Team Easton Bowhunting is ready to do some hunting! Before the season kicks off, we asked some of the members about archery and tips for bowhunters. Check it out:
John Dudley, Host of Nock Out Outdoors
Years Bowhunting: 27
Favorite Hunting Arrow: The Hexx
Bowhunting Tip:
“The key to archery is seeking to execute a surprise shot. If you are comfortable letting your sight pin float while you continue to pull on the release and it fires, then you are ahead of the game.”
What’s going through his mind before releasing an arrow:
“‘Check Mate.’ I am extremely confident in my shots. Once I have my pins on the target, if the range is good, it’s usually game over.”
On spot-and-stalk vs. tree stand hunts:
“This is a tough one because there is so much excitement from a spot-and-stalk bow hunt. However, there is also nothing as refreshing as the solitude of a tree stand here in the Midwest during the whitetail rut.”
Nick Mundt, Co-Host of Realtree Roadtrips and Bone Collector
Years Bowhunting: 27
Favorite Hunting Arrow: Da’ Torch
Bowhunting Tip:
“Check your bubble, line your string down the middle of your nose and get a kisser button.”
What’s going through his mind before releasing an arrow?
“I like to pick a spot and focus on that one spot. I try to block out the horns and go for the one hair that marks the spot where my broadhead will disappear.”
Favorite thing to do when sitting in a tree stand:
“I like to sit and keep alert. I text a little in the stand but really try to stay focused.”
Chipper Jones, Retired MLB Player and Co-Host of Major League Bowhunter
Years Bowhunting: 8
Favorite Place to Hunt: South Texas
Bowhunting Tip:
“Don’t just practice, practice correctly and take your time. Don’t just fire arrows into a box. Don’t get into bad habits on the practice range. Take a breath. Take your time. Make the right shot. Practice perfection and quality. Then you can start sending out more arrows.”
What’s going through his mind before releasing an arrow?
“Don’t screw it up! It takes a lot of work to get in front of one of those big boys. It’s not just me in the tree. It’s my cameraman, too. We hunt some of the hardest ground to hunt in America. When we get those opportunities we need to capitalize on them.”
How he got his start in archery:
“Wanted a new challenge. Hunted all my life, and picked up the bow to make hunting more interesting. Duff tried to get me into it for a while, and now I love it.”
Fred Eichler, Owner of Fulldraw Outfitters and Co-host of Easton Bowhunting TV
Years Bowhunting: 31
Favorite Colored Fletching: Pink
Bowhunting Tip:
“Try and talk yourself down. I borrowed a trick from Chuck Adams and keep telling myself it’s not going to happen or that the animal will bolt or that I will miss. Anything to help keep me calm before the shot.”
What’s going through his mind before releasing an arrow?
“Stay calm!”
Favorite thing to do when sitting in a treestand:
“Hunt.”
Melissa Bachman, Huntress and Host of Winchester Most Deadly
Years Bowhunting: 24
Favorite Place to Hunt: West Central Illinois
Bowhunting Tip:
“The best tip I can give a bowhunter is to find equipment that they like and works well for them and stick to it. A big part of bowhunting is confidence in yourself and your equipment so if you can go out into the woods being confident, you will have a much higher success rate both as a hunter, and as a shooter.
What’s going through her mind before releasing an arrow?
“Moments before I release my arrow I’m usually trying to calm myself down and get the shaking under control. I get extremely excited so one of the things I have to do is try to calm down a bit right before the shot so I can pull it together in time.
Randy Ulmer, Seven-Time ASA World Champion
Years Bowhunting: 45
Favorite Hunting Arrow: Carbon Deep Six Injexion
Bowhunting Tip:
“Learn to relax all body parts that aren’t necessary to hold the bow up and back.”
What’s going through his mind before releasing an arrow?
“Patience, aim, patience.”
What Easton Means to Him:
“I’ve shot Easton arrows for 40 years now. Through my archery career, I’ve changed bows, sights, rests, broadheads and any other piece of equipment you could imagine – always searching for something better. I have never changed arrow brands through the years. That’s because I have not found anything better or more consistent than Easton Arrows. My arrows have always been reliable.”