Pennsylvania Game News - February 2022 - 59

draw cycle, making it easier to hunt from
the ground, or during late season, when
cover is sparse, without getting picked
off by wary eyes.
However, this luxury is a doubleedged
sword since it takes longer to load
and recock a crossbow if a second shot
is necessary. Likewise, most crossbows
must be discharged at the end of each
hunt, while upright archers can manually
remove their arrows and place them back
in their quivers.
Overall, crossbows are probably
the easiest bows to shoot proficiently,
especially for those with limited archery
experience, which likely is what makes
them a top choice for the modern bowhunter
who might find it more difficult to
develop the skills necessary for shooting
a vertical bow.
COMPOUNDS
Requiring a greater level of commitment
and mastery, compound bows provide
a technical option for those willing
to embrace the challenge of shooting an
upright bow.
While modern advancements such
as let-off, stabilizers, sights and aiming
accessories make compounds more proficient,
even at distances out to 40 yards,
archers still must maintain a very disciplined
regimen of proper form to shoot
well consistently.
This takes lots of practice and muscle
memory that's built only through repeated
sessions on the range. Sighting-in is not
as simple as making a few adjustments to
a scope's windage and elevation knobs.
You must ensure your bow is properly
tuned, carefully select your arrows and
broadheads, find the appropriate draw
lengths and anchor points, and achieve
steady holds, smooth releases and dedicated
follow through.
FEBRUARY 2022
Even when everything is dialed-in just
right, compound bowhunters must put
in their time, sharpening form through
repetition to perform their best when it
matters most, which many view as the
romantic allure this bowhunting challenge
represents.
Getting closer to quarry comes with
the territory, and because of the need to
draw and hold at the time of the shot,
many compound bowhunters elect to hunt
from elevated tree stands, which, among
other things, puts them above a whitetail's
line of sight. A compound bow's smaller
axle-to-axle design makes it ideal for such
hunting scenarios.
Compounds tend to be relatively quiet,
especially when paired with accessories
such as string silencers, stabilizers and
limb-dampeners designed to muzzle
vibration at the shot. Kisser buttons, peep
sights, carbon arrows and release aids all
improve accuracy. A laser rangefinder can
help archers determine which pin to hold
on the target at known distances, but it's
ultimately up to the individual to pull off
the shot.
Compounds have been a preferred
choice for archers since firmly gaining
traction more than 30 years ago, and
despite the recent explosion in crossbow
interest, they remain a popular option for
many hunters today.
CLASSICS
Be it stoic sentimentalism or the enticement
of mastering the ultimate challenge,
a select corps of traditional bowhunters
exist in Pennsylvania, and their ranks
appear to be growing.
Let's face it, " trad-life " is cool because
it's tougher to succeed. But it's also a
tribute to hunting the way the sport's
founding fathers hunted - with a bare bow
made of wood, feather-fletched arrows
59
Pennsylvania Game News - February 2022

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