Peep Sight Nightmare!

August 11, 2002 — I've been a bowhunter for the better part of 30 years and like the majority of others, I started shooting with a peep-sight. Over the years this little piece of plastic had let me down on a number of occasions. I tried several different styles and sizes, but I couldn't find anything that was reliable. Either it wouldn't rotate correctly, the rubber tube would break, or there wasn't enough daylight to see through the darn thing at most critical moments. 

After missing my mark on numerous opportunities, due to these problems, I removed the peep-sight my bow, forever. I thought I'd share the nightmare that lead to my final frustration.

I had found a fresh scrape line after a morning hunt, on my birthday in 1985, which was obviously made by a mature buck. There were six scrapes, all about two feet in diameter and all within a 35-yard radius. Talk about excitement! It was obvious that one of the two big bucks I'd been watching for two months was getting fired-up. 

I decided to come back that afternoon, so I quietly set up a ground blind about 20 yards down wind of the scrapes. I didn't want to risk too much noise putting up my tree stand since I was only about 100 yards from a thicket that I thought was his staging area. 

All day I kept thinking about the buck that made those scrapes and wondering which of the two big boys had made them. Finally, the day passed and I returned to the ground-blind and settled-in with high hopes of seeing the buck return. As the afternoon pasted and evening was coming to an end, I had not seen, nor heard a thing. I was feeling a little more disappointed with each passing minute. 

It was almost time to go, as the light was quickly fading, so I slowly stood-up. I stood there for a few seconds, and then in disgust, decided it was time to return home. I un-nocked my arrow and started to gather my gear when all of a sudden, I heard footsteps. I froze and listened; I could hear the rhythmic stride of a deer on the move coming to me. Then, as my eyes strained through the fading light, I could see antlers coming through the woods. 

I retrieved my arrow very slowly as I watched the almost ghostly rack just kind of float through the tree branches. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest (you know the adrenaline thing). I watched him stop and freshen a scrape, then lick and thrash some branches above with his massive antlers. He was the larger buck of the two and I estimated that he was about 35 yards away. 

Since I was only 20 yards from the next two scrapes along the scrape line, I was sure that he would come right down the run for a much better shot. Just as this thought crossed my mind, he turned and began his move to the next scrape. He came straight at me for a few steps and I couldn't believe the width of his rack. Truly a trophy with a 20-plus-inch spread extending well beyond the width of his ears. 

He stopped at about 25 yards out, turned broadside, then turned his head away from me and began to rub a tree about nine inches in diameter. There he was at 25 yards, head turned the other way and broadside. That's all I needed to see! 

Thinking what a wonderful birthday present this was, I drew my bow instantly to take this unbelievable opportunity. PANIC SET IN! I couldn't see anything except black! I mean there he was, in plain view, with plenty of hunting light left, and I couldn't see anything through my peep sight. 

I leaned my head out and could see him standing there but every time I got back behind the peep sight I couldn't see a thing. I held back and tried and tried but just couldn't take the shot and risk wounding this beautiful animal. You know the rest. 

He continued down the run, got down wind of me and was gone in a flash, making so much commotion that every deer within a square mile new I was busted. I was devastated! When I got home I took that #!@# peep-sight off my string and have never hunted with one since. Talk about a peep sight Nightmare!

The peep-sight becomes your single biggest enemy the first and last few minutes of hunting light, that critical, magical time. Just think, this is most active time of day for big bucks and you have something on your bow that is the cause of bowhunting nightmares around the world. I'm sure that there are a tremendous number of bowhunters that know exactly what I'm saying here, and if you don't and you use a peep-sight, you will. 

I met Don Priebe in 1988, we became bowhunting partners and have hunted together ever since. Don is one of those guys that just seems to always sit in the right place and get more than his share of opportunities. He also got fed-up with the problems of the peep-sight after missing a number of opportunities at some nice bucks during those precious last few minutes of hunting light. 

In 1994, Don began to play with circles and lines, mounted to the rear of the riser, trying to find something to solve the problems of the peep-sight and provide consistent accuracy. His sight evolved into a one-inch round aperture with glow-in-the-dark cross-hairs, which were open in the middle and mounted to the rear of the riser. I watched him transform into a one of the most successful shots I know. He has taken a couple Pope & Young bucks along with quite an impressive group of ones that just missed. Don kept telling me that it was his "Hind Sight" that was making the difference. He said that it seemed that no matter the shot scenario - twisting around to shoot behind his tree stand, or leaning out against his harness - his shots were always on the mark. He also said that it solved the low-light problems of the peep-sight and that as long as he could see the deer and his front sight pin, he could get lined up with his Hind Sight. 
How could I argue? 

He had taken a couple of the nicest Michigan bucks I've ever seen anyone harvest with a bow and had gone on a 10-shot streak without a miss. 

In 1997, Don patented his invention and started Hind Sight, Inc.

Finally, about four years ago, I put one of his inventions on my bow. Being that it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks, I was still skeptical, but it only took a few shots to realize the secret to why this thing really works. It reveals the slightest shooting-form problems and puts you in the same hold every time by eliminating bow torque. This is something a peep-sight will never do. 

My groups went from a softball size to a golf ball at 20 yards almost instantly. I kept shooting in my backyard through the evening and my groups were unbelievable. I was shooting at a little piece of white paper pinned up on my target and as the light started to fade. I kept the groups right on the paper. Soon it was too dark to see where my arrows were hitting, but every time I went to pull them they were right there. I found that as long as I could see the white paper I could get lined up. I'm thinking, "Wow, this is pretty cool and have been shooting with the Hind Sight ever since."

Hind Sight is a simple, straightforward concept, that eliminates the peep-sight and all the problems associated with it. With its open design, that doesn't restrict the amount of light that reaches your eye, and glow in the dark cross-hairs, it delivers outstanding low performance. Also, by having a rear reference point attached to the riser, it provides more consistent accuracy by solving bow torque and anchor alignment problems.

If you'd like more information about the Hind Sight, from Hind Sight, Inc. visit our web site (www.hindsightco.com). We have a number of models to choose from to fit your needs and budget.

Hind Sight — The ultimate peep-sight eliminator: