Tip of the Week
Become a better archer, one tip at a time.
We aim to preserve the heritage of the bow and arrow by being the premier source for inspiration, motivation and education that will foster a community of traditional bowhunters for years to come.Â
Take Better Hunting Photos
I’ve given plenty of photo seminars over the years. I used to include discussion of depth of field, shutter speeds, etc. during which most people’s eyes would glaze [...]
Make Fire Starters with Cotton Balls and Vaseline
Have you ever been outdoors in damp or rainy weather and needed to start a fire, but had nothing dry enough to use? Here is an old trick [...]
Make Your Own Broadhead Sharpening Block
I'd like to share how I made a sharpening block from bits and scraps I had in the shop. It is mobile, fits nicely in a pack, and [...]
Elkheart’s Elk or Venison Jerky
If you've been around these parts for a while, you may have seen or even tried this recipe before, either in Traditional Bowhunter or the book A Man [...]
Watch That Pronghorn Patch
The pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) is of unique American origin and provides some of the best table fare there is—if field dressed properly. Pronghorns have several glands, with [...]
Keep Your Cooler, Cooler!
To help foods stay frozen in your ice chest, freeze a brine solution in a reusable container and place it into the chest. A frozen brine solution is [...]
String Hand Alignment
It might be a good idea to try something different when working to improve your shooting accuracy. I hope this tip will help others as much as it [...]
Plan to Stay Hydrated
We have all read articles about the importance of staying hydrated, especially in warm weather hunting. The dangers of not drinking enough water could lead to low levels [...]
Brighten Up The Nock
Many of us like arrows that are easy to see and follow, especially for hunting arrows. Clear fluorescent nocks really help with visibility, and here is a little [...]
Repurpose an Arrow Into a Fire Stoke
If you don't shoot woodies, and you've ever been lucky enough to break or bend an arrow on a week-long bowhunting trip, you'll appreciate this tidbit of Montana [...]
Paper Trail
Lots of hunters I know use surveyor's tape to mark the last known sign when trailing a wounded animal, but there's a better alternative: toilet paper. TP has [...]
Donning Rain Pants
During hunting season in Indiana, the weather changes constantly. In order to be prepared for anything, I pack a light rain suit (Frogg Toggs) that takes up very [...]
The Follow Through Anchor
It’s that magic time of year again: the snow is melting in the high country, but not enough to get into good bear hunting; turkey season is pretty [...]
Hunting for Shed Antlers
Hunting for deer, elk or moose shed antlers can be a fun and rewarding activity for the whole family. It is a great way to dispel "cabin fever" [...]
A Fungus Among Us — Mushroom Hunting
Among the most delectable meals I've ever enjoyed was a roast jake turkey with a creamed morel-wine sauce, brewed up by Chef Don Thomas using wild ingredients he'd [...]
Boot Laces Too Long?
We all know how important it is to keep a pair of quality hiking shoes or boots clean of the small/fine sand and dirt that accumulates under the [...]
Rubber O-Rings for Screw-on Points
No one likes a loose, rattling field point. A while back, I found myself in one of those massive 'hook and bullet' stores where the plethora of contraptions [...]
Possibles–Survival Gear for Any Emergency
Very few of us are lucky enough to hunt for a living or hunt as frequently as we'd like; however, the theory of having your "possibles" along on every [...]
Natural Cover Scent for All Seasons
We all struggle to control our scent as we prepare for outings in the fall, but what about spring? Many seasoned hunters have realized that minimizing scent helps [...]
Make Your Own Leather Tab
Here is an idea that happened out of necessity. My favorite tab was lost in the woods, and my spare was a bit too thin. An old pair [...]
Grilling Wild Game – It’s Time to Prep the Grill
Late winter is a time when there isn't much going on if you're a hunter. The weather is breaking, and the toms are in pre-strut. It's time to [...]
Eliminate Skunk Essence
Springtime in the Rockies means the critters are out and about. Tired of marauding raccoons, I'd been live-trapping and relocating them. I was surprised and less than delighted [...]
Brace Height Consistency
Do you ever have one of those days when your practice shooting just seems off? Did you check your brace height? It can change as you string and [...]
Wind Direction Detector
To make a wind detector, take an empty nasal spray bottle and remove the spray tip and any tubes. You might have to enlarge the hole in the [...]
Reflective Trail Markers
I hunt using a climber stand, and I might use several trees on a property during the hunting season. Marking tacks will reflect the light of a flashlight [...]
Tying Up Loose Ends
When I mount a strap-on type bow quiver onto my bow, sometimes there is excess strap hanging out when I’m through. Personally, I won't cut it off, as [...]
Laminated Wood Arrow Self Nocks
To start, this is not my idea. It may have been around forever. Too, there may be a better way to make a laminated arrow self nock; but [...]
Hydrogen Peroxide for Blood Trailing
Hydrogen peroxide (3% solution) is a very powerful tool for blood trailing. Any little spec of blood, no matter how old or dried, will turn white and frothy as [...]
Best Dressed Deer
There are a lot of deer processors who examine deer that come into their shops BEFORE agreeing to process them for “unlucky” hunters. I say unlucky because most [...]
Arizona EZ Fletch Tips
I have tried several other fletching jigs, but for me, the Arizona EZ Fletch (AZ) is king. I'd like to share a few tips that make it even [...]
Smooth Leading Edge
If you shoot a selfbow without an arrow shelf, you may have experienced feathers cutting your finger. Worse, you may have run a quill a ways into your [...]
Shadow Tip Navigation
While surfing the web for interesting tidbits of information that you might find valuable, I came across a website called www.wilderness-survival.net. They kindly allowed me to reprint this [...]
Wood Arrow Spine
To get arrows with the correct spine for your bow, you first need to know your exact draw length and the weight that you are pulling from your [...]
Wool String Silencers
In these tough economic times we all like to save money where we can. Here is a simple, cheap and quick way to make some wool string silencers. [...]
How To Make a Toothbrush Rest
The brush rest, in my opinion, is the most durable and aesthetically pleasing method I have seen for shooting a traditional bow with an elevated rest. I used [...]
Blood Trailing Big Game
For the purpose of this exercise we are assuming whitetail deer, as the most abundant and popular big game species hunted in North America today. This exercise could [...]
Shooting Up and Down
Learning to shoot uphill and downhill is a must if you ever plan on hunting steep or hilly terrain. The fact is most bowhunters who are not experienced [...]
Dying Feathers with Kool-Aid
For those of you who process your own feathers for fletching, here is an easy method for adding color to them. I decided to try this "how-to" I [...]
Bowstring Wax
A bowstring needs to be waxed periodically to prevent fraying and keep it functioning well. I like to make my own bowstring wax. Start with beeswax from your [...]
Walking the String
One of the best things about barebow shooting is its diversity. There is no one "correct" way to do it. Spend a day at most traditional shoots and [...]
Archery Golf
Spring is just around the corner, and Archery Golf is a great way to stretch your legs and bow limbs. The basic idea is to set up target [...]
Understanding Single Bevel Broadheads
Many folks are still confused about single bevel broadheads. A single bevel broadhead is sharpened on only one side of each edge; the opposite edge remains flat. If [...]
Wood Grain Direction
Many archers don't know that there is a top and bottom of a wood arrow shaft, and care must be taken when building arrows to take this fact [...]
Easy Stick-on Arrow Rest
For folks like me who like to use stick-on rests, here's a cheapie that is very easy to make. First, you need a "clip strip." "Clip strips" are [...]
Heterodyning
This tip requires a bit of radio theory and brain work. The subject is heterodyning. A very basic definition is two different frequencies that are combined to produce [...]
Elkheart’s Favorite Bone Saw
If we take the advertisements seriously, we should all be packing a hunting knife as big as a machete, a bone saw sufficient to cut trees down, and [...]
Accuracy and Nock Fit
Some years ago, I stumbled upon an accuracy tip that reduced my group sizes by 25%. The string I had initially purchased with my bow had a center [...]
Quick Fletching Repair
At the Compton shoot last summer, we were shooting a round with some friends when one of them exclaimed, "Good grief, how long are you going to shoot [...]
Cleaning Your Thermos
I am not sure why I shined a light into the old stainless steel thermos after a recent hunt, but I did. To put it bluntly, it was [...]
Arm Strength Enhancers
During the off season, or when shooting your bow isn't an option, you can strengthen your archery muscles using a simple tool that works for me. This [...]
Hand Sanitizer for Bites
I discovered this "cure" somewhat by accident. I am extremely sensitive to chiggers. Within two days a chigger bite will swell as large as a quarter and turn [...]
Fur Tracers
I've seen "fur arrow tracers" selling on some specialty sites for as much as $5 for enough material to wrap a dozen arrows. Instead, you can go to [...]
Reflective Tape on Arrows
I first learned of this tip from Dennis Kamstra, who offers excellent ideas in Traditional Bowhunter® Magazine's Tips From the Old Timer column. Thanks for all your tips [...]
Inner Tube Silencers
Those of you who have hunted thirty-plus years may already know about these silencers. I do not recall who told me about them in the mid-sixties when I [...]
Pick A Spot
I used to have a heck of a time shooting my arrows in tight groups during practice. I guess having a mind that likes to wander doesn't help. [...]
Arrow Grip Adjustment
Arrow shafts can vary in diameter, but the grippers on most quivers are the same. I have found that some of my quivers do not hold the shafts [...]
Bike Shorts for Treestand Seat
I've been wearing "bike shorts" under my hunting clothes for many years now. These shorts are the kind you might wear to pad those "comfort" zones from the [...]
Treestand Practice
I have had a fear of heights since I was a child. Not necessarily the height of a building or mountain, but basically ladders and unstable contraptions. I [...]
Glassy Eyed
From The Traditional Bowhunter's Handbook If you want to take high quality, life-like images of your trophy in the field, you ought to keep a set of taxidermy [...]
The Proper Way to Shoot From Your Knees
Surprisingly, when we practice shooting we usually stand upright, and rarely do we shoot kneeling. When hunting from the ground we find ourselves trying to get lower to [...]
Feather Arrow Holder
I am always struggling to keep my arrow on the shelf while hunting, so I came up with this nice looking arrow holder.
Chalking Your File
You can extend the life of your broadhead file
Bow Quiver Modification
As traditional bowhunters, most of us like to have a blunt- or Judo-tipped arrow with us when we go afield. Piggy Backers have a clip on both sides, so [...]
Easy Bow Workstation
One of the challenges of bowstring maintenance has always been finding a convenient place to do the work. Most of the time, I sit on a stool with [...]
Fingers and Toes
Tip of the Week I am always looking for something that can be adapted to my primitive skills classes, my archery, and my hunting. Often times an idea or a [...]