Home › Forums › Bows and Equipment › Become a part of the Ashby studies!
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At this stage in his 28-year research into arrow penetration and lethality, what Ed needs most is honest field data from as many American big game hunters as possible. It is not necessary to use an Ashby set-up to participate. You’ll find a link to the official data record form (and a blood trail form as well) in Robin’s TBADMIN post at the top of the Ashby forum page. No need to print and take it afield with you. Just look it over beforehand … you’ll note that the only actual field measurement you need to make is arrow penetration. If you don’t want to carry a small tape hunting with you, simply find a way to mark the shaft at the point where it protrudes from the body … scratch with a knife or rock or such, then measure it later. The form also asks that you inspect any bones hit for damage. While Ashby doesn’t ask for photos, they are a huge bonus and we especially welcome them on this forum. Thanks, and go get some! I’m mid-season and taking the morning off to accompany the wife to the doc. Back at it this afternoon, and at this point in the rut almost every hunt is an adventure. In two weeks chasing elk and timberline muley bucks I’ve tightened my belt two notches! Good hunting and thanks for your help, dave
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I am all over it Dave. This is gonna be great! In the event we are succesful, after filling out the forms where do we send them?
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Good stuff!
I’ll go check it out. Then I guess I’ll have to actually get out and hunt.
todd
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Hopefully I am wrong but I think the first year or two of feedback will be lighter than we and Doc would like.
It’s just my humble opinion but it seems we trad hunters are less likely than most to accept “change” as a good thing. The human race as a whole seems to be that way from what I have seen in more than a half century. We are on the right track by providing additional facts for the whole of the study to allow not only others presently hunting, but future hunters as well.
To a point I understand some of the reluctance to change. The nostalgia, however, is only ONE of the reasons we love traditional equipment. I personally have also found it to be THE most efficient method of hunting. Any chance I have to perhaps be a part of making it even better is not a choice but a necessity. Many of the fathers of our sport did the same for US and it is now our turn to contribute.
I’m in. I’m hoping to get enough shots to see for myself not only the bone threshold being surpassed but also I hope to compare the blood trails of single bevel with two other head types in “standard” broadside, mostly soft tissue hits.
Identical shots are all but impossible but I think with accurate recording of vitals hit, good common sense will be a factor in the comparing, single bevel, double bevel and a three blade, all the same width on the same EFOC arrow set up and the same bow.
There will always be “nay sayers” battling any idea and the only method of overcoming that wall is good solid and consistant results.
ALL information, as I understand it, is valuable. Regardless of your choice of head, arrow weight or FOC all of us benefit (IMHO) from an accumulation (with photos hopefully?)of as many hits as possible.
Together I think we will give truth to the old saying that “the total is greater than the sum of it’s parts”.
Good or bad, our information gathered together will be part of a continuing study that will indeed stand the test of time.
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Oops, I forgot to mention, please print the forms, fill them out and mail to me at P.O. Box 2466, Durango, CO 81302. I’ll collect and forward to Ed once he gets settled into his new digs. Meanwhile, certain feel encouraged to share the basics of your experience, with photos, on this forum. But save the really techy details for the forms, thanks.
Well, yesterday evening I finally took a shot at an elk. I’ve located a new watering spot in an intermittent creek (my old trusted springs in recent years have been virtually abandoned by elk as human pressure below, specifically new trophy homes, are creating more noise and pushing them farther up the mountain), built a little brush blind and have been spending middays there rather than walking down and back up. The wind is good so it’s doable. First day, a cow came in at 3:15. Ample shot ops at 15 yards. Last evening at 6:30 a small 5×5 bull appeared silently and happily I had my face mask up and was ready (as opposed to having it down, smoking, eating, etc.). He was eating and so close I could hear him chewing (though not equal to the 8′ I got to another 5×5 a few days ago). He hung around forever and spent lots of time looking at a turkey tail feather I’d found and hung above my blind to a wind gauge — a mistake I’ve since corrected). When he started to leave without going down in the gully for water, I was so hyped by several minutes of adrenaline pump that I decided to take the shot. He gave me the op — broadside, looking away about 18 yards — but I was sitting flat on my butt and had to lean way out and cant the Shrew more than usual to make the shot. When I released I heard a loud “Crack!” and the arrow bit the dust well below the bull. My lower limb had hit an aspen sapling! Happily, Gregg Coffey builts a strong bow and no damage was done. The bull sparked off a ways but never out of sight … then returned and hung around another several minutes giving me several good shot ops. But by then the magic was gone and I let him be, knowing I’d kick myself later for shooting a small bull with still 12 days to run in the season. Finally, another bull bugled a hundred yards upslope and the little bull casually walked up that way. Also got to see a lightning-struck pine snag burning from the top like a candle before daylight, and a gorgeous ground-to-ground rainbow after the usual afternoon t-storm. Took the morning off with bad headache and playing computer catch-up today. Back out there this evening. Hope you’re having fun too, dave
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That sounds very exciting Dave! I am in the process of making final gear selections for the season and putting it all together. Keep the stories coming! I am adding a digital camera and journal to my gear this year just to be able to take in the field photos and document performance if I am lucky enough to be sucessful.
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Amigos — got some telling hunt stories and photos coming soon re Ahsby arrow setup on elk hunts and how they’ve performed so far on elk, my own included (yep, I’m blessed to be eating elk again this year). Gotta “pay the man” first, but soon. Never forget (as I too often have done under pressure) to Pick a spot! dave
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LOOKING FORWARD to that, David!
Season opener is tomorrow here. Oct 1 and Ill be out amongst them in a new area learning their fall patterns as I go. Stalking a 700 yard grown up creek bed into the wind late morning. I’ll be checking for crossings and looking for a whitetail bedded down.
In the evening Ill be sitting between an Indiana jungle and a corn field on the drainage ditch between them.
NEVER KNOW!
Happy to hear of an elk down on your end!!
Steve Sr.
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Printed off the forms and ready to go. I am trying out a couple of different arrow set-ups this year; so God willing, I will have some good info to send in.
Season opens in Texas Sat. morning and I can’t wait to get out there. I’m looking for a healthy whitetail doe, but we have a lot of free ranging exotics that are great eating. Axis have always been my fravorite venison, and I would like to get some arrow performance feedback from these bigger deer. A Whitetail doe in the Hill Country usually dress around 100 lbs but Axis can be twice that.
I have always made my own arrows (learned the art from my Dad) but never knew as much as I do now. The Ashby studies have really opened my eyes, and I hope my feedback will help.
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