By: Brian Stephens, StickemArchery.com
It is almost time to put up the sandals and bathing suits and slip on the camo. Over the next month or so many of us will 
start to get into the woods. We will start bowhunting in the new few weeks in South Carolina. While it will be extremely hot can not pass up opportunity to get on P&Y buck in velvet. If you have not been in the bowhunting mode over the past few months, then we want to give some tips on getting into “bowhunting shape” to ensure you start your season off strong.
Lets start with the things that you need to think about to get bowhunting ready
1. What shape is your equipment in?
2. How are you shooting?
3. What condition are you in?
4. What did you learn from last year? What mistakes did you make?
5. What new equipment or products are on the market to help you be more effective in the field?
6. How are you going to hunt your property this year?
7. Do you have a particular buck in mind?
What shape is your equipment in?
All of these areas are very important aspects of this years hunting season. It seems like a lot to consider in a short period of time 
but you owe it to yourself and the game you are hunting. Lets start with your Equipment. Ask yourself these questions:
1. When was the last time you shot your bow?
2. What condition are your arrows in?
3. How are your arrows flying and is your bow in tune?
I would suggest you start shooting your bow immediately after you have inspected it to make sure it is in good condition. It is important to make sure you are shooting well and identify any issues you may be seeing. If your arrows are not flying straight or you can not get your bow to shoot well then go get it tuned. If you are not able to tune it yourself then go to a local Pro Shop to let them get your fixed up.
Now lets consider how YOU are shooting your bow. Most bows today will shoot better than we can shoot them. Do you have any bad habits you need to address. You can reference some of the shooting technique tips we have on www.stickemarchery.com.
You need to step back and ask yourself these questions:
1. Am I using a proper anchor point when shooting?
2. Am I shooting with the proper Draw Length? To measure your Draw Length you can go to Measure your Draw Length onto www.stickemarchery.com.
Take time to practice each day between now and when you start hunting. Shooting a little each day after you have gotten all of your equipment in tune. By shooting a little each day you prevent injury or false sense of how you are shooting. If you shoot a little each day you can get a better sense of how you are really shooting. Once I get my bow set up I will shoot for 10-15 minutes each day and this gives me confidence that if I am shooting well during that time each day.
Getting in Shape for Season
Is it too late to get in shape for this upcoming season? From my perspective you need to define what your goal by getting in better physical fitness. There are many benefits of getting in better physical condition that will help you while in the woods and in your everyday life. Outside of family and bowhunting, working out is my other passion. I have been working out for 20 years. As bowhunters being in better shape can help you deal with tough terrain in the woods, make easier to drag huge deer out of woods, hang tree stands, stay mentally focused for long sits in the woods , ect.. So, what to do. Here are a few tips you can consider by reading our article Work Out 101. Make sure you are good to start working out by talking with your doctor. Start with good stretching routine, add in some cardio several times per week, and begin to strengthen your core muscles.
What did you learn from last season?
Alright, lets talk about what you learned from last year. For me, I learned not to gamble with the wind. 
Even when you do everything you can to control your scent an mature deer is hard to fool. We all want to hunt as much as we can but I will not hunt a stand this year if the wind is not right to risk educating that deer I am hunting. Will you hunt a area differently? Will you find a better way to get to your stands?, Will you use different seed for winter food plots?, Will you practice more during the hunting season? Will you practice with you hunting clothes on? Will you hunt near better food sources? These are just a few questions you should ask yourself to ensure you evolve as a Bowhunter this year. The moment you think you have everything figured out , you will be humbled by that one deer you thing you have figured out.
What new Equipment is out there this year?
This might be one of the coolest parts of this article. There are soo many great products by a soo many manufacturers. 
2010 has a number of new broaheads such as the NAP Blood Runner 2- Blade and 3-Blade, Rage Titanium Broadhead, NAP Thunderhead Edge, Spitfire Edge, and G5 T3. New Game Cameras such as the WGI series and Primos Truth Cams. There are a number of new arrow rests such as the NAP Apache, MidAtlantic TriVan, and QAD series. The Carbon Express Mayhem and Pile Driver are new Carbon Arrows for 2010 and bows by PSE , G5, and Diamond.
The good things for many of us Bowhunters that is if we do not want to buy a new Bow we can make some changes to our current set up to help us get more performance out of it. This could include shooting a lighter – stronger 
arrow, using a drop-away arrow rest such as NAP Apache or QAD HD rest. Going to mechanical broadhead, shooting with a better release or a combination of any of these things. The key is if you do not want to spend the money on whole new set up you can change the way your bow is shooting by making some minor changes. This also includes going to your local Pro Shop to get your bow tuned. You can also visit our Online Archery Store
How are going to hunt your property?
Are you beginning to understand the deer patterns on your property? Are you hunting a new piece of land that you need to
figure out quick? I have a small piece of land I am hunting in Georgia that is around 40 acres. I have had to quickly find where these deer are bedding, food sources and water sources, hunting pressure and terrain. Using Game Cameras and Ariel Maps can play a big role in helping you get up on the curve as quickly as possible. Again, thinking about Food, Cover and Water. Are you going to have several stands set up for early season around water sources and food plots? Are you going to hunt out of blind or stand? Where are you going to place your stand or blind?
Are you hunting deer or hunting a single deer?
If you are hunting a single deer vs. just deer hunting for any buck then you may have different strategies. To learn more about hunting a single mature deer read following article, “Are you bowhunting or Bowhunting a Giant?”. A few points of consideration are when you are hunting a single mature monster you do not have many margins of error. So, only hunting when conditions are right is key, stand location is key so you can catch them before it gets dark but not too close to bedding area to bump him.
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