Pine Ridge Archery
Arrow Reverse Engineering
I’m a numbers guy when it comes to archery. As soon as I get a bow setup, I then start pairing that bow with an ideal arrow, but I typically make that selection opposite of what many archers do. I call it Arrow Reverse Engineering, or A.R.E. for short.Perfect Arrows = Better Downrange Accuracy
Did you know that taking your arrows for a spin can be the difference between driving tacks and missing the mark? When one of your arrows doesn’t hit the mark, it is sometimes hard to tell if you made a mistake or if the arrow has a flaw. An inexpensive arrow spinner can increase your downrange accuracy. - If your arrow has a dent, isn’t straight, or has some other imperfection that can’t be seen by looking at the arrow, the Arrow Inspector™ from Pine Ridge Archery will reveal if something is wrong. If the arrow spins perfectly on the Arrow Inspector™, the arrow is ready for your quiver. If the arrow wobbles when you take it for a spin, chances are something is wrong.
- Often the imperfection isn’t in the arrow; it is in the insert. If an insert isn’t glued in properly or has any imperfections, it will likely cause the arrow to wobble on the spinner. When an arrow wobbles on a spinner, archers often assume the arrow is bad when it could be something else. Often the culprit is the insert. Making sure the tip of your arrow is square before gluing in the insert will help ensure the insert is seated properly. Using too much glue on the insert can often cause the insert to not be seated perfectly, resulting in poor arrow flight. Attention is often given to gluing vanes on a shaft. Gluing in the insert requires just as much attention.
- In some cases, a broadhead isn’t built to spec or the weight isn’t what it is advertised. It can be hard seeing all these imperfections unless an arrow is spin tested. It is not uncommon to find a few arrows that don’t fly true in every dozen arrows purchased. Making sure the arrow that doesn’t fly true isn’t in a quiver when a tournament is on the line or a buck is standing at 40 yards is necessary. An arrow spinner is the easiest way to make sure every arrow in a quiver is flying like a dart.
TURKEY DECOY TRICKS THAT WILL BRING GOBBLERS IN CLOSE
Bowhunting turkeys can be tough. They have eyes like an eagle, a small vital area and can disappear after the shot, never to be seen again. To kill one with a bow, it is best if you are super close to them when taking a shot so you can aim and execute the shot perfectly and take out their head or chest cavity, depending on which one you are aiming at. The easiest way to get up close and personal with a long beard is by using a turkey decoy. Below are a couple tactics that work well for bringing Tommy boy in close.
Many bowhunters make the mistake of setting up their Jake or Tom decoy so it is facing away from the hunter or the blind, which can be a mistake. Instead, place the tom decoy so it is facing the blind or the hunter. This forces the incoming tom to circle around and face off with the decoy. The real tom will want the decoy to know he is challenging him. When he circles around to face the decoy, the hunter will have a close broadside shot at the turkey. If the decoy is facing away from the hunter, the tom will often stand just out of shooting distance from the decoy, strutting back and forth, because the real bird is convinced the decoy can see him. Always force the real bird to come in close.
Last year, my son shot a longbeard at ten steps. It was the last day of turkey season but the tom was still lovesick over the ladies. By the late season, many toms are call shy and this one was too. I only called to him twice in an hour. What brought him in close was the lay down hen decoy I had out in front of us. The lay down hen looks like a hen that is ready to breed. Even a call shy gobbler will come running when he sees a hen is ready for business. You don’t have a breeding hen decoy? Get one. Toms are obviously distracted when they get on top of the decoy which gives you plenty of time to draw your bow and make a good shot.
Most bowhunters only bring one or two decoys with them when they hunt. How often in the spring do you just see one hen by herself? When I turkey hunt, I often bring three or four lightweight, packable decoys with me. A bigger flock often eases the fear of the real birds and brings them in close. Packing extra decoys can be a pain, but it is worth the effort.
When bowhunting turkeys, keeping your bow positioned for the shot can be difficult. Consider using a Pine Ridge Archery Kwik Stand. The Kwik Stand keeps your bow out of the dirt and in a vertical position while you wait. When the time comes, you can simply lift your bow and shoot.
Good luck this spring!
BY TRACY BREEN
3 BOWHUNTER STOCKING STUFFERS
Christmas is almost here. Buying something for the bowhunter in your life is often difficult. Most bowhunters I know don’t really have a wish list. If they want something, they go out and buy it. Every once in a while, there are items out there that a bowhunter doesn’t even know they want or need but once they have it, they will wonder how they ever lived without it. Below are a few things we offer here at Pine Ridge Archery that every bowhunter would love to find under the tree or in their stocking.
- This year we introduced the Kwik Stand Bow Support. This unique stand can attach to the limb of most any modern day bow and keep it upright and ready for the shot. Whether a hunter shoots a Hoyt, Mathews, or any other brand, the Kwik Stand will keep their bow out of the dirt or off of the concrete, making this the perfect accessory for the bowhunter or the target shooter.
- Another item we offer that bowhunters love is the Arrow Inspector™. This nifty device is extremely portable and is used to spin test arrows. Do you ever wonder if your broadheads are flying true or your old arrows are still flying like darts? Spin test them on the Arrow Inspector™ and you will quickly notice a wobble if something is wrong.
- Every bowhunter needs an Archers Allen Wrench set. With this set, most every size Allen wrench a bowhunter would ever need is in one easy-to-use set. Bowhunters will never have to look around the workshop for the right size wrench again. The set can even be purchased with a holster so it can be kept on a belt.
Blood Tracking Basics
Here we are, smack dab in the middle of bow season. I thought I would give readers a few blood tracking tips because a friendly refresher course never hurts anyone. For this article, I interviewed Tracker John, one of the best known blood trackers on the planet. Each year Tracker John tracks monster whitetails across the midwest for hunters who can’t find their buck. Below are a few mistakes he sees many hunters make in the field that often costs them their deer.
1. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS
“Many hunters are so jacked up when they take a shot that they don’t pay close attention to where the deer was hit or where it went after the shot. This information is extremely important. Hunters should try to pay very close attention to where the deer goes after the shot. Many hunters I work with insist it went one direction when if fact we find out later it went another direction altogether,” Tracker John said.
2. THE WAITING GAME
Another mistake Tracker John sees hunters make is rushing into the woods to look for the deer. “Every experienced hunter knows they shouldn’t get down right after the shot and look for the deer, but often that is what hunters do. This often pushes the deer and can end up costing a hunter his buck. This can make my job and the job of my bloodhounds harder if we get called in. Wait 45 minutes or an hour before climbing out of your stand.”
3. ONLY BRING A FRIEND
Some hunters bring too many friends with them on the tracking job. “When you bring a lot of people along, things can get confusing. Blood can get missed or even worse blood can get on the bottom of boots and be tracked all over the place which can be confusing for my dog and make her job harder. I suggest hunters only bring one or two friends with them when tracking.”
4. BRING TOILET PAPER
Always bring toilet paper. Ever since toilet paper was invented, hunters have used it to mark last blood but sometimes in a rush, hunters forget to bring it along. “Marking last blood can make putting the pieces of the puzzle together easier for the hunters tracking the deer and easier for me. Many hunters forget to bring this along on a tracking job.”
5. MAKE THE CALL RIGHT AWAY
Don’t think of hiring a tracking dog as a last resort. “Many hunters don’t call a tracker in until they have spent hours or even days wandering around looking for their deer. The moment a person thinks they have a problem they should find a good blood tracker. The older the trail is and the more people there have been walking around looking makes finding the deer more difficult. If a hunter is having difficulty shortly after they start tracking, they should call a tracker.”
BY TRACY BREEN
Western game...on your own!
Here at Pine Ridge Archery, we love watching our customers be successful. We recently interviewed Jake Rush, Manager of the Outdoorsmans in Phoenix, Arizona. The Outdoorsmans sells a line of high-end backpacks and tripods designed for hardcore hunters so it is safe to say Rush knows about bowhunting western game. Rush uses the Pine Ridge Nitro Vanes and recently tagged a nice Arizona buck. One of the keys to his success is shooting almost every day of the year. “I shoot my bow almost daily. Even if I don't have time to spend 30-45 minutes shooting, I walk outside and shoot one arrow before leaving for work. Practicing this way helps boost my confidence and after a while, the bow feels like an extension of myself,” Rush explained.
PUT IN FOR LIMITED DRAW TAGS
Many hunters believe the only way to tag a nice buck or bull is by paying an outfitter. Jake and many like him know that is not true. He puts in for limited draw hunts in units where larger animals live. “This was a draw only tag. Much of Arizona is open for OTC archery deer starting in August every year. Typically I hunt the desert units closer to home. This was my first time putting in for a draw only archery tag and hunting deer in the pine trees of Northern Arizona.” Putting in for a limited draw hunt requires extra time and effort, but the payoff can be huge.”
SCOUT
Once Jake had the tag in his hand, the scouting and hard work began. “I spent a few weekends up in my unit getting a lay of the land and looking for areas I thought may hold deer. This time of year, the deer move quite a bit so even though I had seen deer in the same area, this was the first time I had seen this group of deer.”
GLASSING
Many people who hunt out west spend most of their time running and gunning. They cover as much ground as possible in search of a big buck or bull. Jake and the guys at the Outdoorsmans spend a lot of time glassing instead of running and gunning. They let the optics do the job for them. If you spend a lot of time glassing, you will want high end optics and a good tripod. These two things can drastically reduce the odds of getting eye strain and make the glassing experience more enjoyable. “Optics played a huge role in this hunt! I used the Swarovski EL 12x50s mounted to the Outdoorsmans tripod system for glassing the open areas where the bucks would come out to feed in early in the morning and evening. When I got into the thicker forested areas, I switched over to a pair of Leupold BX-4 10x42s for finding deer bedded in the shady areas.” Spending a lot of time glassing paid off for Jake.
Jake wasn’t extremely worried with how big the buck was he; was more concerned with meat. “I don’t know the score yet. All I know is that it made a good amount of snack sticks and breakfast sausage,” Rush exclaimed.
For many hunters, going on a Western bowhunt is a dream. The dream can become a reality if you hunt in units that offer over-the-counter tags or if you start putting in for limited draw hunts. I have been successful on limited draw hunts and have filled tags without breaking the bank. If you dream of hunting big bucks or bulls, start applying for draw hunts. Learn more about the Outdoorsmans by visiting www.outdoorsmans.com
BY TRACY BREEN
Bowhunting From The Ground
More bowhunters are recognizing the benefits of hunting whitetails on the ground. Until a decade ago, most bowhunters preferred to bowhunt exclusively from trees. As pop-up ground blinds became more popular, more hunters have realized bowhunting from the ground is safer and more enjoyable. If you are thinking about bowhunting from the ground this fall, below are a few tips to help you increase your odds of success.
- If you are planning to hunt from a pop-up blind, place it in the woods weeks before the season opens. Brushing it in is wise. Make it look like part of the landscape. If you don’t have time to set it out ahead of time or you are hunting on public land, don’t put the blind deep in the woods; consider putting it in an open field. Brooks Johnson, Founder of Double Bull Blinds says deer don’t mind seeing a blind in an open area because they can check it out as they approach it. A blind that suddenly appears in the woods often spooks deer. “Deer need time to get used to a blind. They either need to see it in the open as they approach or if it is near a bedding area or travel route, it needs to be there a while,” Johnson advised.
- When choosing a blind, consider one that isn’t shaped like a square. Whether you purchase a bale blind, a blind that is shaped more like a tipi, or a conventional camping tent, deer often spook at the sight of a square blind. A round blind or triangle shaped blind blends in better.
- When hunting from a ground blind, make sure you are completely scent free. A blind can help contain human odor but not all of it. Use a ScentLok suit, an Ozonics, or spray down in scent-free spray.
- Another option is hunting without a blind. I have killed several bucks on the ground without using a blind. This option gives you complete freedom because you keep the wind in your face and hunt. You can hide under a tree with low hanging branches, hide near a brush pile or even wear a Ghillie suit. Hunting without a blind requires you to remain motionless but filling a tag this way is easier than most people think.
- One of the biggest challenges of bowhunting from the ground in a blind or without a blind is what to do with your bow while you are waiting on a buck. The Kwik Stand from Pine Ridge Archery solves the problem. The Kwik Stand is an easy-to-use stand that has jaws that grip your bow limb and legs that hold your bow in the upright position. The Kwik Stand keeps your bow upright and ready at all times.
Bowhunting from the ground can be fun and challenging. If you are not looking forward to climbing into a tree this fall, try it!
BY TRACY BREEN
ARCHERY IS ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS
Another thing that can help you is an Allen wrench that is built with the archer in mind. When I was a kid, I rarely adjusted the sight on my bow unless it was way off. The main reason I didn’t want to adjust my sight was because I had to stop what I was doing and dig up the right size wrench. If my sight was off a little bit, I kept shooting and compensating by raising or lowering my bow. Pine Ridge Archery makes an Allen wrench set that has every possible size wrench built in one easy-to-use set. It’s good to have in my pocket when I am sighting in a bow and when I am bowhunting.
The vibration from a bow sometimes causes the sight, the stabilizer and even my arrow rest to loosen up slightly, causing extra noise. Every few weeks during bow season, I like to tighten everything on my bow to make sure nothing is loose.
I have elk hunted across America and on more than one occasion, a friend or I had a loose bow sight because our bow got bumped climbing over a deadfall or while riding on an ATV. Checking your sight while hunting in the backcountry is extremely important. The last thing I want to happen while elk hunting is to discover after a missed shot that my sight has been bumped. When I am elk hunting, I regularly stump shoot and if my sight is off, I dial it back in and tighten everything up with the Allen wrench. A little thing like an Allen wrench can make a big difference. It’s the little details that often make or break the shot of a lifetime.
BY TRACY BREEN
SHOOT WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED
Most bowhunters spend the spring and summer shooting into a target of some type to prepare for fall bow season. Many hunters spend the majority of their time letting arrows fly at 20 and 30 yards. Although this is a great way to practice for fall, there are a few other things you can do to hone your archery skills. The first thing archers should do is shoot with their eyes closed.
BLIND BALE SHOOTING
The above paragraph did not end in a typo. If you want to be the best you can be, first you must determine what bad habits you have. Most of us have some type of shooting form issue. We either punch the trigger, drop our bow arm when we shoot or we have a death grip on the bow when we shoot. Many archers, including myself, have a combination of all three. One way to eliminate the problems is by shooting at a target at close range with your eyes closed. This is called blind bale shooting. The goal of the exercise is to help you focus on your shooting form without worrying about the target or where the arrow is going. By shooting with your eyes closed, you can focus entirely on holding your bow properly and gently squeezing the trigger. Many pro archers will practice this drill for weeks without shooting with their eyes open. After practicing like this for a few weeks, you end up creating good shooting habits. I often do blind bale shooting for a few minutes before I do my normal practice routine during the summer to refresh my memory.
RECORD A VIDEO
Another thing you can do if you are worried about your shooting form is have someone record a video of you while you are shooting. A close up video when you come to full draw that shows your body and arm as you shoot the bow will tell you a lot about your form and any bad habits you might have. A simple smartphone video will tell you a lot about your habits, good and bad.
SHOOT THE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD
After you have mastered blind bale shooting and fine tuned your shooting skills thanks to your video, start shooting at extreme ranges. I love shooting at 80-100 yards. Forget shooting at 20 yards. If you focus on 80 or 100 yards, 20 yard shots will be a piece of cake. When you can regularly hit a paper plate at 80 or 100 yards, you will know your form is spot on. Of course I would never shoot a deer at that great of distance, but I enjoy practicing at those ranges. The challenge of hitting the mark at that distance makes practice a blast.
BY TRACY BREEN
TUNE UP YOUR BOW ON A BUDGET
Deer season is right around the corner. Now is the time to get your bow fine-tuned and ready for fall. As the price of bows continues to rise, more bowhunters are giving their bows a facelift and a tuneup instead of spending lots of cash on a new bow. Below are a few tips to help you fine tune your current bow without breaking the bank.
Every bowhunter wants a fast rig. One way to get more speed without spending a lot of money is to put Pine Ridge Archery Nitro Buttons on your current bow. Nitro Buttons and Nitro Button XL’s can be installed on your string in a few minutes and they will increase the speed of your rig and eliminate string noise and vibration. To top it all off, they come in a variety of colors so your bow will look cool.
Speaking of strings, having a new string put on your bow every year or two is a must. Over time, strings and cables stretch and wear out. The last thing we want to happen is for a string to break when we are full draw on a big buck. Putting new strings and cables on a bow can keep it rocking and rolling for a year or more. A good string can add a little speed. America’s Best Bow Strings, Mathews and many others make great strings.
You will never see a pro archer on the line without a quality stabilizer on their bow. Every bowhunter should also have a quality stabilizer on their bow that helps eliminate vibration and stabilizes the bow while shooting. Pine Ridge Archery Nitro stabilizers are priced to sell, look cool and could help you shrink your arrow groups.
How about a new peep sight? Like strings, peep sights get old. If you need a new peep or haven’t used a peep before, a good peep sight can help you shrink your arrow groups at short and long distances. Like much of the gear I mentioned above, a good peep sight doesn’t break the bank. The Nitro peep is a great option.
Last but not least, check out the cable attaching your arrow rest to your bow. Over time, these things stretch and the timing on your bow may be off. Replacing the cable from time to time isn’t a bad idea. While you are at it, check out a new rest on the market called the Schaffer Performance Archery XV. This rest can handle arrow speeds exceeding 400 FPS. This rest is one of a kind.
It is amazing what a simple bow tuneup can do. With a few new accessories, an old bow can be just like new which means big bucks better sleep with one eye open this fall.
BY TRACY BREEN
