Well, the bad guys just lost one more state they could run to after committing a wildlife violation. Ohio is, and has been, a member of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact (IWVC), an agreement whereby participating states share information about fish and game violators and honor each other’s decision to deny licenses and permits.

Effective this past April, Kentucky also became a member of the IWVC. The IWVC is an agreement in which member states reciprocate regarding the suspension or revocation of licenses and permits resulting from violations concerning hunting, fishing and trapping laws.

If a person’s license or permit privileges, which come under the scope of the compact, are suspended or revoked in one member state, they are subject to suspension or revocation in all member states.

In addition to license and permit suspensions and revocations, which result from a conviction for the illegal pursuit, possession or taking of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, mollusks, shellfish and crustaceans, failing to appear in court or to otherwise answer a ticket or summons issued for such violations will also result in license or permit suspension.

Compact member states also agree to recognize convictions for violations within the scope of the Compact which occur in all other member states and to apply them toward license and permit suspension and revocations in the state in which the person resides.

Hey, guys, you can run but you can’t hide.



Member states

In other words, if you’re hunting, fishing or trapping license is revoked in Ohio, you will lose your privileges in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

My only question is, where’s the great state of Pennsylvania? It seems to be absent from the list. Are they too good to sign on to a reciprocal agreement that benefits all of the participating states’ Division of Wildlife as well as the honest and ethical hunters? On the other hand, maybe they just don’t have any slob hunters in Pa. Yeah right!

Seems to me that since they put on the antler restrictions a few years back and are trying to make that god-forsaken rock pile into a “Big Buck” state, they just don’t want to play nice with the rest of us. Oh well their loss is our gain. We’ll just send all of our outlaws across the line and tell them to get a Pa. license. That’s where all the “Big Bucks” are anyway, right?



Arrow length

Last week, I talked about several things that can affect your success this coming season. One of the more crucial items I forgot to mention was arrow choice and setup.

In archery, many things including your bow set up are a matter of personal preference, arrow length being one of them. In my travels, I have the opportunity to speak with many shooters and hunters about equipment. This knowledge and being willing to try different setups has enabled me to fine-tune my equipment to my own personal preference.

So, if you’re interested, here is what works for me.



Short shafts

I usually cut my arrows as short as is safe. My personal preference is to have the arrow cut about one inch in front of where the arrow contacts the most forward portion of the arrow rest.

Now, I have to be careful though. I don’t shoot a bow equipped with cams that incorporate hard walls, so the chance of overdrawing the bow and pulling the arrow past the rest and off the string is very real. If you shoot a cam with a soft wall, or you’re a finger shooter, you have to be more careful as your draw length will vary.

This could result in drawing back farther than normal under certain circumstances. Under these conditions, until you’re more consistent in your draw, you may want to go a little longer. Two inches of arrow overhang might be a better recommendation to prevent the arrow from coming off the string at full draw.



Speed kills

A couple of reasons why I prefer a minimum arrow length are increased velocity and more maneuverability. When it comes to velocity Jim Retalic over at Sports Junction told me something a long time ago that has stuck with me ever since, “Speed Kills”.

First, let me explain the increased speed, as it is two-fold. When you shorten up an arrow, consequently you stiffen its spine. By doing this, you would hypothetically drop down one spine size and shoot lets say a 20XX as compared to a 21XX, now in carbons that would be 340 spine-sized arrow, which has a lighter mass weight or grains per inch (gpi) than a stiffer 300-spine size. (Note: stiffer spine sizes require more material to make the arrow stiffer, which increases the mass weight.)

Shooting a 2013 and trimming 6 & 1¼2 inches off it, down to 26 inches, at 9 gpi, will reduce the total weight by 54 grains to a bare shaft weight of 234 grains. While in carbon shooting, a 340 FMJ at 26 inches and 11.1 gpi would drop your bare shaft arrow weight to 288.8 grains, saving you about 72.2 grains.

Depending on fletching, insets and your choice of broadhead, with all of their weights combined, you would most likely end up with a finished arrow weight of around 325 grains aluminum or 425 grains carbon, in turn, giving a flatter shooting arrow.

Tipped with 100-grain insert/broadhead combination, my 26-inch Easton 2013s weigh in right at 325 plus or minus a few, providing the accuracy and penetrating power I need. These arrows zip out of my bow at blistering speeds and give me enough kinetic energy to tackle almost any big game in North America.



Maneuverability

Another reason I don’t like having more than one inch of arrow length past my rest is decreased maneuverability. Oftentimes, I hunt from tight confines and occasionally out of a blind. Having my arrow and broadhead sticking out past my hand at full draw is more awkward for me when limited to tight spaces, and this could potentially result in a missed opportunity on an animal that requires me to shift positions on the stand or in the blind while at full draw.



Do the math

The numbers I gave you above on the aluminum are from my actual set-up, while the carbon is one I’ve picked at random and done the math on from the Easton Web site. If you would like to double check you own personal set-up, my best advice to you is to go to www.eastonarchery.com and follow the links to the Shaft Selector page. Once there, you can feed in the specific information on your bow and receive several options from which you can choose.

Lest I forget, the general rule of thumb, again told to me by Jim Retalic at Sports Junction, is 5 grains per pound of draw weight for minimum arrow weight. In other words if the draw weight on your bow is set at 60 pounds you would multiply that by five grains per pound for a total minimum arrow weight of 300 grains. Do not go under that, consequently you may damage you bow and injure yourself in the process.



My call

Bowhunting is a world of choices and personal preferences, in my opinion. It is all about finding a balance. What it all boils down to is what you’re comfortable with and what works for you. You can listen to your buddies talk all day long about how great this or that is and you should change your set-up to match theirs. Bottom line, research it yourself and come up with your own perfect set-up. For me, a minimum length and lighter arrow gives me the speed and kinetic energy balance that is critical, and when I do arrow a deer, it goes down. What more could you ask for?

Remember, pass it on or it will surely pass on.



Sunderlin is a freelance writer from Geneva. Reach him at djss@roadrunner.com.