#1 -- Any exceptionally well-made and expensive arrow, especially in a relatively fresh batch, will be shot into one or more of the following within a few days of creation: an active bee/hornet/wasp nest, large patch of poison oak/ivy/sumac, network of active black widow or brown recluse spider webs, and/or be buried under about 2-3 inches of vegetable litter with fire ant outposts everywhere. Or if it doesn't land in a bad spot, then it gets Robin-Hooded beyond repair. Conversely, the easiest arrows to retrieve from a miss due to tension, poor technique, or bad distance judgement are typically the older, not-so-well-made arrows that need to be repaired or replaced.
#2 -- The one time I decide to wear something appropriate for the temperature and humidity is the one time I also miss a lot of targets and need to go into dense underbrush to find arrows. If I'm wearing full desert camouflage treated with insect repellent and guarded against anyone trying to get a space on the walking bug buffet, I always hit the target.
#3 -- If I'm going to get munched on or stung, it will be right when I'm trying to retrieve said masterpiece from #1 and while wearing something that won't make me overheat.
#4 -- The one place I can set down my trusty bow away from the local fire ants and spiders will usually be right underneath a popular P-mail site for birds.
#5 -- My arrows tend to get driven further into the target (or wooden frame or tree) than the arrow that came from a 60 lb bow from the same distance. Hmm... maybe that 125 grain field point on an arrow designed for hunting could be the reason... most other target shooters use those insanely light arrows that just poke the target, not try to go through flesh, lungs, and other organs and tear them up along the way...
#6 -- The most likely location for a sting is somewhere that makes it almost impossible to concentrate... like the eyelid or hand. The most likely spot for a bite is that one spot that can't be reached and was covered in clothing with no obvious entrances there.
Even with all these little Murphy's laws, I still love outdoors traditional archery in the Florida wilderness. I'd rather have the occasional bite or sting than just sit indoors like some kind of potato, there's just too much to enjoy outdoors. I think I just need to bathe in a mixture of Deet, Bidrin, DDVP, and Naled... or go back to using soaps like Dial. Oh and I also need to treat my clothing with something to repel the local insect and arachnid life too. I like bugs, but I don't exactly appreciate them munching on me or attacking me when I try to retrieve an arrow because my form and/or aim were off.
I've also picked the classes I'll be taking this fall with a bit of help from my new adviser. It's hard when I'm limited to 9 (was originally 12, but the fellowship got turned into an assistantship) credits but at the same time, maybe I can finally have a report card that doesn't have 3 really solid grades and 1 horrible grade and really get the material in :) I'm definitely moving up in this world -- I now have my office space and a key into my new extended territory.
Time for me to do what I set out to do... with the understanding that there's always room for outdoors and exercise!
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