I first stated thinking about this idea about 2 years ago. I had watched Ricks intructional dvd and liked it just fine. then I got the overkill dvd and I thought, I'd like to meet this guy and hangout a while. I had bought one of his bows on this site, and had two more that he built for me.
When he started doing his shooting schools in AR, I thought about going out, but I hate driving or flying. I got to talking to a couple of my buddies and we came up with the idea of trying to get Rick to come to us. We wanted to do it during hunting season, so we could have school in the am and hunt that afternoon. I called up Rick and presented the idea to him. He was cool with it so we blocked out a time, Dec 8,9.
I finally got to met him at the ibo trad worlds this past sept. Nice guy. We talked a bit and finalized the plan.
Happy to say it all went off without a hitch. DB
That is great Don Did you guys kill anything? How much did you learn not much I will never be able to beat you now. LOL Lee
pics?
Heck I can't type what I meant was I hope you didn't learn too much because I couldn't beat you before. I know you had a good time.Lee
Rick had a class up in WV this past weekend and drove to my place on monday. We met up and went on down to our camp. Got settled in and ate a good steak supper. Guys in camp were me, Rick, John Dill (kanati quivers), Jet Mathews, Nick Georgaid, and a friend of mine from Reno NV, Ed Doyle, who was out here rifle hunting for the week.
the next morning, he got us all togather and had us shoot about 3, 4 arrow groups in a target, while he filmed us. then we went upstairs and put it on TV. He talked to us about stuff we were doing and stuff we needed to do. then he took each of us one on one, back down and spent some time with each guy. He reflectched arrows, changed nock pts, shelf plates and what ever. the guys were excited when we broke for lunch. some of them had made great progress. after lunch we went out and shot a 3d course that me and Jet had set up last sunday. Rick took his bow and shot right along with us. It was a fun time.
that afternoon we all went to get on our stands. I went with Rick and got my first experience in how to be a camera man. We saw one small buck and a doe. we pasted up the cowhorn and the doe never presented a shot. We got down at dark and met John, who also had a small spike under him all afternoon. When we got back to camp Jet and Nick were there. Jet had seen deer but no shot. Nick had shot a big 5pt management buck. 165lbs and about 4 1/2 yrs old. He had just went to 3 under that day and drilled him right in the pocket. deer made it about 75ys. end of day one. DB
The next morning we got up and it was raining hard and blowing about 30 to 40 out of the SW. After breakfast , the boys move the targets to a place that was out of the wind more and we shot while Rick watched and corrected. He had a new longbow that he's been working on and it is a fast stable bow. The wind did'nt lay down at all and we were wondering if it would be worth going back out in the afternoon, but we were already down there with plans to spend the night, so what the hell, we went anyway.
John, Rick and I, went down a trail and at the split, John went his way and we went ours. Nick had to go back home and Jet went to another spot . Rick and I chased off 3 deer when we got to our tree. We went up , got the camera arm on the tree and got ready to wait. the wind was blowing so hard I thought , we gotta be crazy to be up in this oak in these conditions. We did get a small 6 pt and a doe on film, Cool stuff, that filming.
We went back to pick up John at dark and when we got back, Jet had killed a 175lb raghorn. also a split finger guy who switche over the day before.
I think everyone , including the teacher, had a blast. Got back to my place this morning and I was beat. sure glad I did'nt have to drive all the way to AR.
Ricks a laid back guy and everyone came away a better shot I think. I did take a few pics and will put them up. thanks for looking Don
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/526don/100_0611.jpg)
Jet shooting, with Rick on the camera.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/526don/100_0612.jpg)
Nick shooting
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/526don/100_0615.jpg)
Nick's deer
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/526don/100_0616.jpg)
John and Rick take a break
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/526don/100_0621.jpg)
Jet's deer with John, Rick and mason (jets dog)
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/526don/100_0623.jpg)
Group photo.
Great time. Don
nice stuff Don! :D good luck!! :archer:
Thats sounds like a great time.
I was tt the WV shoot on saturday.I learned a bunch and you could not meet a better guy! Bob
That should have been at the WV shoot. I hope I can shoot better than I type. Bob
Looks like a great place to have a great time. Congrats.
I'm WAY envious Don! Sounds like a great time.
I got to say.....Its good to have a buddy like Don Battan(Batman) Not because of his fine skills in putting together a great time with great friends. Not because he enjoys shooting a bow or striving to be the best at what he does. It all boils down to the fine cookin he did this weekend. We ate like kings. Fried chicken with all the trimmings one night. One heck of a breakfast and many other great meals of deermeat, steaks and chilli of the such. He a man of many talents.
We had a blast! Rick Welch has definantly mastered the art of helping his students bring themselves to full potential when shooting their bow. I really got to work on trusting my bow arm during the shot and learning to keep that backtension in the shot. He was a fine fella to have around! I was glad to see my buddy Don get a chance to do some camera man work for Rick. Don did a great job for his first go at it. It was also great to see our friends Jet and Nick pull so much away from Ricks shooting class.
Also that dog in one of the pictures above deserves recognition. His name is "Mason" and I dont believe theres a deer his nose cant find. He's worth his weight in gold.
I've always thought that Rick seemed like a great guy to "hang" with...good instruction, good company, and good hunting.
Very cool :clapper:
So Don, did you shoot your new Anneewakee recurve or did you hide it and only keep the Dakota out while Rick was there? Sounds like a great time, its amazing how much a guy can learn even when he knows so much!
Hey Mike, actually we kinda played musical bows. Everyone traded around. Widows, schafers, addictions, oh my. I kept going back and shooting this new longbow that Rick brought. He's been working on a new design to get a little more speed out of them. Nothing radical, just minor stuff. I shot it about as good as any of them. DB
I was at the WV shoot also. I agree... Rick is a good guy and a great teacher. I'm shooting better than ever now. I think it is one thing to be a great shot... and another to be a great teacher. Rick is both!
Sounds like you all had a great time.
Bob Stager: Hi Bob. It was nice meeting you last Saturday. Let me know how your season goes!
Wayne Boone (fnshtr)
Don sounds like you had fun brother. I talked to Rick last week and he said he was going to WV and then NC. Didn't make the connection he was coming down to see you guys. Did you send Rachel home with him? If you didn't you need to. Next year we are gonna have a ball at the Trad World. I got a new Dakota coming.......can't wait. Take care and tell the boys I said hey.
Sweet!
sounds like ya'll had a blast and killed some nice deer to boot. thx for posting.
Great write up and pics, Don. Very enjoyable, as always. I may or may not see you this evening, as discussed. with as cold as it is today, if the wind keeps up (making the chill factor worse), I probably will opt for my warm living room :D
Bernie
I know your tougher than that!(LOL)
An old Marine is still old! Don can you send Rick and John up north to K-Zoo with their bows so I can try them out? Maybe Compton's? Blizzard conditions here yesterday Bernie and this OLD Naval Aviator was darn cold here!
LOL - yeh, guys - I usta-wuz! BUT then, I've never been one to mess around with cold weather , unless I had no viable choice - like when I wuz a kid in NH, a Marine in unsociable climes, and/or an adult in Main - :archer:
(I DID stay by the "cozy" last evening, BTW - and I was glad of the choice, though I did miss my weekly (more or less) "face to face" with Don, this week - LOL. I've come to really look forward to those.)
I guess "Team Anneewakee" will be at the top of the leader board again this year. Don, you and John were already "cleaning every bodys clocks"! I guess after this one-on-one tutorial, you two will just be a proverbial speck on the horizon! Sounds like good times were had by all. Can't wait for the 3D season to start back so I can shoot with you fellas again.
I think I may seek some (more) "one on one" tips from Don - after hunting season ends (so that I don't corn-fuse my po' ol' addled brain too much at the wrong time). I might even decide to make some drastic changes before 3D season - scary, huh? :eek: After all, he did get me straightened out (with help from Ron Swartz of KME) on sharpening knives and BHs really well - for the first time in my 74 year life. Who says ya can't teach an ol' (Devil) Dog new tricks??? :knothead:
good time - and during a time of year most places are burnt out - good job guys!!! we gonna have to work on those pictures though - see ya in 2 weeks.
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Don,
I'm curious. Those that made the switch from split finger to three fingers under, did they find it more accurate? And does your bow have to be tillered for three fingers under?
Hey Doug, The two split guys were alot more accurate after the class, but I'd have to say that I don't think it was all because the went to 3 under. I think it was the fact that they had developed a double anchor and a consistant rountine that they can repete shot after shot.
All my bows are tillered split and I shoot 3 under. I have to run a higher nock pt on these bows. good luck. DB
That was something I was wondering about too and planned to ask next time I see/saw you - interesting answer (makes sense to have two points of reference/alignement - certainly works for rifles and pistols), buddy. I used to have an English friend (in Main) that shot a bow quite well and he always reached back and placed the ball of his thumb on the back of his neck, along with index finger in corner of mouth.
Bernie, it aint magic. It don't matter if you use Ricks method or Rod Jenkins or Terry Green or John Dill or Preston or who ever. The main thing I get from watching these guys( or any other that shoot good) is they do the exact same thing shot after shot. Get a routine that works for you and do it over and over. nough said. DB
Great pics and post Don.
Don said it right.....Amen
What if your memory won't behave and remember the routine you select, from time to time? Just kidding, Don and John - that info also follows good shooting (of any type) proceedures also - and one does have to remember it - somehow :knothead: . Thanks for the important reminder.
Don you know your and Preston's methods are not environmentally friendly.
Don,
Thanks for bringing that point home. I spent some time with Mike Fedora and that is what he taught me, double anchor and get a routine. Unfortunately, I forgot that and had more missed shots this year than I care to admit. I'll be practicing my double anchor and routine. Thanks for the reminder.
i would have loved to been there
kasey, would have loved to have you.
Dan, We fart because we love..
Bernie, you need to kill something soon or I'm gonna be a liar. Don
I know, Don - and I hate that part worse than having another no score year - honest. You've certainly tried your best. I tried again this evening but only tree rats came out to play again - oh, and mosquitos too this time - in mid-Dec. no less. I've got little red marks all over my hands where they bit through my net camo gloves. Turns cold again tomorrow though, that's NC for you.
wow how cool was that.... I did one of those clinic/hunts with the wensels and paul brunner, about 12 years ago. That was fun for sure.....
Joe Ashton, I went on one of those seminar hunts also. Back in January of '94. I had a good time. Barry was great. I thought Paul was an ass. The hunting was less than advertised. Overall was a good time though.
Dang Super Dan don't tell us how ya really feel next time.lol.I like a man who tells it like it is instead of blowing smoke around.Don it looked like fun.Maybe one of these days we'll be able to travel around and show rednecks how to shoot and get paid to do it,we can dream can't we!!Still waiting on the biggun that never shows up.Guess i need to quit being picky and kill something besides time.I took Aarons deer to the taxidermist the other day so the little fella should be getting it back before too long.He was mighty tickled over his first buck.Hey atleast my guiding was a partial success this year.I still owe you and ol Bern some backstrap fever action,maybe next year they will cooperate.
Just like Don, you certainly did your best for us, Preston - and that is a fact of fun that we are both grateful for, I know. Deer don't always have the same ideas, plans, and outlooks that we hunters do - and that's why they mostly call it "hunting", and only sometimes "finding". :archer:
I knocked down two slick heads last week out of the box stand ol Bern man.I seen seven one day and five the next so they are here now in bulk.I'm just meat hunting now so the slicks better hide better.
That's pretty sweet! Getting to hunt with your instructor the same day would sure be a fine litmus test of yor shooting. Thanks for sharing.