Determined to take one last draw

by Feb 24, 2016Hunting in Maine, Whitetail Deer

Determined to take one last draw

I was going to get the first shot in.  I put the pin on the target and released.

Hubby spun around, “where did it go?”

I shook my head, “I have no idea”

And just like that, I was down to five arrows.

We put the kiddo down for his nap and lugged our gear outside.  This was the first time that we were shooting at our house and not in the archery shop.  I lined up again to shoot and realized that I hadn’t lined up my peep with my sight for that first shot.  I tried to determine how far off my first shot had been but it was pointless.  I still haven’t found that arrow.

I had Hubby take photos and video so that I could look at my form and posture and attempt to fix some of the early issues that I was noticing; like leaning too far back in my stance.  I also wanted to work on holding the bow correctly and not twisting it like I have a tendency to do with my rifle.

It also helps that I have an incredible support team with EvoOutdoors and a few of them were immediately giving me tips and suggestions to help with my form and helping me understand just what it was that I was doing.  As a rifle hunter, I know bullet size, grains etc. As a bow hunter, I have a steep learning curve as I figure out my fps, that my arrow has a spine, that grain I may need in regards to the broadheads that I have yet to buy… So. Many. Things!

Hubby and I took turns shooting for a couple of hours.  We were getting tired as time passed but we just couldn’t get stop.  We were determined to keep taking ‘one last draw’ until finally, the kiddo woke up and we had to go inside. 

For now all I need to work on is getting my arrows to hit the target in a decent grouping.  I will work on the rest as I get more comfortable with my bow, the sights and feel of shooting it over and over again.

1 Comment

  1. Way to go Erin! We all donate arrows to the huntings gods from time to time, it's just part of the deal! But at least unlike bullets you can use arrows again and again, haha. As far as technique, the only thing I can see is you want to loosen your grip a bit and not push into the bow so much. You might want to adjust the draw length if your bow arm is too straight. Here is a link to a one of my blogs from years ago. If you scroll down there is a pic or two of me shooting my old Mathews, you can see what I'm talking about. Keep it up! http://perpetualstateofautumn.blogspot.com/2011/09/october-looms.html

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Meet The Author

Erin Merrill, author of And a Strong Cup of Coffee, is president of Women of the Maine Outdoors, a senior writer for Drury Outdoors, a contributor to the Northwoods Sporting Journal and passionate all things Maine, Hunting, and the Outdoors.

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