The Competition Blame Game by Karen Butler

Competition shooting is one of my favorite sports! Why, because in the end it all comes down to individual performance and I thrive on trying to push myself to the best I can be. This seems pretty simple concept to grasp, that an individual sport would be up to the individual, but I’ve heard (and been guilty of) the blame game for not doing well – from our equipment being faulty, to the odor emitting from the shooter next to us to our competitors playing mind games with us – there is always a more acceptable reason for not shooting well, than looking inward, but excuses don’t really fly.

I’m going to share a few of these experiences I’ve had, and how I turn them around to positives and either maintain my shot or learn to improve another day! Equipment can break, there’s no “easy button” to push to ensure your gear is ready for each competition; however, there are simple steps you can take to prepare.

Invest in good equipment, but then do maintenance. You should always clean your bow and firearms after each use – that includes wax for your bowstrings and light oil for your firearm. In the event you have an equipment malfunction in a tournament, remain calm and declare right away.

I was in a field tournament, my sight fell apart, but instead of declaring a malfunction, I thought I could push my way through it…mistake, I shot a zero.  So was that my equipment’s fault or my fault? I would have preferred to maintain blaming my equipment, but in reality, my equipment could have been fixed, and I actually did declare and fix it before my next shot, but I now had to recover from a zero against some other ladies who were pounding the “x” all day long. Trust me, the next time my equipment failed, I stopped and fixed it! 

Oh that smell! This is by far, my funniest story in archery. I was at an international tournament, and I had the great (mis)fortune to shoot next to a man, who did not speak English (very well) and smelled like he hadn’t had a shower in days and definitely did not know what a tooth brush or mouthwash was intended for…it was bad – if you have ever mucked a horse stall or cleaned out a litter pan, take that smell and multiple it by ten. So, we had 2 ½ minutes to shoot three arrows. This man was right behind me, and at the beginning of every shot, he would inhale…and you got it, exhale…the first time he did it I was in the final stage of my draw…you guessed it, I shot a 9..it may have been an 8. Anyhow, I let this guy get under my last nerve. I did my best to overcome, I realized he shot all three arrows in about 30 seconds; then bellowed off the line; so I started waiting until he finished, and just stood on the line, holding my breath, then quickened my shot sequence and finished.  When I went back to practice in my shop, I had my friends really start putting the pressure on me and annoying the heck out of me so I could learn to put it out of my mind – again, it would be easy to blame the bad breath guy, but it was my lack of ability to concentrate that was my real problem.  

Hopefully, you haven’t come across those competitors that attempt to do better by encouraging others to fail. Competition can bring out the worst in some people, it is unfortunate, and I honestly do not come across it very often in this sport, but I am going to share a secret that can turn things around for you; at least it did for me.  I had a competitor who would always attempt to get in your head. She was honestly not much fun to shoot with, and at first I really let it get to me. You could shoot a perfect score, and she would say, “You have a nice shot, but you are really not following though with your shot.” Well, next end, guess what, I concentrated on shot sequence, lost confidence in my shot, and shot a “9”.  There was another time where this same person was pulling arrows for the group. We shot our practice end, and we went down to look, she started pulling my arrows before I could take a look at where my shot was landing, and asked her to please let me take a look at them. Well, that made her pretty mad, and from that point forward, she pulled everyone’s arrows but mine.  How do you battle those mind games, well here’s my tip, don’t let them push your buttons…it has an added benefit of giving them a small dose of their own medicine (not to encourage unsportsmanlike conduct – ever).  I simply, said great, I like pulling my own arrows and I can pull my own arrows all day long. It is hard to do, but for these types of mental challenges, I think it becomes a game of your own will, do you will yourself to shoot well, despite the conditions, or do you succumb to your competitors will? Again, here even when faced with adversity, it is really how you deal with it and there is no one else to blame.

The competition blame game is an easy trap to fall into, but ultimately shooting is an individual sport. We can’t control everything that happens during a tournament, but we can control our reactions to those things.

I hope these stories help you, and if you have some tips and pointers please send them to us to share with our readers. Keep shooting like a girl!

Outdoor Life Top 25 in 2011

Picture by Melissa Tash Studios

Shoot Like A Girl is proud to announce that Karen Butler, Founder and President of Shoot Like A girl has been named by Outdoor Life as one of the OL 25: Leaders in Hunting, Fishing and Conservation for her vision to get more women involved in shooting sports. "I was shocked when I got the news, it was surreal to realize that the industry recognizes what we are trying to do, and values it too. I am truly honored to be listed with the other esteemed awardees", said Butler. Shoot Like A Girl has been operating for three years and encourages more women to be involved in shooting sports. Their mission is to "empower women to participate in shooting sports with confidence." With the help of Corporate Sponsors, they travel around the country and introduce women to archery, actually shooting a bow, in a safe controlled environment. To date, they have had over 1500 women participate Test Flights™, with 40% of those ladies being first time shooters. "It is incredible when we get new shooters in the booth, and at first they are apprehensive about shooting, but after a few minutes of education and safety tips, they shoot the bow, and their faces light up, and the next thing out of their mouth is, "Can I do it again!"" stated Butler. Butler, her husband and staff love to chat with the husbands, boyfriends and dads who are equally excited to see the "ah ha" moment women get when provided the opportunity to shoot a bow that fits them in a draw weight they can pull back on their own. Butler advocates shooting sports for women because it provides women with quality time with their families, exercise benefits and the instant gratification of hitting the target. The benefit to the industry is new consumer growth, 99% of women who complete the Test Flight survey say they will buy or have bought a bow. Karen also promotes hunting as a choice women can make, which helps protect the future of hunting. The National Shooting Sports Federation stated in their "Future of Hunting and the Shooting Sports" that we increase the number of hunters when Mothers shoot; their statistics show that when moms hunt, 64% of sons hunt; and 50% of daughters; compared to only 46% of sons and 13% of daughters when only fathers hunt. Butler appreciates the recognition by Outdoor Life, but also attributes Shoot Like A Girl’s success to their corporate sponsors: Hunter Safety System, Prois, Limbsaver, Mathews Inc, Bohning, Haley Vines Outdoor Collection, Muzzy Products Corp, Gerbing's Heated Clothing, Game Plan Gear, Hoyt, BowTech, Target Communications, and the Archery Shooters Association. These sponsors have embraced Shoot Like A Girl’s vision. They share the commitment to empower women to participate in shooting sports with confidence. Butler states that they are always recruiting new corporate sponsors so Shoot Like A Girl can reach even more women.

To read the write up on Karen Butler in Outdoor Life visit www.outdoorlife.com/ol25, it is number 21 of 25. If you believe in what Shoot Like A Girl is doing for the industry, leave a comment to vote and show your support. For more information on Shoot Like A Girl visit www.shootlikeagirl.com.

Camouflage Make Up or Cover Your Face 101 by Todd Butler

I have a shocking confession.  During my years in the military and as a hunter I have had numerous occasions to use makeup.  Many are the time my fellow Marines and I worried “if our makeup looked right”.  Sometimes patrol preparations looked and sounded like the girl’s bathroom on prom night.  Fortunately my wife is okay with this and has asked me to share some of the basics of makeup application for hunting.

While I would not consider myself to be knowledgeable on the way a woman should apply makeup for a night on the town, I do know the ins and outs of camouflage and camo makeup.  Here are the basics:

1)      Blend into the terrain you are hunting.  The colors of your skin, clothing, and equipment may help the animals detect you if the colors contrast with the background. For example, a summer or fall real tree pattern will contrast with snow-covered terrain. Camouflage yourself and your equipment to blend with the surroundings.  It is very important to take into account the time of year, weather conditions and foliage species of the area being hunted.  Avoid excessively straight patterns.  A lesson I was taught early on is that there are no straight lines in nature, they stand out.

2)      Before camouflaging, study the terrain and vegetation of the area in which you are hunting and remember in different seasons the same terrain and foliage will look different. Then pick and use the camouflage clothing and makeup colors that will best blend with that area.

3)      When you are moving from one area to another, you may need to change camouflage to blend with the new surroundings. You can use grass, leaves, brush, and other material from your location and apply it to your clothing and equipment to help conceal yourself.  Keep in mind the movement of these items when you are drawing your bow or moving to make the shot.  It might give you away if you go overboard on the grass and leaves.
 
4)       Exposed skin reflects light and may draw the animal's attention. Even very dark skin, because of its natural oil, will reflect light. It needs to be covered either by clothing or natural colored makeup.  Cover the shiny areas, your forehead, cheekbones, nose, ears, and chin with a dark color. Paint shadow areas, around the eyes, under the nose, and under the chin with a lighter color.  Also put it on your lips and neck, they need to blend into the rest of your face.
 
5)      When applying your camouflage work with a hunting buddy and help each other. Keeping in mind the terrain and foliage of the area being hunted, apply a two or three color combination of camouflage in an irregular pattern.  There are traditionally 3 methods the blot, the stripe and a combination of the first two.  The last is the best in most cases.

6)      In addition to the face, cover the exposed skin on the back of the neck, arms, and hands. Use gloves or apply makeup to your hands and arms if uncovered.  Doing a great camo job on your face is useless, if the prey sees a pair of little white hands moving. (See Good Camo picture above)  Remember you are trying to blend into your surroundings.  Check your camo paint at intervals while hunting.  Moisture from sweat, snow or rain may cause it to come off.

7)      Remove all jewelry to further reduce shine or reflection.  Last note but this is a big one, TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE OR WATCH WITH THE ALARM OR BEEPER!  I have seen several instances when a hunter lost the opportunity due to a wrong number calling.

Practice putting on your camo paint and clothing before you go hunting.  It will help when you get to the field if you already have a plan.  And remember there is no such thing as perfect camo for every environment.  It is continually changing, be aware of your surroundings.  A good idea is to have a friend move a distance away and see if they can spot you.  It is a learned skill and the more you practice the better you will become.  It is also fun! 

A Women's Retreat with Women of the Four Winds - 2010

A Women’s Retreat – My First Pheasant Hunt

By Karen Butler

This year I was invited to a Women’s Retreat to give a class on Archery, and go Pheasant hunting at the Flying B Ranch, an Orvis Endorsed Shooting Lodge in Idaho.  The event was hosted
by Nikki Atcheson, an accomplished Professional Hunter and Guide from Atcheson and Sons Outfitters.  I must say, this was an incredible experience, not only for hunting Pheasants for the first time, but to meet a group of accomplished female outdoorswomen and hunters.

At Shoot Like A Girl we are never surprised to meet women hunters whose own adventures can hold up to the best of camp fire stories!  At night, we sat around talking about our accomplishments.  I met women hunters who were fanatic duck hunters, big game hunters, elk hunters, pheasant hunters, archery hunters…My favorite stories were from Africa, where a lion pride was none too happy to be surprised, and becoming kitty food was narrowly escaped…but, that is another article entirely!

Meals were really the only time we had to hang out (and the food was phenomenal).  The rest of the time was filled with activities.  I arrived a bit late, and the ladies already had a morning of fly fishing.  That afternoon, we went shotgun shooting!  Now, knowing that I was going on this bird hunt, which I had never done before, I wanted to practice prior to the hunt.  So, Todd and I went to the range, and he must have flung two boxes of clays, with me only shooting about ten of them…I know, I wasn’t very good, but I couldn’t figure out how to get better.  Well, thankfully the folks at the Flying B, we figured it out.  As an Archer and Riflewoman, I aim, aim, aim….as a shotgun shooter, you can’t aim; you must swing through your shot.  Well, the shotgun I was using had a bead at the end of the barrel…so, naturally, I aimed on it…well, they pulled that bead off, and SCORE, I finally figured it out.  As a side bar, when I had been practicing with Todd he told me I wasn’t swinging through, but I just didn’t get

it…  The next morning, we had an archery class, and talked about hunting clothes.  The ladies were natural archers!  That afternoon, we went out and shot rifles!  Whoo Hooo, this was a blast.  The team challenged us by creating different hunting scenarios, and we contorted to try and get into a shot that would be a good kill.  I recommend everyone challenge themselves to recreate field environment shots in their practice to ensure you don’t attempt a shot you can’t make.  I learned, if I am practically laid out on the ground, twisted around a tree, I should get in a better position to shoot.  My favorite shooting though was off the hand shooting!   

This is our dog, Casey!  Out on a hunt of her own!

She's told me, that I am never aloud to go bird hunting

without her!

All these activities, culminated in a full day of Pheasant Hunting!  This was my first Wing Shoot, and I now know the passion folks have for it.  To me, hunting is just as much about the experience as it is providing food for my family.  Well, this experience is totally different than climbing in a tree stand at zero dark thirty, but equally pleasurable.  First, there are the dogs.  We hunted over German Shorthair Pointers, which coincidentally, Todd and I have one of, who had just finished training prior to this trip.  Well, the dogs were incredible to watch.  They have a job, and they are so happy to do it.  When a girl and a dog are working together to achieve the same goal, there is a connection and beauty that transforms you to part of nature itself.  Then there is the walk and talk, being able to talk while hunting was a completely foreign experience, but it was so full of camaraderie and shared adventure, and shared accomplishment.  The hunting was great too.  I was able to harvest five birds. After the hunt, I learned how to clean the birds; so if I the next time I go again, I can take the food from the field to the oven.  

All in all, this was a grand experience.  Thanks to the Flying B and Nikki Atcheson for a  great time!  I look forward to going next year!  For more information on the Flying B Ranch, visit www.flyingbranch.com; and for Atcheson and Sons, vist www.atcheson.com.