Smarter Bowhunting Starts With Backups
By Mark Melotik
After a summer’s worth of pre-hunt prep that likely includes infusing new gear into your arsenal, as well as plenty of range-time practice, our focus soon turns to making the most of each and every day of our limited time afield. And once bowhunting seasons open, few things will keep you out there hunting and scouting effectively as carrying backups for critical gear that can get lost, misplaced, damaged or broken.
Untimely accidents can happen at any time (Murphy was almost assuredly a bowhunter), but those who are prepared for mishaps can continue their adventure without skipping a beat. No one likes to give up a day driving to the pro shop or sporting goods retailer to restring a bow or grab a replacement release, headlamp or other essential item.
I’m a firm believer that all bowhunters should travel with a dependably deadly backup bow that’s recently been tuned to the same arrows as your primary bow. And although I continue to be amazed at how many of my bowhunting friends avoid them, a backup can quickly bypass unfortunate accidents like a broadhead-severed string, or maybe a drop from treestand that can do all kinds of bad things not only to the bow — but also its finely tuned sight and rest.
And if you’ve been around high-tech compounds and accessories for any time at all, you know that sometimes the damage isn’t always blatantly visible. In such cases it’s far better to simply uncase a backup than struggle with re-rigging and tuning.
There's a lot of gear I like to double up on for any hunts occurring more than a few minutes from home. Included in the list are the aforementioned mechanical releases and headlamps, as well as shooting gloves and pre-tuned bowstrings if I’m hunting traditional, bow tow ropes, and bow and pack hangers that I’ve left hanging in way too many trees.
I always carry at least two tree harness tethers and carabiners that seem to have strange abilities to suddenly disappear (camo exteriors certainly don’t help), and a few treestand seat pads that help me get through all-day sits when needed. The challenge there is I often remove the pad at the end of each day to avoid it getting rain-soaked overnight, and it’s far less difficult to forget a few of them stacked in the back of my truck in the pitch-black predawn, than just the one. Trust me on this.
You’ll always find at least a couple knit hats in my truck that can quickly be added atop a favorite camo ballcap on chilly mornings, and in my pack ride at least two knives as well as two compact cell phone chargers, especially when hunting remote public-land areas where access is dicey.
I’ve also learned to thwart Murphy by ensuring some critical gear stays with me. I use short lengths of paracord to tether a knife and a compass, carried in my pockets, to my belt or belt loops. I also add a tether with clip inside my pack to attach my truck key fob. In addition, the fob keychain also holds an Apple Air Tag paired to my iPhone — just in case. I like to think Murphy would be proud.