Preparing Your Compound Bow For Storage

After archery season ends, many hunters simply hang their bows up and forget about them until it's time to head back into the woods the next year.  If you are planning to store your compound bow for a long period of time it is very important to prepare the bow properly.  Getting your bow ready for storage is a simple task and can literally be done in a matter of a few minutes.

The first thing to do before tucking that bow away is to wax the strings.  You can either purchase , or if you want to make your own you can use a mixture of bow rosin, bees wax and olive oil.  To make your own use approximately one part bees wax to two parts bow rosin.  Melt these together in a small pan and add in a few drops of olive oil.  Allow the mixture to cool and check to make sure the consistency is suitable for your needs.  Be sure to liberally apply the wax while working it into every part of your bow string.

Next, lube all of the moving parts on your bow.  Don't neglect your bow cams.  Without properly working cams your bow is useless.  Use a teflon or silicone based lube designed for use on bow cams/wheels and apply a light amount.  Work it in by drawing your bow a few times.

Finally release the tension from the limbs.  Adjust the tension screws on your bow limbs to take the draw weight down as much as possible.  It is crucial that you don't loosen the screws more than their maximum number of turns.  The maximum number of turns allowed varies from bow to bow.  To find the maximum turns for your bow, refer to the owners manual.

Your bow is now ready to store until you want to start using it again.  By taking a few minutes of your time to care for your bow before tucking it away you will help extend its life and prevent a lot of problems in the future.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day

Missouri Opens Archery Season To Crossbow Hunters

Ask a hunter what they think about states allowing crossbows as a legal method for taking deer  during archery season, and you will get a vast array of responses.  Many of them will express a concern that it will result in deer numbers taking a sharp decline. Many of us would prefer that only those who are disabled be able to use a crossbow. Allowing any and all hunters to enter the woods with a crossbow seems to be a surefire way to put those of us with compound an recurve bows at a disadvantage.  Crossbow hunting takes the challenge out of archery hunting, and from my research the states that do allow this method for deer hunting typically end up paying for it in the long run.

Although there has been a growing number of outdoorsmen in the state who are interested in it, Missouri has held off on allowing the use of crossbows in the pursuit of deer for quite some time.    Over the last few years Missouri has hinted at the possibility of opening up this option.  After holding several open houses in 2015 as well as taking comments from hunters online, they have decided to allow their archery hunters to begin using crossbows during the archery season starting in 2016. 

I can only hope that this decision by the Missouri Department of Conservation doesn't come back to haunt us all.

- Any day in the outdoors is a good day