by Karen Butler

Sportsmanship

Greetings! I had the pleasure of competing in the Archery Shooters’ Association’s (ASA) Limbsaver Pro/Am 3D Archery Tournament this weekend with four other women who were great to shoot with! It is always so nice when you are with other women who not only want to shoot their best, but display exceptional sportsmanship. Webster’s defines sportsmanship as the conduct (as fairness, respect for one’s opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing) becoming to one participating in a sport1. The ladies I shot with today, both in my group and around my group were excellent representatives of what a good sportswoman should be. Archery is an interesting sport, you compete against everyone, but really your real competition is yourself. This is a hard concept for many of us to understand, but honestly and ultimately, the archers themselves are in control of their shot process and where their arrow ends up on the target. Some people are better than others, but all of us are capable of achieving the same success if we allow ourselves too. I realized, quite quickly, that even though I am a good shot, without consistent practice I am not as good as I could be. So, I plan to add practice to my schedule….somehow….so that I might achieve my best.
I was fortunate that the ladies I shot with all recognized the individual nature of this sport, and what was created was a group of ladies that wanted to see each person achieve their best! In a group like that, you just can’t lose….even if you don’t end up in the winner’s circle. The ladies I shot with today were awesome! Paula Mann, Donna McKittrick, Andrea Baker and Genevra Fields made a great group. These ladies spent the entire tournament encouraging each other, consoling after the occasional bad shot, and sharing stories and tips on how to shoot better. There was also camaraderie in the groups to our left and right. The gals in those groups also were encouraging each other, and sharing laughter as we switched targets. This entire experience has reminded me why we started Shoot Like A Girl in the first place, to encourage and empower women to participate in shooting sports with confidence. So, gals, Thanks for a great weekend, I truly enjoyed shooting with you!

by Karen Butler

Gearing Up for Turkey Season
Not much longer until Turkey Season, and I have a date with a turkey who stood me up last year! His name is Tom…not very original, I know. Last year was a first year for me to hunt turkeys with my bow. It was a beautiful spring, and I went out several times by myself…which meant calling in my own bird.
I’m not afraid of the occasional misery you sometimes have hunting, but if available I like to be comfortable too. Well, this particular day, I walked for a little under a mile through the woods, and came to a spot where there was a dog trail that led to a nice open field. Earlier in the day, I had come across some hens on the other side of a ridge, so I knew the area had turkeys, but where to go. So as I walked through the woods, I came across a tree that had fallen down, and as luck would have it, it rested on another tree that made sort of a perfect chair/bench for me to sit on and lean against another tree. I liked not having to get on the ground, and I blended in, and could draw back with the cover of the tree to shoot a big bird….comfort.

 

I had gone out somewhat unprepared, no decoys, no blind; just me, my bow and my turkey call. I had never called in a turkey before, but I had watched tons of hunting shows and practiced with my box call. So, I sat on my chair on this lovely spring day, hitting my box call. I could hear a dog barking in the distance and cows mooing; it was simply the most relaxing experience. After a while, I heard this awful sound. I literally thought, “that dog just got kicked in the head by a cow”! It didn’t occur to me it was a turkey, until moments later I heard “gobble, gobble, gobble”. Well, I knew I had to wait for a few minutes to hit my call again, it seemed like forever, but soon, I hit my call again, and Tom answered right back! I watched him walk straight down the dog path. I was so excited; he was on a direct path right behind the tree, a perfect shot! So after he finally walked behind the tree, I went to hook my release on my bow and realized I still had the box call in my hand…”Crud”, so I set it down on my tree chair, and was frantic as it slowly slid down the tree. Then I made a big mistake…instead of just letting it fall, I reached quickly for it…and all that good luck, went away as Tom saw me, and then ran away.
This year, I plan to call him back to me, perhaps a bit more prepared, and I definitely will set my box call down before he gets close; or maybe I’ll learn to use a mouth call, but no matter I’m sure it will be a relaxing day.

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by Karen Butler

Quiet Time With Your Family: Why More Families Should Shoot Together

The divorce rate is staggering in our country. In a quick Google search, I found that 3.6 couples per 1000 were divorced in 2007, and most sites quote a current divorce rate of 40% to 50% in the United States. I wondered why this rate was so high, and found that according to ezinearticles.com, the reasons are lack of communication, arguments and infidelity. The good news is however, that all of the articles on improving family relationships indicated that families who spend quality time and quality quiet time together were less likely to get divorced. I have to agree, because recently my husband, Todd and I had the chance to spend some quality time together sitting in a double tree stand scouting for deer; and this peaceful time together was spectacular. Maybe if more families shot and/or hunted together, we could combat this staggering divorce statistic.

I think if you ask men, you will find very few that never want their wives to intrude on their shooting and/or hunting time to themselves, but I believe (and hope) the majority of men, would welcome their wives to join their passion for shooting and/or hunting…or vice versa if the wife is the shooter/huntress! There is something to be said for the shared excitement of shooting a good score or killing the big buck.

 

My own experience recently at Bosco Lodge in Monroe, LA was heightened by the fact that Todd was there to support me and encourage me to do my best. I was thrilled when he got to my buck before I did, and was shouting, “Excellent Shot…Excellent Shot.” He was truly happy for me, and I was thrilled that he was so proud. Let’s face it, as independent as we think we are, in most of us, there remains a primal desire for approval from those we love…well, it’s that way for me anyhow.

A few days later, we got t he reverse experience, while Todd hunted and I watched. Todd and I had Casey, (our baby) German Shorthair Pointer with Chuck Tash, a bird dog trainer in Alabama. It was time to pick her up from school. Todd was excited to see her, but more excited to hunt over her. I got to be the picture taker and follow the journey of the two of them as man and dog were both extremely happy. I was thrilled to be there to share in that joy.

In reflection of my hunt, and looking back at all the wonderful pictures, the one I value most is the one attached, taken from my phone….it is Todd and I, sitting in a tree stand, in the peace and quiet of nature anticipating that big buck! Could having a great relationship be that simple, that we just need to take time to together and share in each other’s joy. Well, if it is, then families who shoot and/or hunt together are definitely on the right track for long, happy and healthy relationships!