Daydreams...

Earlier today after I sneaked in a bit of time at the range with my compound, I came back to the sight of a pair of fairly large ducks wandering around. I suddenly felt an urge to stalk them for a few yards, taking my time to estimate the distance and adjusting my field sight for the shot. Keep in mind, my sight is NOT appropriate at all for hunting and most people who hunt with a compound use fixed pin sights, although I know a few compound shooters who shoot bare-bow. I'm just following the ducks, trying to move as undetectedly as possible. I went so far as to practice nocking an arrow to my bow quietly and taking aim, but I didn't draw back, knowing that some psychotic neighbor might report me just for drawing back. Plus I don't have appropriate points on my carbon arrows -- the field points would doom the ducks to a rather slow death compared to a nice broadhead. And then there was the issue of dealing with the carcasses. I merely continued to stalk the ducks, always estimating distance and imaginging where I'd aim on them. Maybe someday I can really take a real shot, but for now, I have to content myself with target shooting. Oh I also came to the conclusion that if I ever do shoot those ducks, I'd use my recurve -- at that short of a distance, I think I can still get a good pass-through and my aim is good enough to guarantee a good kill shot.

I really hope I can do something about my academic schedulling -- the prospect of having at most one day to shoot (unless you count destroying the walls in my apartment as shooting) isn't a pleasant one. I came close to using the school's free psychological services when I couldn't get to the range for over a month... so the thought of a semester with almost no shooting is one that leaves me with a very nasty feeling in my stomach and more than a bit of anxiety. I don't function without alone time out in the wilderness as most people around me become painfully aware of! To be honest, I don't think I could ever return to living in a big city -- I need my outdoors a lot and there's few things that nauseate me more than seeing open spaces being turned into horrible things like shopping malls. Aren't there already enough of those horrible things where the only things worth looking at are the book store and hardware store... and a sporting goods store? But I digress... bottom line, not enough time for myself outdoors and I become a real safety hazard.

There's nothing that can compare to the joys of being outdoors among the trees with a trusty weapon and mastering it to the point of being able to consistently hit that distant, almost abstract spot. The compound is a wonderful blend of both physical and mental challenge, a chance to empty the mind and to "be the spot" as I aim and hold it up until I can slowly squeeze that trigger for a smooth release. The traditional provides a different set of challenges for me, mostly mental as I develop my aiming instincts and sense of distance, but also physical in making sure my form is consistent in everything from the angle I lean in to where I anchor my shot. It is in shooting that I can really re-energize myself both mentally and physically, a truly intense source of happiness and relaxation. I guess a friend of mine was right when he once told me that I'd find my strength, both mental and physical, once more if I spent more time outdoors in the wilderness with a quiver full of arrows and a bow in my hand!