by Talmage Dunn
I hope you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones and friends. Count your blessings. There is a little more than a month left to the regular deer season, January 1 is the end of the regular deer season and will be here before we realize it. There will be opportunities to bow hunt during the “urban “ archery season in specific areas in the State.
After that, small game becomes the archer’s target of choice. This will be the time to practice using smaller targets.
December is here and so is the Christmas season. What will you give the archer in your family for Christmas? What will it depend on ? What type of archery is the archer in your family involved ? The type of archery will determine the type of gift you will be giving! I will try to list a few suggestions.
Primitive Archery:
- Flint knapping supplies and equipment
- String making material
- Bow making materials such as draw knives, and wood
- Wooden arrows or arrow making materials
- Bow string material
- Feathers or vanes
- Bow-fishing supplies
- Arrow quiver or quiver making materials
Modern archery: - A new sight system for the bow
- A new arrow rest
- New arrows
- A bow sling or quiver
- New bolts for those that hunt with a crossbow
General Bow hunter gifts : - A quality set of binoculars or monoculars
- Scent dispersal materials
- Wind direction materials
- Safety equipment
- A new log book/ journal.
- Mosquito control for the spring and fall (a thermacell unit!)
- A gift certificate to a local sporting goods store or an on-line store!
Notice that I did not mention buying a bow. It is better to take the person to the bow store to personally get a bow. A bow must be “fitted” to the archer. Such things as draw length and poundage must be accounted for in the purchase of a new bow. There is nothing like the “feel” of a new bow in your hands!
Don’t forget the landowner(s) of the property you are hunting. You
should always offer them something for giving you the privilege to hunt on their land. It never hurts to take time to thank someone and it will pay dividends over time.
This time of year is prime to introduce someone new to bowhunting
and tarfet archery. It is nice to shoot outside, the mosquitoes are not as prevalent and the leaves are off the trees. Maybe its time to visit your local range, go to a 3-D shoot, or just take the new archer range roving or “stump” shooting. The main idea is to develop more interest in our sport.
The NCBA would like you to consider becoming a member this year. We have a wonderful organization and is member oriented. See our website for information on many of the activities the organization does and provides. We want to wish each and everyone of our readers a “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!” Be blessed this in this season, be safe on your hunts, and bring someone new into archery.
Respectfully submitted.
Talmage Dunn
bowhuntor@yahoo.com
252-267-5437
District 1 Wildlife Rep for NCBA
