Editor’s Note: Mark Jackson from Sequim, Washington, is on the Mossy Oak Pro Staff and loves to bowhunt and shoot targets.
Another passion of mine is tournament archery. I really don’t classify myself as a tournament archer. I am a bowhunter. But I like tournament archery and enjoy it, because I can shoot my bow at life-size animal targets, when I can’t go hunting. I also can improve my accuracy with a bow by shooting other forms of archery. I have learned that the more often I shoot my bow, the better I shoot. Tournament archery also simulates the pressure that hunters have when there is a trophy animal in front of them. I have learned to focus and concentrate so much on my shot that I don’t get buck fever when I have a nice animal within bow range. Also tournament archery has allowed me to develop my shooting and accuracy far out past 40 yards. I feel extremely confident taking a shot at 60 yards or more. And at every tournament I attend, I wear my Mossy Oak camouflage.
I am often asked, “Why do you recommend that bowhunters become tournament archers?” Here is my bullet list:
- You learn to take better shots and become a more-accurate shot once you start shooting archery tournaments.
- Occasional bowhunters often are more likely to miss an animal than bowhunters who shoot tournament archery.
- Occasional bowhunters are much more likely to take a poor shot on an animal and only wound that animal than tournament archers are.
- I believe tournament archers who bowhunt recover more animals they have arrowed than occasional bowhunters do.
- Mossy Oak is about preserving the outdoors and only taking the shots you know you can make that will put the animal down quickly and efficiently.
- You can learn to shoot farther and more accurately than you can if you are only an occasional bowhunter by shooting tournament archery. Although I feel extremely accurate at 60 yards, I won’t hesitate to take an 80-yard shot at a coyote or at an animal that’s still on its feet after taking the first arrow because of my target-archery experience.
Day 2: Mark Jackson Says to Look For Apple Orchards to Take Deer
Tomorrow: ProStaffer Mark Jackson Considers Tournament Archery a College for Bowhunters
