Photo: Buckmasters member Kim Wages shares his tip for bowhunters who want to make remembering yardages a no-brainer. Here, Kim poses with one of his many trophies, a beautiful Georgia 10-pointer.
One of the hardest things for a bowhunter to do is range a deer at the moment of truth. With a bow in one hand and a release in the other, it’s difficult to handle your rangefinder with the adrenaline pumping.
Like most bowhunters, shortly after settling into my permanent stand, I use a rangefinder to predetermine the distances of various landmarks such as trees, bushes and trails.
My problem was I had trouble remembering which tree was which, relying on memory each time it came time to make a shot. It was better than complete guesswork, but forgetting the yardage of an object was common, creating the risk of a miscalculated shot.
I’d like to share an idea that removes guesswork and stress from remembering yardage markers. This has worked for me for many years.
Before the season begins, I range several trees from my permanent stands with a rangefinder, then pin large, easily visible numbers to them.
I like the type of numbers used on mailboxes, which are bold and reflective. I also like to use reflective tree tacks, which shine in your flashlight beam and are made for hammering into tree bark.
I have all my vital yardages marked, from 5 yards all the way out to 60. When a deer approaches, I no longer risk spooking it by reaching for the rangefinder, and I don’t have to try and remember the distances of objects.
All I have to do now is look at my big markers and I know exactly how far away the deer is.
This little bit of extra work makes determining pin selection practically a no-brainer, and my hunts are a lot less stressful.
— Photos Courtesy of Kim Wages
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