The wind is an important factor for Urbas. He uses wind floaters and constantly checks the direction of the wind currents. “I’ve been on the stand before when the wind has changed in such a way that I knew it would be detrimental for me to stay,” he said. “So I climbed down from the stand and left rather than risk getting discovered.”

Getting discovered is rare for Urbas with all his precautions, but it does occur, much to his dismay.

“The first deer you see will probably be the mother with her fawn,” he said, “and she’ll always wind you if you’re not set up properly. When she does, she’ll tell everyone around there that something is up. Those mothers are tough. When I get a doe close or underneath me, I’ll huddle real close to the tree so I have no outline. I don’t want her pinning me. Once they catch on to you, there’s nothing you can do. If she does pin me and blows a couple of times, then I’ll let the spot rest for a few days before I return.

“If you get made by the big boy, that’s a sin,” Urbas continued. “If it happens during the early season, that spot becomes useless until the rut begins and then you can return. Sometimes if I am discovered by the deer I’m targeting, I give the spot a rest for a few days and then go back and watch from a distance. I want that animal to get comfortable again.” When all the hard work does result in an opportunity and that big buck starts moving into position, it’s important, according to Urbas, to take 20 seconds and mentally calm yourself so you can make a clean shot.

“I always wait for the high-percentage shot,” he said. “The last thing I want to do is wound one. I would rather pass on a marginal shot to get a better shot later. And an experienced archer is going to know if the shot is good one to take. If I’m not sure it is a solid double-lunger, I wait for a better opportunity.”

While Urbas is the ultimate trophy bowhunter, he wants everyone to realize that his passionate stance to the sport won’t be for everybody and it’s enjoyable whether an opportunity for a trophy is realized or not.

“Shooting big bucks doesn’t make you a better bowhunter than someone who shoots a doe,” Urbas said. “It’s just whatever you want to do. I shot a 191-incher in 2004 and it’s all relative. As far as I’m concerned, it’s about finding excellent spots and scouting hard and paying attention to the variables that will keep you from getting discovered.”