Clean & Waxed

When is the last time you cleaned your bow?

Seriously. How many of you just stopped and thought, "I've never cleaned my bow".

Firearms get cleaned, or should be cleaned on a regular basis. During cleaning, you can inspect for things that may be wrong with it or the reason you missed that last buck. But what about your bow?

Compound, cross or traditional, it doesn't matter. When is the last time you inspected all the parts to make sure none needed replacing?

It is always a good idea to inspect compound bows several times a year and before and after you hunt, especially if you hunt in wet climates or got caught in a downpour. If compressed air doesn't do a good enough job ridding the dust for you, your next option is some q-tips and rubbing alcohol.

Your bow is constantly under pressure. A mistake in making sure it is up to par and working properly can mean the difference between hunting when you have a tag or missing the season all together.

All the screws that hold on your sight, rest, quiver etc can rust if they aren't dried out after a dose of rain. Alcohol will help dry them out. You can remove your sight and rest if you'd like or just clean around them.

Removing dust from the cams and bushings will help their longevity as well. Obviously you need a bow press to go any further so if you don't have one, take your bow to your local shop and have them give your equipment a thorough cleaning for you. Plus their expert eyes can inspect your limbs and risers for stress cracks or other blemishes that could affect the performance of your bow.

Waxing the string and waxing often is also a good idea. Where your bow is stored or how often you use it will determine how often you should wax the string. Cold, dry environments are hard on things so wax strings once a month when not using your bow. When you're shooting or hunting, you should wax the strings once a week.

And don't forget to inspect your arrows for cracks, broken fletching, broken knocks, and any other blemishes that would render them unusable during a hunt.

And finally, check your release. Is the strap and buckle in good condition? What about the springs in the trigger? The cord or strap holding the release to your wrist strap if this is the kind you use?

Cleaning and maintenance of all your hunting equipment on a periodic basis well before your hunt and after your hunt/before you store it will help you save time in the off season and keep you in the field longer when practicing, scouting or waiting for that critter to enter your shooting lane.