutely love it, I however, am not one of those people. Keep in mind none of these bothered me enough to take the sight off my bow and none ever gave me severe problems while in the field. 

Black Gold 

Basics  

• Black Gold’s new Wing Truss Dovetail System

• Micro Adjust on each Individual Pin

• Vertical and horizontal micro adjustments

• Indicator needle is indexable for easy re-sighting should your set up change

• Splined vertical drive gear increases durability by 80% and provides a quieter, more solid feel

• High performance PhotoChromatic shell – 80% tougher, changes color faster

• More range and adjustability than traditional hunting movable sights

• Angled (45°) sight tape can be seen from side or back

• 54 sight tapes included

• Precision 1st, 2nd and 3rd axis adjustability

• Works great with one-piece quivers (unlike most movable sights)

• Quick, smooth and quiet adjustment 

• 6061 aluminum

Pros 

    Black Gold has been my go to sight for about four years now. There are so many things to love about their sights. I’m currently running a custom sight from them made up of their new four inch wingtruss dovetail base and their revenge head with three .010” pins going green, red, green. One of my favorite things about this sight are the first, second, and third axis adjustments. This allows you to ensure that every piece of the sight is level and tracking properly which translates to consistency down range. Along with the axis adjustments I love the micro adjustments on windage, elevation, and the pins. I much prefer the micro adjust pins on the Revenge head in comparison to the Spot Hogg. Coming in at only 10.5 oz this sight is super lightweight for being all metal construction. The pins are the brightest in the industry and one of the biggest reasons I love these sights so much. Because the pins are so bright many people worry about a halo effect but because of the photochromatic fiber cover you don't have to worry about it. The photochromatic shell turns purple when exposed to UV light and dims your pins to keep them from being too bright, then clears back up when in low light situations or indoors to keep them bright. The pins are next level tough and I’ve never had a single issue with them. Black Gold calls them their bomb proof pins and they hold true to that name. 

    Cons 

    Black Gold too has their flaws and some of them could be improved in the design process. The biggest for me is the windage bar. The portion of the windage bar where the actual sight housing attaches is not the toughest and could end up causing some problems if it bends. While I personally have never had any problems with this,  some of my friends have. Granted it took quite a bang for them to bend it but nevertheless it still bent. I would also love to see Black Gold change the way the bubble level is attached to the sight ring. Currently it’s just glued to the ring which can wear off over time. This could cause some issues in the field and would be nice if it was a little beefier. 

Which do I prefer? 

    At the end of the day it’s incredibly difficult to choose a favorite between these two sights. They each have incredible features I wish the other had and they each have some things I don’t particularly love. When it comes down to it however, I’ll be bolting a Black Gold to my bow. I have the utmost confidence in their sights and there are just a few minor things that give them the win over Spot Hogg for me. Mainly the fact that the pins are noticeably brighter and they have a first axis adjustment. I am by no means strictly Black Gold and it honestly wouldn't surprise me if some of my bows in the future have Spot Hogg sights on them as I did really enjoy using the Hogg Father and had great success with it. These are my opinions based on experiences I’ve had and information I love sharing with you. I urge you to buy a sight based on the things you find important not what I do.  Thanks for reading!

As you can tell, Juice knows his stuff. Spending several months bowhunting every year will do that to a person. When you have so much time behind your bow, the qualities in certain products you enjoy become more apparent. When you need to choose your next sight, it is wise to lean on your local pro shop or other personal friends who have experience with multiple products. I’d like to thank Justus for writing this for us, and be sure to check out his Instagram page @justus_nielsen for lots of awesome hunting content.

Why We Hunt

This year has been one of many unprecedented experiences for everyone. Our work, social, and personal lives have greatly changed in one way or another. For those of us who bowhunt, it seemed to be rather uneventful however. The rising concern over a meat shortage in mainstream society was hardly on our radar, unlike the other 95% of the country, yes you read that correctly. Only FIVE PERCENT of Americans hunt. This past year we saw a surge in hunter participation, due to all of the nuances of 2020. In this article I am going to do the best I can to articulate why we love hunting so much, so if you are new to our cherished tradition, welcome, and enjoy. If you already know why we love bowhunting so much, sit back and cherish the memories I am sure to awaken as you read this article.

“What do you love? What do you work hard for every single day? What is it that you’re passionate about? What if that one thing only came around once a year? Every waking moment through the preceding months was spent dreaming, preparing, yearning for that one spectacular time when you get to become fully immersed in that one thing. For some of us, that thing is bowhunting.” That excerpt from a video published on my personal YouTube channel paints a vivid picture. The pursuit of something so elusive and for such a short period of time is part of the allure that comes with bowhunting.

Going back to my beginning years in the high country of western Colorado chasing elk in September I recall how small I felt, while at the same time, feeling so connected to the vast wilderness that surrounded me. The dirt beneath my feet, the trees towering over my head, the morning air filling my starved lungs all made me feel unmistakably alive. Placing yourself within an environment where you have no control, no power, yet by truly paying attention, and respecting the great force of the wild, you will feel an overwhelming sense of home. I remember the very first morning I stepped into the woods with a bow in my hand, I was intensely excited, nervous, and overwhelmed by the vast amount of stimulus I was asking my mind to process. Rays of sunlight illuminated the emerald-green vegetation, starkly contrasted against the dark, nutrient-dense soil, we hiked into the void. Any thought of civilization, school, drama, stress, gone just as we were to the modern world. Throughout the years I have struggled to articulate just why this occurs, however I believe it is in great part to the fact that for the entire duration of your time hunting, you are faced with a single goal. With the amount of time management, multi-tasking, and demand for efficiency, this lack of pace brings us solace, and reminds us that our daily life is simply ridiculous in comparison. For the time you have allotted for your hunt, your only objective is to find success, be it a filled tag, a newly solidified memory, or a grand adventure. There is nothing more.

One glaring aspect radiates into the minds of those who do not partake in hunting, and that is of course, the taking of a life. Killing is perceived to be at the forefront of the hunting culture, which is an impassable obstacle to the possibility of mainstream acceptance. It takes time spent hunting, sometimes years, to fully comprehend why we enjoy the pursuit so much. For those of us (likely those who are reading this) who obsess day after day, nitpick our equipment, and practice tirelessly, the aspect of taking the life of the game animals we pursue is solely a necessary and inevitable result of the hard work we pour into our passion. I would be lying if I said I hunted solely for the adventure however, as a solid majority of my daily meals are composed of meat from animals I have killed with my bow. Every hunt is comprised of a series of events, an escalating timeline of moments leading up to the climax, a split second in time where everything stops. For me, it is this single moment that drives me and forces me to become more obsessed with every moment like it that I experience: the shot.

My feet are tired, breathing labored, my bow grows heavier in my left hand with each passing minute. The light is slipping away through the trees, creating an ambience that commands my senses to be on high alert. As I walk through a sparsely timbered aspen plateau, my eyes scan quickly, ears absorb all the sound available, I can feel the light evening breeze against the hot and sweaty skin on my forehead under my damp hat. As I approach the edge of a meadow, there they are, I freeze. Two cow elk and a bull feed out in front of my father and I. My feet settle in amongst the mountain, my brain sends signals to my muscles prompting an autonomous series of actions to prepare myself to shoot. After shooting countless arrows all year, it takes no thought to get from arrow in the quiver to release on the string. “44.”, my father whispers. At this moment I can feel my heart beating, my bow sets in that familiar spot in the palm of my left hand, release settles into my right hand, my weapon is now an extension of my physical being. Reaching full draw, I settle into my anchor point, nothing feels out of place, I feel the small nub on the back of my jaw bone between my knuckles, the string brushes the corner of my mouth along with the “groove” on the tip of my nose. Looking through my peep, I see the bull standing broadside, completely unaware that I even exist, unaware that my father and I have been hunting tirelessly for seven days, unaware that I had driven six hours, lost sleep, missed work, haven’t talked to anyone at home, all in hopes of experiencing this exact moment. He simply feeds in the gray twilight of a late September evening. Everything else in the entire world, the entire universe, is inconsequential at this moment, there is only the bull and me. The shot breaks and my arrow is on its way, the feeling of a perfect arrow hitting exactly where you wanted to put it is something beyond compare. All of the effort, the pain, the sore muscles, the countless arrows in practice, the hours of sleep lost, are for this very moment. Once that arrow leaves your bow, there is no getting it back, that animal is alive, with a heartbeat, and if you do your part, you will provide a merciful end to the life that would otherwise end on far less humane circumstances. Watching the bull run 50 yards before lying down to release his final breath brings a feeling of relief. To me, the death of an animal is not a moment of celebration, but rather a moment of reverence, respect, and gratitude. You truly poured your heart and soul into providing an ethical end to that animal’s life, and to me that fact is paramount.

Walking up to the bull, now lying motionless, nothing but emptiness reflecting from his eyes, I set my bow down and stand there. Looking over the forest, then down at the bull, it feels surreal. Facing a reality that archery elk hunting on public land harbors a minuscule 7% success rate, I have defied the odds. My effort has yielded the ultimate accomplishment. Dropping to one knee, I remove my hat and place my hand on the bull, his coarse hair still warm. Peering up to the sky I give thanks, for this animal will provide me with meat that will last several months. Personally, until I am in this very position I feel uneasy, no matter how perfect the shot may have been. These animals are so tough, having to etch their existence into a vastly unforgiving world, void of comfort, humility, and sympathy. I look to my father as a smile appears without prompt. The concept of smiling over an animal that you have killed is quite alien from the outside looking in, and without experiencing the true struggle that is required to get there, one cannot comprehend why it happens. The joy that overcomes you in this moment is not for the death of a living creature, but rather the accomplishment of an arduously difficult task.

Once the euphoria subsides, you are faced with a realization: there is an immense animal that needs to be broken down and carried back to civilization. Elk are huge when you find yourself on the ground next to them, and the task of processing and packing one out seems impossible. However, cut by cut, load by load you will do it. This is your trophy, your bounty, and your ultimate prize. This past season, it all came together for my father and he was able to arrow an awesome 5x5 bull (pictured above). It took the two of us nearly 8 hours to get the bull cut up and back to camp. The final trip I found myself nearly two miles from camp with four full bags of boned out meat strapped to my pack frame. My father’s hips were exhausted so he remained at camp as I ventured out to get as much of the remaining meat as I could. Each step seemed more difficult than the last as I trudged along, under the overwhelming weight. In the back of my mind however, I was smiling. That very feeling, exhausted, in pain, far from any modern comfort, surrounded by the raw beauty of the wild, and knowing that the meat on my back is worth more than any amount of money could buy. There is almost a spiritual connection with meat you procure from a game animal that surpasses anything else. The struggle, the memory, the feeling of anguish during the pack out, it all comes flooding back to you as you sit at the dinner table and eat that meat. That trip back to camp was one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life. I know my pack weighed more than 130 pounds, but the moment I got back to camp, slung the pack onto the carpet outside of the camper, and saw the look in my father’s eyes as I told him I had gotten all of the remaining meat was all worth it. It is from experiences like that, when you must tell yourself to go forward, that hardship is worth it, that pain is temporary, those experiences transcend throughout your life. As we sat together, eating steaks from the bull he had killed earlier that day, we exude gratitude, we share the connection of a mission accomplished, and we savor the fruits of our effort.

Hunting is something I will never be able to abandon, at this point of my life, it is who I am, and if I have one goal, it is to transpose that fact into this company. Whether you find yourself with a bow in your hand and a tag in your pocket every year, or are considering heading out on your first hunt this coming season, my hat is off to you. Bowhunting is a gift, and the memories we make afield are those that can never be taken from us, can never be duplicated, and can never be devalued. As we embark into another year, I can only think that autumn is only eight short months away, and that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.

Sweet Redemption

The sun’s rays begin to break through the trees, casting beams of golden light onto the forest floor. My father and I slowly walk along a trail meandering through the pines. Listening and looking into the vast forest as we advance, a flash of movement catches my eye in the distant trees. Reaching for dad’s shoulder as I open my bino harness, our feet freeze. Looking through the binoculars into the dense trees, I see her. A cow elk trots towards us. One by one they materialize, another cow, another cow, and a bull. I prepare my rangefinder and set my bow down, today is dad’s day.

Heading west from Denver, I grow weary. This year I would only have four days to chase elk due to my crazy work schedule and the recent explosion of Cutter Stabilizers. Exiting the city and pointing my truck towards the Colorado high country, the sun leads the way on the distant horizon. After arriving at my father’s house at 11:30pm, we caught up, talked and enjoyed each other’s company. We typically only see each other once or twice a year since his retirement move to a small rural town in western Colorado, so these September trips are a sacred tradition I always look forward to. 12:45am snuck up on us fast and we headed off to bed in preparation for the start of our elk hunt in the morning.

My father, John, is no stranger to elk country or elk hunting success. Having taken double digit elk with his bow, he knows how to get it done in September. One thing weighing on his mind however was the fact that he has not tasted that success in nine years. Be it the fact that he allowed me to shoot first, or a difficult hunting season, he was in a drought. I entered this hunt knowing that the goal was for him to end his streak, no matter the cost.

Home sweet home

Heading out of town towards the mountains, we arrived at camp around 10am, got camp set up and I headed out while dad finished sorting out a few precarious issues we were having with the hot water heater in the camper. I knew that if I were to fill my tag, it needed to be early in the hunt, this was the perfect opportunity. As my feet hit the familiar trail headed towards an area we called the “elk hole” my pace slowed, my mind relaxed, and my body settled in to the decreased intensity demanded by the mountains. The animals have no curfew, no deadline, no schedule to adhere to except perhaps the sun rising and setting. I find solace in the serenity of the wild as I gradually find my place within it. Arriving at the last thick stand of timber separating myself from the elk hole, a small meadow surrounded by a heavily used elk bedding area, I examine the earth before cautiously placing my boot upon it. With each step synchronized with a gust of wind or a bird chirping, my progress is slow and silent. At the bottom edge of the elk hole, a down tree lies on it’s side, providing the perfect place to sit. Over the years I have sat here and observed game pass through the small meadow. A thick, bushy pine stands to my right and a tall spindly pine to my left providing the cover I need. Sitting calmly, peacefully, motionless, I am captivated by the silence of the midday wilderness. In the distance a sound echoes, piercing through the serenity, a bull’s bugle. My senses go on high alert, assessing, and formulating a plan. I bugle back, he responds with a bugle of his own, closer than the first. I follow up with a cow call and stand up to stomp my feet and break a few branches. One problem with my setup becomes glaringly apparent, the wind is swirling horribly. The meadow lies at the bottom of a small rise, perhaps twenty feet of elevation difference. This rise takes the prevailing west wind, sucks it down and sends it back up over the lip. The bull chuckles from just over the top, I come to full draw in anticipation. Then, just as my emotions skyrocket, they come careening back to earth and detonate into disappointment as I hear the bull thunder away through the thick timber. The wind had given me away. The rest of the afternoon proved uneventful as I sat and enjoyed the woods. 

My log at the elk hole

As daylight faded to twilight, I gathered my gear in preparation for the hike back to camp. The forest was mystically silent, so silent that my foot steps seemed to be deafening. Making my way along the trail, I hear the faint cracking of sticks in the wood line. I freeze to listen, a few moments and my ears pick up on the continued sounds of something moving towards me in the timber. A small corridor through the trees takes me into the thick wood line. I catch movement ahead, the gray light of the evening now prevailing over what sunlight remains. A cow elk passes through an opening at 29 yards, she stops to feed, her vitals covered by a tree. I take a step forward to attempt to get a shot, she quickly catches the movement, I freeze. My back foot is still up on it’s toes, my front foot wiggles to stabilize my body, fighting adrenaline and a narrow, awkward stance. I cannot seem to pull it together and my front leg wobbles uncontrollably. In my 18 years of bowhunting, no matter the animal in front of me, I ALWAYS get extremely excited. In this instance, a close encounter with a cow elk at last light resulted in my heart pounding, my knees shaking, and the cow elk trotting off without allowing a shot opportunity. Walking through the waining light, I return to earth, an enormous smile etched into my face. Two close encounters in the first seven hours of the hunt, I was one happy bowhunter. 

After getting settled in at camp, catching up with dad, and going over the action from our first day on the mountain, we laid down to bed. After messing around with the hot water heater for a couple hours to no avail, my father went up the creek drainage behind camp and sat near a spring for the evening. His trail camera that had been there for a few weeks had caught elk there, but unfortunately that evening none showed up. Morning came quickly, the darkness still echoed over the wilderness and a billion stars shone their light onto us in the early hours.

The “aspen trail”

Departing from camp as the sun began to turn the black night into a gray morning, we headed down the aspen trail. A supernatural feeling always overcomes me as we walk through the gray light of early morning surrounded by twelve foot tall aspens growing in unison on a vast mountainside. The trail is narrow, just wide enough for us to traverse through the wild, silently. Nearing a clear cut at the end of the trail, I reach forward for my father’s shoulder. A bull with two cows stand in the opening ahead, their golden tan fur appears dull and almost white in the early morning atmosphere. As they move up the hill, we advance to try and get a shot. I notice two more cows down the hill from us, leaving my bow on the ground behind me, I grab my range finder and prepare to give dad a yardage. One cow circles out in front of us headed uphill. She stops broadside, I range, 57. My father draws, settles and releases the arrow. Immediately I can tell something went wrong, his red lighted nock sails several feet to the left of the cow as she whirls and runs up the hill. Judging by the sound of the shot, his mechanical broadhead had opened in flight, creating a lopsided profile that forced the shot wide and low. The cow stood on the edge of the trees up the hill from us, I raced to grab my bow which was fifteen yards behind us at this point. Nocking an arrow I positioned my release as well as my rangefinder in my shooting hand, a trick I have practiced and grown confident in over the summer and earlier hunts. The cow never stopped walking and we eventually lost her in the trees. In the distance we hear the bull bugle, attempting to gather his two straggling cows. I bugles back with a small challenge. Immediately he answered from within the thick pines. We advanced, cow calling, bugling, and breaking branches to sound as if a bull had stolen his two cows. At one point, he chuckled from what sounded like forty to fifty yards ahead, but we never did see him. Nonetheless we continued in their direction until we came to a wall of pines with what appeared to be a meadow on the other side. Sticks cracked, we could hear grass being pulled from the earth and chewed. We had snuck in to point blank range of the elk! I nocked an arrow and crept forward. A flash of brown through the trees made me instantly stop, then a flash of black and white. My head dropped and my heart sank, cattle. 

We regrouped, formulated a plan, and decided to make a large loop, coming up towards the elk hole via a heavily used elk trail. We had the wind in our faces and it was still very early in the day. As the sun begins to cast it’s rays more strongly, I catch movement ahead. Pulling out my binoculars, I see her. A cow elk coming towards us, with two more cows and a bull in tow! My father looks at me, expecting to see an arrow in my hand, only my bow was setting on the ground at my feet and my range finder was at the ready. The lead cow made her way along a trail, eventually cutting in front of us. The bull surged ahead, breaking through the thick timber, trying to breed the cow while trotting at full speed. Eventually she stops, and he walks up behind her into an opening. A small gap in the trees frames the bull’s vitals, 35, I whisper. My father draws, settles and shoots. The familiar thud of arrow hitting flesh says it all. The bull whirls, and the cows explode in all directions. Complete chaos ensues before silence prevails. Moments later we hear it, a loud crash, followed by the sound of the bull’s final breaths escaping him. Joy floods out of our souls as we share a victorious smile. No words are spoken, as our eyes convey the message perfectly.

We sit on a nearby log to assess and confirm what had just happened. 20 minutes later we head out to look for blood, and we certainly did not need to look very hard. The blood trail was more like a blood road, nonetheless we followed, inspected, and reviewed. Rounding a corner, we came upon dad’s bull. Less than fifty yards from where he shot. A clean, quick, ethical, and lethal shot provided a merciful death to the beautiful 5x5 bull. His enormous body lie against a log, antlers tangled in a bushy pine. We wrestled him into a position to take a couple photos before beginning the task of breaking him down and into game bags. Five hours later, we had eight full bags of deboned meat, the ultimate prize for any bowhunter.

The ultimate trophy

The first load got the tenderloins and back straps back to camp, the second got four more bags of meat. As the shadows grew long, we sat at camp. Four bags remained in the woods a mile and a half away. Dad was beat, his hips were fatigued and he decided that it was best if he rest tonight and go in to get the remaining bags in the morning.

The first trip out with our meat frames

Feeling ambitious, I decided to go out one last time to get as much as I could so his efforts would be less tomorrow. Hitting the trail, I had 90 minutes of daylight. With only my meat frame on my back I was able to get to the kill site in under 20 minutes, a previously 45 minute trip. Upon arrival, I loaded two bags onto my frame and examined it. “Hmm, there sure seems to be a lot more room on there.” I thought. Just for fun, I decided to see if I could strap all four bags onto the frame, then decided, just for fun, to see how heavy it felt. Then, just for fun, I decided to see how far I could carry it. One foot in front of the other, resting as often as required, I trudged back to camp. Ascending the final rise, I could see the truck. I had done it, slow and steady wins the race. There is no doubt in my mind that my pack weighed more than 120 pounds, just ask my knees. Once I arrived, I slung the pack onto the ground outside the camper, then looked up at my smiling father. “How many were you able to get?” He asks. “All of them.” His eyes widen as a shocked “what!?” explodes from his mouth. Looking at that pack sitting on the ground, I share in his amazement. Going into this season, I had not prepared very well physically compared to years prior. In fact, I hadn’t really prepared at all. I knew that in order to be successful, it was going to be due to a tough mental attitude. Throughout that pack out I vividly remember saying “you just need to do it.” several times. Sometimes that is all it takes, a willingness to go beyond what you think you can do. The struggles of a successful pack out are what we cling to in the offseason, knowing that you put forth such effort certainly makes that organic meat so much more precious.

My final load out

Throughout the course of this trip I knew that I would not fill my tag unless my father filled his first. The gift of knowledge that my father had bestowed upon me throughout the years is one that I will never be able to repay. Without his guidance and encouragement, I would not be the bowhunter I am today, and frankly, this company would likely not even exist. My fire and passion for archery and bowhunting burns so fiercely, so intensely, it drives me every day to work towards the possibility of living the lifestyle whenever I can. The two remaining days came and went without an opportunity to fill my tag, but what did occur still fills my heart with joy, gratitude, and happiness. I was able to spend time with my father in the wild places that fulfill our souls, side by side, we hiked and shared in the adventure of hunting public land. Sometimes simply sharing in another’s success is just as fulfilling as experiencing your own. A full freezer, and a renewed confidence are exuded through my dad’s mind, and if you ask me, my unfilled tag is a small price to pay for that fact. 

A New Adventure: Part Two

Leaving town, headed west towards the vast mountainous expanse that looms within a bellowing fog of smoke felt surreal. I knew what was coming later that evening, and I was ready. The sky glows orange with the ever-present particles of smoke from multiple forest fires. Anticipation grew within me as my tires hit the dirt road, envisioning myself awakening to a foot of snow outside my tent. As I rounded the last bend of the rugged two track road, a doe crossed in front of me. I parked at the trailhead, got out to stretch, and decided to wander down the road with bow in hand to see if the doe happened to still be nearby. I caught movement about 100 yards up the hill, the doe was slowly feeding away from me, a good opportunity to test my stalking skills if nothing else.

Wearing jeans, a tee shirt, and my sneakers, I slowly crept up the hill, maintaining a position to have a tree between the doe and I. 60 yards, 40 yards, 30 yards, a small aspen directly in front of me broke up my silhouette. The doe stood above me, feeding, and occasionally stopping to survey her surroundings. She had NO idea I was even there! As she took a step forward, I drew back, settled my pin, and paused. “Do I really want to do this? Is it the easy way out? It sure is going to be tough to hike in with my 53lb pack in this smoke. Hell with it.” I leveled my bubble and began increasing tension until the familiar THWACK of arrow hitting flesh echoed through the evening atmosphere. The doe bounced over the rise, then all went quiet. I looked down 75 yards behind me at the road, then 200 yards up the road to see my truck parked at the trailhead. I caught myself just standing there, for some reason, feeling conflicted and almost guilty.

Walking back to the truck, I opened the hatch, peered in at my pack, loaded up with over $1000 full of backpacking gear, only to grab my knife and close the hatch. A short walk had me standing over my doe, a large, old female who would provide me with at least 60 pounds of lean, fresh meat. It was no surprise that my 480 grain arrow blew completely through the doe and was buried in the hillside. She made it less than 50 yards before lying down to have her final breath escape her. A quiet, reverent moment was shared between the doe and I as I held her head while gazing into the darkness I had created in her eyes. Gratitude prevailed over any other emotion at that point in time, and I felt very happy to know that my skill had provided a clean kill. After quartering and bagging the meat, I was back in the truck and headed home by 8:45pm.

While bouncing down the rocky 4x4 road, I thought to myself: “well what the heck do I do now?”. I still had two full days off work and fully intended on hunting if at all possible. The plan was set, I would drop the meat off at home, then high-tail it to my antelope unit. A quick swap of a few gear items and I was on the way. 11:05pm signaled the start of my journey. As my truck accelerated to highway speed, the rain was already pelting my windshield. Driving east, away from the storm, I quickly was in the clear. Two hours later I arrived at my camp spot at 1:15am, by now the storm had caught up and sleet was being blown by an increasingly ferocious wind. I set up my truck camp and immediately fell asleep.

My truck camp is one that would inspire jealousy from anyone who has slept in their vehicle before. My 2009 4Runner has become a two-seater to provide ample room for cargo, and in the instance of hunting, my twin-sized 4” thick memory foam mattress. My 15 degree bag stayed with me for this trip, along with a fleece blanket my mother made for me, and most importantly, my REAL pillow from my bed at home. The forecast called for temperatures in the low 30s with wind gusts upwards of 50mph and snow. During the day while driving around, the “bed” gets bungee corded into a tight roll, making space for all of my other gear and cooler. At night, the gear goes outside and the bed comes back out. A LED lantern provides light for reading without running the truck batteries down.

Throughout the night, I would occasionally regain consciousness due to the wind rocking the truck and the sound of snow pelting the windows. With daylight came my realization that it was going to be an extremely unpleasant day to hunt outdoors with a bow. Archery hunting demands a certain level of dexterity that is greatly compromised by the type of clothing necessary to survive in cold temperatures. Nonetheless, I drove around, tirelessly looking for a buck to chase. As the hours rolled by without a single antelope sighting, I found myself smiling without reason. I was having such a great time simply being out there, exploring the Great Plains of the west with a tag in my pocket, no amount of snow or cold could put a damper on my mood. The day came and went, without a single antelope to be found. I debated going home early, but just as soon as that thought came, it was replaced by finding a place to park the truck for the night, partially due to the fact that snow was now dumping from the sky with increasing fury. After eating an entire freeze dried dinner… and breakfast to myself, I looked at some of the photos and video I had taken throughout the day before going to sleep. Oftentimes, it is the slowest days of hunting that seem to awaken our subconscious mind to just how amazing these wild places are and how lucky we are to be gifted with time to spend there.

Pure joy felt during my first day of hunting

Morning came with the windows of the truck covered in snow. The ground was painted white with a coat of snow that brought back distant memories of my first times hunting with a rifle in hand with my father. A nostalgic feeling of comfort and desire for adventure overcame me as I stepped out of the truck. The prairie was silent and vastly peaceful. The relentless wind had given way to a light, overcast sky. Today was the day I was going to find antelope to chase.

My first encounter came shortly after hitting the main dirt road, a buck standing on the side of the road, I thought “here we go again.”. Looking at my onX, he was right on the border of a public/private boundary with no fence in sight. I decided not to risk it and carried on in my search. One piece of gear that proved invaluable on this trip was a window mount for my 18x binoculars. I could steadily glass long distances without even getting out of the truck, an absolute benefit when the temperatures were in the 20s. I pulled off the side of the road, overlooking a massive expanse of rolling hills and prairie grass. After scanning with my 10x binos, I switched to the big boys. A bedded buck, in a very stalkable spot!

I surveyed the terrain features surrounding the buck, he was bedded at the base of a very notably round hill with an equally round snow cap on the peak. To the south, was a saddle leading to two more peaks with snow on them. There was an ancient creek bed, winding and meandering up to a rise that appeared to be 120 yards or so from the bedded buck. I dropped a pin at my hilltop vantage to help triangulate position if necessary once I embarked on my stalk. After flipping the truck around, driving to a low spot and pulling off onto the sandy shoulder, I grabbed my bow, and headed out into the now sparsely snow blotched prairie.

The cattle trail leading towards the buck

Following the creek bed east towards the buck, I couldn’t help but notice just how calm and quiet my surroundings were. The grass was still and peaceful, standing motionless as the sun occasionally shone through the clouds bright enough to make the morning snow glisten on the ground. As I made my approach, stepping slowly, I noticed the snow crunching beneath my feet. Gaining ground on the bedded buck, I began to choose the location of each foot fall more precisely, aiming for spots where the snow had melted or blown away. A large rise stood before me, as the round peak stood in the distance, I was here. Slowly advancing with binoculars held to my face, I stepped, glassed, stepped, glassed, until a flash of white appeared through the grass over the rise. The buck was up and feeding about 200 yards away headed to my left. I decided to drop back down and circle around to try and cut him off. A cattle trail carved into the earth provided a silent corridor in the perfect direction, with one flaw, it went uphill. Antelope hunting is often a game of inches, so whenever you are forced to gain altitude, it provides your quarry with an opportunity to pick you off. As I gained elevation, I began to pick apart the hillside to my right while advancing. The buck was now feeding back to the right! I once again, dropped down, and circled back to my original location, same routine, only this time the buck was gone! I walked up towards my round hill, assuming he had gone around the back side. Walking slowly and silently, my eyes constantly scoured the surrounding terrain until I caught the silhouette of two black horns through the grass just over the rise. The buck was feeding away from me into a big open bowl. I dropped to all fours and began to advance, whenever he would feed, I moved. I had gotten into 165 yards of the buck when he bedded down facing away from me.

Stalking a bedded antelope is much like attempting to sneak up on your buddy in the middle of a parking lot, only he has binoculars and is looking for you. Now on my stomach, my movement is painstakingly slow, however, since I can see the buck I am able to move when his head is facing straight away from me. Getting to the downhill slope of the rise, I range the buck, knowing that after I crest there will be no cover except the shin high vegetation to hide my approach. 147, not gonna cut it. As I make my next move, the buck stands, I think to myself “well that was fun.”. He turns and looks to my east, a few cows are walking in the direction of the buck. He then began feeding again, unfortunately away from me. Even at the casual pace of him feeding, and my aggressive movement of crawling forward when his head is down, I can tell this is not going to work. 174, 186, 203, the buck was simply walking faster than I was able to crawl with such limited cover. I decide to try something out of sheer desperation, and got up to a seated position with my bow standing vertically in front of me. I can vividly recall the chill of my forearms being soaking wet from crawling in the snow, looking down at my release, which was in my front pocket, I brush the mud off of the thumb barrel, which happened to be sticking out, likely digging into the earth as I crawled. The buck of course, instantly spots me. My hope was that the curious nature of antelope would prove to be his demise, and for a moment, my thought was entertained. Often if you bob your head side to side from behind your bow, they will come in to investigate. This worked to close 40 yards, as the buck came in to 167 from his previous 209 yard range. He hung around, walked in a few circles, then began slowly walking away. I rose to a crouched position, being sure to keep my bow in front of me with the top cam held over my head, perhaps to confuse him into thinking it was some sort of horn or antler. Four hours later, I found myself staring at the buck trotting away. A very patient stalk resulting in wet arms, and freezing hands, that yielded nothing except a giant smile on my face.

My final trip of the year to attempt filling my antelope tag was not a success in the sense of a notched tag, but in all honesty, I had more fun than any other hunt this season. I felt no pressure to put one on the ground, no pressure to push hard, no pressure to stay out. I simply felt at peace. The reason behind that is still somewhat unknown to me, but frankly it is memories of trips like this that will always keep me coming back. Interactions with the game we pursue, a fresh perspective on country we have spent countless hours in, and the challenge of overcoming new weather conditions brings a new sense of appreciation and a reinvigorated feeling of being alive. And hey, I have a deer to process! I hope you can take the knowledge and gear selection tidbits from part one of this article, and add in the appreciative perspective of this article and go forth into your own hunts remembering that hunting is supposed to be fun! I often put so much pressure on myself to fill tags each season that I forget to simply enjoy bowhunting, and that my friends, is the absolute most important factor to consider. Happy hunting, this is only the beginning of archery season.

A New Adventure

The crisp mornings, hot afternoons, and endless blue skies of early September are often a bowhunter’s dream. It is relatively easy to prepare for the conditions and enjoy a pleasant hunt in the backcountry. However, when a drastic temperature drop and several inches of snow appears on the forecast, a different approach needs to be taken. This will be a two part article showcasing my gear load out and mentality leading into a high country mule deer hunt where camp is 2.75 miles from the truck, that calls for 5-10” of snow and 20-30 degree temperatures. Part two will be the result of the hunt and how my plan faired against the conditions I encounter.

Almost as a test of fortitude, a lone snow day is inserted into an otherwise mild weather forecast in this second week of September. Before diving into the gear portion, I feel it is important to address the mental aspect of heading into the backcountry with snow on the horizon. As a Colorado bowhunter, it is quite uncommon to encounter winter hunting conditions this early in the season, so my personal experience is rather limited. Questions flood my mind as my departure day approaches: will my gear hold up? Is my sleeping bag adequate? Will my boots be warm enough? Should I bring extra food? What about the statewide fire ban? Will melting snow be enough water to stay hydrated?

To add some context to the discussion, a short summary of my hunting area is needed. A single track trail weaves through a valley of pines, gradually climbing up over ridges and side-hills into the head of a vast basin where monstrous peaks jut from the earth 13,200 feet into the mountain sky. My camp is nestled amongst the pines at 11,250 feet nearly 3 miles from the trail head. The benefit is the trail, well established, and well maintained. Access in and out SHOULD be relatively easy, however being new to this area, I am not sure I will be able to locate the trail if it is covered with snow. A rough 20 minute ride via a 4x4 road into the area from the nearest town should also prove to be interesting. These are some of the thoughts that have been resonating within my subconscious. All we can do as responsible hunters is to go in prepared, with the necessary skills to survive and hunt effectively amongst harsh conditions.

My snow hunt gear load out

In order to cover gear sufficiently, we need to break it down into subcategories. Clothing is a simple start, so here we go. Heavyweight merino over-the-calf socks will be worn under my favorite mountain hunting boots, the Salomon X-Alp MTN GTX, paired with Gore Tex gaiters. I use and believe in Under Armour hunting apparel, so that is what I will be wearing. The merino mid weight base layer bottoms paired with the Gore Tex wind stopper Raider pant will keep my bottom half warm. For the top, I will be equipped with a heavyweight merino hooded base layer, Cold Gear Reactor full zip hoody, and Alpine Ops down puffer jacket. I will also have my Ridge Reaper Gore Tex Pro soft shell rain jacket if I need additional wind protection. A Prima Loft beanie paired with the multiple hoods should keep my head sufficiently warm. Mid season gloves along with mittens will keep my fingers operational in the cold temps.

My sleep system is going to be put to the test, as a proper night’s sleep is vital to hunting effectively. My shelter, a non free standing trekking pole tent, is made by Andake. Underneath it will be a tyvek ground cloth. The task of keeping me warm at night will be shared by my Marmot helium 15 degree bag, a Sea To Summit Reactor Xtreme liner(+25 degrees), and my Therma Rest Prolite Plus pad (4.4r value). I am also bringing the ground cloth from my two man tent to use as a tarp, utilizing my second trekking pole, to store my gear under at night.

Food and water will be my main concern since my water filtration system is susceptible to freezing in cold temperatures. To account for this, I will be bringing a larger fuel canister to melt snow and two Nalgene bottles to store water inside my sleeping bag to prevent freezing. They will also provide additional warmth if I fill them with boiling water prior to going to bed. I also have a 1.5 liter camelback bladder that will provide me with water on the hike in and as long as I empty it at night, it should serve as a great mobile water source. I also will be bringing food that does not need water or cooking in the case of a failure. Extra food is also in my pack, should I need it.

My hunting gear pretty much goes unchanged, since my confidence is extremely high in my current setup. One item I did add was a Klymit inflatable cushion to save my buns from sitting in the snow while glassing. My Eberlestock Little Big Top and F1 Mainframe pack the weight well, at the price of weighting 9.5 pounds empty. The great thing about that system is you have the ability to remove the F1 frame and attach the shoulder and waist straps to the Little Big Top once you arrive at camp. The internal frame of the bag will allow for carrying 45-60 pounds comfortably.

My loaded up pack along with what I am wearing on the hike in. My Eberlestock Little Big Top and F1 Mainframe came in at 53 pounds with water and my bow. Not bad for a 3 day snow hunt.

In all honesty, this hunt both excites me and scares me greatly, but that is why we love bowhunting so much. A new challenge, an unfamiliar adventure, the desire to push forward and test just how far we can go, to live with the awesome game animals we pursue. Inserting ourselves into their world, be it for a short time, brings a greater respect for both them and the wild places they inhabit. Stay tuned for part two.

We Live For This

Draw, anchor, peep, pin, target, feel the knurling on the barrel of the release on that familiar pad of your thumb, pull, pull, pull. The arrow flies true, impacting into the ten ring of a foam elk target. Visualization is key to success, and I saw that arrow going there the whole time. Next arrow comes out of the quiver, spin it so the vanes align and listen for the click onto the string, range, reach for the dial and give it a twist, 84, release on the string, draw, anchor, peep, pin. We live for this.

The alarm rings the same old tune, 6:30am comes, all too early on a Monday in January. Breakfast, coffee, start the truck, off to join the others in the lackluster parade to our 9-5. Quitting time comes eventually, home we go, one by one, brake, accelerate, brake, accelerate, pull into the good spot near the door. Dinner time brings meat harvested last fall. The memory of climbing the steep hill out of that canyon, calves burning, a smile permanently affixed on your sweat-drenched face, the sense of accomplishment and attachment that comes from eating something you have procured by your own doing is immeasurable. We live for this.

Eyes affixed to the small screen on your lap, emerald green basins, some camo-clad stranger sits upon a ridge, gazing into the distance, living the life that you yearn for. It isn’t jealousy that you’re feeling, but interest in his story, in his experience for the simple fact that it will bring you closer to the experiences you lived what seems like an eternity ago, September. We live for this.

The arrow flies, only to fall short of its mark, a plume of dust rises as to taunt you for missing the target. It was far, and the wind blew at the perfect time to test your patience, test failed, trigger punched, arrow ruined. Two vanes hang on by a thread as the strength of the glue was exceeded by the power of the bow and unforgiving hand of the earth it had struck. The click of the light switch illuminates your work station, your laboratory. What would the outcome be if these vanes would have been shorter, or longer, or helical? A cotton swab prepares the new vane for attachment, a wire-thin bead of glue flows along its underbelly. Clamp, hold, remove, good to go. We live for this.

Unlock phone screen, open maps, scroll to that pin you placed to investigate. North slope, flattens out, looks like that creek runs right through there. I bet that meadow to the east would be a great feeding feature. The wind usually comes out of the west, planning continues. We live for this.

Alarm sounds and the darkness engulfs the hollow space around you, humidity coats the walls of the tent. Dawn is an hour away, your gear sits just outside. Sixty minutes to lift off, the electric green basin awaits below you, anticipation and excitement prevented you from sleeping even a little bit. Opening day is here. WE LIVE FOR THIS!

Broadhead Black Magic

Over the years I have heard and seen a plethora of interesting, funny, and downright sad instances where someone simply could not get their broadheads to hit with their field points. Managing the archery department in a box store, the number of hunters that come in on August 1st after losing or burying a broadhead in the dirt is often overwhelming. Rather than simply accounting for the lack of education and misinformation, I would like to address the core problem, that of course being bow tuning for broadhead flight.

I can think of dozens of examples just from this year where hunters have come in, asked for my advice, and then blatantly ignored it. A recent example being a gentleman with a 28” draw length, shooting 52 pounds, and hunting elk, he wanted to know which mechanical broadhead would be best. Oh boy, here we go. First we need to understand something called kinetic energy, particularly in applications where poundage or draw length is low. Without fully going back to physics class, KE is the force applied on impact by taking the mass and velocity into account. Something heavier moving slower will impact harder than something lighter moving faster. Think about getting hit in the face with a ping pong ball going 50mph versus getting hit in the face with a bowling ball going 10mph. The other side of the coin is momentum, or mass multiplied by its velocity. Something heavier takes longer to slow down versus something lighter going the same speed, ie motorcycle going 80mph versus a semi going 80mph.

A heavier arrow will carry higher KE and momentum, it is for this reason that whenever possible, a hunter should capitalize on building an arrow to the heaviest possible configuration without falling below the “sweet spot” of arrow speed, more on that later. Whenever bow poundage or speed are low, it is crucial that the archer utilize a few key ideologies when approaching an arrow build.

Mechanical broadheads require kinetic energy to open up, so if you do not have a lot to begin with, you are severely limiting the arrow’s penetrating potential. A quality cut on contact fixed blade head is the way to go here. The amount of force required to cut through a big game animal’s hide can be more that 10x greater when using a mechanical head! The main objective we strive for is to provide a fast, ethical death to the animals we hunt, and by using the proper equipment for the task we are greatly increasing the likelihood of that happening.

An Ironwill S125 after passing through an elk rib and shoulder blade.

Now that we have thoroughly dove down a rabbit hole, we can get back to our 28” 52lb gentleman. He refused to shoot a fixed blade broadhead because “when he shot them, they wouldn’t even hit the target when his field points were flying perfect.” Without going on another wild tangent, let’s try to cover basic bow tuning in a single paragraph. Hold on tight, this is going to be really fast.

There are a few non-negotiables when it comes to bow tuning: the axle to axle and brace height measurement must be to what the manufacturer designed the bow to be. The cams must be in time, or in other words, the draw stops must hit at the same time, or very close (1/16”) to it. The rest should be set within 1/16” of center shot, which means the center of the arrow should be somewhere around 13/16” from the riser, and the bottom of the arrow shaft should run through the center to top 1/3 of the berger hole (rest bolt hole). The final non-negotiable is that the arrow must be of the proper spine (stiffness) for the bow. If all of these are correct, your bow should theoretically be tuned. There are several ways to check this tune. Paper tuning, or shooting an arrow through a sheet of paper at 2-7 yards, is the most common. 2 yards will show you any bow tuning issues, 7 yards will show you arrow issues. Bare shaft tuning, or shooting an unfletched arrow at 10-20 yards will essentially show you the same thing, on a more magnified scale. Without the vanes to stabilize the arrow, it is free to go where the bow, or your form (more on this later) tells it to. French or walk back tuning is another method that is less often used, but it is essentially using a vertical line on the target and adjusting the rest and sight to get the arrow to hit in the center.

In order to utilize any of the aforementioned tuning methods, you must first display sound mechanics and form. Just last week I had a customer bring in their bow to get it paper tuned. This particular customer was left handed and had a 29.5” draw length, so I let him shoot through paper. After about 15 arrows and inconsistent tears, I (a right handed, 27.5” draw shooter) grabbed the bow and shot a perfect bullet hole on my first arrow. I noticed the customer was griping the bow very tight as well as applying heavy facial pressure to the string, both will make it impossible to shoot a bullet hole through paper. I spent the next 10 minutes working with him on his grip and anchor point until he shot his own bullet hole.

A 110 yard mechanical broadhead group

The debate on fixed blades and mechanicals is a hot one that will go on until the end of time. Both have their place, and both have their shortcomings. Arrow weight is another hot topic lately, and with a lot of people going the route of a heavier arrow, it begs the question: at what cost? There is an optimum arrow SPEED that I personally strive for when building any arrow setup, keep in mind I typically shoot 75-80lbs and have a 27.5” draw length. 270-280 feet per second is the “sweet spot” for me. At that speed, I can get my fixed blades to tune with ease and my arrow trajectory is flat enough for my liking. In order to get those speeds with my setup, my arrow ends up between 460-480 grains, with a FOC% between 15-18%. Quite honestly front of center percentage is not important to me, there are simply only so many ways to build an arrow that weighs a certain amount and adding point weight is the easiest. Whenever you add weight to the front of the arrow, it is going to weaken the spine, so keep that in mind if you want to increase your arrow weight. Shooting an improperly spined arrow will create a tuning nightmare, and in extreme cases, be unsafe to shoot. Consulting with your local pro shop and the spine chart provided by the arrow manufacturer is the best way to go.

As we approach hunting season (my first hunt is in 11 days!), the time for testing is passed. Get your broadheads out, start shooting, and if you find that they do not hit where you expected, address the issue as fast as you can. Start at 20 yards so you have a lower chance of losing a broadhead, and always shoot your broadhead before your field point to avoid slicing your vanes off. If your broadhead hits left of your field tip, this is indicative of tail-right arrow flight. This is of course oposite for right impacts. You could try moving your rest the direction the broadhead needs to go, but only move it in 1/64” increments. If you find that you need to move your rest more than 1/16” in total, stop, and bring your bow to your local pro shop.

Different impact points between broadhead and field point. Broadhead left=tail right. Broadhead right=tail left. Broadhead low=tail high. Broadhead high=tail low.

Once you begin to grasp what is causing erratic arrow flight, it becomes easier to correct it. The “black magic” of broadhead tuning subsides and a logical, step by step process can be established. A great way to keep on top of your bow tune is to periodically shoot a broadhead throughout the year so you are never insufficiency prepared come hunting season. Always work on your form and fundamentals, and remember that your pro shop is there to help. Happy hunting!

Stabilization 201

Our very first article was titled “stabilization 101”, so it is only fitting that while we advocate evolution and improvement of our skills, we also emphasize the same when speaking to our knowledge regarding our setup. If you have not yet read the first article, click the button below and get up to speed. The purpose of this article is to expand and dive deeper into what different stabilization options do in terms of your specific setup.

The benefits and initial setup of a stabilizer system are now well within your understanding. Perhaps you are currently running a front bar and a back bar setup and have achieved a desirable balance, perhaps you are still on the fence as far as running longer stabilizers. At full draw, the bow holds well, the pin moves slowly, and after the shot is fired, the bow responds pleasantly. But what if it could get BETTER? Now we are talking the obsessive, “student of the game” school of thought that we love here at Cutter Stabilizers.

First, we need to dive deeper into stabilizer length, and more specifically, what happens to your bow with various length combinations. In the beginning phases of Cutter, I took every single length we offered, ran them as front and back bars, and put them to the test in all available arenas. What I found was somewhat surprising in the sense that there is a point of diminishing returns on a particular setup.
Having a great understanding of how your specific bow reacts statically (pre shot) and dynamically (post shot) is crucial to establishing a baseline. Some bows are simply more top heavy than others and will require a different configuration than one that is bottom heavy. First, with your existing stabilizers, remove all external weights, then return to your grip test from the first article and decide how the bow performs from a static position. Next for the dynamic reaction, shoot the bow at close range without any wind. This will tell you where the bow wants to go naturally, and with our stabilizers, the presence of keeping your bars attached is irrelevant due to their ultralight construction. To determine what length front bar is best for you, consider your application: 3D, spot and stalk hunting, or tree stand/ blind hunting. Next, decide if overall bow weight is a factor, for me it is not. Having a steady holding bow for what could be a once in a lifetime opportunity is priceless and frankly, a few extra ounces are not enough to change my decision. Remember, the longer the bar, the less weight you will need to accomplish the same result. By extending the weight from the bow further, you are creating the effect of more mass weight. A longer bar is more responsive to macro movements, and less responsive to micro movements. For example, getting your pin onto the vitals of an animal is a macro movement, keeping it there is a micro movement. This means that with a longer stabilizer, target acquisition is fast and pin float is slow. To choose a back bar, simply go by the general rule of 2:1. 2oz rear weight to 1oz front weight. As a basic guideline for a hunting application, an 8” back bar will require 6-10oz of weight to offset your front bar, so decide on front bar length first. Since our stabilizers are so light, they are much more responsive to external weight since ALL of the weight is out on the end where it belongs.

Determining how much weight to run on each stabilizer is slightly more complex than simply balancing the bow. Of course, that is the primary purpose, but furthermore, decreasing the float pattern of your pin on target is paramount. For example, if too much weight is added to the front bar, you will likely need to fight to keep your pin from falling out of the bottom of the target. Too much weight on your back bar will often result in opening up your pin float pattern. We need to dig a little bit deeper into just what a pin float pattern entails.
Every archer has a slightly unique pattern that their pin naturally moves around the spot in which they were aiming. This is somewhat of a high level thing to pick up on, and you must be very observant to pick up on your float pattern. For example, my personal float pattern typically is linear (from side to side). In order to allow your pin to float freely, you must maintain focus on the target rather than your pin. By focusing on the target, your pin will remain closer to the spot in which you are aiming. Focusing on your pin will result in a “forced” float pattern, or the action of fighting your pin to return to the spot. You can equate this to driving a car, look at the lines too long and you will swerve much easier than maintaining focus a ways down the road in your path of travel.

Now that we have established what float pattern means, and hopefully identified our float pattern, we can return to the matter at hand. Adding too much weight to your back bar can actually INCREASE the size of your pin float. It will be slow, but it will also be difficult to keep tight on the spot. This occurs due to the fact that the physical presence of external weight overrides our brain’s subconscious ability to maintain focus on a spot, remember this is stabilization 201 after all!

In order to get the absolute peak of accuracy potential out of your stabilizer setup, we need a few constants: a baseline for pin float pattern size, a baseline for bow balance, and a general understanding of how your bow will be used most. In the majority of hunting setups, 8-16 total ounces is enough to effectively stabilize any bow. Since writing the first article, I have switched bows (twice), but we will leave that alone for now. I am now shooting a Mathews Vertix that balances and holds better than any bow I have ever owned. My recipe ended up being a 12” front bar with 3oz weight, and a 10” back bar with 5oz weight. My back bar is angled down approximately 20 degrees and angled away from the bow about 25 degrees. Even with a full quiver in a stiff wind, that pin will just sit on the spot even well outside of 60 yards. If you are ready to seriously reflect and observe your own shooting, then you have taken the first step towards building your most accurate setup ever, and all of us here at Cutter Stabilizers are excited to help you build it.

Pre-Season Cram Session

Looking a little sad on the first scouting trip of the year.

In exactly one month I will be chasing antelope with bow in hand. 30 short days to nail down every detail of the system I will be implementing this year. The equipment portion is in order, but the cardiovascular portion of my fitness routine has somewhat been neglected. Life gets crazy sometimes and it is not always easy to budget time for running. If this sounds familiar, stay tuned because in this article, we will be discussing how to maximize your cardio gains in a short amount of time.

The number one way to improve for any specific activity is to perform said activity. The snow is all but gone in the high country and the mule deer have settled into their summer patterns, a great time to strap on the backpack and get up there! Focus on distance rather than time. 6-8 miles in a day with a 30-40lb pack is going to be harder than you think, pace yourself. Two seasons ago, I went a little too hard getting into a new area and ended up with a strained psoas muscle that ailed me for three weeks.

Any form of cardio that fits your schedule will be beneficial. Daily cardio is required at this point if you want to see increased efficiency before September. A 10 minute run every day will yield great results. Keep the time the same and try to increase the distance (pace). A stair master is a great training tool, as is a treadmill set to a steep incline, as long as you adhere to one rule: NO HANDS ON THE RAILS. This kills me when I see people with the treadmill at full 15% incline only to be hanging onto the bar and pulling themselves along, totally eliminating any benefit. Slow down the pace until you can feel comfortable not holding on.

Stair master training is as close is it gets to hiking while in the gym.

Strength training loses importance now, except core training. Lower body training should be tailored to endurance, so if you choose to utilize sets and reps shoot for 4-6 sets of 20-50 reps. If timed circuits are more your style, go for 60 seconds of the exercise, 60 seconds of rest. Upper body exercises can take a backseat for a few weeks, but if you have time to do a total body circuit, go ahead and perform 1-2 exercises per body part.

Flexibility is crucial at this stage in the game. A lack of flexibility can result in premature fatigue, cramping, or even injury when it comes time to grind on the mountain. Foam roll daily and stretch every lower body muscle for 30-45 seconds just past the point of discomfort. Balance training is also crucial, and somewhat fun as well. Walking lunges are a great way to kill two birds with one stone, as are squats on an upside down bosu ball. Single leg hops and toe taps are another great way to improve your balance.

A great hiking stretch: the “figure 4” targets glutes, and hip flexors.

At this stage of the year, efficient training is the name of the game. The less time spent in the gym, the more time you will have for bow shooting, scouting, and other adult, non-hunting related things (boo). With focus, accountability, and some time management, you can still reach peak form in time for opening day. Remember, the harder you work now, the easier that mountain will be to climb come September. Cheers to 30 days until we return to what we love.

Second Chance Outdoors

Throughout the journey of starting Cutter Stabilizers, a few events have stood out, our first sale, our first podcast mention, our first video feature. One event jumps to the forefront, partially because it just occurred this past weekend, but predominantly because of the sheer weight this particular event carries. Hunting, the wild places, and adventure of being immersed in the solitude of the outdoors yields so many benefits, most of which are clearly visible, others, more profound, more amazing than you could ever imagine. The event in which I am speaking on is from Mountain Archery Fest in Beaver Utah.

The morning of day two dawned, my business partner and I walked into the vendor village to sit at our booth. I saw a gentleman walking through, we had met very briefly in passing, so I knew he was the founder of a charity called Second Chance Outdoors. I wanted to help in some way, so I decided to donate a stabilizer to a raffle, all proceeds would go to his charity. We spoke, coordinated, and put the word out on social media. By 6:30pm, we had raised all of $16. Pretty disappointing, but that evening was a pint night and dinner event with all of the event attendees. We spoke about the raffle, and in about 30 minutes, we were up to $128, not bad. My business partner and I talked, decided we would match the donations. We made the announcement, and 15 minutes later we were $14 short of $500. All said and done, we provided $1000 to SCO and Logan, the founder was on the edge of tears, man it felt good. Below is a story Logan wrote, about how he came to start this charity. Enjoy.

“April 2018, Spring time in Northern New mexico.  I had just got back from a contract gig in Kabul Afghanistan, where I worked for the Department of Defense out of a small special operations FOB. At this point I had been away from home for close to a year and the adjustment was happening, but slower than I had hoped. 

I was thumbing through Facebook one afternoon, while I was home alone since the wife had to work and the kids were off doing their thing. I came across a buddy of mine 's post, which he had shared and it was about a Turkey hunt in Colorado. It was a guided, private property turkey hunt for the spring Over the Counter Season.

I thought, what the heck lets explore this. So I made a couple of phone calls/texts to my buddy and eventually got into contact with the guide. We spoke for a little while, and I thought oh what the heck lets go for it.  I've got nothing else going on.

My wife got home from work later that evening, and I told her I had booked a guided turkey hunt up in Colorado.  She looked at me, and all she said was "good."  She got it.  She could tell I needed to get into the mountains, into camp and do what I love. Hunt. 

Fast forward a few weeks later, I drive up to Mancos Colorado and meet with the guide before heading into camp. Immediately there was a connection. He wore a specific camo patterned hat with a patch on the front.  I asked him where he served and he got a sideways grin and asked if I was a Veteran. "yeah man, in fact just got back from a contract gig in Kabul." Instant buddies.

We got into camp with enough light left to head out and see if we could put some birds to roost. Nothing much that first evening in the field. We head back to camp which was a wall tent, with an awesome camp kitchen, cots and just an all around awesome environment.  

My guide for this trip, AJ cooked dinner. Classic camp dinner and end up just hanging out and talking.  Of course we talk about where he served, where i've been and all that fun stuff. Turns out we were in the same area during a deployment in 2009. So we shared some very common stories on that place, some events surrounding it, and some of the dumb rules leadership and others came up while we were there.

Roll out of bed the next morning, coffee is on, breakfast is cooking and man am I stoked.  Slept really well ( I always sleep better in the mountains) and woke up refreshed which hadn't happened in a long time. I was stoked and ready to get on some birds.

We head out to the blind and wait for first light. Day breaks, and the mountains come to life.  Every ridge there is a gobbler. We have our decoys set, we have a great setup and AJ is working his call. Because I suck at Turkey calling.  No dice.

We decide it's time to make a move, and work a road that will take us way deep into the canyon.  The air is still crisp in the early morning, even in the spring. It's Colorado. We work a road, back to the east and come to a horseshoe shaped bend.  On the left side of the road it leads up to a mesa on the right, open field.  Bingo, we are on the birds. After carefully looking over the hens and young jakes, no shooters and we hang out and watch them do the turkey thing. 

At this point, I haven't thought once about Afghanistan, the conflict, the sites the smells or any of that crap.  Just in awe of the mountains, the wildlife, the sights and smells.

The decision was made to head back to our first spot, it has to be midmorning at this point. Couldn't really tell you as I didn't really care about the time. Get back into the blind and like clockwork, gobbles. Aj responds and starts talking with the elk bird.

And I'll tell you what this Tom was into it. He was responding back and sure enough I looked off to my right and here he comes. He is fanned out and strutting into the decoys.  He fights with the Jake for a little bit and fans back out. He has his eyes set on the prize, the hen.  

I had other plans.  I had seen enough. This was a good bird, a good sized Tom.  I was going to take him.  30 yards. Safety off, exhale and press.  Shot breaks and we have a bird down! 

And I know its just a turkey, but I was stoked! My first Colorado bird! We do the whole picture thing and get the bird back into the camp and cleaned up. 

Steaks for dinner tonight! Aj and I stayed up way to late just talking about what post deployment life is like and the struggles that some face and how some just couldn't shake the demons of deployment or post deployment life. 

I remember very vividly both of us sitting back in our seats and taking a deep breath in and out. No idea what his thought was at the time, but I would later learn it was very similar to mine.  "how do I get more guys outdoors?"  More guys need to experience this, and not just the harvest. But the whole thing.  Get into camp with like minded folks and be able to relax and enjoy the moment and not be so "switched on."

I got home and began to un-pack and felt the tension in the shoulders gone, the fatigue in my back gone, the tiredness in my mind gone. I felt like me. I felt human again. I let this go for a few days and it really didn't go away. I felt satisfied, like I had accomplished something again and that I wasn't wandering around without a mission. 

Later that week I applied for a position with a local Police Department and got it. That leads to a whole bunch of other stories, but I digress.

I talked to my wife about how I was feeling after that hunt, and she was beyond supportive of it. She was so happy to have me back as she put it. She was happy to see me laugh and smile and relax. Sometime later I pitched her the idea of Second Chance Outdoors. It didn't have a name at the time, but the concept.  She loved it. Months went by and that's all it was, an idea. 

Fast forward through a lifetime of experiences and stories and I had never lost sight of that concept. I pitched it to her again, and this time she wasn't as cordial about it.  "Sh** or get off the pot man." She said.  She wasn't wrong, it was time to start being about it instead of just talking about it.  Thus, Second Chance Outdoors was born. 

Our mission is to get Veterans and First Responders outdoors to help combat the staggering numbers of suicides within these professions. I could go into detail about how many of our nation's heroes have lost the battle at home due to excuse my french piss poor mental health care in this country, or I could try to do something about it, and here we are. 

This year alone we are providing 4 hunts for Veterans/First Responders and we haven't even been in business for a full year. We are making it happen, and while it is hard work. To me, it is worth it to sacrifice sleep, money and free time to help those who are willing to give us their life.

Stay safe, hunt hard, and always remember, You're never out of the fight.

Logan”

To learn more or to donate to Second Chance Outdoors, visit their website by clicking the button below.

Starting From Scratch

“Out for delivery”, three words anyone loves seeing, especially if it’s a new bow in that truck. Twice now I have ignored my own advice and switched bows late in the game. Last season I ended up scoring a great deal on a bow in late October, two weeks later I had an 8 point whitetail buck lying underneath that bow. This year I ended up making the switch ten days before a series of 3D events. In this article, I would like to cover how to learn a new bow, and how to prepare yourself to be lethal with that bow.

There is a massive difference between picking up your bow two weeks before a hunt after leaving it in the closet all year and switching bows close to a hunt. No matter which bow is in my hand, I am shooting at least 200 arrows per week all year long. My fundamentals are sound and my knowledge of equipment is adequate. From my time working in the archery department at a big outdoor store, I have seen my fair share of neglectful archery endeavors. One in particular sticks out in my memory. A guy walked up to the bow counter on September 1st, said “I just bought an archery tag and we’re going hunting in two days. I need a bow, this is my first ever bow.” As my heart sank and eyes likely rolled around inside my skull, I hesitantly began to offer my guidance. To clarify, the above example is not what I’m referring to when I speak of learning a new bow.

My buck I was able to take with a bow I owned for less than two weeks.

Upon the arrival of that much-anticipated delivery, I immediately inspect the bow, study the cams, the grip, the string and cables, and try to figure out how it all works. Typically with any new bow, I will replace the factory strings with a good aftermarket set, especially with a pre-owned bow. This ensures I am starting with a clean slate and any wear or stretch will be caused by my use, not the unknown of the previous owner. After the string swap, it’s time to tune. My process is very diligent and thorough, paper tune, bare shaft, and finally group tuning.

Shooting the new bow is of course the most important for learning it. The obvious answer is sending a LOT of arrows down range, but also being aware while you do so. How does the bow hold on target, where does your hand feel most natural on the grip, and how responsive is the back wall? This is all relatively high level information that you must first have a baseline for comparison, so in this instance, we are talking to archers with notable previous experience. Making the switch from a Hoyt to a Mathews was quite the change, especially on the tuning side. The draw cycle was different, the bow held differently, and the grip interfaces with my hand differently. In the ten days I have had my Mathews I have shot nearly 500 arrows, so I feel that I really have learned the basics of how to shoot it accurately, not to mention it took all of four arrows to get a perfect bullet hole through paper! Aside from the grip, the largest, most noticeable difference from one bow to another is often the back wall and valley. How dynamic does the wall allow you to be? I know the wall on the Mathews is considerably more solid than my previous Hoyt, so in order to pull through the shot, it requires a different level of resistance, with less feedback. These are the tiny details that you should be looking for.

As with anything, the more you do it, the better and more comfortable you will become. The name of the game is consistency here, and breaking in a new set of strings in three days was my motivation to shoot lots of arrows. Of course, it is always better to be fully in tune and familiar with your bow entering a hunt, but if for any reason you find yourself with an unfamiliar rig in your hand a couple weeks before the season, spend the time, put in the reps, and pay attention to the small stuff. You will be just as confident as you were with your old bow in no time.

Surviving A Mountain 3D Event

The summer has arrived, you’ve been shooting great and feel confident in your setup. Back in January, you registered for a Total Archery Challenge event and the time has come to go shoot it! This article will cover what to expect, what to bring, and how to leave the event with confidence and (hopefully) the same amount of arrows you showed up with!
These ski resort style events, such as Total Archery Challenge and Mountain Archery Fest, are a great opportunity to test your abilities and equipment in real-world conditions. The terrain is similar to that in which you will likely be hunting on, and the shots are typically very difficult. Most events have several different courses to shoot, ranging from short shots and flat terrain, up to extremely long shots and incredibly rugged terrain. Last year at a TAC event in South Dakota (the official launch of Cutter), we shot for one day, and hiked 11 miles. The miles add up quickly and if you aren’t prepared, your feet will be very upset.

Bringing the correct gear and clothing can make all the difference. Sturdy hiking boots or mountain shoes are great, especially if they’re broken in. This is a good time to test new boots, but bring your old faithfuls as well. A small day pack or hydration pack is nice to have for water and snacks, along with a light rain jacket. There are typically water stations throughout the mountain, but having your own is better. The added weight in your pack will help with training also, and believe it or not, shooting your bow with a full pack can feel remarkably different than shooting without one. Capitalize on the practice and shoot with your bino harness and hunting pack. Shorts are totally fine, but lightweight, breathable pants are better as there are areas where the lack of trail paired with thick brush can be a pain on your shins.

Along with a good clothing setup, there are certain gear items that will make your shooting experience a lot more enjoyable. A range finder that has angle compensation is imperative to hitting the target. Last year at the Terry Peak TAC event, there was a 31 yard mule deer target, at a 48 degree angle! Line of sight distance was 61 yards, so without angle compensation, your shot would fly way over the target. Arrow lube and an arrow puller also make for nice additions to your kit as some arrows are very difficult to remove from foam targets. A pair of 8-10x binoculars are nice to have as well, giving you the ability to look at the target and visualize where you’d like your arrow to impact.

Your bow setup is the most obvious consideration at a specialized event like this. The number one, most important thing to check before hitting the course is the 2nd and 3rd axis of your sight! If they are not set correctly, you will run out of arrows in a hurry. A few years ago there was an 82 yard side hill shot on a javelina target, I got to full draw, looked at my bubble, and was shocked to see it jammed all the way to one side. The terrain and your equilibrium make it terribly hard to judge what is level and what is not. Trusting your bubble is imperative. I like to shoot my exact hunting setup to really test it in adverse conditions and terrain. Typically I will build a set of lower grade arrows of the same type as my hunting arrows. For example, I hunt with a 455g gold tip pierce platinum. My target arrows are the regular grade pierce shafts, at roughly $60 cheaper per dozen, it isn’t as sad watching one explode against a rock down range. Bring at least a dozen arrows with you.

There are a few mental challenges that you will face while shooting these challenging courses, and if you let them get into your head, you’ll have a bad day and likely lose more arrows than you should. Be honest with yourself as far as your ability level goes, if a shot seems too far, there is no harm in walking up a few yards and shooting it from there. These events are for fun, and losing or breaking multiple $15 arrows is not fun. After a bad shot or miss, regroup, stick to your shot process, ensure your anchor position is correct, and be aware of all of the fundamentals. If you are thinking about proper execution, you’ll be less likely to think about that last arrow you stuck in a tree. Shooting well on a challenging course will have you headed into hunting season with confidence to spare, so practice perfect execution, shoot smart and HAVE FUN! Don’t forget, we will be at Mountain Archery Fest in Beaver, UT 6/26-6/28. We hope to see you there!