Time to sharpen bowhunting skills

I saw a pair of whitetail does casually sauntering across the end of a dirt road Thursday morning. They were headed toward a small field to join another half-dozen does and two young bucks standing broadside to the highway.

That's probably the last time this year those whitetails will seem so carefree because Suffolk County's bowhunting season opens Saturday. With the East End herd both large and healthy, local archers have never seen better odds of filling their tags.

It was easy to sense the anticipation as archers tuned their bows and polished shooting skills Tuesday night at The Archery Forum in Medford (631-345-3779).

"These guys are ready," said owner Chuck Hensel while making last-minute repairs to several bows behind the counter. "Especially those who have seen photos of midnight monsters on their trail cameras."

Michael Thompson of Ridge was getting a stringless peep-sight added to his bow as we chatted about Saturday's prospects.

"Can't wait," he offered, "I've put my time in at the range. I'm sharp. I'm set."

Nearby, Patrick Dempsey, 19, provided shooting tips to his brother, Ian, 15. "Keep the bow level and draw smoothly," he advised as Ian let fly a bull's-eye at 20 yards.

"Bowhunting is a great sport to share with family," said the older Dempsey. "This is Ian's first year but he's been practicing hard. He'll do just fine."

At The Thrill of The Hunt 3-D Indoor Archery range in Riverhead (631-566-5261), Mike Graziose, made the trip east from Glen Cove with five friends. "We shoot and practice here every week in the 3-D tournaments. It keeps our group in touch while ensuring we need no excuses when a big buck steps into range."

Practice, of course, is vital to taking that buck of a lifetime -- but it shouldn't end when the season opens. Keep shooting on a regular basis until hanging up your bow at year's end.

If you need a place to hone your skill, the Archery Forum is offering free indoor target shooting through the end of the year. The Thrill of The Hunt has an extensive variety of indoor 3-D targets in natural settings that you can shoot at for a fee -- but not Friday because the Nikon 3-D Archery Finals are being contested. If you want to see some of Long Island's best target shooters in action, stop by at 7:30 p.m.

Porgy season extended

The NYS DEC has extended the recreational scup fishery for 90 days. The minimum size (10.5 inches) and bag limit (10 fish) for shore fishermen and private boaters remain unchanged. For party or charter customers, the current 40-fish bag limit applies through Oct. 11 before dropping to 10 fish. The current 11-inch minimum size limit is still in effect. This ruling is for NYS waters only. Porgy fishing is closed in federal waters.

Fall tourneys on tap

The Babylon Autumn Surf Fishing Cup, hosted by Paumonak Surfcasters, is slated for Oct. 7 -- 9 with stripers and blues the targets. You can sign up the whole family for $15. Call (516 859 5266) . . . More than $10,000 in prize money is up for grabs at the Star Island Yacht Club's 2nd Annual Striped Bass Tournament on October 9. The ante is $275 per boat for up to four fishermen. Visit www.starislandyc.com.

Email: outdoortom

@optonline.net