Summer Practice

          As the summer gets into its long hot days many of our thoughts turn to preparing our property for the upcoming season. For land owners in the south that means an early opening day. Some parts of my home state of South Carolina open August 15, other areas September 1, and still others a bit later. In surrounding states and other locals across the country you have a bit more time. But it’s never too early to begin a good practice regimen.

          For those of us who have an earlier opening, we must begin now preparing our land and ourselves for the upcoming season. Bow hunters in particular need to begin now getting our muscles and our shooting form back into shape. Our shooting needs to be sharp and our form needs to reflect the work put into our preparation.

          As has often been said, good practice leads to good execution in the moment of truth. Poor practice will only worsen the moment. But before even beginning your summer practicing regime, take your bow to your local pro shop and have it gone through in detail. The expense is minimal and the peace of mind it brings is worth every penny. Having the bow properly tuned will build confidence in your equipment and that translates to better performance on the range and out of the stand. There is nothing worse than having an equipment failure in the field. But couple this with the knowledge that it could have been prevented and it’s magnified. 

As the mercury rises practice shooting in shorter increments, but really focus on good practice. Some days only shoot a dozen shots. Knowing that as it get hot, and the sweat starts to flow, your form will falter and you could begin picking up bad habits.

          There are as many methods to practice as there are archers. And what works for some may not work for others. But it’s a good bet to begin by executing a few warm up shots at 20 yards. Then follow this with a few shots at 30, then a few at 40 and finally some at 60 yards (or whatever your maximum is). At these longer ranges execution has to be flawless when shooting. This long range practice will force you to focus on all of the details to make the shots work for your hunt to be executed well.

          A well set up and tuned bow that you have practiced with will feel so natural in your hands that as you get the shot of the season or of a lifetime, you will know with confidence that your equipment and your skills are ready to perform flawlessly.

         

                    

Floating The Lumber River in South Carolina

The Lumber and Little Pee Dee Rivers in South Carolina are just two of several black water rivers that flow through our state. I recently had an opportunity to spend a few days fishing along these rivers for Redbreast Sunfish. 

The experience was better than I imagined. Floating along the oil black water, gazing at massive centuries old cypress trees caused my mind to drift lazily. I imagined Francis Marion wading through these very swamps evading British troops. I imagined Native Americans living among these moss draped trees and wondered if I appreciated it as much as they. I sat comfortably in my boat seat and cast lures toward banks eroded with time and wondered. These very waters produced the world record Redbreast almost four decades ago. Would those days ever return when one and a half pound redbreast were more common? Would the river ever loose its luster, its allure? As the water levels fell, and the river becomes a mere trickle when spring gives way to summer. Will it recover? 

As I drifted along, I sensed serenity. My dad grew up mere miles from this very spot. He wasn't a fisherman, but his father was. I wonder if they floated these very courses? I wonder if my dad saw in these trees, this moss, this pitch black water the beauty I now admire?

The fishing was outstanding by my standards. Certainly not the good ole days I've heard about. But a bad day spent along the Lumber river is still a great day. I caught my personal best redbreast, and some giant bluegill. 

The first evening, we pulled up to a friends cabin, cleaned our fish and fried golden brown, what only less than an hour before was swimming the Lumber. Fish never tasted so good. I hope it isn't long before I have the opportunity to go back to the lazy waters of the Lumber. To float amid ancient trees, whose stories I'd love to hear. To drift lures by their fallen comrades and feel the tug on my line and see the beauty of the Redbreast, in the black water. 

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