FEATURE: Gryba's passion for archery hits the road

COLUMBUS, OH -If Eric Gryba could do it, he'd be outside with his bow 4-5 days per week - easy.
That's why it's not surprising that on a road trip, with a day off scheduled, the Oilers defenceman will check his bow under the plane and bring it to a nearby archery range in whichever city the team is playing.

"I had a bow when I was just a little kid, but it really started when I first started playing in the American League," said Gryba. "I wanted to go out hunting before rifle season, so I bought a bow and just started shooting."
The passion for bow hunting, and archery in general, really took off when he first started playing professional hockey in the AHL.
"Basically, out of necessity," he said. "I wanted to hunt, and with hunting seasons, there's usually an archery season that's earlier. I've always wanted to hunt as much as physically possible. Due to my job, I don't get a lot of time in the middle of hunting season so I have to utilize the early archery season before the hockey season basically starts. In order to do that, you have to use a bow and arrow - it's an archery season only. It's basically come about as a necessity to hunt."
Gryba owns a Hoyt Carbon Defiant bow, and is very skilled with it.

"This thing has been through a lot already," he said. "This has been through some rock, shale slides. It's fallen off horseback and gone through everything, but she's trusty."
One of the most challenging parts of bow hunting is how stealthy one must be when out in the woods.
"It's the stalking. You have to get within, realistically, 50-60 yards at the furthest. I don't like shooting any further, unless it's a really calm day. A lot of times you're dealing with wind or other variables, shooting around things.
"I feel I'm like a ninja," he added. "I go into a ninja-stealth-death mode. I can actually sneak up and stalk a lot better than people think."
Back home in Saskatchewan, Gryba has a large mass of land where he can shoot either inside or outdoors any day and at any time of the year. But during the NHL season, he has to get creative with his time.
It's a fairly addicting activity, and Gryba encourages anyone who wants to try something new to visit a local range to test it out. But like with any new hobby, patience is key.
"Just enjoy it," said Gryba. "Don't try to put too much pressure on yourself right away. It's going to take time."