Want to know the secret that keeps Murphy’s Law from ruining every bowhunt?
Mojo.
You got to get the mojo workin’, and you got to keep it workin’ if you don’t want to muff your next shot at a Pope & Young bull. That means you must have a mojo bag, and you must carry it with you whenever hunting. Your mojo bag should include a minimum of three items on every hunt: extra serving material, an extra string loop or nock locator, and a multi-tool of some sort. I use a Fletcher Field Tool that includes Allen wrenches, an open-end adjustable wrench, a couple of screwdrivers, and a broadhead wrench. Dental floss can make a workable field substitute for serving material, and in a pinch you can use your fingers to wrap and tie off serving for a temporary fix. If you are more comfortable with a serving tool, throw that in your mojo bag as well.
With these simple items you can repair most of the things that are likely to go wrong with your setup in the field: loose serving, and sights, rests, or nock points that vibrate or get knocked loose. Marking settings with white-out or a permanent marker can help you detect problems at a glance and resolve them before they result in a one-that-got-away story. Mark your string where it comes off the cam, mark the location of your peep sight, and mark your nock point. Get in the habit of checking them regularly.
For use around hunting camp, or on extended hunts in remote areas, you’ll want to expand your mojo bag to include a back-up string, an extra peep sight, and a portable bow press. You’re going to have to replace your string sooner or later anyway; why not get the replacement now and have it ready to go when needed? Remove your current string, “shoot in” the new one with at least 25 shots, then tune and sight in. Keep the original as the back-up, with silencers, string loop or other nock point, and peep sight already attached. It’s a little extra money, but it will give you peace of mind if you can afford it.
You’ll need the portable press to install the back-up string in the field, as well as to replace a peep sight. I’m partial to Prototech’s Bowmaster, but others include the Ram Ratchet Lok and the Deluxe Pac-Press. Finally, since they take up little space and weigh almost nothing, I usually toss in an extra sight pin and a few small screws or bolts that fit my sights and rest.
Now, place the above mentioned tools and parts, along with eye of newt, tongue of lizard, and wing of bat into your mojo bag, and when that 6×6 steps out from behind a ponderosa pine at 30 yards you can come to full draw confident that your mojo is workin’.