New plans/strategies for 2026 archery season

[fracguy]

Last year was a learning curve for me as well. I camped about 1.5 miles from where I saw loads of elk sign and ended up camped out in the middle of a herd. Had I slowed down when I woke up KNOWING they were there, I probably could have made a slice in the side of my tent and shot one from inside, I had beds 15 yards from my tent. Slow down in the woods, I blew several decent bulls being in a hurry. Also first year hunting with glasses, will be getting contacts for this year. I can't see the yardage in my rangefinder with glasses on and have a very narrow field of view in binos and all the fidgeting I was doing cost me a bull at about 40-45 yards.

 

[vladkgb]

- index release jammed on a bull 5 yards from me: the release had a bunch of dust and I hadn’t shot my bow at camp in a few days - shoot your bow daily at camp and cover your release and bow when commuting in a SxS

- called in a bull solo, I saw him coming and thought I had no time so I drew back and guessed the range and shot for 40, turned out he was 30 so the shot was high, never found him - under 30 yards no need to range, there’s a decent margin for error, anything 40 and out needs to be ranged, you have more time than you think.

- stalking in on a herd bull bugling constantly I finally got within range and could see him and some of his cows, but no shot due to obstruction, tried to get a better angle by moving and got busted by a cow that I didn’t notice in the bushes - don’t get tunnel vision assume you’re being watched and sit and wait for the bull to come into a lane. 90/10 : let the bull do the final 10% of the work.