The land that I will be bowhunting on this year is also private but you are not able to use a gun, so I am using my bow. 

I believe that I got started on bowhunting the same way many other bowhunters did, with a small long bow and a little compound bow, neither large enough to kill a deer. That was about four years ago, I did not go out and buy a brand new bow like most other guys, I got a hand-me-down bow from my neighbor and it works just fine. A 45 pound bow (which is what I have now) has enough power to kill a deer at a respectable range. 

I was always told that practice makes perfect, which is why I practice as much as I can. My neighbor, we'll call him Todd, bought a bow target at Wal-Mart, Morrels #1, I would just like to comment that this has got to be one of the best targets ever made for five reasons: 

5. This target is very long lasting with two different sides to shoot at you get two times the distance out of this target. 

4. If you practice a lot like I do (30 minutes a day or more) then you know that shooting at certain targets that are wet is a pain. This target does not get soggy and it also dries out quickly. 

3. This is a very inexpensive target, this target costs any where from $20 to $25 dollars. 

2. Like I mentioned earlier there are two sides, one side is a basic target and the other is the mid-section of the deer. This is very helpful to me since I have never shot at a deer before and that shows me where to shoot. 

1. The number one reason that I think that this is a very good target is the arrows are absolutely simple to pull out, you need no special tools, a three year old could pull it out. If anybody has every used Styrofoam as a back stop or as a target you know how hard it is to pull an arrow out of Styrofoam. 

Also practicing with a friend has been very helpful to me because I can get valuable tips, and sometimes not so valuable tips. Todd says that "A good way to find out how far a bow will shoot is to shoot it up in the air," I later found out that it is not the best idea to shoot your arrow into the air because nine times out of 10 you lose your arrow. Losing arrows, by shooting them up in the air or missing your target or the illusive or not so illusive bent arrow, can get to be a very expensive habit. Since I've used "Todd's information" I have had to start calculating my pay checks in arrows per hour instead of dollars per hour. 

Thank you for reading my Novice Bowhunters Column. Check back for weekly and sometimes daily updates as I venture into the bowhunting world. Good luck in your practice and until next time, so long--Hasta Luego--! 

I will tell you every thing that I do and if you have any questions or comments you can e-mail me at thomasfrench@bowhunting.net. 

September 15, 1996, Update 1 
I was practicing with Todd yesterday before he headed off to Canada, and he said that it is a good idea make sure that there is a hill or something behind your target. That sounds like a good idea to me. I'm loosing too many arrows. Are there any other good ways to stop arrows? 

I got an email asking why I used a fake name for Todd. So you all are probably wondering, what is Todd's real name? or, why did I use a fake name for him in my first column? Well it is not a fake name, his name is Todd. He is, well lets just say he is over the hill. Which means that I am not real sure exactly how old he is. 

Some of you emailed me and said you would be glad to answer whatever questions I had so I am going to ask some questions today, I hope you people that bowhunt a lot can remember things from a novices point of view, because that is where I am coming from. I want to know more about this and hope to get some help. Here we go, hang on. 

Okay, the day before yesterday I went to Hy-Vee, which is where I work, and picked up my pay check (I love that word, just has a nice ring to it, "paycheck") and then went to good old Wal-Mart and bought a sight and some more arrows. The sight was a cobra, it uses pins, it cost about $20.00, I wanted to use it today but I woke up and it was cold and raining. Should I have gone out in this weather and practiced so I can get used to the up coming season? 

The arrows I bought were not the expensive carbon arrows they were the $2.50 aluminum Top-Flight arrows, and let me tell these arrows work just fine, they fly straight and right now that's all that I need. I am going to have to try and adjust my pins, so I don't have to go back to Wal-Mart to soon. Another question, Wal-Mart has those deer targets, you know the life size ones, well they have them for $68.80, is that a good price? Are they good practice for hunting? 

If you read my last column I told you that I started out on a little bow, well guess what, I am starting out someone else on it, his name is Brandon Hoelscher ( he gave me the okay to use his name on the net). He is one of my parents friends sons, if that makes an sense. 

The bow that I'm now using, the one that I got from my neighbor Todd, is a Bear. I have heard of that kind but I don't know much about them, are they good? My friend Brandon is siting here next to me and he keeps bugging me to ask what you all think is the best kind of bow. We both really do want to know. What kind is? And how do you know if a bow is good to hunt with?. 

Thanks for reading my latest column, I am awaiting your answers, opinions and comments. Hasta la Vista.........Thomas 
thomasfrench@bowhunting.net 

September 18, 1996, Update 2 
I am back with more novice questions and insights. I appreciate all of the responses I got on the questions that I had in my last update. Guess what, I will be asking more questions this update also. First I would like to share the comment of the week, that a kind hearted lady gave me. If you recall I asked if that 3-D deer target was a good priced one, well this lady whom I will not release the name, told me to take a hundred percent burlap sack and just absolutely stuff it with plastic bags you get at grocery stores these days until it is hard. I don’t know about you guys but I would like to save as much money as possible and I am going to try that. 

Yesterday was current events day in Biology and as most of you also had done at one part of time or another, I forgot my homework. Luckily I had told one of my friends about my column and just as I was about to say that I didn’t have one she said "talk about your column on the Internet," so as you can imagine I stood up and told all about the bowhunting net and strike me with lighting if the teacher didn’t like my current event better than any of the other ones in my class. So as you can see this column has helped me in more ways than one. 

I have been practicing with my sights lately and have really started to get used to them. I have started to get into a 6 to 10" area on the deer target that my neighbor Todd has. 

I started scouting deer for the up coming season and the deer sign is looking good. I found lots of well used trails and spooked a deer or two. I have an area picked out to hunt in, it is on a small hill in the edge of the woods. The deer trail that I am thinking about hunting by comes out of a large patch of cedar trees which is where I think they are bedding down in the afternoon, then they come out in the evening. Does this sound like a good idea? Todd said that any where there is a trail then it is a good place to hunt since there have been deer there before. Is he right? And what else should I be looking for? 

Third and finally I have to ask for your opinions and preferences on types of broad heads. I want something effective but not too expensive, any ideas? 

Well I hope you are enjoying my Novice Bowhunters column and that you will help me with my problems, thanks for reading and until next time--HOLA--. thomasfrench@bowhunting.net 

September 23, 1996, Update 3 

Hi I'm back...Thought I'd start out giving you some information about the picture now appearing on my column. This is me when I was around 13 and killed my first turkey. My real hope is to someday be able to bag a turkey with a bow. This turkey was killed during a spring turkey hunt on my families property along the Osage River. Spring turkey hunting is my favorite time of the year to hunt turkey, you see, in Missouri we have a fall turkey hunt as well as a spring hunt. In the spring you can only bag a gobbler but in the fall you can take a hen, jake or gobbler. I think spring hunts are more of a challenge so I usually only hunt the spring season. Another reason I enjoy spring hunting is because when the birds don't gobble, you can always hunt morrel mushrooms which we also have an abundance of on our property. 
My parents are heading down to Springfield, Missouri to a conference and are planning a visit to the Bass Pro Shop down there. I have sent them with an extensive wish list in hopes I will be able to upgrade my current supply of accessories. Some of the items I'm requesting are: arrows, broadheads, shocker 5 tips, game tracker, an arrow repair kit and a compact arrow straightener just to mention a few items. Do you think these items will be worthwhile or a waste of financial resources. I am thinking about buying a new bow but for some reason, my Mom thinks I should use the one I have until I know for sure that bow hunting is the sport for me. 
I know I asked about what the best brand of bow is, and maybe this is a personal preference, but if you have a bow that works particularly well for you I'd like to know about it. 
I intend to start my heavy scouting this week and I am trying to decide if I should hunt out of a stand or on the ground. The deer stands that we own have been used in years past for gun hunting but I think will also suffice for a bow stand. One of these stands, which is a ladder stand and has no seat would probably be pretty uncomfortable, the other stand would probably be uncomfortable as well because it is so small, but is made for bowhunting so I will probably attempt to use it if I decide to hunt out of a tree. I realize there is a risk factor associated with hunting out of a tree stand, but I take all necessary precautions by using a harness which goes around my shoulders as well as my waist. 
I have started shooting from elevated places about 30 yards away from the target. I've been shooting 6 inch groups at 25 - 30 yards. At 10-15 yards, I've been shooting a 3-5 inch group, since I sighted in my Cobra sight pins. My scouting last weekend had to take a back seat to working and Biology which bowhunting.net can't help me out with this time. I have to do a bug collection, but I am just about done, so I plan to be on the in the woods very soon. I'll let you know what I find. 
Thanks for reading my latest update and if you have any comments, questions or useful tips please drop me a note. You can e-mail me at thomasfrench@bowhunting.net. Until next time--Adios-- 

October 11, 1996, Update 4 
I would like to start out by apologizing for not updating my column for so long. A lightening strike blew our modem out, it must have over powered our surge protector. I have a lot of stuff to talk about in this update, we will start out with talking about the opening of bow season. 

I have changed spots and I am now hunting on a 30 acre piece of land that is surrounded by row crops such as beans and milo, there is also some winter wheat but it is just starting to come up. I put up my stand about a week ago next to a field and a scrape. We have already found two scrapes. I don't know about other states but these scrapes seem early early for Missouri. Our season opened Tuesday and I have only been able to hunt one day. I saw nothing that day (I have a feeling I am not the only person North America that didn't see a deer opening day), however the next day, which I was not able to hunt, a lady that I hunt with saw a six point buck and two other deer that she could not identify in the general area of my stand. I am not going to be able to hunt again until Sunday because the opening of rabbit season is also this week and I will be taking my dogs for a long three day hunt (I am not using my bow). 

I have done a lot of practicing in the last few days, I bought some Easton arrows which work excellent. I have not used very many different types of arrows but these arrows seem to work real well. I started practicing with my Rocky Mountain P-100's which fly no different than my practice tips, which is a good thing. I told you about the good target that my neighbor has, well it is not so good anymore. After two days of razor sharp Rocky Mountain broad heads it looks like something that I pulled out of the garbage. Todd, my neighbor, bought a new cover for the target and put a sign on it that reads Practice arrows only, NO BROAD HEADS! 

Todd hunted out of my stand last night since I was working to make a little cash to replenish my arrow supply. He saw absolutely no deer and told me that the sun was too bright and that I should move my stand. I just got a Fine-Line Ultra Glo sight and I immediately installed on my bow. I also installed a tree bark quiver (also made by Fine-line) on my bow. Both were easy to install and fit great. After installation, I went outside and started practicing with my new Ultra Glo sight and broadheads even though it was after 9:00 p.m. Practicing under a flood light is not the easiest thing to do and it could cost you an arrow or two. 

I got some Scent Shield just in the nick of time. Talking about scent brings me to the tip of the week--that one of you sent me. The tip is: Spread some deer scent on the base of a tree or on the ground where you would like the deer to stop, this will distract the deer long enough that you should be able to get off a good shot. Keep sending me those tips and who knows your tip may be the next tip of the week. Thanks for reading my long overdue update and I will try to update when I have more information. Maybe by the time I have more to write about, my parents will have our PC and Internet fixed so I don't have to go to next door and bug Todd all the time. 

Thanks for reading my latest update and if you have any comments, questions or useful tips please drop me a note. You can e-mail me at thomasfrench@bowhunting.net. Until next time--Adios-- 

November 13, Update 5 
I am trying to stay on top of my column as much as possible, but it is hard to do homework, work, deer hunt and write a column at the same time. Since it is raining and I don't have to work the time is right to update my column. To start out I would like to thank Golden Key Futura for the fine bow rest and the outstanding stabilizer. I have started to figure out how they work and I enjoy having both since both are well made items. 

I am going to have to go buy some more arrows since I have only one practice arrow left. They seem to disappear when I miss the target. I have jammed the tips up into two of Todd's arrows and I have borrowed another for a broad head, so I am a little short now. I am shooting a lot better now since I have the Ultra-Glo sight by Fine-Line which for me makes all the difference in the world. My groups are about three to five inches at 15 and 20 yards, which I suppose is pretty good considering that I am not going to shoot a deer that is more than 20 yards away. 

I do have a question though. How far are most of your shots? What is reasonable? Please e-mail me and give me advice on when, where and how far to shoot at deer. Any tips or tricks that have worked for you could possibly work for me too. 
I am thinking of buying a portable deer stand but I will probably wait until the season is over and look for one on sale somewhere. Do any of you have a stand that is working well or that you favor? E-mail me and tell me about it. I would like you comments and insights on ladder stands vs. the smaller more portable, "hang on" stands. 

Another thing that I am thinking of doing is making a target range with several different types of targets. What targets would you recommend? I have a perfect place to make a mini-range. Behind my house I have about a six foot retaining wall and then it turns into woods, I have the luxury of having a good hunting spot and lots of woods right out the back door. 

Another question I have about practicing and the actual hunt is, "is it a good idea to hunt in the rain?" I think that it would seem a little dangerous to try to shoot a wet bow, is it? Also, my bow is squeaking what should I do, oil it? Where should I put the oil, on the wheels? And what kind of oil is best? I don't want to use something that the deer might smell. 

About the actual hunt, I have not seen a deer yet this season, is anyone else not seeing anything? Has anyone scored yet? I am sure some people have. E-mail me and tell me about your lucky or not so lucky hunt. Sorry about all the questions but enquiring minds want to know. Thanks for reading and e-mail me with all the hints, tips, questions, answers ans comments you have. I have learned a great deal from you in the past few weeks. Thanks again..........Tom 
thomasfrench@bowhunting.net 

November 20, UPDATE 6 
Hi, I am back now for a while. I am typing this update Thursday November the 16th and the opening day of gun deer season starts in two days here in Missouri. I will be gun hunting this year for a simple reason....bow season closes during firearms season. I am not sure if it is the same in other states but that is the policy here in Missouri. I have done some more scouting around my house and I noticed some rubs and several scrapes in an area of about 40 square yards. What should this be telling me? I have not seen any other scrapes or rubs any where else on the property. 

I have some big news for everybody, my neighbor Todd, yes I said Todd, killed his first deer with a bow a couple of weeks ago. The way I heard it, the story goes something like this: "Todd was hunting on a tripod stand at a river crossing. The stand isn't very high, only about ten feet, but's that's another matter. He is sitting there real quiet like....watching about a dozen deer in the field across the river. Then all of a sudden, some movement caught his peripheral vision. Todd was pretty sure that it was a deer, so he start turning in his seat, now remember that it is a swivel seat, so he is turning real slow.....and what does he see when he turns around, but three deer! A big doe and her twins. 

Right at that moment they all broke out running in all different directions and one of them runs broadside to him and he pulled his bow, aimed (and remember, Todd is an instinct shooter and doesn't have fancy sights like you and I have) and let the arrow fly. The arrow hit it's mark and the deer took off into the corn rows. All he could hear was all kinds of crashing and that sort of thing. The blood trail was easy since the deer was in corn, and the deer only ran 45 yards at the most. It was a perfect shot, the arrow went through the spine and vitals. Well that's the way I heard it. Strangely enough I believe him. I don't think he had a real hard time getting the deer out of the woods though, it was small enough that he could have put it into his hunting coat pocket! I should not say anything though, since I have never got a shot at a deer yet. I am pretty confident that I can hit one though. We ate some of Todd's deer, and let me tell you that was some pretty good deer, nice and tender just like I like it. 

I really appreciate your patience with me, since my computer has been down so long. I was starting to think you all had forgotten me, at least I hoped you hadn't. I am still not communicating with you directly from my house since our Internet is still not working. I would also like to thank my dad and Robert Hoague for all their help in getting my updates to you and your messages and tips to me. 

Well enough of the mushy stuff, lets talk tip of the week before I have to pack up for a rabbit hunt in the morning with the two "best rabbit dogs" in the country. 

I really appreciate the tips you send me for my tip of the week. Okay, the tip of the week is: "If you are sitting in your stand and a deer, or a bunch of deer come by moving quickly or running....make a noise such a whistle or a grunt. More times than not, they will stop and offer you a decent shot." I appreciate that helpful hint and I hope that other young bowhunting enthusists can take advantage of it too. 

Remember to send me all your questions, comments, insights, and especially your tips for my Tip Of The Week. Thanks a lot and happy hunting. . . . . .Thomas French, Novice Bowhunter thomasfrench@bowhunting.net 

Sorry for the delayed columns, but between school, work, homework, and speech & debate tournament activities on the weekends I haven't had much time to type my columns much less bowhunt. My bowhunting time has been limited because I have a zero hour class which starts at 7:10 a.m. and in the afternoon I am doing either homework or working and by the time I get home it is 5:30 and pitch-dark out side. What's a bowhunter to do? 

I know, bowhunting is the focus of my column, but I wanted to let you all know why I haven't been able to update my column recently. Actually, in this update, I am going to tell you about a proven way to get into your stand that is both safe for you and the tree in which your stand is built. 

My dad, who works for the Missouri Department of Conservation, is a forester. He and I are always looking for ways to get into trees that are safe for the tree and the person who is trying to get in them. While hunting this year, I haven't seen many deer. Sitting in my stand and waiting left me a lot of time to think about things. One morning on the stand, I rejoiced that there was only a -49 degree wind blowing, (not really, but I was glad that it was somewhat cold). I looked at the strips of 2 by 4 that I used to get into my tree and I realized that I should share this with you folks on the Bohunting.net. 

Some weeks ago, before bow season, I was rummaging through the garage and came across a big brown paper bag containing wood blocks. Each one had some rope and a metal hook on it. I was in a state of shock, what could something this strange be doing in my garage? I had to find out. I picked up the dusty old bag and carried it to the basement door and yelled for my dad. 

When he finally made it to the door, I showed him the strange contraptions that baffled me and asked if he could figure out what they were or how they were used. He didn't have to think long about it; he knew exactly what they were because he had made them. Dad said they were steps to get into his tree stand. Now, I could hardly believe that and I wanted to see if he was serious. So, the next day we walked into the woods behind our house with a portable stand and the newly found contraptions. 

We located a tree that looked like a place where I could see a deer and possibly get a good shot. Dad took one of the blocks out of the bag, whipped it around the tree, made a couple fancy hand movements and presto, there was a step on the tree. The block on the tree by no means looked safe to climb, and I told him he was nuts if he thought I was going to climb up on those things. He called me a wimp and then climbed up on the block and strapped a few more on the tree. In no time flat he had the tree stand up and was sitting in the seat smiling. I asked him how he was going to get down and he said he would climb. I told him he was crazy and to be careful because I didn't want him to break his neck. 

In less than 5 seconds he was down out of the tree and laughing. He told me to try them, and I decided it was time to overcome my fear and go for it. I did, and THEY WORK GREAT! I have to admit the first time I climbed the blocks I was a little uncomfortable, but after about 3 times up and down it was simple. This method is a safe way to access your stand and it is not harmful to the tree. 

This idea may seem too far fetched for you but, give it a try. You'll love it. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, I would love to try this magnificent idea but there is no way I could figure out how to build these things. Well today is your lucky day. I am going to describe the plan as it appeared in an article written by *Ken Perry in the Conservation Department publication over a decade ago. 

To Construct: 

• Cut 2x4 blocks about six inches long
• Drill a 7/16" hole through from side to side (Be sure to drill the hole close to one end and to one side)
• Cut a 45-degree bevel across the top and bottom of the block on the side closest to the hole.
• Pass a dyed 5/16" or 3/8" braided rope that is 15-20' long through the hole (a polyprophlene or other rope with minimal stretch is best)
• Tie a knot about 15" from one end of the rope, and a loop at the same end ( a sturdy S-hook with one end closed over the loop works well and is faster than just the loop alone)

• Hold the block against the tree, beveled side in.
• Wrap the free end of the line around the tree, through the loop (or S-hook) and back around the tree to the block.
• Pull the rope as tight as possible.
• Wrap the end of the rope around the block, between the block and the tree, pulling each wrap tight.

I write again as soon as I can.............................Thomas 

* From: Missouri Deer Hunting. © 1982 by the Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri, used by permission. 

Hope some of you guys tried my idea for the steps. If by chance you did try my steps, I would like to know how they turned out and if they work ok for you or not. I sure like mine and will probably use them for a long time. 

Now to the important stuff. I have only gotten to sit in my stand twice since you guys last heard from me and I have seen absolutely nothing, except for the few squirrels that got my heart going. I am sure you guys have heard squirrels that sound just like deer, and if you haven't you probably haven't hunted enough. To defend myself from the little rodents I took a 30-30 Win. deer rifle shell, cut the end off of it, knocked the primer out and then found a screw the same size as my practice tips and screwed it on the end of the arrow (Easton Super Slams). So now whenever I go to sit in my deer stand and a naive squirrel comes along, I will at least get a shot at him. 

A few days ago, after I got down from my tree stand and was walking back to my house, I spied a 3 gallon bucket and set it up on a tree stump and took a few shots at it. Now you must realize that I had a few practice arrows, along with my Rocky Mountain P-100's. I hit the bucket every other shot, and when I missed the arrow would more times then not stick into a cedar tree since I was in a cedar tree thicket. I would then walk over and twist the arrow until it came out, and do you know what; not one of those arrows got bent or anything else, they stayed perfect. The Easton Super Slam arrows carry a hefty price of about $4.50 each but believe me they are worth it. 

I was going to buy a bowhuting jacket called "Mountain Stalker 2" from Bass-Pro Shop in Springfield, MO ( the main Bass-Pro shop is just a couple of hours away from my house), but they were out of stock and I had to go with something else. Does anyone have one or has anyone heard anything about them? If you have, please e-mail me and tell me what you have heard or if you have one, whether you like it or not. 

Well that's about it, if anyone has any questions or comments, please e-mail me. Thanks for reading my column happy hunting, shoot straight, & C-YA! . . . . . Thomas 

January 15, 1997 UPDATE 8 

Well I hope that everyone had a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Did anyone kill any thing over the week, or weekend? If so let me know about it. 

I had a pretty good Christmas, and I think that the most important thing that I got was some Easton Super Slam arrows, my favorite, from non other than....Todd! Did anyone get a new bow for Christmas, or something equally important? Let me know about it. 

I didn*t get to do any bowhunting over the school break, but I did a lot of practicing and I am starting to get used to this Fine Line Ultra Glo sight. It works pretty well. There is only one minor problem with the sight, the pins glow, but one of the colors is red and it doesn't glow as well as some of the other colors and it is a little harder to pick out when sighting in. 

I have not gotten any permanent place to shoot yet, so I just use Todd's front yard, along with Todd and his wife Linda. Todd is my next door neighbor. When I was practicing in his yard the other day I was standing about 15 yards away from the target. I was shooting a variety of different shooting positions and places, under trees, from my knees ( I made a rhyme!), etc. and I decided that I wanted to try a longer shot. I proceeded to move back to an electric box that is about 31 yards away ( I know this because I bet Todd that it was over 30 yards, he took the bet, and of course lost a dollar to me), and about 5 square feet on the top surface. I climbed up on top of the box and since I didn't have a 30 yard pin, I just estimated with my 20 yard pin. All you people out there that have tried this and are very successful, I congratulate you because I was not all that accurate. I missed the whole target with the first arrow and did not recover it, but I was determined to hit it. 

The incidents and language that followed may not have been suitable for some audiences. However, 10 minutes later and $10 bucks poorer, I managed to hit the bulls eye, dead on. Even though I lost $10 bucks--not real bucks, just the paper ones, which don't mean much, except whether I can continue to practice or not. I feel that it was worth while and I am glad I did it. The only reason that I am glad that I did it is that it taught me a lesson, and the lesson is this ( you should remember this and use it for a famous quote in the off chance that I become a famous actor, or archer): "Set your pins before you should or it can end up hurting you in several different ways." Great quote huh, you can look at that a bunch of different ways. 

Well I think that's about it, if you have any questions, comments or helpful tips or maybe even a famous quote you just thought of, e-mail me at thomasfrench@bowhunting.net, thanks for reading, happy hunting, and shoot straight.. . . .Thomas 

January 25, 1997, Update 10 

As you may know, I live in Jefferson City Missouri. Last weekend I attended the AMO (Archery Manufacturers Organization) archery trade show in Louisville, Ky. It is about an eight to ten hour drive and for those of you that drive that far often, you know that it can get pretty boring. Since it is so boring, I happened to have a lap top with me, and since I had access to a laptop and WordPerfect, I decided that I would do some column writing. I wrote two columns, one on the overall trade show and then I wrote one on the Interactive Video deer hunting I did; but when I saved them to a disk something must have gone wrong because my computer could not open them. That is why I am now, writing these columns over. So here we go! 

I got to the trade show at about 8:30am and it took us a while to get our badges, since we didn't know exactly what category we fell under. Well, after we got situated in the exhibitor column, we made our way into the Exhibitor arena. When I first walked in it was like a freight train hit me and knocked me over, there was so much bowhunting stuff. If you can imagine going into a store the size of a large Wal-Mart super center and there being nothing but bowhunting stuff, then you would know what I am talking about. There was at least five of every bowhunting product ever made there, and when I say five, I mean five different manufactures. So the first thing that I did was to try to find the Bowhunting.Net booth. 

After an unsuccessful hour, I finally just decided to look at exhibitor booths. I looked at booths for about a half of an hour. After getting done talking to the Fine-Line representatives, I looked up and who do I see, but Rich Walton. If you don't know who Rich Walton is, he working with Robert Hoague on Bowhunting.Net and has a column Rich Walton's Industry News. The column has his a picture. You look at the picture and then you look at him in real life and you find out that he looks exactly like what his picture looks like, right down to the cowboy hat. 

After I introduced myself and he realized it was me in the flesh, we began a great friendship. We walked down to the way and he showed me where the Bowhunting.Net booth. Then Rich and I looked around. Rich introduced me to more people that day and I shook more hands than I have ever shook in my entire life. But don't get me wrong, I loved it, it made me feel important. We looked at many of the booths and sometime in the afternoon I realized what the exhibitors with all these big trucks (with all the people gathered around) were doing; they were shooting interactive deer hunts. I told Rich that I wanted to take a break and to go on without me. I got in line to shoot the interactive deer hunting simulator. That brings me to the subject of my next column. I shot three different shooting systems that day, AIS, Dart, and VAC. If you would like to hear how this went and hear the comparison between the three, stay tuned to Bowhunting.Net. If you have any questions, comments, or helpful tips, or or would just like to drop me a line, e-mail me at thomasfrench@bowhunting.net. Thanks for reading, happy hunting, and shoot straight.. . . .Thomas 

February 2, 1997, Update 11 

Hello. It's me again. You know what I think is weird? The archery season here in Missouri is closed and now that it is closed, I seem to have all the time in the world to hunt. I decided to write about something that I am planning to do. Next bow season, I am going to put in for one of the managed deer hunts administered by our Conservation Department. If this type of hunt is not available in your state, I will tell you a little about them. 

Managed deer hunts are held on public land (Federal, State, or County) that is not normally open to hunting. Between the months of July and August you can pick out a managed hunt area, there ARE a bunch of them in our state. After selecting a hunt of your choice, you mark it on a card provided by the Conservation Department and send it in. The Conservation Department then enters you in a random drawing and selects the number of hunters needed to fill the quota for each area. Only a certain number of hunters are lucky enough to be drawn to go on one of these managed hunts. When the quota is filled, that is it. The number of hunters allowed in each area depends on the size of the area and the size of the deer herd. The size of the herd, which is normally too large for the area, is the reason for having the hunt in the first place. This year will be the first time that I have put in for an archery hunt. If I do get drawn I stand a very good chance of getting a deer. I hope I get lucky. 

The Conservation Department also offers muzzleloading hunts. I put in for one last year and the year before, but I have never gotten drawn. The rules limit a hunter to only one managed hunt per year in any category. 

Now, back to bowhunting. I have not practiced a whole lot since the season closed, but I did practice a little the other day. The practice that I had was needed. I shot well and I felt good about the spots that I was hitting. I only lost one arrow. This is not great, but it is better than losing all of them. Unfortunately this has happened before! 

On a closing note, two days ago we got out of school because of snow and sleet. I decided to take down my treestand and the blocks that I mentioned in one of my previous articles. This signals the real end of bow season. When I got to my stand I climbed up the blocks, which were very slippery with ice. I tried to undo the chain that holds my stand to the tree. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the removable link that I needed to undo was frozen in a cube of ice. I climbed up and sat in my stand and proceeded to take off my gloves and melt this chunk of ice that seemed to be as big as a glacier. A little frostbite (not really) and ten minutes later I managed to get the link undone. After what seemed like all afternoon, but was probably just about 20 minutes, I realized that I was not going to be able to get this thing down without falling off the tree and killing myself. Luckily my neighbor was there and I sent him up the pole of ice. He, being a good three inches taller than me, managed to get the stand down in only ten minutes, which has got to be some sort of a record. I got all the blocks and my harness down and we made it home; although I am not sure how we walked, considering we were frozen into little ice cubes. 

That about sums this article up. If you are interested in a managed deer hunt and are not sure if they are offered in your state, contact your local Conservation Department or Department of Natural Resources. You can e-mail me and I will also answer any questions that I can. Keep sending in those tips, I really need them and thanks for reading! E-mail me at thomasfrench@bowhunting.net 

This weeks article is going to be titled, "New Products for '97". This is going to be a series of articles that I will write about individual manufacturers that I visited during the AMO Archery Trade Show this year. I'm beginning the series with Alpine Archery: Alpine has several new bows. Some of the newer bows being offered are: 

The new 'FreeStyler 3D'. This bow offers smooth stable shooting that you can rely on. Available in One-Cam or T2 Dual Performance Cam, this bow is a super fast, quiet bow. With a mass weight of only 3.6 pounds, it is one of the lightest bows offered on the market. That should aid all you 3D hunters in holding steady for extended periods of time. From axle to axle it is a mere 36 inches and offers from 50 to 80 pounds to suit a wide variety of shooters. 

The draw lengths for the T2 Cam are 25" to 30", the One Cam design offers draw lengths of 24" to 30". The limbs are made of 14.5" Bi-Flex material which are offered in two different colors, Laser Red and Vader Black. The grip is made of exotic wood. As you can see this new bow is going to be a hot one on the market with its wide range of choices to fit a wide variety of hunters. 

The next bow on my list is my favorite, probably because this is what I shoot, the Alpine 'Ridge Runner'. This is a truly a hunters bow. What makes this bow an ideal hunter's bow is its Realtree Extra camo, the light weight of only 4.3 pounds, the new quiet cam for that silent shot, and the high let-off. This bow has three different kinds of cams, including the T2 Cam, the One Cam, and the Quiet Cam. The T2 Cam offers a variety of draw lengths from 26" to 31", the One Cam offers a draw length of 27" to 33" and the Quiet Cam 26-28", 27-29", 28-30" and 29-31". The draw weights are from 60 to 80 pounds and like most of Alpine bows, it includes a Zebra wood grip to keep your hands warm on those freezing mornings. 

Moving on to the Teton Lite. This is one of Alpine's premier hunting bows. This is one of the new introductions for this year, with the use of the 'Free Styler' riser the Teton Lite is going to be another hot bow on the market. This bow is very similar to the 'Free Styler' in that it offers that same weight, draw weight, draw lengths, risers and grip. One of the things that makes this bow stand out though is that instead of the brightly colored limbs of the 'Free Styler', it offers limbs in the pattern of Realtree Extra. This is definitely going to go over well with the hunter. 

Next is the 'North Wind'. This is an quality bow that you can count on when you need it the most and is one that won't break your savings. Although this bow has been on the market for several years it is very deserving of the credit it gets. The 'North Wind' will adapt to any game animal that you are hunting, from Wild Boar to Woodland Caribou. This bow only weighs 4.2 pounds and is only 37 inches long. The risers are the new rage, machined 'Lite Star', deflexed risers. This bow is offered in draw weights of 60 to 80 pounds. The 'North Wind' offers one type of cam, the ever popular T2 Cam, available in 27" to 32" draw lengths for those long armed guys and gals. The color of the risers are Oak Ridge Camo with an exotic wood grip. 

Another hot item for the 3-D archer is the new 'Sundance' bow. This bow is one of the most affordable and reliable bows for 3-D. With the option of 80% let-off, this bow is a keeper. The mass weight of this bow is a light 4.3 pounds, that's lighter that a small sack of sugar. The 'Sundance' is offered with 2 different types of cams, the T2 Dual Performance cam and the One cam. The draw lengths for the two cams are as follows: T2 Dual Performance cam- 26" to 31", One cam- 27" to 32". The draw weight range offered is from 60 to 80 pounds. The riser is made entirely of Century Series reflex variety. The colors are the same as the Free Styler, Laser Red and Vader Black. The hardware is gold anodized and the grip is made of exotic wood. 

Well those are most of Alpine's new bows. Alpine has a web site so don't forget to visit the Alpine web site. Alpine Archery is just the first on my list of manufactures to write about and if you like the information that you read here you, stay tuned for more. Soon to come will be Rocky Mountain Broad heads, Fine-Line, Loc-On, Bracklyn Archery, Pro Roller, and Trebark camouflage. Thanks for reading and stay tuned, e-mail me with your comments at thomasfrench@bowhunting.net. 

February 27, 1997 - Update #13 

As promised, here is the next manufacturers line that impressed me at the AMO Show in January, The Loc-On treestand company. Loc-On makes a variety of stands, one to fit every hunter out there. Their stands range from ladder stands to stands weighing merely 6 or 7 pounds. Other than stands, Loc-On also offers treestand accessories such as treestand steps and locking systems. This will just be a brief overview of some of their most popular stands. 

Possibly the most popular stand is the 'High Style'. This is a stand that would be good for bowhunters as well as gun hunters. This stand offers a padded cushion, arm rests and a back board. The 'High Style' is one of the most comfortable stands, if not the most comfortable stand on the market. The 'High Style' offers a weight limit of about 300 pounds. The weight of this stand is 16.5 pounds, the platform size is 29.5 by 21". The seat height is 17.5" and the seat size is 13 by 19.5". This is a nice stand, attractive and well made stand. It comes in Cloud Day Gray, which will blend in with about any tree. 

The Black Lighting is a great backpacking stand, with a weight of only 10.4 pounds. It is easy to install and is made of solid steel. The Black Lighting stand also offers a cam action platform for tightening the stand to the tree, which also aids in quick installation and easy take down. The weight limit on this stand is 275 pounds with a seat that has the dimensions of 10 by 12". This stand comes in black with a camouflage seat. The platform size is 26 by 18.5". A good all around pack packing stand. 

The last stand that I will tell you a little about is the Limit stand. I have not decided why they called it the Limit stand, I cannot see that it has any limits. This stand can hold its own with any stand of the same caliber on the market. I personally own a Limit stand so I know about it from my own experience. I can tell you, this is a great stand, if you don't believe me and if the information that I will give you on it isn't enough to sell you on it, just talk to any other person that owns one. The Limit offers an aluminum slat platform that is ribbed for better footing. It has steel cable supports, a comfortable fold-away canvas seat that has foam padding on the front bar for those long mornings. The stand comes with backpacking straps so that you can take it in and take it out with you the very same day, which brings me to my next point, easy installing. This stand is so easy to install that all you have to do is hook a steel hook into a steel loop and pull the strap tight, that's it. Nothing to unscrew and nothing to pry loose. This stand can hold up to 275 pounds and has a seat size of 10" by 12", and a seat height of 21". It comes in the same color as the 'High Style' and can hold almost as much weight. Last but certainly not least is the weight. The best feature of this stand is the light weight, a mere 7.5 pounds. 7.5 pounds, that is seriously light. Just think how far you could carry this stand as light as it is. Like I said at the beginning, this is a great stand and one of the best back packing stands you can buy. 

Those were just three of the many stands that Loc-On offers. All of Loc-On's stands are built to take abuse and handle it well. They have a web site at www.bowhunting.net/locon If you have any questions please e-mail me and I will answer what ever questions I can. Thanks for reading and stay tuned. E-mail me at thomasfrench@bowhunting.net, thanks. 

May 5, 1997 Update # 14 

I know you all are probably furious with me, but since I have gotten my new ALPINE 'Ridge Runner' I have been busy shooting in all my spare time. It is good shooting bow and has outstanding looks to go along with that. I am now shooting carbon arrows, 'Carbon Hawks'. I like carbon arrows but I think the Easton xx78 'Superslams' are more durable. For example, I hit a wall with a carbon arrow and it completely shattered. I hit the same wall shooting the same bow at the same poundage and the Easton arrow didn't shatter or even bend, talk about durable. I am also sort of looking into buying a range finder, if any of you all have one that works particularly well for you, let me know about it. Also I am kind of on a tight budget, you know the whole teenage thing, so if you have one of those rangefinders that costs a fortune, don't tell me about it. It will just make me feel bad. 

On another note, turkey season opened here in Missouri the 21st and I was able to make it out on opening day. You can read about that later because it was a gun hunt and this is a bowhunting page. The reason I didn't hunt this year with a bow is simply because I have only killed one turkey and I would like to get a few more under my belt before I try to tackle one with a bow. Since I have gotten this new bow I have improved my shooting groups over 100%, which I am very proud of. I am starting to shoot about a four inch group at 20 yards. I am confident that, come deer season, I will be able to hit one my first try. At least I hope so. I would love any information that anyone has on spring turkey hunting with a bow. In Missouri, you can kill two birds a year, one the first week of the season and one the second. If I get a turkey this weekend then next weekend I am going to try to get one with my bow. 

While we are on the subject of turkeys, I would like to brag on Missouri about it's turkey population. I don't know if you all know this, but Missouri has more turkeys, by 5,000, than any other state in the Union, excluding Texas. Well enough about that. I am going to tell you my opening morning turkey hunting story, even if it is with a gun. Here we go! 

Along with hunting, my dad and I are also avid fishermen and we love to 'Limb Line' for catfish. So the weekend before the opening of turkey season we went down to our cabin on the Osage River in Missouri. We did some chores around the house, shot guns, fished and scouted for turkey along with the never ending search for Morrel Mushrooms. We have a very good supply of them where we live and find a bag full just about every time we go turkey hunting in the mornings. 

Back to the story. On Sunday night my dad and I went to bed early, about nine o'clock. I got to sleep amazingly fast considering how excited I was; since turkeys are my favorite thing to hunt, next to rabbits. Early Monday morning we got up, made some coffee, put on our camo and set out on the mile hike to get to our hunting spot. 

Before I go on, I would like to take a minute to tell you about my new TRAIL COVER Camo that I have. It is from TREBARK, owned and operated by Jim Crumley. I got a pattern called TREBARK UNIVERSAL, it looks real as a tree. This is one of the best, if not the best pattern on the market right now. 

With the country that I hunt in, forest primarily, it is a big help. The pattern looks like TREBARK with leaves. That is the only way that I can describe it because that is what it really looks like. Back to the story now. 

We got to our spot at about 6:00 and the sun was just starting to give off a little light. Right as I set my Remington 870 and my pack down I heard a gobble off in the north valley of our farm, tree farm that is. The gobble sounded like it was about 200 to 300 yards away. My dad and I decided that I would take the north end of the farm and he would take the south. As I walked down the trail to get in position I stopped periodically to listen and every time I did I heard a gobble. I thought it was strange that the gobbler sounded farther away now that it did before, but I just shrugged it off and kept plodding on. I got set up on the bird and gave a soft tree call. I immediately got my response and heard the fly down. About 10 minutes later I was just starting to call again when I heard the sound that all turkey hunters hear when they are spotted, no I am not talking about the 'put', I am talking about the wings beating air. I glanced over to see the original bird that I had heard only once, flying off. The other bird though was still gobbling so I kept trying to work him. He had some friends with him and I guess he decided that he didn't need to come the extra 50 yards so he stayed where he was. I gave him 2 hours and by that time the original bird seemed like he regained his interest in me and started coming in from another side. I got up to get better position and then heard the other sound that turkey hunters hate, the 'put'. I immediately sat down and gave some soft clucks. I suppose the gobbler sent his hens in to check out me and they found out I was a fake. 

I could tell the gobbler was heading up a fence line and I knew of a gate where I could intercept him. So I eased out and hauled down another road and sat down and started calling. I heard the bird still down the fence line so I wait and waited but he never came up and eventually stopped calling. However, I heard another bird coming up the fence line from the opposite direction. I immediately got position on him and waited. He apparently came under the fence and walked past me under the hill and came around a little bit behind me. From there he started going away from me. After he got to about 50 yards I decided that I had had enough of that and made the loudest calls I could make on my slate call. He immediately turned around and started heading my way. He went back under the fence and started coming up the fence line, gobbling all the way. He finally got so close I could hear the drumming. I still couldn't see him though. After a minute of gobbling I saw a white head poke through the fence about 35 yards away. I guess I got excited and when he gobbled again I put my gun up and took a shot. I wish I wouldn't have taken it now because I think he would have come around in front of me if I would have let him, but I didn't. I didn't hit him, he flew off 'putting'. I was shooting a modified choke with number 6's. I guess I made the mistake that all turkey hunters make at one point in time or another, I got impatient. Well that's my story. No bird to take home, but alot of fun and I learned a good lesson. If any one has a good turkey hunting story, gun or bow, e-mail me and tell me about it. 

Also, if anyone has any good bowfishing advice or stories, I would like to hear them. I think I might try bowfishing this summer. Thanks, and I'll let you know how I do. E-mail me at thomasfrench@bowhunting.net, thanks. 

June 7, 1997, Update #15 

Hi all, sorry my update has taken so long but you know how it is with school, work, play and bow shooting. 

Today was my last day of school so maybe now I can keep up with the column writing. I appreciate all the responses I am getting as I like to hear what you have to say about my column, positive or negative. I guess you all are anxious to hear about the outcome of my turkey hunt. Well the last week of my season was not great. Not only did I not kill a bird, I never ever got another shot at one. I did manage to spook a couple birds though. 

On a better note, Todd (all my faithful readers know Todd) found a couple of good deer hunting spots where people are seeing deer regularly and no one hunts there, which is good for us. Todd is also looking into finding a new bow. He would like to find something that is of good quality but not too expensive, any ideas for him? I have also been practicing some more and I think I get a little better each time. If that is the case I should be right on by the time deer season rolls around. 

I am still interested in bow fishing. If there are any bowfishermen out there who could send me some information I would really appreciate the help. I've never been bowfishing so if there is any one who lives near me (Jefferson City Missouri) interested in taking me out and showing me what it is all about I would really appreciate that too. Please phone me at (573) 636-9614) or email me here. I would love to hear from any of you bowfishermen out there. 

On another note, I was reading in BOWHUNTER magazine something about Alabama trying out SPEAR hunting for deer! Well, huh, spear hunting? If anyone would like to read it, it is on page 44 of the Aug/Sept issue. Before I close I would just like to compliment BOWHUNTER magazine on a job well done, I really like their magazine. 

I was fortunate to be introduced to Fred Wallace of BOWHUNTER Magazine by Rich Walton while I was at the AMO Archery Show in January. Fred is one of the founders of BOWHUNTER magazine and has bowhunted all over the world. I was thrilled to to meet him.