Can You, or Cant You?

[Stephen Graf]

#4561

To Cant, or not to Cant. That is the question.

Whether tis nobler to sling the arrows against outrageous angles, or by straightening the bow against a sea of troubles?

To shoot, to miss no more.

And by this cant to say we end the heartache and thousand natural shocks a miss is heir to? Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished…

What say you? Do you cant? If so, why so. If not, why not?

But beware and remember:

This cant is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,

And enterprise of great pitch and moment

With this regard their currents turn awry

And lose the name of accuracy. — Soft you now in your reproach …

[Charles Ek]

#31739

Every time I try to hew to the rigid dictates of the morally upright, I can’t think of a reason to follow their example in this regard. I do hope that unlike so many other topics in modern society, this one does not devolve into cant. 😉

[paleoman]

#31744

I’ve always shot with the bow a bit canted I guess. It simply helps keep the arrow on the shelf for me. I’ve shot for a lifetime, and now and then if I go straight upright, once in a while be it string twist, shelf design or whatever, the arrow falls off the shelf when I draw back. I cant, but I will:wink:

[ChumpMcgee]

#31834

I cant when I shoot for a couple different reasons.

#1 it opens up my sight window and I can clearly see my target with both eyes and no bow interference

#2 I hunt from the ground and if I were to shoot straight from a seating position my bottom limb would hit the ground

#3 when I stump shoot I am sometimes have to cant my bow so it does not hit a tree branch that is in the way

#4 because I shoot traditional equipment and I can cant 😀

#5 it does not limit me to one shot

Try shooting your bow from your knees and see if you can shoot it without canting your bow.

[Ralph]

#32101

My daddy always said “Can’t never could” but cant I must with longbow in hand. 😉

[ChumpMcgee]

#32108

R2 wrote: My daddy always said “Can’t never could” but cant I must with longbow in hand. 😉

My Grandma always said “Can’t never did anything but try always did”

I might reword this to “Cant never did anything but try it and always do” 😛

[grumpy]

#32335

truebowarcher wrote: I cant when I shoot for a couple different reasons.

Try shooting your bow from your knees and see if you can shoot it without canting your bow.

Your bow is too long. 😀

[David Coulter]

#32342

O’er cant

of bow

I saw the figure 8

in bone

on a brown

cervid

moving

tense

unheeded

to squirrel chatter

crow cawls

and hooves pounding

through the dark forest.

[Stephen Graf]

#32784

Nice one David! Very nice.

I must confess that I started this thread because I had visited another archery forum and the same question was posed, though I must say with less panache. The result on the other site was a long string of increasingly hostile comments addressing the argument about which was best: canting or straight up.

Totally different, and better, response on this site. As I expected it would be.

Pleasure, fellas.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#32851

“Seek not the favor of the multitude; it is seldom got by honest and lawful means. But seek the testimony of few; and number not voices, but weigh them.”

– I. Kant

[Charles Ek]

#32883

Smithhammer wrote: “Seek not the favor of the multitude; it is seldom got by honest and lawful means. But seek the testimony of few; and number not voices, but weigh them.”

– I. Kant

Damn, he beat me to it! 😀

[David Coulter]

#32904

Great thread. Thanks to Steve for pulling the Bard Card right out of the blocks. dwc

[Stephen Graf]

#33210

Hay Bruce! Nice to see you stop by. Hope this means things are going well for you.

[paleoman]

#33233

dwcphoto wrote: O’er cant

of bow

I saw the figure 8

in bone

on a brown

cervid

moving

tense

unheeded

to squirrel chatter

crow cawls

and hooves pounding

through the dark forest.

That’s a wordly work of art there. Nicely done.

[David Coulter]

#33362

It’s a reword of my favorite poem by William Carlos Williams, The Great Figure. It’s a good fit for an old news photographer. Williams wrote practical poems of every day life, tidbits of sidewalk happenings. There’s a great painting by Charles Demuth to go along with that poem. It was used for a poster for festival, I think, which is where I first saw it. I had the painting and the poem at the same time, but I also get a clear image in my mind when I read the poem.

I wasn’t up for Shakespeare. When I read Steve’s version, I got a kick and wanted to respond, but it was too close to bedtime for anything but a short, concise try.

Thanks. This is a fun thread. dwc

[Col Mike]

#33382

Web Mom

Robin–please delete this thread. If Linda ever reads it I will no longer be able to dodge the Shakespeare in the park plays. She will simply point out that it’s a topic on “that” forum.:D:D

Dave–sorry you couldn’t make ETAR would have been fun meeting you. Artist’s 8) and I have to live with one:shock:

Much to sophisticated for this ole grunt.

[David Coulter]

#33440

Mike, I’m looking forward to next year. Maybe a mid-state stump sometime would be cool. Find a park with a nice soft pine forest! Thanks! dwc

[Stephen Graf]

#33924

I’ll have to look up William Carlos Williams (somewhat redundant name?) and see what that poem looked like before you modified it David.

The shape of it and the tone of it make me think it belongs on the upper limb belly of my bow 8) I may just put it there before hunting season…

[David Coulter]

#34108

Steve,

That puts a smile on me heart. I think you’ll enjoy WCW. Look up the painting, I think you’ll enjoy that, too. I looked up Demuth and he’s from Lancaster, which has a bit of connection for me, and the painting, which was done as a poster, is in the Alfred Stieglitz collection. I’m sure you know Stieglitz as one of the most prominent early photographers, but was also instrumental in many artists careers of different disciplines. Cool stuff. Thank you, david

[Don Thomas]

#34597

This is the winter of our discantant.

[Stephen Graf]

#36551

I have my hunting arrows mostly done. Finished last 5 yesterday, but haven’t shot them yet. Hope to have 6 with broadheads and 6 with field points ready to go before the week is out…

As mentioned earlier, good words added to limb…

[David Coulter]

#36612

Special place for these words. Thank you very much, but the real credit goes to WCW!

Another adaptation came to mind, to paraphrase Tom Waits, A gentleman is someone who can cant his bow and doesn’t.

I suppose I’m not a gentleman. 😉 dwc

[Ralph]

#36621

I’m thinking a gentleman oughtt to be respectful of another’s can and cant nots.

[David Coulter]

#36915

As it should be. True. dwc

[Stephen Graf]

#37119

Half the things R2 says make me so confused I fall out of my chair, true. 😳

[Ralph]

#37137

In all actuality, being from Texas, I cain’t my bow. 😀

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