To All Bowhunters:
My name is Sean Sanders, hunt manager and guide for Golden Eagle Outfitters. First, I want to thank you for
booking with us. I am looking forward to your hunt as much as you are. As a bowhunter, the adrenaline that comes
with being up close and personal to an animal is felt as much by me as it is by you, regardless if I'm guiding or
hunting. The feeling of accomplishment when overcoming all odds and getting up close to a mature, screaming bull
or wary, sow-bellied old buck is unexplainable. With this being said, there are a few things I've noticed over the
years that continuously seem to hamper our ability to harvest that trophy of a lifetime. The odds for us archers are
bleak enough. Murphy's Law, weather, thermals, moon phases, and so on are obstacles we all need to face.
When it comes to 'sealing the deal' the most preventable mistakes are often the ones that haunt us.
It is my job to get you within a comfortable range on an unaware animal with a broadside or quarting away shot
opportunity. In a perfect world, we will be within 25 yards of a broadside animal looking away, the wind in our face,
and me whispering the exact range in your ear. This is not going to happen. Once we are in range, your instincts
need to take over. This is where off-season training becomes important.
There cannot be enough said about practice. I am not looking for the next Randy Ulmer, or Cameron Haines. It is
never early enough to start practicing. For most people, there is an archery pro-shop within a short driving
distance from there home. Shooting once a week from now until your hunt will greatly improve your odds at
harvesting an animal. You are trying to work on muscle memory. With a big, stinking, rut crazed bull screaming at
you from seven yards, eyes from a dozen cows looking for you, and adrenaline rushing through every vein in your
body, now is not the time to be thinking about your form. It should come naturally. Confidence in your equipment
will give you a mental edge at crunch time. I shoot in my garage at 4 yards almost every night. Even if I'm busy or
tired, I try to shoot at least 3 arrows. I don't care about my group, I am trying to build muscle memory. I also shoot
an indoor 3-d league once a week. The yardages only range from 10-35 yards, but the experience of having 20
other people walking and talking, and arrows clattering off the floor, lets me drown out the distractions and
concentrate on the shot. This is helpful when your kneeling in cactus, shaking like a leaf, waiting for the perfect
shot opportunity. As the summer progresses, take your practice outside and start practicing to 60 yards. I DO
NOT recommend taking a 60 yard shot on anything other than an antelope. I say 60 yards because the more you
practice at long ranges, the better you will become up close. I realize most of our clientele are from the east. Most
shots they are used to are 15-25 yard treestand shots. A 40 yard shot seems impossible to them. A 40 yard shot
is a given for us. This is big, open country and long shots are the norm, not the exception. Hopefully we will be in a
lot closer than that, but being prepared is what we're looking for.
Another big killer to us bowhunters is guessing yardages. I am possibly the worst hunter when it comes to guessing
yardage. I carry, as with most hunters, a laser rangefinder. These are awesome, and a must for all hunters. The
only problem with them is who has the time to get a range of an animal, draw, and shoot without the animal being
aware to their presence? Hopefully you will have time beforehand to pre-range bushes, trees, rocks, etc. in
anticipation of an animal coming to those predetermined areas. Often times, you will have to determine the
yardage in your head seconds before the shot, while at full draw. As with everything, practice makes perfect. As
your walking inside to work, the grocery store, wherever, pre-determine the yardage of an object in your head and
pace it off. This is the best way I've found to practice at guessing yardage. By far, the biggest reason for people
missing there shot is guessing the wrong distance to an animal. In this open country, a deer or elk will look farther
away than it really is. Most people will over--estimate how far a bull is and shoot over his back, even at 30 yards.
Most treestand hunters know the value of aiming low on an animal to compensate for the yardage and string jump.
Our animals typically don't jump the string, like whitetails are known to do. Compensating for uphill and downhill
shots is a must know for out here. I should know, better than anyone, the value of aiming low. I had a 340 class
bull, broadside, in a pre-ranged clearing, unaware of my presence. With a sly grin on my face, knowing this bull
was going to die, I centered my 40 yard pin on him and missed by centimeters over his back. I had not taken into
account the 35 degree downhill shot angle into the canyon where he was. Click here for a link to a graph that
shows approximate hold on animals that are at an angle to you. A common mistake I see among bowhunters and
rifle hunters alike, is aiming high when shooting uphill. This is a misconception that has caused many an animal to
escape unharmed. Remember, you are shooting horizontal distance, not actual distance. Every bow is different,
shooting different arrows at different speeds, so knowing your set-up and the correct hold is vital in not making the
same mistake that I did. Many new rangefinders on the market have this option and I recommend purchasing one.
I know I will.
Practice shooting from different positions. Most people practice standing up, legs shoulder width apart. They are
either in a well lit building or outside during the middle of the day. They will be wearing a t-shirt and tennis shoes.
In reality, you will be sweating or cold, kneeling or crouching, almost always low light conditions, and wearing a
jacket or shirt with sleeves. Practice under these conditions. You need to practice off of your knees, crouching,
and sitting in a chair. You may be in a ground blind, and shooting out of a chair can change your form enough to
miss the shot.
As far as equipment, all bows (including recurves and long bows) have the capability of killing an elk with one sharp
broadhead tipped arrow. Whatever bow you are comfortable shooting is the one to bring. The same goes with
arrows. Broadheads are something, like bullets, that will be discussed through the ages though. Everyone has
there preference. I personally shoot a 3 blade, fixed, Montec broadhead. Any fixed blade will work. I prefer a
cutting diameter of at least 1 inch, preferably 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 on elk. The best performing broadhead I have seen on
numerous elk though is the 2 blade variety, such as a Magnus Stinger. They are devestating on an animal as large
as an elk. Elk are perhaps one of the heartiest animals I have hunted, and have an enormous will to live. They are
no match for a well placed, 2 blade broadhead though. I do not prefer the smaller 7/8 inch cutting diameter
broadheads. They will work, but they leave very small blood trails. They are fine on deer, but in my opinion, not
the best option for elk. MECHANICAL BROADHEADS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN OUR CAMPS FOR ELK. They are
great on thin gamed animals, but I have tracked more wounded animals because of a mechanical then any other
single reason. I know people have different opinions about mechanicals then I do. That being said, I get the
privalege of being around a lot of harvested animals every year, for many years. These are decisions and
recommendations I have made over years of watching and keeping track of harvested or wounded animals.
One of the first things I see every year, and it makes me cringe, is a bowhunter opening up a new package of
broadheads, and replacing his field points. Every one of these people try to reassure me by saying they fly just like
their field points. For the next 30 minutes, every one of these hunters gets to sight in his new broadheads. It
happens every single year. Most of these new, fast, bow/arrow/broadhead combinations will kick out broadheads
with a point of impact similar to their field point, but they will not be exact. My Montecs are closer than my
Thunderheads were, but not exact. They may look close to being the same at 20 yards, but there will be a
substantial difference at 40 yards. Switch your setup over to broadheads in late summer and shoot them
exclusively after that.
Some of the rules that the Division of Wildlife has imposed that you should be aware of are;
- Broadheads must have a minimum of 7/8 inch outside cutting diameter and the blades must be in the same
plane for the entire length of the cutting surface. This means that the Crimson Talon broadheads are not
legal in Colorado.
- Scopes, electronic or battery-powered devices cannot be incorporated into or attached to bow or arrow. This
means no battery lit scopes or sights for low light use. This also means, as of now, that illuminocks are illegal
in Colorado.
Bowhunting is my passion, as it is your's I'm sure. I want to make you aware of some of the little things that can and
should be prevented. I want your hunt to be a memory maker for you to talk about for years to come. If you have
any questions or concerns, please call me or e-mail me so we can make your hunt the experience you've been
looking for.
Sincerely
Sean Sanders
sksgreatwhite@comcast.net
303 548-2530