ACCESSORIES
Accessories such as your sight, rest and quiver also need attention. Your sight should be strong and simple. Once your sights are set, tighten all adjustment screws; then, take a marker or scratch-awl and mark the exact location of both windage and elevation adjustment locations. If something moves, it'll be noticeable.

After doing the same with your arrow rest, put an arrow on the rest and grasp it out front, moving it around in every possible direction; note any point at which the arrow can contact the bow and cover that spot with fleece.

If you're using a drop-away rest, attach fleece or some other dampening material on any surface that the launcher will strike as it drops. Raise the arrow up to the sight guard and apply fleece wherever your shaft can make a spell-breaking clinking noise.

The object of all this is for the arrow to be totally silent as it slides across the rest when you draw your bow back. Teflon or plastic sleeves on the rest prongs will help, but you may want to cover them with fleece as well. A drop-away rest will shine here, as it doesn't rise to position the arrow until the last couple of inches of draw. Fleece silences your launcher -- and because the arrow spends little time on the launcher, the fleece lasts virtually forever.

So-called "containment" rests are great for hunting. You may have to tip your bow while stalking, or when you draw and shoot in a hurry or quickly adjust your position before a shot, and in such cases, your arrow could be knocked off a conventional rest, costing you a shot opportunity. The popular Whisker Biscuit containment rest captures the arrow, as do several drop-away rests. Other drop-away rests use clips to hold an arrow on the shelf until the rest picks it up; if set up correctly, these function in effect as containment rests.

Quivers too can generate noise. Two-piece models with hood and arrow-holder sections bolting to each end of the riser are the toughest and quietest, and present the lowest profile. One-piece detachable quivers are popular with those who prefer to remove their quivers. I practice with mine on and full of arrows (minus one) so I can know where my bow shoots with the quiver on. I prefer to have my arrows close at hand should some sort of contingency arise.

A quiver can vibrate and rattle, so you want one constructed with a minimum of parts that attaches solidly to the bow. Put some small vibration dampeners such as LimbSavers on your quiver hood if necessary. Line the inside edge of the hood and the rod that connects both ends of the quiver with fleece. These measures will help ensure that removing an arrow for a quick shot won't result in the broadhead or shaft clinking against a hard surface, giving you away.

Be sure to inspect your string and buss cables for excessive wear and apply string wax to protect them from moisture. Measure the axle-to-axle length and brace height of your perfectly tuned bow and write them down; if your string creeps, those measurements will change, thus tipping you off that something's wrong. You can also mark the position of your cams for future reference.