How Dan McCarthy Bowhunts
 Editor's Note: Dan McCarthy of Wauzeka, Wisconsin, one of the nation's top tournament archers, shoots professionally in the International Bowhunting Organization (IBO), the Archery Shooter's Association (ASA) and the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) Men's Open Pro division. In 2004, as a rookie, McCarthy won his first-ever pro tournament in Gainesville, Florida, and later three ASA tournaments. He's placed second for Shooter of the Year and the IBO Triple Crown. McCarthy has won five out of seven ASA tournaments he entered in 2005 in the Open Pro Division and has won the ASA Classic and the ASA Shooter of the Year in the Open Pro Division. He's won the NFAA Marked 3D Championship, better known as the Redding Tournament, and quite a few more. He's a threat to win any tournament he enters. McCarthy is not only one of the nation's best tournament archers, he's also a very-accomplished bowhunter. He can place an arrow in a deer at 100 yards or less. This week, he'll tell how he bowhunts and which shots he will and won't take.
Question: How has competing in professional archery tournaments helped you to achieve deer-hunting success?
McCarthy: Tournament archery has drastically increased my level of confidence and improved my shooting skills as a deer hunter. I've learned to conquer my nerves from shooting in archery tournaments, so I'm not very nervous when I'm deer hunting. I'm also a much more-accurate archer. When I'm hunting, the deer are much closer, and the kill zone is much larger than a 10-ring on a tournament bulls-eye.
 Question: Do you get as anxious with a big buck standing in front of you as you do when you're shooting for the win in a major tournament?
McCarthy: No, I don't. When I'm hunting deer, I don't get nervous until after I've made the shot. Once I've shot a buck, I get so nervous I'll usually need to sit down to compose myself before climbing down from my tree stand. Since I've been shooting in archery tournaments, deer hunting has become much easier for me. I can make the shot on a deer much-more easily now than I could before I began shooting in tournaments.
Question: How do you avoid being nervous in an important competition?
McCarthy: I don't. I don't try to block out my surroundings or fight nerves. Instead, I use my nerves to strengthen me and not to weaken me. In a big tournament, I'm as nervous as anyone else, but I accept my anxiety because I know everyone else is fighting nerves, too. If I'm nervous, I know I'm doing well because everyone who has an opportunity to win will be anxious to some degree, whether or not they admit it. If I'm losing with no chance to win, there's no reason to be nervous. One key to shooting under pressure and winning tournaments is learning how to be nervous without being scared. Don't let your nerves frighten you. If you can turn your feelings of anxiety into anger or some other emotion, and use that feeling to motivate you to shoot better, hold steadier and perform at your highest level, being nervous can become a positive aspect of your shooting instead of a negative one. Anger may not be the best emotion for every shooter, but it works well for me to harness my nerves and use them as a helpful force. One of the things that helps me when I'm down to the last two or three shots in a tough tournament is that I realize everyone else who must make those last shots is just as nervous as me.
Question: From how far can you accurately shoot a deer with your bow?
McCarthy: While I know I can put an arrow in a deer's vitals from 100 yards, and I've got my bow set up so that I can make that shot, I've never taken a deer from farther than 30 yards with my bow.
Question: Why don't you shoot deer from farther than 30 yards?
McCarthy: I've set up the 30-yard limit for myself because I respect white-tailed deer as live animals and not just targets. I'm confident that I can put my 60-yard pin on a deer's lungs, execute a clean shot and kill a deer at that distance. But making that 60-yard shot will be part of a perfect world where a deer doesn't move, my arrow doesn't graze a limb, or the deer's standing in an open area free of any obstructions. Since I don't want to risk wounding a deer, losing it and leaving it maimed or sick, I'll only take shots when the deer is 30-yards away or less.
 Question: Do you scout well enough that you can place your tree stand in an area where the deer will walk within your 30-yard kill zone??
McCarthy: Absolutely. For me, part of the game of deer hunting with a bow is to get the buck within 30 yards. I invest a lot of time in my scouting. Then every shot I make can be made within my 30-yard limit.
Question: Why do you set up your hunting bow to shoot accurately at 100 yards, if you don't plan to take a 100-yard shot?
McCarthy: If I shoot a deer and it runs away and stops 50- to 100-yards away from my stand site, then I'll take a second shot, if I have the opportunity.
Not only is Dan McCarthy one of the nation's best tournament archers, he's also a very accomplished bowhunter. He can place an arrow in a deer at 100 yards or less. Next week, we'll learn how he bowhunts and which shots he will and won't take.
Question: How important are your optics while you're hunting?
 McCarthy: My optics are extremely important. I've used Alpen binoculars not only to hunt white-tailed deer, but also to hunt mule deer, caribou and moose. When you're whitetail hunting, most hunters spend a lot of time choosing the animal they want to take. So, having a realistic idea of the buck's size and the number of points on his rack before choosing which one to take. By getting a clear view of the buck during your scouting process, you can have more time to prepare for an accurate shot. Often, desirable deer will come in during times where the lighting conditions are poor, like early mornings or late afternoons. These low-light hours are times when a bright pair of Alpen binoculars can mean the difference in making or missing a shot. Another time a pair of binoculars can improve your chances for hunting success is when a buck is coming down a fence line 100-yards away. A quality pair of binoculars will help you see farther and decide whether or not you want to take the shot. Most people don't realize that having a quality pair of binoculars greatly can improve your success. If you're hunting with a pair of poor-quality binoculars that don't allow you to see at long distances or under low-light conditions, you'll rarely use them. However, when you have a well-made pair of binoculars like Alpen's, you'll always have them by your side whether you're sightseeing, hunting from a tree stand or competing in a tournament.
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