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Darin Cooper
12/13/2007
A successful hunt is usually a culmination of a number of things that all come together at the right time and place. In other words, almost everything has to work right before we’re rewarded with an opportunity. Then we still have to make the most of it and seal the deal with a well-executed shot.
On the other hand, most unsuccessful hunts can be categorized as either the animals didn’t cooperate or we personally made a mistake.
It’s human nature to make excuses for our shortcomings, but in doing so, we fail to honestly evaluate our own performance and we miss out on identifying opportunities to get better. Anytime your hunt doesn’t work out the way you hope, you should take the opportunity to look closely at what you could have done differently to improve your chances of harvesting an animal. This goes for everything leading up to and including the encounter with the animal you’re hunting.
We can fail in our preparations for the hunt, we can fail in our effort during the hunt, and we can make any number of mistakes concerning set-up, stand selection, playing the wind, shot selection, on down to the actual execution of the shot.
If you consistently make a mistake or you have a known weakness then I’d suggest that you attack it head on and try to turn it into one of the strong parts of your game. You’re only as good as your weakest link right? About six years ago I was struggling with uphill shots at a tournament. I was determined not to allow those shots to hold me back the next year so I dedicated some time to practicing steep uphill and downhill shots. I turned that part of my game into a strength. I look forward to tournaments with difficult terrain now because I know I’ll pick up points over the rest of the field. I also know that I can handle those shots under hunting conditions. It’s helped me take animals that many archers would have missed or elected not to shoot.
During one of my very first bowhunts I spotted a tremendous mule deer buck and made arguably the best stalk of my bowhunting career. I started 1/3 mile away near the top of the mountain, high above the buck. He was bedded just above several does on a finger ridge in the sage. I slowly scooted down on my rear toward the ravine adjacent to the buck. I constantly watched him to ensure he wasn’t looking in my direction. I made it to the ravine undetected. I closed the distance then slipped off my boots, and covered the last 100 yards in my socks. Conditions couldn’t have been better. The wind was perfect, and the damp, sandy soil was as quiet as down pillows. I planned to side-hill out of the shallow ravine and come out about 25 to 35 yards above the buck.
The stalk worked beautifully except that I found myself standing a mere five yards above the largest typical mule deer I’ve ever seen. His massive, wide, deep-forked rack pivoted like a radar dish as he surveyed the terrain below. He was facing perfectly away, still unaware of my presence. I had him. I knelt down, and drew my 73 pound 31" draw pawnshop special. The damp cable slide chattered on the bar startling both the buck and me. The buck sprang to his feet and did a 180° in his bed. The explosion of the buck and the excitement of the moment combined with a draw length some 3" too long all came together to spell disaster.
My bow pulled me back down as the buck did his 180° . There he stood in all his 36-inch-wide glory, broadside, 15 feet away. All I could do was hide behind my undrawn bow and tremble. I distinctly remember how white the old buck’s face was. I think he was shocked to find that a pathetic, quivering ball of camouflage had been able to stalk that close. He stared at me tense as a coiled spring for what seemed like an eternity before he eventually bounded away.
That experience changed me. I was hooked on the adrenalin that only bowhunting can deliver. I realized that I couldn’t afford to squander opportunities like that so I became a student of the sport. I read everything I could get my hands on, worked my tail off so I could upgrade my equipment, and I practiced like a fiend.
I’m confident that buck would still hold the Pope & Young typical mule deer world record. If I had tagged him, I would have thought I was pretty special and knew everything I needed to know about bowhunting. In hindsight, sixteen-year-old, rookie bowhunters don’t deserve a crack at world-class mule deer. Screwing up that opportunity was arguably the best thing that ever happened to me.
Nineteen years later, I’ve competed in archery competitions all over the U.S. and overseas. I’ve held national and world records, state, national, and world championship titles, and I’ve bowhunted from Alaska and Hawaii to the Rockies and the heartland. I’ve got my name on a few archery related patents including Hoyt’s Cam & ½ system. I have most archery enthusiasts’ dream job, and I look forward to doing it every day. Most importantly, I’m still looking forward to my next encounter with a world record mule deer. I’m betting it will end differently than the last one did.
Granted, I took my experience a little extreme – It changed the course of my life. I’ve learned a lot of lessons the hard way since then. Fact is, the odds are still stacked heavily in favor of our quarry. No matter how good we get, we’re still not going to succeed on every hunt – that’s why it’s hunting… right? With that said, I still analyze every hunting experience with a critical eye. I know that if I continually improve my decision-making and execution I’ll be as effective as I can possibly be. I still seek out other pro shooters and bowhunters for their perspective to try and learn from them. I look for any opportunity to improve my skills. I also continually work to design more accurate and better performing Hoyt bows so I know my equipment will never let me down.
Keep a journal and log the conditions you encounter during every hunt. Pay attention to details like weather, moon phase, date, etc... Log deer activity and behavior. Note which fields are planted and with what. Track wind direction etc… Write down what happened and why. If something went wrong try to honestly evaluate why and propose a solution. If it comes down to you needing to make a change, then make a plan to change and execute the plan. You’ll be better for it and more successful in the future.
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