As some of you know, I've had issues with my shoulder for a couple of years now. I was seriously contemplating surgery, but after posting here decided to give PT a try. I tried like heck to get into shape shooting my 53# River's Edge on a mule deer hunt the first of August and was getting there. Two weeks before season I just didn't have the confidence I normally do in my shooting. So I practiced more and WHAM, woke up and had trouble lifting my arm.
I ended up taking a muley, but it was with a compound. The hunt was one of my best ever because I got to go with my father-in-law for a week of camping, hunting and hanging out. My mother-in-law passed away two years ago from cancer and it was really good for us to spend the time together.
When I got home I glued up a 40# Hill style longbow. I haven't put the finish on it, but I've been shooting it for a week or so now. One of the first things I did was video tape myself. Wow, what a mess I was. Due to lingering pain that I wasn't even aware of my form had gotten really, really bad. Funny how your body seems to subconsciously compensate for pain to keep you going. No wonder my shooting was bad and my confidence was worse.
I've never been a great shooter, but before the shoulder thing I always felt really good shooting at game and did well. I always felt that one of my biggest advantages was confidence. When I pulled back on something I always had this thing in my brain that just said "you're dead". I'm sure you guys know the feeling. Well, I know believe a lot of that comes from having good form that leads to that kind of confidence. As my form eroded, so did my confidence to the point that when I pulled back on something HOPED I'd hit it.
Last Fall I killed my nicest blacktail buck with a bow with my River's Edge, but the shot was poor. It should've been an easy shot, too. I shot a turkey with my uncles 45# recurve this spring, but it was a really close shot and I still didn't have the "gotcha" feeling when I was shooting.
So, I'm starting over. Really, I'm looking forward to it. I started out in traditional archery shooting a straight limbed Hill bow and wooden arrows. As I got more and more into it I tried all kinds of bows and arrow combos.
For the past week I've been shooting that little 40#er with some wood arrows. I shoot a lot and my shoulder doesn't hurt. I actually find myself relaxing when I shoot, instead of tensing up. I'm having fun. Last night my last three arrows hit a Pepsi can from 15-18 yards and the best thing was I KNEW I was going to hit it before I dropped the string.
Elk season will find me triapsing about with my c-pound this fall. No way I'll be able to shoot accurately with a legal weight bow and I don't want to ruin the good thing that I've got going. But, by next season I feel really good about getting back to my beloved stick and string for big game.
The best thing about starting over is getting to re-evaluate form and shooting technique. I believe I will come out of this experience a much better shooter. Many, many thanks to the makers of Masters of the Barebow. I watched the videos a couple of times before I started shooting my light weight bow.
I can't wait for small game this year. I've never hunted with a 40# bow, but I'm going to spend a lot of time in the woods with her this season and it'll be my "go to" bow for coons and nutria after Nov. 15th. I honestly feel more excited about shooting that bow and hunting small game and stumping than I've felt about hunting anything for a long, long time.
Anyway, thanks for letting me get all that off my chest.
Stan
Topic: Starting over (Read 392 times)
