Rust is a common problem on metal components, especially in Louisiana's humid environment. A little gun oil goes a long way towards stopping and preventing rust from forming.

If there’s two things you can always count on, it’s that rust never sleeps and your compound bow never stops trying to fall apart. Only through constant attention and tweaking can you keep it tuned and shooting properly. You will enjoy bow hunting more if you think of this mandatory chore as just part of the fun that encompasses the sport. Plus, it sure does help the summer months fly by. However you choose to look at it, there’s no escaping the fact that your string is constantly stretching & fraying, bolts are backing out, the rest wants to move, fiber optics are drying out & breaking, and every piece of metal on it is begging to rust. On top of all this, you also have to contend with the degeneration of your arrow fletchings. Even if you have not touched your bow since this past season, you want to be sure that when you get your chance to score on a deer that your bow is operating perfectly, and this means performing a summertime check-up.  
 

Strings & Servings

Check out your strings and cables regularly. A little fraying on the string is normal, but if you see any broken strands, the string needs to be replaced. If you primarily bow hunt, I suggest changing your string and cables yearly. Do it early in the year so you have enough time to “shoot in” your string and make any adjustments if they’re needed. The life of your string can be prolonged if you wax it often, but heat, extreme cold, and moisture will shorten this life; it’s a constant tug-of-war. I suggest using a d-loop, as you’ll be helping to extend the life of your string by protecting its center serving. When I have a new string installed, I get a new peep put on it as well. I just remove the old string as-is and store it away for emergency purposes. If anything were to happen when I’m out of town, I could just install the old string and hopefully continue forward. Another little tip is to always carry some serving or a pack of dental floss with you to do some minor in-the-field repairs, if need be. Take care of your strings, and they’ll take care of you.
 

Paper Tuning

Of course there is no way you’ve waited until right before the hunting season to think about paper tuning your bow. It only takes a minute to put an arrow through paper to see if it’s still coming off the rest flying straight and true. If not, it’s time to make a few adjustments to put things back right.