HuntinGUS

I have a hard time finding the fun in shooting 3D or paper on a regular basis. Plus, I don't like buying new equiptment all the time. Trying out a new this or that for my bow does not excit me. "If it's not broke...........don't fix it" and my goal with my bow is to run an aarow through an animal not through foam or paper......just not my thing.If I can quickly kill a deer year after year with my bow and it's in safe good working order, I have no reason to shoot year round.

As for the time issue, I can think of countless ways I rather spend my time during the off-season.

MO_Bowhnter

Same here..but all I really care about is beating the 4 or 5 guys I go to shoots with.

quiksilver

Compare: Our resident big buck slayers - and our resident target gurus.

Because I don't think these guys will be offended, We'll use Shed33 & _Dan(T & D)- and compare their "offseason" to Matt/PA and RickJames (Matt Squared)...

T & Dspend their whole spring picking sheds and studying travel routes. They're wading through snow and evaluating late-season foodsources. They spend the whole summer patterning deer exclusively - trying to nail down a big buck with some level of predictability. I know this because I read what they write - and I know what they're doing. Especially Troy, who is a good friend...

Matt Squared is now tweaking bows and shooting spot league rounds. Their brains are focused on getting the best follow-through with their backtension of choice. They're looking at all the new sights/stabs/rests, picking their best weapons for the upcoming leagues.

Troy is somewhere wondering if the big 4x4 that he's been seeing has dropped its rack yet.

And while I agree that Matt squared are both successful deer hunters, there is definitely a higher level of whitetail hunter out there - best exemplified by the Troy Pottengers and Dan Schafers of the world.

Not knocking Troy and Dan, but I bet Matt Squared would mop the floor with them in an IBO-sanctioned event.
Conversely, IMO - if I was asking for advice on a wily whitetail that had me stumped - I'd call Troy or Dan.

GMMAT

You saying Dan spends less time bear guiding than these guys do shooting archery competitively?

Troy has KIDS!

You make it sound like these guys are doing something "deer" 24/7.....and the other guys do NONE of what the others do.

That's unfair. REALLY unfair (to BOTH groups!)

And you missed my location thread, it seems! If I wanted to know something about a wiley deer I was trying to bag.....I wouldn't call someone halfway across the country....who hunts differently than I do. I'd call someone who hunts LIKE I do.

And that's taking nothing away from anyone, either.

GregH

I'll admit, indoor shooting can be boring but it builds a great foundation for all aspects of shooting. Once you perfect your form from shooting Xs it carries with you to the outdoors. Some of the better 3-d archers got their start from shooting indoors. Randy Ulmer for one.

I used to shoot both and enjoyed 3-d shooting the most. However, 3-d shooting got to be real slow, so slow because of people taking so much time, it wasn't fun anymore.

Now, I enjoy indoor shooting in the winter and shooting just my broadheads outdoors.

I shot competitively for 7 years. Took a couple of 3rd places in bigger 3-d tourneys and took 3rd and 2nd in the indoor nationals and state X tourneys, respectively. At one point I was disappointed in myself for letting archery interfer with my serious big buck hunting.

Gundeck

I have joined the indoor league on here. I also plan to shoot some 3D this spring and summer. The two main reasons I shoot target are 1) it helps me hone my skills and get used to my new bow and 2) most importantly, it gives me time with my son doing something we both enjoy. In this video game world, if I can get my son to leave the computer on his own to do something outdoor related, that is all I ask. He loves shooting his bow and often asks me when I walk in from work "Are we going to shoot tonight?" I love it.

quiksilver

Jeff - even though I don't know this first-hand, but I willdaringly tempt fate and make2 guesses... Brace yourself, because this could come as a major shock:
[ul][*]Troy and Dan spend more time in the field than Matt and Matt.[*]Matt and Matt spend more time on the range than Troy and Dan. [/ul]
I mean, this is nothing personal, and should come as no earth-shattering revelation to anyone. Just how 4 different people choose to spend their free time. I said there was a difference - and you wanted examples - now you've got them.

bloodcrick

I try to squeeze in offseason scouting, shed hunting and leauge shooting on here anyway, BUT i had to bow out this season from an injured shoulder [&o]but i can still scout and go sheddin

GR8atta2d

Quik Those are some pretty big assumptions and I know the guys mentioned are cool down to earth guys, but on some level i'd take offense to those broad blnaket statements. Maybe your close enough to them to hand them their lunch like that..I don't know.

Second if you are the Undisputed King of Archerywouldn't that include 3D and Target??

quiksilver

I don't think anyone is "handing" anyone else "their lunch." I've read enough posts from all these guys to know what they enjoy doing in their free time. I know Troy really well, and Ican assure you thathe'sgot no aspirations to beIBO world champion - and Dan runs a guiding business - so shooting a 40x round doesn't pay his bills.Both of those guys soak all their freetime into their hunts. It's just what they do.

I spend all my free time the same way, so if my statements are an indictment against them, then I guess I'm guilty too... LOL

Boy, some of you guys are getting awfully hot under the collar...about something that I think is pretty simple and self-evident.