no release

[Palmetto Bug]

I saw several deer Friday evening when sitting with my rifle but none were shooters. I even saw two four points fighting. My standards are lower when I sit with the bow so I went back Saturday evening. When I got in the stand, I realized I had forgotten my release. First time I've ever done that because I usually wrap my release strap around my bow when stored. There wasn't time to go back and get it so I decided to just try shooting fingers.

Well, as luck would have it, a nice 8 point comes in around 5:00 and stops right under the stand. He looks around and sniffs the air for a while and commences to browse around. When he grazed to where his head was behind a big pine tree, I drew without alarming him. Since my bow is so short, the string pinch on my fingers made it hard not to move the arrow off of the rest. Once I got settled down, I got the pin on the spot and he was still head down and unaware. I slowly relaxed my fingers and WHACK...I hit the tree. The buck ran a few steps and came back a resumed browsing, however by the time I got another arrow nocked, he was out of range. At least I didn't educate him.

After that exciting blunder, I decided to try to improvise a release using the lanyard twine from my grunt call. I need to practice but I think I can make it work. I may also do some shooting with fingers to see where my bow shoots in case this ever happens again.

Has anyone else ever come up with a good solution to improvising a release?

Damn it was a beautiful weekend!

[BugBuster]

There is alot of difference between shooting fingers and a release.

[deadriver]

Learn to shoot fingers instinctively. I lerned growing up so it was never a conscious effort, but I can pick up YOUR bow and shoot a deer at 20 yards with it. You are right, the sight usually won't be on with fingers but if you shoot instinctive it will not matter. It is a good bit of work, but you may find that is more fun to just look and shoot. I end any practice session with one quiver the old fashioned way, so that I never forget it. Over time, you will be proficciant enough to take advantage of the situation you were in this week. I did the same thing a few years ago, but was able to make a decent shot anyway.

Otherwise, I have never rigged a release.
Good Luck

[tradorion]

Never had to rig one- I always carry a spare- one hooked to the bow and one in my butt pack- I can say that on the longer ATA bows I shoot it is less of a problem although there is still a decent difference going from release to fingers...

R