The Old Archers Thumb Trick

Pretend for a moment you are used to standing up and aiming at something and then one day you decide to try shooting while sitting down or kneeling or even sitting cross-legged. Suddenly the angle of the ground to the target has shifted and it confuses you as to where to aim.

You could shoot... but if you've never shot from a kneeling or sitting position before then you could miss easily. It really does take practice and experience to learn how to shoot from sitting / kneeling positions with a greater degree of accuracy.

Fortunately there is an old archers trick for how to adjust your aim and make sure you are still aiming at the correct spot.

#1. While standing use your thumb to measure the distance between the center of your target and where you would normally aim off the tip of your arrow. Use the wrinkles and marks on the sides of your thumb to measure the distance. (This is where having a wrinkly old thumb is arguably better.)

#2. Sit down or kneel and then use your thumb again, remembering the same spot on the side of your thumb to measure the distance between the target and your aiming point.

#3. Now that you have a better idea of where to aim you can use that point of reference to do your first shot with little worry of missing.

Note - If you don't use the traditional method of aiming off the arrowhead and instead use the Gap Shooting method of aiming then you don't really have to worry about this problem. Using Gap Shooting you can just aim using that method and your shot will still be accurate.\

If you don't know how to Gap Shoot or want to improve your aiming techniques you can always sign up for archery lessons in Toronto.

In other news a friend wore the shirt below to the archery range and I decided to get a photo of it. Happy Shooting!

Whitetail Deer at the Toronto Archery Range

The video below is from last Thursday (August 22nd), wherein I got within 8 yards of a whitetail doe at the Toronto Archery Range located at E. T. Seton Park, and also pretty close to the fawn too.




The following video is a compilation of 6 smaller (and older) videos of whitetail deer at the archery range. They visit the range quite often and have no predators in the region (unless you count cars, trucks, etc).

Now you might think, gee, isn't that dangerous? Not really. We leave the deer alone, except for taking photos and video, and they leave us alone. The deer at the range are a bit curious about what we silly humans are doing, but otherwise leave us alone.

Playing Sports while wearing Hearing Aids

Do you need advice about hearing aids while playing sports or exercising?

Are you wearing your hearing aids while exercising or competing in sports and are worried about damaging the batteries or the hearing aid itself?

Many people would agree that maintaining a healthier lifestyle is important in ensuring a better quality of life. Having a health-first attitude often includes some type of physical exercise. eg. Archery! However within archery, which is a very social activity, there are certain factors like being able to hear when people shout "Clear!" and "Live!" which are useful for your safety. So there is certainly a safety benefit. Even golfers typically shout "Fore!" when hitting a long drive and to warn people to watch out for incoming golf balls.

Safety aside, having an active lifestyle can also mean engaging in organized team sports, while others may prefer activities at a singular or small-group level such as hiking, dog walking, competitive dog walking, jogging, bike riding, or even bird watching (a lot of walking and hiking involved in bird watching).

And with respect to bird watching, which isn't really sporty but does require exercise, you probably also want to be able to hear the birds you are looking for.

Yet for individuals who wear hearing aids, there may be some hesitation to take part in fitness programs and/or various sports due to concerns about potential damage to these rather important and often expensive devices. Let’s face it; they need their hearing aids for many other facets of their lives, and they likely want to safeguard their financial investment as well. (Although if you live in Ontario/Canada, most of the cost is covered by OHIP.)

Regardless of the sports activity, or the age of the person for that matter, they should be able to enjoy themselves without having to worry about their hearing aids. And now, for the most part, they can; provided that they take a few precautionary steps with their hearing aids before, during, and after their exercise routines or games.

Hearing impairment does not have to be a hurdle to pursuing an active lifestyle. (I really wanted to put a hurdles gif on the right side here, but was unable to find one that I liked.) By maintaining and managing their hearing aids effectively, people with hearing loss can take part in and enjoy any number of sports and/or other types of physical activities.

To assist in learning more about these types of situations, the hearing loss specialists at Omni Hearing in Woodbridge offer the following advice and tips for hearing aid wearers who want to exercise or take part in sports:

Caring for Hearing Aids When Exercising and Playing Sports

1. After a day of exercising/sports, place hearing aids in a dehumidifier box overnight to get rid of extra moisture.
2. Upon removal from the dehumidifier, brush hearing aids to clean excess wax/dirt you may have accumulated.
3. Wear a regular headband or hat to prevent excess sweat from saturating the hearing aids with moisture.
4. For behind-the-ear hearing aids, cover them with a sweat-resistant pouch or sleeve.
5. At times during an activity, use a portable puffer to blow air through molding/tubing.
6. Wear properly-sized headgear (helmets, toques, caps) to accommodate your hearing aids.
7. For contact sports, use a specially-designed clip that secures hearing aids to clothing to prevent it from getting knocked off and damaged.
8. If you are exercising regularly apply an antimicrobial agent every few days to ward off bacteria, microbes, and prevent infection. Last thing you need is an inner ear infection.
9. Keep extra tubing on hand at all times in the event of damage or dirt/sweat blockage.
10. Identify a local hearing centre in case of emergency when traveling / exercising overseas.
11. Select the proper type of hearing aids and ensure the right fit for the activities/sports.
12. If possible, get water-resistant hearing aids. There are various kinds of water proof hearing aids that are ideal for swimming, snorkeling and similar activities.
13. There are also accessories you can get to help make your regular hearing aids more water resistant / protected.
14. Ask a Professional about Managing Hearing Aids in Relation to Playing Sports (see below).

Ask a Professional about Managing Hearing Aids in Relation to Playing Sports

Individuals with hearing loss who may have questions or concerns about wearing hearing aids while participating in various exercise regimens, physical activities, and/or contact sports would find it beneficial to consult with a hearing specialist from the Omni Hearing, one of the leading clinics in the GTA and ready to help people to achieve their goals (sports and otherwise).

In the same way that having the proper clothing/equipment and stretching the muscles before a recreational or sporting activity can enhance the experience, a visit to a hearing centre such as Omni Hearing in Woodbridge can help to better prepare those who need or want to wear their hearing aids under these types of circumstances. During this visit and consultation, hearing aid users can discuss and/or address matters related to:

• Having extra batteries on hand, should you need them.
• Other contents of the sports bag / accessories.
• The condition of their hearing aids.
• The correct fit of their hearing aids.
• Accessories specifically for use in sports.
• Water proof or water resistant hearing aids.
• Back-up plans for any unforeseen situations.

For additional information on the hearing services offered by the hearing aids specialists from Omni Hearing in Woodbridge by calling 905-605-4593 or visiting their store at 8611 Weston Rd Unit 17, Woodbridge.

The 2019 Seton Archery Tournament

The 2019 Seton Archery Tournament is tomorrow.

When - Saturday, July 6th 2019.

Where - Located at the Toronto Archery Range, located within E. T. Seton Park.

Maps and Parking Info is available at:

http://www.archerytoronto.ca/Toronto-Archery-Range.html

Who - Local archers from the GTA will be competing. International archers welcome.

What Styles - Traditional Barebow, Olympic Archery, Compound Archery categories.

What to Bring - Your bows, arrows, archery equipment, and food/drinks to share. There will be a potluck picnic and BBQ.

Want More Info?

Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1114323525427983/ to learn more about the 2019 Seton Archery Tournament.

 This is the 3rd tournament of its kind thus far. The first two were in 2016 and 2018. In 2016 I took 2nd place in the compound division. In 2018 I was a judge. I have given thought to participating in a different category this year (so that I can eventually win in all 3 categories), but I might just spectate instead as I have been planning on bringing my 2 year old son with me tomorrow and he can be handful.

My wife however is thinking of participating in the barebow category. So we shall see what happens. She could compete and I could watch the toddler.

Later today I am going to an event that will last until later in the evening and I expect to be quite exhausted tomorrow, so most likely I will just be a spectator.

Below is the medals and trophies from the 2018 competition. [Photo by Ackson Lee.]

Whistling Arrowheads

For fun I got out my whistling arrowheads today and did a few long distance shots with my vintage 1972 Black Hawk Avenger (40 lbs) recurve bow. One of my favourite bows.

Whistling arrowheads don't really have a practical purpose in modern times, beyond having fun with them. Historically they were used as signal arrows or warning arrows.

Mongolians and Tibetans also reputedly used "howling arrowheads" in combat, which sounded like a ghost from a distance, and in warfare would demoralize the enemy as it would "sound like death coming towards you". The howling arrowheads used a different design which created a different pitch when the arrow flew through the air.

Below: My Black Hawk Avenger with two arrows tipped with whistling arrowheads.

Below: Four photos of the same thing, from slightly different angles while I play with the focus lens.

And lastly, because it was there, I take a couple shots at the deer painted on the target to get it in the heart zone (I used field points for these shots instead of whistlers).