As Rep. Paul Ryan prepares for his first and only showdown with Vice President Joe Biden, the GOP vice presidential nominee tells CNN in an exclusive interview that he knows what it takes to meticulously prepare for a big event.

A proud and experienced hunter, the Wisconsin congressman is used to going to great lengths to sharpen his game.

"I like the strategy of bow hunting and it takes a lot of preparation, and I do take it seriously because I am much more successful if I do things properly and prepare the right way," he told CNN recently while on the campaign trail in Memphis.

With that same mind set, Ryan has been drilling down, getting ready for the debate pretty much since the day he was tapped to be Mitt Romney's running mate.

"I've always just believed that if you're going to do something, do it well," Ryan told CNN..

But while he's been honing his skills, Ryan is also raising the bar for his opponent, pointing to Biden's lengthy experience on the debate stage.

"Joe Biden has been doing this for a long time. He ran for president twice, he's a sitting vice president. He's been on this big stage many times before so this is new for me," he said.

Ryan said he's been doing his homework and "studying the issues," but anticipates Biden will go on the attack.

"The problem he has is, he has Barack Obama's record he has to run on," he said.

But in the end, the Catholic deer hunter from Wisconsin said he's more pumped up than anything. "I'm not intimidated; I'm actually excited about it."

Ryan sources insist that of the four candidates participating in these high profile debates, Ryan has the toughest job.

Why?

Not only is he defending his own record over the years, he has to make sure what he says mirrors the positions of the guy at the top of the ticket, Mitt Romney.

That's not as hard for Biden, since he's been part of the Obama administration for four years.

Still, Ryan is quick to remind that he does have experience debating. After all, he is a seven-term member of the House of Representatives.