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My Bowhunting Journey

Reconnecting with my ancient FREQUENCY

By Glenn Charles Photography

April 27^th, 2023

Turning 60

Age has really never mattered to me. I successfully navigated turning 40 and then 50 and then 55, all with little to no issues. However, 60 has hit me hard. It has me questioning everything in my life. It has me feeling vulnerable, as if my days are numbered. Every time a new ache occurs, I wonder, is this something serious? Aches don't go away as quickly, they are now a part of my day to day life.

When I was a kid, I was actively involved in all sorts of outdoor activities like motorcycles, guns, hunting, and rockets. My dad was into everything, but most passionate about his guns. I can remember sitting at the table, loading shot into shells or retrieving lead from the targets and then melting it down into bullets. When I got my first rifle, it was true love. Then, life happened.

My parents had a rapid and tumultuous split. I saw my dad maybe two more times and then never again. Two years ago, we were finally going to reconnect. I flew down to where he lived, met my brother and sister, and we drove to his house. It was an event that I had long dreamed of, with so many questions to ask, so many answers to be told. We arrived early afternoon to find him dead, apparently a heart attack the night before. Devastation and sadness dwarfed my soul, and crushed my spirit.

I think since that day, I have been somewhat lost. Lost creatively. Lost in love. Lost in life. Basically just fucked up to the core. Then, 60 hits and it is like I am now doubly lost.

I refuse to be lost any more. I refuse to not live life because of a number. I refuse to not follow my spirit just because those around me don't approve. I simply refuse!

This is my journey out of that darkness. I don't know why I need to share, but I do. Not in a shout it across all social media platforms, but instead in a manner that has always suited me. A few words, some images, at the end, hopefully I have told a story.

Here we go, I bought a bow, a really nice bow. I bought arrows, and camo and sights and tools and all kinds of other Archery stuff. Down the rabbit hole I go. I will say, after 30 days, this shit is hard. YouTube and IG make it look easy. I thought I was in good shape for 60. Turns out I can sling kettlebells but not pull a bow. So, as I go down this journey, it is not only about reconnecting with my spirit, my inner and ancient Frequency (more to come on that), but also to better round out my physical fitness so that age is really just a stupid fucking number and I can continue to do the things that I want until I can't.

Here goes my journey in the form of a running blog.

Hoyt VTM 31

Gear Matters so buy the best you can afford. If you can't afford the good stuff, then save a bit and buy the good stuff. The good stuff makes life easier in my experience. Not always, but enough to make a difference.

This rabbit hole is deep. I am learning via YouTube. I am getting better and yet not. Four weeks in and my shoulders, through lots of exercises, both stretching and strength, are starting to feel better. I got my Archery License and both Deer and Turkey tags for Maine and VT. Turkey season starts in 4 days. I have not hunted since I was a kid. I am a pure carnivore and I really do want to source my own meat. It really matters to me and there is no doubt this is part of the journey.

I have not killed an animal in 45 years. We shall see how this goes.

I hate TICKS and need to find a way to deal with them.

Thank you Kuiu for making pants with a 30" inseam.

My arrows were picked out for me by the shop that I bought the bow from. I intend to beat the shit out of them and then get new stuff. I have already broken one, and just today, lost another. Release went off a touch high :-)

I love this stuff, it is like Scuba Diving for me. I loose myself in the act of shooting. Time goes by and it is just me, nature, the bow and the target. I love it, really love it.

Practice

Learning to relax that front grip and get that rear elbow up. Grip good, elbow bad

The Rabbit Hole

One month into this journey and it has become all encompassing, something that I admit is not new to me. I rarely, if ever, go into something half way. If it involves learning and tinkering and physicality, it generally will consume my attention for quite some time. This then is the current rabbit hole that I find myself in.

I practice or train daily. Note, get some exercise bands if you don't already have them. As we age, not only do we need to work harder on strength trying but we also need to be more diligent in our 'movements'. While I love kettlebells and have no intention of removing them from my training routine, I am finding a very unique place for exercise bands. They allow me to target specific muscles all while incorporating flexibility into the movement. For me, this is especially true of my shoulders, a joint that has always given me problems. Archery has just shined a spotlight on my current weakness in that area.

The weather, meanwhile, just fucking sucks. I mean, it sucks. After spending 3 months in mild sun ridden Florida this weather, returning to Maine in April has been a shock to my system. Cold, cloudy, dreary, and wet about sums it up. Still, I refuse to let it go. I am just dressing warmer and still getting out to hike, scout and shoot.

Yesterday the rain began and the thermometer read 39 degrees at 6:00 in the AM. I went to the lake in the woods, a peaceful place to be, and set up my targets. Using the hatch of my truck, I was able to take refuge in between sets of 4. It has become a routine. Shoot 4, walk and observe the target pattern. Attempt to figure out what is working and what isn't, take a break, rinse and repeat. It is much like meditation to me as I get completely lost in the process.

Step to my line, set my feet, focus on the target, breathe, bow up, draw, anchor, relax my bow hand, find the bubble, burn a hole through the target with my eyes, relax, press, let the arrow go when it wants. If all goes well, it is a surprise that the release let go and that my arrow hit the mark. Take a moment, look at what you did, grab an arrow from the quiver, rinse and repeat.

If anything, I am mad that I waited this long to pursue this sport. I have thought about it for years, but I guess the time was not right. Now, well like all things, if we allow, they happen when they are right, they happen in the now.

Year of Learning

When I look back on the last 9 months I am really stoked with what I accomplished. Working to change the mindset from I am now 60 and slowly dying to I am 60 and just beginning was an incredible hill to climb. I am still not there, but am pleased with the movement I have made. With respect to Archery, this was one of my primary goals. Learning to shoot a bow.

Wow, what a difficult task to undertake. Not only was it a technical challenge, but the physical difficulty was real. I am sure I made it harder physically because I enjoyed shooting so much that I most likely practiced at a higher poundage than I should have. To say I practiced a lot is definitely an understatement. It was a lifesaver for me this summer as a fantastic outlet for stress and anxiety.

Going down this rabbit hole opened up a whole new world for me. I learned to shoot the bow accurately within 40 yards. I learned how to build arrows and fix compound bows. Yes, I blew strings out 3 times by dry firing the bow. Two times were my fault, one was just a strange incident. In any event, living in the middle of nowhere required me to work on bows. Another notch in my love of tinkering....

Then, there was hunting. I have not hunted since I was a kid shooting a 22 at squirrel. Man I loved those days. My father passed two years ago and after not seeing each other for more than 40 years, I learned that he had kept my 22 rifle. More on that in another story....

I had a great time hunting turkey this year and while I never got a shot on a deer, the act of learning and stalking was priceless. I am already stoked about next season.

Winter Training

I have largely taken the month of November off from shooting the bow. My shoulders took a beating from over shooting and technique. Learning to step back, lower my poundage and work on form using Bands has really begun to help. Not too mention a massive stretching program. I am excited for the winter training months with the goal of pain free shooting, increased accuracy and setting myself up for hunting success. The stoke level is high and I look forward to continuing the journey!!