Hey boys and girls-
Wanted to share a few questions I've been getting from some of you. Hope everyone is getting sighted in and ready for opening day.

Tom from Michigan wrote:
I'm curious to know what the effects of a dry fire are?

My response:
There are several things that can happen in the results of a dry fire. The bow stores so much energy that when the bow is not fired there is no resistance and the energy rocks the bow hard. Strings may break, limbs crack, axles bend, the bow derails. Today's bows may can handle an accidental dry fire once or twice, but as a rule you should avoid it.

Greg, also from Michigan, wrote:
T-Bone, for youth bows, what is the lowest draw weight you recommend for lethal penetration?

My response:
Well, some states don't have a minimum weight, however for moral and ethical reasons we like to recommend at least 35 pounds.

Thanks for sending the questions. And, more importantly, thanks for shooting a bow. Archery is truly a passion that many of us can share and talk about.

Keep shootin'
T-Bone

Hey boys and girls. Wanted to show you the new commercial Bushnell is running with me and Waddell. I have to admit it, I did a little sneaking around and got caught on tape! Whoops!
Check out the Bushnell site for a comparison of trail cams. And never forget, the truth will set you free!
Let me know what you think of the commercial.
T-Bone

How many of you wax your strings regularly, reserve them when needed, and replace them annually or as soon as they need replacing? That’s what I thought. At the shop we see a lot of bows neglected by their owners. They simply don’t replace elements of the bow that are crucial to shooting, such as a string. The string is a VERY important part of a bow setup. When a string is abused it begins to stretch and deteriorate. And when it does, cam position changes, as does nock point and tune of the bow. But it happens so slowly that it is hard to pick up on the change. Also, the draw length will get a lil' longer and the point of impact will change. We just move our sight slightly, not thinking that the bow's tune may be changing.

So, with that said, as we are beginning to shoot more and more as the season nears, check your strings or have your local pro shop check them and get a new string if you need one. This will get the cam positioning back right on your bow.

There are a lot of great after-market string manufacturers that build better strings than come standard on many bows. These after-market strings are built under extreme tension so they will not creep when installed. Heck, they even offer a wide range of colors to spruce up the look of your bow. Check out Winners Choice and Stone Mountain strings.

Do you have a story to tell us about a bad string that left you with a memory you'll never forget, or even a scar? Share it with the other archery freaks reading the blog. I know it happens because I repair waaaaaaayyyyyy to many of them. So don't try to hide it.

Yours in archery,
The Bone

Well, we are back from vacation. When we left you last time, we were about to embark on the annual Turner family summer visit with my wife’s family. And this time we were going to try our hands at summer hog hunting. The weather was HOT!!! Sketters were big and plentiful, and snakes were on the move.

On the the way to the stand the first evening, we came across a big rattler that was ill—let's just say he is ill no more. Then, as I was walking to the stand that afternoon I started praying that my Team Realtree Thermacell would work because the skeeters where so thick. When I got to the stand, I got it cranked up and boy did it work. If anyone ever asks if a Thermacell works, you tell them T-Bone says HECK yes. It is worth its weight in gold.

I sat in the 98 degree heat for about 3 hours before I saw the first hog. It was a young boar so I let him go. About 30 minutes later I had three more come in and one of those was a big, silver sow. Actually kind of favored a big possum! LOL!! I let them come in and get comfortable, and then I let her hold the ol' Easton love spear. And she didn’t make it far. Got her drug out and skint-out just after dark.

And then I spent some quality time with the family. And boy did we eat good.

I have taken a liking to this hog hunting. It's an all-year season, and I like watching the Tekan II’s eat. If ya’ll get to try those broadheads, I encourage you do so.

Check out the picture, it does resemble a possum.

The pig man,
T-Bone

As I write this entry, I am in Florida at my in-law's house. We, the T-Bone Turner Clan, visit the in-laws every year at this time for a family get-together. Well, I really like my in-laws, but a guy can only sit around and visit so much. So my father-in-law and I are going to do some hog hunting. He has a great club that he is in that is loaded with hogs. It is also loaded with snakes, gators and big mosquitoes during this time of year. Ya'll log on to The Weather Channel and look at Perry, Fla., and watch the temperature for me. This is gonna be interesting sitting in a tree while it's this hot. I'm not whining, just stating the facts.

Tune in soon and I will tell ya'll the outcome. Besides, a bad day hunting is better than not hunting at all.

And if anyone has any summer hunting escapades to tell us about, then tell us.

Sweating my behonkie off,
T-Bone