Outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen around the country can feel it in the air. With each passing day, we get another day closer (duh) to what many of us consider the best of the four seasons: Fall. Though the Winter, Spring, and Summer all have their own outdoor pursuits, offseason preparations, and hunting opportunities, it is only when the leaves begin to turn and the air gets a little cooler that most of us begin to become overridden with excitement and giddiness. This is when the culturally accepted 'hunting season' begins.
Though the various opening days between August and January bring their own heightened levels of positive anxiety, we know that, for most of us anyway, the season starts much sooner than opening day. For bow, rifle, crossbow, and muzzleloader hunters, our systems need to be fine-tuned and ready to rock prior to dawn on that first day - not to mention the necessity of scouting, hanging stands, land management, gear organizing, etc. There is often a lot to get done, and sometimes we let time slip through our fingers as "Oh, I have a few months yet," quickly turns into, "I have to get all this done this week."
To use a term my grandfather is fond of, hunters need the right amount of 'chutzpah' to ensure they are properly prepared and that their season goes off without a hitch. Whether or not my family uses that term correctly - based on a quick definition search I do not think we do - the meaning behind my grandfather's message rings true. We all need a fire in our bellies and our boots strapped up much before our respective seasons open. It is irresponsible to not ensure your system and plan are as efficient and safe as they can be, both for your sake and for the animals you are chasing. It might take a little bit of work to complete everything in this list, but it is more than worth it. 'If something is worth doing, it is worth doing right' and all that.
While many other aspects of this can be explored in depth - food plot management, e-scouting, glassing, packs and bags, stand placement, and much more - this is Lancaster Archery Supply, so we want to ensure your bow and arrow system is refined and ready to go once that first light shines through the trees.
Strings
The piece of your bow that works to transfer all of that limb and cam energy into your arrow, the strings and cables are an essential and sometimes overlooked part of hunting setups. By 'overlooked' I don't mean that people neglect to use them, as that is literally impossible. Rather, I mean that routine maintenance and quality assurance can tend to go by the wayside for the more casual bowhunter. String and cable integrity are vital for the safety, efficiency, and accuracy of your bow.
Before the season begins, make sure to inspect all your strands and serving for any fraying or broken areas. Depending on the damage, new serving or entirely new strings might be required. If your strings look dry, dulled, or fuzzy, then you should consider applying bowstring wax to extend their life and capabilities as well as keep the string from absorbing moisture. It is recommended that you apply wax to your strings every seven to ten uses if these uses are anywhere near significant.
When waxing a bowstring, apply your bowstring wax liberally along the strings and cables of your bow - be sure to avoid waxing the serving as it can cause wrap failure and performance repercussions. Using your fingers, rub the wax into your string, ensuring you get the wax into all the grooves of your string, until the friction heat melts the wax into the string. Wipe away excess that is left clumped onto your string, and you're good to go.
As a final note, make sure to check your peep sight tie-in and d-loop health - your loop breaking or your peep flying out of your string would both be the opposite of ideal.
Cams
Prior to hitting the woods, you need to make sure your cams are in good working order. Timing, screws, and smooth string beds are all easy enough to check on. Many cams include timing marks where the shoot string passes by the cam and towards the other cam. You will want to make sure these appear similarly on each cam. The best and most accurate way to test timing, though, is by drawing your bow in a draw board - or having a friend check for you while you draw - to see if cams roll over and the string/limb stops make contact at the same time.
You should also routinely check your cam/mod screws to make sure they are screwed in and tight. You don't want a mod screw or mod failing and flying off at any point - that's a surefire way to ruin your week and your bow. Just keep routinely checking on screws, and remember that some medium-strength thread lock can be your friend, here.
If you are able to remove strings and cables from your bow, then you can also check to make sure burrs and imperfections aren't present in the strings grooves of either your mods or string tracks. These can cause string tearing and serving breakage. An easy test here is to run a cotton ball along the tracks to make sure no cotton strands catch - if they don't, you're good to go. If they do, a little light sanding (800 to 2000 grit to make sure you don't change the groove shape) and polishing never hurt anybody.
Limbs
As far as your limb maintenance is concerned, you can utilize the same cotton test that we used on the cam/mod tracks. Run a cotton ball over the surface of your limbs to ensure tiny splintering and cracking is not present. If the cotton catches on your limb at any point, your limb is compromised and must be replaced - the limb is also compromised if you can visually see splintering or breakage, just as an FYI. You also need to make sure your limbs are properly set into their pockets - make sure no rattling, excess vibration, or 'strange noises' come from them during your draw cycle and shot. If you hear or feel anything like this, have an archery professional check out your bow if you're not comfortable diving into the limb and pocket system on your bow yourself.
Accessories
Hey, good news. We are taking a break from the complicated limb, cam, and string upkeep and are now going to focus on something that falls a little more into the 'achievable in 3 minutes with some Allen keys' category. Check all the mounting and adjustment screws on your sight, rest, stabilizer, quiver, and anything else you attach to your bow. Keep them tight. If you identify any problem children that like to rattle loose - and that are not adjustment screws or bolts - add more of that medium-strength thread lock to the mix to stop that issue from popping up in the future.
Okay, good news time is over. Stand back up and put your boots back on. It is time to test and make sure your fall-away rest, if you indeed use one, is in time with your draw and optimized for your arrow of choice. You want your limb-activated rest to be in the full-fall position - without making contact with your shelf - when your bow is at rest. Doing this, and double-checking the status of your limb cable, should ensure it runs properly. For cable-activated rests, make sure the rest does not contact your shelf in the fall position, make sure it fully rises into the up position when drawing your bow, and make sure there is not unnecessary tension or pulling happening to the cable it is attached to. Lengthening or shortening your rest cable can solve timing issues, here, which should be able to be done where the cable connects to the rest.
Paper Tuning
If you want to do some pre-season paper tuning after your off-or-not-so-offseason, check out my article HERE where we go in depth.
Arrows
Hey, how's it going? Thanks for getting this far. I know you probably have a lot going on and I appreciate your dedication to getting your bow primed and ready for the upcoming season. Take a drink of water and rest for a minute - that's something we could all use now and again. Come back and keep reading when you're ready.
You okay? Good. Now, let's get back to our list of pre-season checks. Make sure you inspect every arrow you intend to shoot. You want to check vane adhesion. You want to check for cracks and splinters in your shafts. You want to check your nocks for any compromising issues that could lead to a dry fire. Give your arrows a good 'bend test' to make sure there aren't deeper structural issues you might not be able to see.
On the topic of arrows, go ahead and make sure your chosen broadheads are hitting with your field points (or at least close), and that they are sharp for the opener. Using dull broadheads out of a poorly-timed bow is a recipe for wounded animals, unnecessary frustrations, and disappointing seasons. While on this, make sure to spin test your arrows (with the broadheads attached) to make sure they spin true.
Releases
Just some quick things here for your release(s). Check to make sure all of the body/construction screws are fully turned in - you don't want loose screws in the handle of your release. Double check the integrity of any strap you may be using with the release. Take that cotton ball you having laying there on your workbench and run it along the hook or calipers of your release to ensure no burrs are present, sanding and polishing it smooth if something catches. Also, as a final release note, make sure to have a reliable backup tucked into your hunting pack - just in case.
Sights
You already tightened your sight system down and made sure all those pesky screws were tight, and now that you've done that, head out to the range and put in some extensive work to make sure all your pins/sight marks are still hitting where they are supposed to hit. String stretch and a few other factors can catalyze change where this is concerned, so it is good practice to just double check those marks. Most of us will have been shooting for all of the Spring and Summer at this point - but again, just double check. You will also want to double check that you sight is level on all of its axes - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, if you sight has adjustments for each. This will ensure you sight works its best regardless of pin, range, or angle of shooting. On top of this, make sure, if you utilize a sight light, that it is charged or that you have extra batteries for it.
LAS Tips
I went out of my way to gather some helpful advice and tips - right from the heart and soul of Lancaster Archery - so you can hear about some of our preseason routines straight from the horses' mouths (via an article on the internet, anyway). These might not all be comprehensive, but they were what jumped to our minds when the question was posed:
"Make sure the string, cable, and loop are free of any nicks and still look in great shape. Give the bow a once over make sure there are no cracks in the limbs. Check my release strap and replace if necessary. Shoot the bow a lot, the way I'll be hunting with it - a lot of people miss this step."
"As I inspect my bowhunting gear just before the season opens, I'm going to make sure all of my arrows have new nocks and that the vanes are all in pristine condition. If any vanes show wear, I'll strip that arrow and refletch it. I'll attach my broadheads to my hunting arrows and spin test them to see if I have any arrows or heads that produce a wobble. Any arrows/heads that aren't perfect are set aside for practice shooting."
"I check strings first and wax them if needed. Then I check that the sight, stabilizer, and rest are tight and that the battery for my sight light is good to go. I double check my pack to make sure I have my extra release and enough broadheads for my arrows. I also make sure that all arrows are all good and that my broadheads are sharp and tight and hitting where my field tips do. I make sure my nocks are good and that my bow is sighted in, but since I have been shooting all summer that second thing shouldn't be an issue."
"Maybe it is because I am irregularly paranoid about screws being loose, but I am constantly checking my mod/cam screws, the locking screws on my limb bolts, the mounting screws on my sight, the spacing screws on my quiver, and the locking screws on my bow's S.E.T. system. In the same way, I am continually checking my nocks for cracks or damage - the last thing I want is to have a set of quality backstraps running away through the forest as I hang in a tree with a blown up bow thanks to a broken nock."
"First thing I check is my bowstring. Does it need replaced? Any fraying or string stretching? My rule of thumb is every 2 years replace the string. If the string is ok, then I move on to the tuning/timing. Review the Cables, Cam rotation, Axle to Axle.... is any of it out of spec and what needs done to get it back into spec? After that you should draw the bow. Here I check the peep sight. Is it still in the correct place? Is it turning at full draw? Does the draw length and weight feel right? What adjustments need made. Once that is set, I look at the rest. Is my arrow sitting where is should be for optimum performance? Do I need to paper tune again to get everything back in order? Give the bowstring a good coat of string wax and move on to your arrows. I like to give my arrows a good quick flex and then review all of the fletchings. I always end up finding a couple where the glue gets brittle and the vanes pop off easily after a quick bend from side to side with the thumb. Buy more and fletch them if needed. Then screw on some field tips and start shooting."
"Pre season I am looking to build confidence in the set up that I have that will carry me through the season. The first thing that I do is look at the condition of the bow.... Is the bow making unnecessary sounds while drawing? If so, I will take it apart clean and lubricate the axles and address any other unnecessary noise. From there, I am looking at the strings to determine if it will comfortably make it through the season. Any question on the strings longevity, I would recommend changing it asap rather than having an issue mid season. Once a healthy string verified and ready, I am evaluating the overall bow tune (paper tune, walk back, or bare shaft tuning). Along with the tune, I am confirming that the broadhead flight and lighted nocks shoot the same as the field points. Once a tune is accomplished, I focus on verifying the sight axes are level, and then checking sight marks/sight scales. Now dialed in with the gear that will hit the field, its about practicing with your equipment and putting your mind in hunting situations to help build confidence and prepare for your opportunity."
On top of the bow-and-arrow specifics above, there are a few more things you might want to consider. I won't get into the weeds on this, but make sure you have extra batteries for your rangefinder and head lamp. You'll also want to have an extra set of strings for your bow - if you are using aftermarket strings, just pack the stock strings just in case. Ensure you have a set of Allen keys and any other applicable tools/emergency items in your pack. Much like your extra release - that you should always have - it might not be a bad idea to bring an extra whisker biscuit rest and fixed pin sight, just in case something crazy happens, so you can still hunt in a pinch.
Whether you follow the advice laid out in this article is up to you. Lancaster Archery Supply isn't your boss and I am certainly not telling you what you have to do every preseason. This is all just helpful advice - recommendations that will ensure a safer and hopefully more fulfilling archery hunting experience. The ultimate goal, as per usual, is an ethical and safe hunt for our customers and readers. As always, feel free to give our Pro Shop or Customer Expert team a call if you ever have any questions or need help with any of the ideas or topics discussed here. You can reach them at 855.922.7769.
Have fun out there, and good luck.