Fixed Multi-Pin Sights: My Starting Point

When I began bow hunting, like many others, I used a fixed multi-pin sight. For years, I relied on a five-pin sight which was fantastic for practice. However, during deer hunts, I noticed I consistently used only the top pin for shots around 20 to 25 yards. The additional pins cluttered my sight picture, leading to distractions and less accuracy.

Moving to a Single Pin Sight

Seeking a cleaner sight picture, I transitioned to an adjustable single pin sight. This change allowed for one point of aim in the center of the sight, no matter the distance. I adjusted the sight to match the distance instead of shifting my aim. This setup worked well for my usual shots within 30 yards using lighter arrows with a flat trajectory.

However, the lack of a secondary reference point became a drawback. If a deer appeared at 35 yards, I couldn't adjust the sight quickly enough, making me abandon the single pin setup.

Experimenting with a Movable Five Pin Sight

Next, I tried a five-pin movable sight. While it offered flexibility for long-range practice, it was impractical for deer hunting. Again, I found myself using only the top pin, and the extra pins became redundant and cumbersome.

Finding the Perfect Solution: Movable Two Pin Sight

Finally, I discovered what I believe to be the perfect sight for whitetail deer hunting: a movable two-pin sight. This setup combines the best features of previous sights. I currently use an UltraView scope with a double pin, but there are other great options like the Montana Black Gold dual track.

This configuration provides a 20-yard primary pin for most of my shots, with a secondary pin for additional reference when needed. The sight picture remains uncluttered, and the primary aiming point stays centered, making it ideal for 99% of my hunting scenarios.

Equipment Needed:

• 1.Bow Vise
• 2.Bow Press
• 3.Nocking Pliers
• 4.Small Serving or 8190 Bowstring Material
• 5.Brass Nocks of Nock Tie Thread
• 6.Arrow Levels and Bow Levels
• 7.No. 24 Poly D-Loop Material
• 8.STD Allen Keys (Maybe Torx, Metric, or other sizes

Step one: Set Your Draw Length and Draw Weight

Whether you’re setting up a new bow from scratch out of the box or resetting up an older bow that’s seen a few thousand shots, you need to check out all of its moving parts. Checking basic things like the tiller height and making sure the draw length modules are in matching spots on both cams are often over looked and can cause shooting problems later on. If you are setting up an older bow with old strings I would recommend you get them replaced with good quality strings and make sure your bow is reset back to factory specs and the cams are timed correctly. To set the draw weight do equal rotations on both limb bolts; I find it easiest to count them off, if you do two full rotations on the top make sure you do two full rotations on the bottom. It’s pretty straightforward but it can be a headache if it is not done correctly. On most bows you set the draw length by changing the module position on the cam or changing the module itself to a different size. There are a few bows out there that have what we call “draw length specific” cams, meaning the bows draw length can only be adjusted by putting a different size cam on it. Generally new cams are expensive and sometimes you have to purchase a new set of strings as well to make the cams fit correctly. If you are purchasing a used bow make sure you know your draw length and the bows draw length, try to avoid purchasing any used bow that requires a cam change.

Step two: Rest, Nock Height, Centershot

Setting up your arrow rest is extremely important since it literally guides the arrow toward the target, mess this part up and you might as well hang up your bow. Lucky for you it’s pretty straightforward and with the right tools doesn’t take very long to do correctly. Starting by placing your bow in the vise and bolt on your arrow rest of choice, you want your rest to be sitting square with the edge of the bow riser so you don’t run into contact issues when you adjust the rest height later on. Next attach your string level to the bowstring and adjust the vise until the bow is sitting level. Now its’ time to set our nock height and center shot, I like to set the center shot first, which is the left and right position of the arrow rest. First I stand straight behind the bow and center the bowstring on the middle of the bow grip and the bow riser then I move the rest in or out until the bow string lines up with the center of the rest. The thing to remember here is that this is a guideline for most bows and not the correct place for every bow. Many manufacturers will recommend certain center shot measurements and it is always a good idea to check with them before you start. Now setting your nock height is simple as long as we keep some things in mind. Check that your string level is still showing the bow is sitting level, next the arrow you are going to be shooting and place it in the rest and on the bow string, attach the arrow level to that arrow and adjust the nock end until the arrow is straight on the string and rest. Clamp on your nock or tie in your nock point and you are done. A couple things we need to keep in mind setting the nock point, where is your arrow sitting on the bow, ideally it should run straight through the rest mounting hole (or plunger hole), if it is too high or low you could run into nock travel issues even when sitting level at rest. We also need to think about the type of arrow rest being used, if you are using a full containment or drop away rest setting the nock height to be perfectly level is usually best. When you are using a shoot through prong rest of a spring steel style target rest you might find having the nock set slightly above center will give you the best groups and bow tune.

Step 3: Peep Sight and Bow Sight

Our next step(s) is two install our sight system, meaning our peep sight and front site. All bow manufacturers use a standard size for the bow sight mounting holes and hardware so you don’t need to be concerned about finding one that will fit your bow. Some sights come preassembled and just need to be mounted and others require a bit of assembly first, just consult your owners manual and you shouldn’t have any issues. I usually start by setting the elevation to center of the sight and I set the windage so the tip of the pins sit just left of the bowstring at rest when it is centered with the rest. Again, this is just a starting point and we will almost always need to make adjustments from here. Our next step is to install our peep sight, first take your bow and put it properly in the bow press and take off enough tension that you can work on the string. Split the string strands in two equal halves, meaning you need the exact equal amount of strands on either side of the peep, this is crucial especially if you are planning on using a tubeless style peep sight. As a general rule I set the peep height at about 6” from the nock point, again this is a starting place and the actual location will vary on the anchor point of the archer and the string angle and set draw length of the bow. Play with the height of your peep before you tie it in, you may even want to tie on your dloop shoot some arrows and play with the height. The quickest way I have found to do this is by drawing the bow back and anchoring with my eyes closed, then I open my eyes and see where my peep is, make the necessary adjustments and then tie in the peep sight. I am not even going to attempt to explain how to tie in a peep sight but I am sure you can find some good videos on YouTube, I will have to make my own video very soon.

Step 4: DLoop

I know you tied in a Dloop earlier to set the peep sight but you now you need to cut it off an tie a new one. The reason is that the number one cause of peep rotation problems that encounter are when Dloops and peep sights are not tied straight in line. If your peep sight is sitting straight but your Dloop is sitting off to one side or the other your peep will not come back straight when you draw the bow because the Dloop is always going to come back straight with the release. The easiest way to solve this is by tying your Dloop inline with your peep sight after you have set the peep height. What you also need to remember is that new bow strings need a settling in period, usually about 100 shots or so, it’s sometimes good to run a few arrows through your bow and then twist your string straight and tie on that Dloop. I’ll add the Dloop video to the list of things I need to do but in the mean time I think YouTube can give you a proper demonstration there.

Step 5: Add the other accessories

The last step is pretty basic, just bolt on the rest of your accessories like your quiver and stabilizer set-up. Most quivers mount to the back of the sight bracket or directly to the bow riser itself, Allen keys are all that is needed it. Your stabilizer is hand tightened in to the front of the riser just underneath the grip and again this is an industry standard size so no need to worry about being brand specific.

So that is a basic bow setup and hopefully something you feel confident in trying yourself sometime, of course we are always happy to help if you would still prefer a professionals touch. 

Fletching your own arrows is a great way to add a personal touch to your archery setup. It is generally a very simple task, that if done correctly and carefully, will reward you with arrows that shoot as good as they look. The trick is to keep your vanes on and this is all done with careful prep work and good equipment. I am going to walk you through the basic steps of fletching your own arrows so the vanes stick and they shoot great for the whole season.

First you need the right tools:

• 1)Fletching Jigs: There are two main types of fletching jigs, ones that fletch one vane or feather at a time and ones that put all 3 vanes on at the same time. For the novice DIY arrow fletcher I believe that single clamp jigs like those from Jojan and Bitzenberger do the best job. They keep things simple and allow you to repair single vanes easily if needed.
• 2)Sand Paper: Use a fine grit like 400 for best results
• 3)Cleaning Solution: Many manufacturers making cleaning wipes like the Max Clean Wipes from AAE. You can also use 99% Isopropanol that you buy at your local pharmacy.
• 4)Fletching Glue: The main two types here are fast set and slower setting glues. My preference is a slower setting glue like Flex Bond from Flex Fletch which I have found works on a variety of fletching types and arrow shafts.

Step One: Shaft Prep

This is the most important step in arrow fletching, take your time and be thorough with cleaning. First take the sand paper and scuff the shaft area where you will be attaching the fletching too. Next take the cleaning cloths or isopropanol soaked paper towel and clean the shaft area until it is “squeaky clean”, no joke the arrow needs to be squeaking. If you are unsure if you have cleaned the arrow enough clean it more, it cannot be too clean. Once you have completed the cleaning make sure you do not touch the area or place it on a dirty surface. I usually try to have the end of the arrow hang over the edge of the counter or table where I am doing the fletching of the arrows.

Step Two: Fletch Prep

Often overlooked, fletch prep is always a good idea even if the vanes you are using don’t require it. It can be as simple as wiping the vanes with the cleaning solution or it can involve lightly sanding the vanes and cleaning them with something as strong as acetone. How much prep and cleaning is needed really depends on the type of fletching that you are using, always check the manufacturer's recommendations and when in doubt ask your local pro.

Step 3: Glue the Fletching

Before you place the fletching in your clamp you will want to mark off a spot of the clamp that you can align the back of the vane with, this will ensure that all the vanes all correctly aligned on the shaft. Next place your vane in the clamp and align it with the mark you made, if you are using the fast set glue place 4 or 5 drops on the vane and spread the glue evenly along the vane with the end of the glue bottle. Place the vane firmly into the clamp and hold down for 10-15 seconds, after that remove the clamp from the vane and do the next fletch. If you are using the slow set glue run a bead of glue down the entire length of the fletching then place the clamp on the arrow shaft and leave for 15 to 30 minutes. Repeat the process until all fletching are glued on the arrow shaft. When you are turning the arrow shafts in your jig make sure the shaft stays in the center of the jig, small diameter arrows especially have a tendency to move off center when rotated. Once all the vanes have been glued on inspect each arrow to make sure the fletching are properly aligned and evenly spaced around the arrow shaft you also want to clean off excess glue that seeped under the vanes. To finish the arrow place a small drop of glue on the front of each vane to help prevent fletching from being ripped off.

If you follow these simple steps, take your time, and thoroughly inspect your work along the way, you’ll be spending more time on the range and less time re-fletching arrows.

If you want to get started in fletching your own arrows click here.

We are rating the following bows:

Hoyt Powermax Package – Retail Price of $865.00

Bowtech Carbon Icon R.A.K - Retail Price of $829.99

PSE Drive R RTS – Retail Price of $859.99

I am going evaluate all three bows with my current set-up for arrows, draw length, and draw weight. Some attributes like bow speed, noise, and vibration will be pretty easy to measure. Other attributes like draw cycle, balance, and shootability will purely be based on my own opinion and open to interpretation from the individual shooter.

Draw Length 29”

Draw Weight 60lbs

Deer Arrow Weight 385 Grains Finished

Elk Arrow Weight 430 Grains Finished

I am using a basic ranking system of 1 to 3 for each criteria that I am evaluating the bows on. In the end the bow with the lowest overall score will be the winner, please remember that not every bow suits every archer and many of these rankings are my personal opinion based on what I like in a bow.

I tested the speed of each bow by shooting 2 different hunting arrows through the chronograph 3 times each.

The rest of my evaluation involved spending time sending arrows down range with each bow focusing on specific attributes. Remember that the lower number in this case is the better score.

Notes:

Hoyt Powermax: I shot exclusively Hoyt bows for several years so the Hoyt Powermax felt very familiar to me. I really enjoyed the draw cycle and having a softer back wall was a very typical Hoyt feel. If you were going to shoot a back tension or barrel release you would definitely enjoy the feel of this bow.

PSE Drive R: I think if I was still used to shooting low let off target cams I would have like the PSE Drive R the best. The bow had a slightly more aggressive draw cycle which was more than manageable for a hunting bow but it sports a short valley which really forces the archer to pull hard against the back wall. I used to love bows with short valleys that forced me to pull hard into the wall but for a hunting bow I think it should offer a little more room to relax at full draw. Overall I was still very impressed by the PSE Drive R.

Bowtech Carbon Icon: It’s pretty clear by the numbers that this bow was my overall favourite. I am at the stage now where I choose a bow based purely on comfort and ease of use. The Bowtech Carbon Icon boasts a smooth draw cycle, firm back wall, and light carbon riser making it one of the nicest bows to shoot in its price range.

If you are in the market for a new bow before fall rolls around make sure if you give these three bows some careful consideration, you wont be disappointed.

Schools outs, Canada Day just passed, and a summer of beaches, boat rides, and BBQs are what most people have on their mind. Unless you are a bowhunter and all you can think about is that opening day is less than two months away and you still have tons of preparation to do. Now is that exciting time when we can see how are bucks antlers are growing and deer are starting to enter feeding areas early enough in the evening that we can see what our hunting areas are holding. This is the time of year when we really need to start putting in those scouting hours to not only take inventory of the animals but start putting together a game plan for fall.

By now you should have an area that you plan to hunt or at least a part of the province where you are hopping to hunt, if not now is the time to find one. Nothing stresses me out more than scrambling a week or two before season trying to get my plan together. Now that you have your spot ready to go you need to decide when you plan to hunt to this spot. If you plan on hunting this place opening day or week you need to go with a low impact approach, this mean doing most of your scouting at distance with good optics like those made by Vortex Optics. When you start to hunt in early September most of the deer you’re watching will be behaving similarly to how they are in July and August. You should still take time to move in and place trail cameras to catch those nocturnal bucks but I would limit the amount of time you spend in the bush. If you are like me and you wait until late October or early November to start your deer hunting, then this time of year is really about taking inventory of what is in the area to hunt. I am focusing on placing trail cameras and watching fields to find “target” deer for when I am spending my time in the woods. I also take careful note of what kind of crops neighboring farms are planting, a change in food source can happen in October and I want to have a plan on how to deal with that. At this time of year I don’t mind being a little invasive with my scouting because once September rolls around I will be backing off my pressure.

Like all aspects of hunting having the right tools makes the job that much easier and rewarding. Having a really high end trail camera is great but having 5 mid range trail cameras, in my experience, is much better. What you have to sacrifice in picture quality and flash range you will make up in having more “eyes” looking out for you in the woods and more locations to see what’s in your part of the woods. Take a look at the offerings from Spypoint, they build many quality cameras in various price points that will get the job done. I feel the opposite way about optics, buy the best you can afford. If you can afford good binoculars and a spotting scope buy both but if not then buy really good binoculars, you will have many other uses for them. You don’t want to miss something when you are watching a field late in the evening and buck steps out in the last minutes of light. Take a look here at some the binocular and spotting scope options we offer. One of the most commonly used pieces of scouting equipment now is the computer, not only is it a great place to organize and store trail camera photos it’s also great of starring at Google Earth studying your hunting spot. I have spent many long evenings looking at Google Earth trying to figure out what the animals in my area are doing. Not only do I focus on my hunting spot but also I examine the surrounding areas to see if I can gain any clues on where the deer might prefer to be.

So now is the time for after dinner cruises down the dirt roads, time for mosquito swatting marathons in the middle of a July day, and time for long hours starring at maps on a computer screen. It’s time to get out there an put in the work because before you know it, it will be opening day. 

Summer is in full swing now, which means we are only a couple months away from the start of hunting season. While we are enjoying our BBQs and time spent at the lake we cannot forget to put in the work on the range to keep ourselves in top shooting shape for when opening day comes. Now is the time to tune up our shooting skills and make a regular practice schedule that we carry all the way through hunting season. It’s also very important that we make our practice sessions test our shooting limits and help us replicate hunting situations as close as possible. Setting up a ground blind or treestand to shoot out of as well as going to local 3D archery shoots are great ways to get our hunting skills tuned up.

Change it up

If you’re like most people you spend most of your practice sessions shooting the same targets at the same distances and while this is great for developing good shooting form and technique, it isn’t teaching us to make shots when they count in a hunting situation. We need to start by switching up our shooting sessions and this includes both the targets we shoot at and the distances and locations we shoot them in. I like to have 3 or 4 different targets to shoot at during a practice session and I place these targets at different distances, sometimes known and sometimes unknown. I have a large deer target, a wild boar target, a block target, and a bag target. Using 4 targets of different shapes and colours makes me concentrate on every shot and forces me to focus on aiming for the spot. Many bowhunters only purchase a large 3D target to practice on and while this is replicating shooting at a deer it becomes repetitive to shoot at. Remember, our practice sessions are trying to help us make a single shot whenever and however it presents itself. Instead of the large single target I would suggest buying a few smaller targets and keep changing up the shot presentation. In no time you will notice how much better you become and making that first arrow count no matter what the target or shot are.

Support your local 3D shoot

Many archery clubs will host 3D archery shoots throughout the spring and summer months and these are great opportunities to practice those different shot presentations. 3D archery consists of foam animal targets, between 20 and 50, placed in realistic hunting scenarios at unknown distances. You would walk a course with a group of other archers and shoot one arrow at each target .The great thing here is you have no control over the distance you shoot at or the way the target is setup, forcing you to make it count with whatever you’re presented with. Not only will you get some great practice you’ll get to spend a day hanging out and socializing with fellow bowhunters and archers. If you want to add a little more pressure to your shots try competing in some higher level classes or money divisions. Putting yourself into a competitive environment really plays with your nerves and your “mental game” when it comes to pulling off the shot. Shooting under pressure of competition is the closest thing I have experienced to shooting at a live animal and I believe it is the best practice for getting control of nerves mentally while shooting.

Click here for Manitoba 3D Shoot Calendar 

Replicate hunting situations

I am sure most of you have heard this before but practice in as close to a hunting situation as you can. If you hunt out of treestands, shoot out of an elevated position. If you hunt in a ground blind, set up your blind and practice out of it. If you do a lot of spot and stalk for elk and other big game, make sure you are practicing shots from kneeling positions and positions where you are using the terrain to help conceal yourself. The other thing we can’t forget to do here is practice with out hunting gear on, this includes backpacks, clothes, boots, and gloves, even having your calls around your neck. We need to make sure we can make the shot when the time comes and we need to identify any issues we have when we shoot with our gear on. We can have string clearance issues with clothing or other gear as well as anchor point issues when we put on gloves and a facemask. Now is also the time to test your shooting limitations from these scenarios and not all will be the same. For example I always feel I can shoot about 15 yards further when I am elk hunting on the ground and wearing less clothes that when I am setup to shoot whitetails out of a treestand. If you are in a groundblind I am sure you will find shooting from a sitting position to be more difficult that when you are standing and you’ll need to adjust your maximum shooting distance accordingly. We owe it to the animals to know our limits and stick to them.

Remember to make your practice sessions fun and as realistic to a hunting situation as possible, you’ll be confident you can make the shot when the opportunity presents itself. 

All about Spine.

Most new archers are not very familiar with the concept of arrow spine or actually how important it is into choosing the correct arrow. In its simplest form arrow spine is how much flex the arrow has in it and arrows need to flex a certain amount to fly and group well. Arrow manufacturers are generally measuring the static spine of the arrow, which is when they hang an 880 gram weight in the middle of a 28” arrow and the amount the arrow sags is the spine of that arrow. For example, if an arrow sags down .5 inches the arrow spine is .500. The lower the number the stiffer the arrow, a 340-spine arrow is stiffer than a 500-spine arrow. Many people confuse this and to make if more difficult many arrow manufacturers use their own spine ratings instead of the actual static spine. When possible always use an arrow selection chart from the arrow manufacturer, many can be found online and are simple to use. Using these charts and talking to your archery pro will give you a really good idea of what arrow spine is correct for your setup. Check out the two below here.

https://www.goldtip.com/Resources/Spine-Chart.aspx

https://carbonexpressarrows.com/pages/shaft-selector

An Arrows Purpose

Knowing our correct arrow spine is just the beginning; we need to decide what we want our arrows to do. Arrows come in all different configurations, with each one promising to improve this or that and make you more accurate and be easier to tune. What we really need to figure out is what we want the arrow to do. I have arrows that I use for hunting deer, bears, and other thin-skinned game and I have arrows that I use to hunt elk and moose, each setup offers certain advantages for its intended purpose. For example, my deer hunting arrows are  Easton Hexx shafts that I fletch with 3 blazer vanes and use 50 grain brass inserts and 100 grain broadheads. The finished arrow weight is 382 grains and they shoot at 301 FPS (feet per second) out of my  Bowtech Reign 6. For deer hunting I use a Black Gold Ascent single pin sight that I set for 25 yards and with that arrow set up I can shoot between 15-30 yards without having to aim off. Yes I get a bit of drop and 30 and hit a little high at 15 but it’s not enough for me to worry about and I keep all my shots to 30 yards or less. I find this setup gives me the finished arrow weight I want for deer and bears while maintaining the speed I need to keep a flat enough trajectory to shoot a single pin sight. Now this wont be the perfect set up for everyone but for my particular setup it meets all my needs. My Elk and Moose setup looks a little different. I chose to shoot an Easton 4MM Injexion Full Metal Jacket arrow with AAE Pro Max Vanes in a 4 fletch configuration and a 100 grain broadhead. The small diameter shaft with a little extra weight is my choice when it comes to big game like elk and I chose the 4 fletch because I find it controls fixed blade broadhead flight a little easier than a typical 3 fletch. The finished arrow weight is 432 grains which shoots 286 FPS out of my Bowtech Reign 6, this setup gives me plenty of hitting power and more than enough speed to use a 3 pin sight. For elk hunting I use a three pin sight since I may be faced with shots longer than 30 yards and I don’t have a flat enough trajectory to use a single pin.

Now I understand that not everyone can afford to have two different sets of hunting arrows and setting up a retuning a couple times a fall can be a bit of a pain and is time consuming. If I could only choose one setup I would use my elk setup, if it’s good enough to shoot elk it will be more than good enough for deer and bears.

The Business End of the Arrow

I don’t think there is more controversy or differences of opinion than when it comes to choosing broadheads. I have literally had two customers in the store, one telling me how amazing a broadhead was and the other telling me what a piece of junk it was, side by side at the same time. People who don’t recover animals often think their broadheads are to blame, a lot of “perfect” shots have been made on animals that were never found. The only thing I know for sure is that if you didn’t recover the animal you don’t know exactly where you hit or what happened, unless you have video to look at. I haven’t seen many deer get a hole through both lungs that lasted very long. There are advantages and disadvantages to both fixed blade and expandable broadheads and I have personally used both types with great success. I prefer expandable broadheads, like the  Grim Reaper or Wasp Jak Hammer, on my deer and bear setup because they are easier to tune at faster speeds and they cut large holes. Deer and bears I find to be pretty easier to shoot through so I don’t worry about and expandable loosing energy on impact. For my elk and moose setup I like small fixed blade broadheads, like the  Steel Force Phathead or G5 Striker, because they have no moving parts and are more solid for a larger animal resulting in better penetration. For anyone shooting a modern compound with carbon arrows I would not recommend large fixed blade broadheads. Faster bows with thin carbon arrows are generally more difficult to get good broadhead flight, not impossible but when a compact fixed blade design will do the same job why give yourself the headache. Whichever broadhead style you choose make sure you buy the best ones you can afford and always take the time to practice and tune them up well before hunting season opens.

Hopefully now you’ll have the information you need to put together the right arrow and broadhead combination that will bring you success this fall.

Remember if you need any help choosing your equipment give us a call,  email, Facebook Message, or Instagram DM and we will be happy to help you make the right choice. 

What a great quote, and when it comes to bowhunting nothing could be truer. There is a ton of being in the right place at the right time in the bowhunting world but being 100% confident in our abilities and our equipment is up to us. Waiting until a week before a hunting trip or the night before deer hunting to sight in our bow and go over our arrows and broadheads is a recipe for failure when an opportunity presents itself. I have compiled a list of 5 things you should do before August rolls around.

1) Change your Bow String and Cables

Unless you just bought a new bow this year I would recommend you change your string and cables and make sure they are the best you can afford. Strings and cables are the most important part of any bow set-up, if they are not 100 percent perfect nothing else on your bow is really going to matter. Make sure you get this done by July at the latest, you don’t want to be settling in new strings a week before you are leaving for elk hunting. New bowstrings need at least 100-200 shots ran through them to allow the strings to settle into place. After those shots we can begin fine-tuning everything else on the bow. When new strings and cables are installed your bow should be check for timing, correct brace height, axle to axle length, and paper tuned. Checking all these measurements now will save us some hassle when we are fine tuning down the road.

2) Tune up your arrows

Arrows are just as important as our strings and cables, again this is an area where you really want to buy the best you can afford. If you aren’t buying a fresh dozen for the fall season then we want to inspect and repair the arrows we have. Take all your arrows and inspect them for damage and spin them to check straightness. If you notice any wobble on the arrows, especially at the back end near the nock, remove them from your arrow set for hunting. Once you put a broadhead on your arrow that wobble will cause major tuning issues that will leave you very frustrated. The nock ends of your arrows take a lot of abuse throughout the shooting season and should be replaced prior to tuning your broadheads. If we look after and check our arrows regularly we will have an easier timing tuning our bows later.

3) Tune up your broadheads

Now that we have our bows and arrows in the best condition possible we can start to tune our  broadheads for hunting. This process involves shooting both broadheads and practice field points to compare the impact point of each head. We then make adjustments to our bows or arrows to try and get the broadheads and practice points to group in the same place. This process can take some time and can be very frustrating but there are things we can do to make it a little easier. First off make sure you have completed the previous two items from this list so you know your equipment is in good working order and set-up correctly. Secondly make sure the broadheads you chose to use make sense for the set-up you have. If you try and use long and wide two blade broadheads on a carbon arrow travelling over 280 fps you are more than likely going to have tuning problems. Speed bows tend to tune easier with expandable broadheads or compact fixed blades. Also consider the size and type of fletching you are using. High profile vanes like Bohning Blazers or AAE Max Hunters are designed to spin quicker and stabilize broadheads better than traditional 4” Vanes. Now that we have determined our setup is correct for us we can begin making adjustments to our bows to get those broadheads and practice points grouping together.

4) Change up your practice routine

If you spend all your time shooting at your bag at 20 yards you will be really good at shooting a bag at 20 yards but not much else. Shots in hunting situations are always different, shot angle, lighting conditions, animal alertness, clothing that you're wearing, and your state of mind are always in a different combination. While we can’t guarantee we are prepared for every scenario we can get ourselves prepared by always changing our shots and practice routines. Shoot at known and unknown distances and get used to judging distance very quickly. I like taking multiple targets of different shapes and sizes and setting them up at different distances and angles in the bush of in a field. Shoot one arrow at each target and learn to adjust quickly for different angles and shot presentations. Practice with your hunting clothes on to see if any part of your gear is interfering with your shot. I personally can never find a good anchor with a facemask on so I lean towards using neck gaiters and face paint to repeat my regular practice anchor. Learn to shoot your in-between distances, rarely do deer stand at 20, 30, or 40 yards on the number, we almost are always shooting somewhere in between. Make sure you take your time to learn how much high or low your bow shoots at these in-between distances and make some notes and then practice at 23, 25, 28, 33, 37 yards etc. A good place to go test these skills is at a local 3D shoot. Archery clubs put on these amazing events and they are great for building confidence with your hunting bow. Remember June, July , and August are the months we have to be constantly shooting our bows and building confidence with them. Shots need to be almost automatic once hunting season rolls around.

5) Gear Inventory

If you’re like me most of your gear goes into storage once November finishes and isn’t taken out again until July or August of the following year. Now is the time to through all that gear piece by piece and check to see what is worn out and what needs to be repaired. Things like treestand straps and trail camera batteries should be replaced pretty frequently, I often forget that a squirrel’s favourite food is treestand seats. Think back over the previous season and try to remember any situations where you though a certain item might be handy. Maybe you wish you had an extendable tree saw like a  Hooeyman to cut down hard to reach branches. Maybe you want to try an  Ozonics scent control unit to keep the deer from smelling you. It’s time to replace or repair what you have and purchase any new items you want to try this fall. Scrambling to buy new items or fix old items at the last minute can be stressful on your mind and your wallet.

So take out your bow, dust off your gear, and start getting yourself ready for your best season yet.

Good luck and shoot straight!