The Mule Deer Project

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david long

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The Mule Deer Project……what is it? Here is an explanation:

Cindy Wamsley, one of the Rokslide pro staff members, has drawn a Colorado archery mule deer tag. She has never taken a high country mule deer with a bow, so I am going to do all I can to coach/teach her, in order to help increase her odds of success this fall. I will essentially guide her step by step from start to finish which will include, but not be limited to, the following:

  • · Purchasing and acquiring the proper archery equipment, clothing, etc.

  • · Setting up and tuning bow, building arrows, suggested practicing, etc.

  • · Proper physical fitness so that she will have the proper conditioning to hunt for 7-10 grueling days at extreme elevations in Colorado.

  • · Tutoring her on mule deer habits, glassing techniques, scent control, stalking techniques, etc.
Cindy and I will continue to blog on this thread regarding topics that we are currently working on and the progress we are making.

This should prove to be a really fun and entertaining project for Rokslide members who are interested in following Cindy’s success throughout the next three months.

Step 1: Determining the proper bow set up for Cindy.
 
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I am so excited for this project! This will no doubt be an awesome challenge and learning experience. Hopefully those of you following this on Rokslide will be able to garner some valuable information and motivation for your own hunting goals.

A special thanks to David for taking this on.

This is going to be fun...ROK ON!
 

Gman

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Colorado baby!
Really cool idea. Over time it would be interesting to do this with a wide variety of hunter types and species. I think it would be an invaluable resource. Really looking forward to following this thread.
 
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david long

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Determining Cindy's Draw Length

The first step in figuring out the proper bow setup was to have Cindy measure her wingspan so that I could determine her draw length. Today, she measured her wingspan (outstretched arms measuring finger tip to finger tip) at 66 3/4". I then rounded that to the nearest inch which gave us a measurement of 67". Below is the formula I used to determine her draw length:

(Wingspan - 15") /2 = proper draw length

(67"-15") = 52"

52"/2 = 26" draw length

Cindy feels comfortable shooting a 50# bow. Therefore, we will go with a 50# bow with a 26" draw length.
wingspan1.jpg
wingspan2.jpg
 
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david long

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Cindy's

We have Cindy's bow! It is a Mathews Hyperlite in Lost Camo.......sweet bow!
hyperlite.jpg

Now the hunt for accessories is on!

While we are progressing forward, we will have several things going on at once. One of those things is a workout program. Since we are only three months away from the opener, I would like for Cindy to have a regular workout routine to ensure she has the proper conditioning required to pursue bucks day after day on a 7-10 day hunt.

Les Welch has volunteered to develop Cindy a custom workout routine that will fit her lifestyle and daily routine. Thanks for helping out Les! I will be giving Cindy's contact info to Les and they will collaborate on developing a workout routine that will work for her. I will let Les and Cindy keep you updated on the progress of this part of the project.
 

les welch

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Hi gang,

So to start this off, I am in Wisconsin. I've never met Cindy, no nothing about her, or her current state of physical condition. Over the next few days through email we will get to know one another and get a program put together that meet her workout availability, and her hunt requirements. We will do our best to "blog" most of what we do along the way. This should be fun so stay tuned!
 
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david long

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Bow Accessory #1 - Sight

Cindy and I decided on the The G5 Optix XR2 sight for her bow. I have used the Optix sight on all of my mule deer hunts in the high country and absolutely love it!

The original Optix XR was released in 2008 and has clearly established its place among top of the line sights for the serious backcountry hunter. The lightweight magnesium housing has a sleek and sporty look to it, but honestly, the real beauty of this sight is in its functionality rather than its great looks. The XR2 has a total of two pins; one fixed and one floating.

Hunting mule deer in the high country, Cindy will need the ability to shoot at a wide range of distances. This meant we either needed to go with a sight that had a lot of pins, or we needed a sight with an adjustable pin. Since she has never used a sight (she has always shot instinctively), I wanted to keep her away from a seven pin sight because I felt it would look somewhat cluttered to her eye. Not only that, I didn’t want her wasting precious seconds during that moment of truth making sure she was on the right pin.

We will set the fixed pin at 20 yards and the adjustable pin, in its highest position, will be set at 30 yards. Any shots that may be taken outside of 30 yards, she will more than likely have time to adjust the floating pin. Adjusting the floating pin is very easy; you simply turn the dial knob located on the right side of the sight. One full turn of the knob covers the entire range of the floating pin.

The XR2 comes with either .19 or .29 pins; we decided to go with the larger .29 pins because they are easier to see. The sight will be in Lost Camo to match her Mathews Hyperlite.

I approached my friend Nate Grace with G5 about the Mule Deer Project and he really liked the idea a lot. So much so, that G5 will be sponsoring the project by providing Cindy with the sight free of charge. I would like to thank G5 for stepping up and doing this!
G5 Optix XR2.jpg
 
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This is shaping up to be an awesome bow set up! I can't wait to shoot it.

A special thanks to G5 and their sponsorship.

dirtytough, - The hunt won't be solo and we are still working out all the details.
 
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david long

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Darin Cooper, Rokslide’s Archery Technical Editor, has agreed to help out with the Mule Deer Project. Darin will assist in the following areas:

1. Suggest an arrow setup for Cindy (shaft, spine, etc)
2. Critique Cindy’s shooting form (we will be posting up video of her shooting) and offer advice on things she can do to help improve her form.

I would really like to thank Darin for taking on this part of the Mule Deer Project.

The Project is really taking off! I told Cindy that we all have the easy part and that she has the hard part - actually killing a buck! No pressure. Lol.
 

les welch

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So in my getting to know Cindy here are some of things I need to understand about her.

I need to know your height, weight, and bodyfat %.

Where are you located, what is your overall general health right now?

What is your average workout schedule like every week normally?

Do you have any physical limitations I should know about it? (shoulders, knees, heart, etc)

How much time will you be dedicating to working out each week?
 
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david long

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Once we gather all of the bow accessories, we will be making a trip to see fellow Rokslider Evan Williams in Colorado Springs. Evan, who works at one of the premier archery shops in the state, has agreed to help with setting up and tuning the bow.

Evan......we really appreciate you volunteering your time to help with the Mule Deer Project.
 
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