Ripple Outdoors Hunting and Fishing Podcast

Ontario's hunting and fishing experts discuss issues that affect hunters and anglers.

Archive for the ‘Archery’ Category

Archery Trade Association Highlight New Gear

Posted by Peter Wood On February - 3 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

The Archery Trade Association Show in Columbus Ohio highlighted new and proven archery gear.

I spent two day wandering up and down the numerous isles in search of those “got to have archery items”.

I could have spent three days doing interviews and testing gear. During February I will be highlighting some products and manufactures that took the time to explain their product or service.

Starting off the podcast interviews is Tom Helget President of TimbukTEK , they manufacture the FireBug Locator Light.

Check out RippleOutdoors Podcast#186 to listen.

Tom Helget, President of TimbukTEK .

Winter Storage Tips for your Excalibur Crossbow

Posted by Peter Wood On January - 5 - 2010ADD COMMENTS

Storage tips for your Excalibur Crossbow.

Hunting season is over and it’s time to hang up that archery gear unless your 3D shooting or use an indoor range. I use my BowTech for those events so I winterized my Excalibur Exocet Crossbow today.

A few simple things you can do to help ensure your crossbow is stored right starting with removing the dissipator pads. Two small Allen screws secure it to the frame. When you remove your string but before releasing it take those two pads off. Then remove your string and store in a dry location.

You might want to re-wax the slide rail and check all the screws for tightness. I take the battery out of my Vortex Crossbow Scope at this time also.

Check you crossbow all over for any nicks or gouges so you can have it looked at if necessary.

That’s all it takes, a few minutes and your done.

I also remove any hunting heads on my crossbow bolts and safely store them away.

Remove dissipater padsWinter storage for Excalibur Crossbow

What kind of bow hunter are you?

As the archery season for deer in Ontario nears an end I thought I would throw this question out to the bow hunters.

Myself I start the October season usually perched in a tree stand with my BowTech Guardian Compound bow.

Hunt the controlled deer hunt with my Browning shotgun with friends.

Depending on how the weather holds I will bounce back and forth with my Excalibur Crossbow on the ground or my Bowtech if using a tree stand.

Once the northern wind howls I’m usually huddled in my Matrix ground blind with my Exocet Crossbow. If the temperature remains in the 5-10 celcius I will try to use my BowTech compound.

I practice with both while seated in a chair.

I find if I don’t do some stretching before pulling back on the string on my BowTech I often walk away with a sore should or wrist due to stiff and cold muscles.

Shooting a crossbow is simple and easily done in the cold weather with no aches or pains to me.

I have often thought about shooting a stick bow and still hope to learn instinctive shooting methods.

Practice shooting your bow at 3D ranges (what ever type of bow it is) is a great way to stayed tuned in to your bow during hunting season.

Confidence in your shot capability is often the difference between filling or not filling your deer tag.

What type of bow hunting equipment is best for women?

Posted by Peter Wood On December - 5 - 20091 COMMENT

What the best bow for woman to use for Deer hunting?

Crossbow, Compound or a Traditional Bow

Trick question of course,

As all types of archery gear and bow hunting equipment for women and men works great if properly adjusted.

With a little dedication, and perfected practice time anyone can be on target and ready to hit that 10 ring spot or deer vitals in no time.

Today’s modern archery equipment is a marvel of technology. With high-speed compound bows; innovative limb, string, and wheel designs; NASA-inspired vibration dampeners; and arrows, broad heads, rests and sights it’s no wonder even a beginning bow hunter can quickly learn to shoot the bulls-eye out of a target at 30 yards consistently.

During a chat with DR Judy McFarlen about her book DIYDeerFoodPlots.com she mentioned the best thing a rookie or an archer that seldom practices would be to get some shooting instruction from a professional.

I had to agree; When I decided to get back into shooting my Bowtech compound bow after wrist surgery cured my carpel tunnel a few years ago. I had switched from a recurve to an Excalibur Crossbow back in the early 90s, as I couldn’t handle the stress on my wrists.

I save the crossbow for when I sit at ground level or when the snow is flying. Sitting in a tree stand or in my matrix ground blind I prefer my BowTech.

When I lived in Cambridge I took a basic archery course at the Bow Shop and learned that posture and good form was just as essential as a properly tuned bow.

Another useful tip was doing a few simple warm up exercises before pulling back a bowstring. I could do these anywhere, even in a tree stand.

Any local archery shop or good sporting-goods store is a great place to seek instruction. There are some awesome videos on the market that are exceptionally good to teach basics to fine tuning if you know where to look.

For Traditional Bow Shooters and Hunters in the Kawarthas try Fred’s Traditional Archery.

Compound and crossbow shooters can try Dave Gibson at Ten Point Archery over by Bobcaygeon.

If your southwest of Barrie see Barry at Wolf’s Den Sports for some great tips.

In the Kitchener /Waterloo area try The Bow Shop upstairs in Shooter’s Choice.

If you don’t live close to those ranges, then at least try to learn the basics from a friend who’s a good archer. Most archers are only too willing to help someone.”

Likely the number one reason your shots are off target is you haven’t been properly “fitted” to your archery equipment’

This is vital to accurate shooting, as the DIYfoodplots book mentions it’s like having the right golf clubs is for a beginning duffer. A bow with proper draw length and draw weight, with matching arrows, is vital to accurate shooting, and a bow pro shop is essentially the only place to get fitted properly.

When I chatted with Fred Walker about traditional and instinctive shooting with a stick or recurve bow you obviously must sight your bow differently than when using sights.

Fred attended one of the top bow shooting courses in the USA.

The Rick Welsh instruction course in Arizona has definitely increased Fred’s skill level in archery shooting dramatically

Just one more example of what some professional archery help can do.

No matter whether it’s for archery targets, 3D or hunting deer or gobblers.

Men, woman or kids can all become more proficient with a bow no matter what the age once properly fitted and instructed.

Call up or drop by your local archery range and find out how to become a better archer. Any money spent will pay back big dividends when that monster buck steps out at 40 yards or you make that 10 ring time and time again.

Make it a family event where men, woman and kids can all have a great time improving their shooting form and accuracy.

Have you ever wanted to getting started with traditional stickbow or recurve bow?

Want to learn a fool proof method to shoot a stick or recurve bow?

Shoot a 3D course that can challenge and improve your techniques using a traditional bow equipment.

Perhaps check out the newest 3Rivers archery supplies ?

Need some custom arrows in wood, aluminum or carbon.

Friendly advice for traditional archery with stick bows, recurve bow,  take down models and one piece available.

Kawartha Traditional Archery has all that and more.

Check out podcast #170 this week for our interview.

For additional information ;                                                    Fred-Walker-blog

Contact Fred Walker 905-410-1141

email fredwalker@xplorenet.com

website www.KawarthaTraditionalArchery.info