Rests also offer the traditional and modern-day options. Arrow rests covered with bear hair are often favored by those in the former camp, while sealskin is sometimes the choice for the latter. And both constituencies typically demand arm guards.

"You bet your life, string slap from a recurve can be painful," McDaniel confessed. "It won't happen every time you shoot, but it will happen enough to make you think about it and cause you to flinch sometimes when you shoot. String slap often happens when an archer wears clothing that is too loose and baggy. The worst string slap I ever had was when I shot at a squirrel. I felt like I had been hit by a .22." Traditional arm guards are usually made from deerskin, while others are composed of leather or some combination of synthetics. For the latter, expect to pay between $15 and $20.

Another consideration is the type of arrow vanes. For cedar shafts, real feathers are often the choice because they flatten when they come into contact with the shelf. Synthetic feathers do not. Finally, broadhead style is another topic to ponder. McDaniel recommends two-blade versions over three-blade because, in his opinion, the latter require more energy to penetrate sufficiently. Two blades cut much deeper on impact.

PRACTICE REGIMEN
McDaniel emphasized that individuals thinking of taking up a recurve for deer hunting must commit to considerable preparation time.

"Every year, I start seriously practicing in July," he said. "If I have the time every day, I try to shoot 10 groups of 10 arrows each. I set up a pie plate on a target that is 20 yards away with my goal being to put all 10 of those arrows inside the pan. Even if I don't have the time, I'm going to at least shoot 25 to 30 arrows."

While interviewing McDaniel, I told him that I annually begin practicing with my compound in mid-July and from then until the season begins, I shoot nine arrows a day, five days a week. He told me that although that regimen will work fine for compound users, it would not suffice for the recurve archer.

"So much more can go wrong with a recurve," he told me. "For example, you have to hit your anchor point just right and you have to have a perfectly smooth release. This is not always easily accomplished because recurve hunters use fingers. I also think it is essential for the recurve hunter to practice from the same elevated heights where his tree stands will be positioned."

The Old Dominion archer explains that he has two stand sites in his back yard. The first is a ladder stand that he has erected behind the house, and the "second" is his sundeck. From both locales, he places a target 20 yards away. McDaniel said that he cannot emphasize enough the need for recurvers to learn precisely what is a 20-yard shot. Even then, the unexpected can happen.

"Several years ago, I had been in a tree stand the entire morning, but it was raining and I hadn't seen anything," remembered McDaniel. "So since the forest floor was very quiet, I decided to climb down and still-hunt. I came to the foot of this old logging road that went up a mountain, and there -- not 20 yards uphill from me -- was an 8-point buck feeding broadside in the road.

"I drew back on the buck and sent an arrow right over his back. The reason why I missed is that I had never practiced shooting uphill before. I really had no business shooting uphill -- or downhill for that matter -- unless I had practiced that kind of shot."