By: Ted Nugent
Some things in life are worth repeating. I tell Mrs. Nugent I love her every few hours. I bring her flowers often. I never pass her in a room without a quick hug and a smooch.
I try to call my kids, grandkids, siblings and extended family as often as possible always repeating how much I miss them and love them.
I snuggle and pet my beloved dogs Happy and Sadie and Coco most every hour throughout the day!
Personal hygiene must be repeated vigorously numerous times each day, Michael Moore notwithstanding.
If you want to be a killer guitar player, certain moves on the instrument must be repeated over and over again and again relentlessly until we become one with the instrument and limitless cornucopia of note and riff selections.
Redundant and diligent effort should go into preparing quality meals ritualistically every day of our lives.
I could go on but I think you get the point here that all the important things in life are not only worth repeating but are actually critically necessary for overall quality of life.
And as that glorious cooling September air stirs our inner beast, now is the time to live and breathe the all-consuming sport/discipline of archery and bowhunting like we mean it.
As a guy who instinctively understands and pursues the endless possibilities on a guitar neck, I still to this day more than 60 years later plunge maniacally yet controllably into uncharted musical adventure discovering new and exciting voices, patterns, grooves, sounds, noises and guitar variations on a daily basis.
Same goes for my daily arrow flinging rituals, always seeking to discover that ultra-subtle nuance in my shot sequence in my indefatigable quest for the perfect arrow.
I have a 12 Morrell 3D target range at my Michigan cabin from 20 to 60 yards. By moving back another 30 yards I can make it 50 to 90 yards, and I shoot it daily.
I study the best of the best advice out there in the pages of Deer and Deer Hunting, the National Field Archery Association magazine, Bowhunter, Bowhunting World and numerous other publications on a regular basis, and I also listen intently to master archers like Randy Ulmer, Levi Morgan, John Dudley, Cameron Hanes, Kip Campbell, Michael Waddell, Travis Turner, Jim Burnworth and many others whose archery advice have proven to be stellar over the years.
On each Morrell 3D target I have placed a 2” square of dayglow orange tape marking the ultimate arrow placement spot for a dream killshot.
On occasion, not always, but often enough to thrill this old arrow flinger, I have shot 24 arrows all of which have touched the magical 2” orange square, and I am here to tell you that very few things in life are quite that thrilling and gratifying.
It becomes rather apparent when I pull off this rare feat just what it takes to make such accurate shots.
I will share with you a list of critical components that make it all happen for me and hope you can put some of these procedures to work for you to enjoy and celebrate such ultimate archery happiness!
#1- The bow must be tuned perfectly! I have Bryan Schupbach and his killer bow-nuts at Schupbachs Sporting Goods in Jackson Michigan put all my Mathews bows together and tune them up to perfection.
#2-The arrows must be perfectly straight. My Gold Tip arrow gurus Cody Powell and Cliff Touroo meticulously build my Nugent zebra shafts to balanced perfection.
#3-I must be in well rested, healthy overall condition. A good frame of mind from a well-organized life with proper diet and adequate sleep makes all the difference in the world.
#4-I must not be distracted by any of the craziness that life always seems to offer. I must be in good spirits and attitude and totally committed to killer arrows each and every shot.
#5-My archery form must be rock solid with no wasted movements or variation of proven procedures which include stance, posture, head up, consistent grip, both eyes open and zeroed in on the tiniest of arrow placement spot, rock solid anchor, increasing finger tension on the trigger, inhale during draw, slight exhale upon pin in peep on target, release with as much full back tension as possible and holding steady follow through till the arrow hits the target.
I know that sounds like a lot, and quite frankly, it is! Even though that is a long list of must do’s, all that still only takes a few seconds to complete and under actual field hunting conditions, such well-trained, dedicated timeliness will dramatically benefit the desired killshot we seek.
Give it a shot, literally, and see if my lifetime of learning what works best for me can help improve your archery dreams.
Each step practiced repeatedly every time at the range will imprint on our psyche and become second nature every time we prepare to shoot an arrow. That is the ultimate bowhunter goal of out of body, stream of subconsciousness becoming the arrow, straight into the mighty pumpstation of the backstrap beasts!
Do it and feel good all over!