Jerry Simmons and Dr. Robert Sheppard Tell Why Bowhunting the Old Way and the New Way – Both Produce Deer
Day 1: The Old Way Still Works – Jerry Simmons and His Longbow
Editor’s Note: If I had to pick two bowhunters and bet on them to take bucks anywhere in two days of hunting, I’d select Jerry Simmons of Jasper, Alabama, and Dr. Robert Sheppard of Tuscaloosa, Ala., for their consistency. During one deer season in one 38-day stretch, Simmons bagged 36 deer, in a time of more-liberal deer seasons. Sheppard regularly takes all the deer he wants to clean and eat or give away every season. Here’s a look at these two men’s styles of hunting to aid us in learning how to take more deer this season.
 In a day of overdraws, super-fast bows, razor-blade-style broadheads and arrow launchers that look like space vehicles, Jerry Simmons still shoots a longbow, the design of which dates back to a time when men still lived in caves. Simmons likes the simplicity, the accuracy and the convenience of the longbow.  “The longbow is much more hunter-friendly than any other bow I know,” Simmons says. “You don’t have to worry about the bow’s getting out of timing. You still can hunt if you lose your mechanical release, the bow has no sights on it to confuse you, and if you can see the deer, you usually can hit it.”
 From zero to 30 yards, Simmons has deadly accuracy like the most-competitive 3D archer. Many outdoorsmen think bowhunters tend to rely more on their equipment than their hunting skills. But Simmons depends on his woodsmanship – his ability to find where and when a deer will appear – than he does on the speed of his arrow and the price of his bow.  “I’m not looking for just a good place in the woods to hunt,” Simmons explains. “I’m searching for the very-best section of the woods to take a deer on the day I’m hunting.”
|
