Photo by Tim Curry.

When my home state of Oregon began controlling centerfire rifle tags in the early 1990s, I never imagined the time might come when I wouldn't have a deer tag in my pocket every year and a rifle slung on my back.

However, times change, and I knew that I'd better change with them.

My first order of business was a compound bow. Ever since, I've been an avid archery hunter and have used my bow to take both deer and elk.

A few years later, I tired of trying to draw a rifle antelope tag and threw my preference points into the hat for a muzzleloader permit. After I drew the tag, I purchased and learned to shoot the primitive firearm -- and took a good pronghorn. Now I have points in for a couple of trophy mule deer hunts that are available only to those who tote muzzleloaders.

Soon after, I learned to shoot a recurve bow, and that has opened up even more hunting opportunities.

As I look back, it's plain to see that learning to shoot and hunt with all three of these tools -- compound bow, muzzleloader and recurve bow -- has made me a better hunter and kept me in the woods every fall.

COMPOUND BOW
Most rifle hunters naturally make the switch to a compound bow when they realize that their rifle has spent the past two autumns in the gun case. Archery seasons are still liberal in most Western states, and archers get many more chances at big game than the gun-only group.

Two common misconceptions intimidate many would-be bowhunters: that bows are difficult to learn to shoot, and they dramatically reduce your chance of success.

TOO HARD TO LEARN?
With the many developments in compound bows and accessories, the learning curve for archery has never been straighter. Today's bows are faster, lighter, smaller, quieter, easier to draw and aim, and more durable than their predecessors. Peep sights, fiber optics, mechanical releases, and foolproof arrow rests make a very effective hunting package.

A bow should fit the individual shooter like a good pair of hunting boots. The most important things to consider when fitting are draw weight and draw length. For this and many other reasons, I highly recommend visiting a local archery shop, instead of shopping via mail or online.

The money you might save in the short run isn't worth the frustration and wasted time of shooting a bow that's not quite right for you.

Once you establish a relationship with your pro shop after that initial purchase, you'll always have that resource to go to for tips or help when your shooting or equipment goes awry. If there's no pro shop near you, then talk to a bowhunting friend, or try to locate a local archery club for advice from an expert on both setting up your bow and shooting technique.

The fastest track to accuracy is to buy a compound bow that has at least 60 percent let-off (the release of tension on the bowstring once the bow is fully drawn) and has sight pins in increments of 10 yards with a peep.

This sighting system is similar to iron sights on a rifle. Once you've established a consistent anchor point (which any archery pro can also help you with), you'll be deadly accurate.

Instead of drawing and loosing the string with your fingers, start out by using a mechanical release. Most experienced hunters shoot mechanical releases because they yield consistency -- and thus, accuracy.