Q
This past year I hunted with my BowTech Guardian at 65 lbs. draw weight because I was too proud to use anything less. At 71 years old, I’m in good shape, but I am concerned about reaching full draw with stiff muscles on cold mornings. I have noticed that Dwight Schuh shoots less draw weight than most hunters. Does this handicap his hunting on elk?
–Jack Call, via e-mail

A
Generally, I shoot 50-55 lbs. draw weight. I’ve killed numerous elk, moose, caribou, kudu, and other large game. Using three-blade, fixed-blade heads, I have never seen lack of penetration as a problem. So, I would say you could drop your draw weight, shoot more comfortably, and still get complete pass-throughs on elk. You have nothing to prove to the young guys. You absolutely do not need more than 60 lbs. draw weight for any Western game.
–Dwight Schuh, Editor

Q
I am fine when shooting at targets, but when I’m hunting, my sight pin wants to freeze on the bottom of the animal. Is this target panic or buck fever, and how do I cure the problem?
–Mark Boarman, via e-mail

A
Freezing on the bottom of an animal is one symptom of target panic. The best way to cure this is a very strong back-tension release that forces you to push and pull through the shot every time so you forget about where the pin is and concentrate more on executing a great shot. Once you develop confidence in your release, you will have minimal problems aiming at a real animal or target. I recommend you read Understanding Winning Archery by Al Henderson and Balanced Bowhunting II by Dave Holt, available at www.keystonecountrystore.com or www.amazon.com. A good coach can help, too.
–Jeff Frey, Contributor

Q
When looking through my peep sight, I can see all three of my pins, and I have to guess where center is to make my shot. As a result, my arrows hit all over the target. Help!
–Tracey Pirtle, via e-mail

A
Many archers, including yours truly, use a larger peep for two reasons: One, it’s brighter under dusky conditions. Two, at full draw, you can center the round sight guard in the peep hole and then aim with the appropriate pin, which creates consistency in hunting situations and reveals bow-torquing problems. If you keep the sight guard and peep perfectly lined up every shot, your accuracy will improve. Most target archers use much smaller peeps and center the pin in the hole, but I recommend the technique above for hunting.
–Curt Wells, Equipment Editor

Q
When you hunt early-season elk, aren’t you concerned about meat spoilage in the heat?
–J.S., via e-mail

A
Not really. Body heat, not air temperature, is the greatest threat to meat, so the key is getting all body heat out of an animal quickly. In hot weather, say over 50 degrees, skin your elk immediately and then dissect it. I strongly advise against quartering an elk — that is, leaving the front and back legs on the quarters. Heat will pool in the thick shoulders and hips, which almost guarantees bone sour. Remove the front and back legs, and hang or spread out the meat at night to cool. Then, during the day, pile it on a clean tarp and insulate it with sleeping bags to keep it cool. If temperatures dip into the 40s or lower at night, you can keep meat this way for a week or longer. If nighttime temperatures remain above 50 degrees, get the meat to a cooler within three to four days. Always carry lightweight game bags in your daypack to protect boned-out meat from flies and dirt.
–Dwight Schuh, Editor