Whatcha Got Going 2024?

[aeronut]

#166493

Another year has started so I’ll start a new thread.

My new year is starting off helping my daughter move again.  Thankfully it’s not very far.  I told her my job is just the truck and trailer driver.  I’m done with the heavy lifting.

[Raymond Coffman]

#166496

Happy New Year all! Best wishes for all in the New Year….

Scout aka Ray

[Kees]

#166501

Just ordered some new sights for a couple of flintlock rifles, and working on a cup of joe.  I think I’ll get out and fling some arrows in a little while, after I fill the bird feeders and bring in wood to get a fire going.  Took down the tree and decorations this morning.  Have to get busy on a pumpkin pie also.

Have a HAPPY, everyone!

~Kees~

• This reply was modified 10 months, 3 weeks ago by Kees.

[Stephen Graf]

#166513

I think you have the pace just about right Kees!

A friend is bringing a doe over this morning that he killed last night.  Wants to hang it in my cooler for a couple weeks.  So I will put on some extra coffee myself.

Happy New Year to all!

[WhistlingBadger]

#166521

Roughing out a new self-bow.  This one’s a hickory short bow for hunting antelope out of a ground blind.  Destroyed the last one when I got a little over-zealous with heat treating.  Did you know that charcoal doesn’t make durable recurves?

[George Nikolakopoulos]

#166532

I am planning to start my own small business; it will be outdoors oriented and also I started writing for a blog called Woodsmonkey.com

Practicing more traditional archery too!

[aeronut]

#166567

Well, the weatherman got it right for a change although a little later than they thought.  It’s snowing here now.  The have predicted it for us several times but never had any.  I looked out an hour ago and nothing.  Now the ground is white.

[aeronut]

#166581

And an hour later the snow was gone.  Now we have rain forecast for Monday and Tuesday.

[richard roop]

#166590

Finally got an issue with my shooting solved after a couple of months of maddening frustration. Point on went from 45 yds to 40 yds for no good reason that I could find. Groups were fine, just low at all distances.  Turned out to be my anchor had moved from where my lower denture would be if I wore the damn thing  to a more solid spot on my upper.   Did the Happy Snoopy Dance from my Range to my shop & down the street when I figured it out.

So …………………..

Went out calling today for coyotes. Made four stands and saw three coyotes …………. none of which I could get a shot at.  Two of them were even at 20 yrds …. just bad angles.  But on the way out of one of the stands I got into a covey of quail.  It may not be any big thing but I was pretty proud of the shot I made. (Yeah, it was on the ground).  I’m back !!!!

[Stephen Graf]

#166593

That’s a good way to start the year Richard!

I’ve been squirrel hunting a few times this year with only 1 shot.  The arrow must have shaved that fellow as he jumped 6 feet straight up and spun out when he landed.   I nearly fell down laughing, but then I spent the next 20 minutes digging my arrow out of a tree, which took the edge off my laughing 😉

Maybe today…

[richard roop]

#166596

I would suggest Judo Blunts. I’m borderline convinced that they were Divinely Inspired. Great for roving, great for small game and they fly just like my broadheads.  I don’t see a downside to them.

[Stephen Graf]

#166603

I like a whole back quiver full of arrows.  Judo’s tend to get tangled up and when I pull one arrow out , 2 or 3 more end up on the ground.  That and our squirrels are too tough for them.  Most of the squirrels I’ve hit with them just keep on going.  I’m sure they died, but not where I could get them.  So far, no squirrel has been too tough for a broadhead.  It’s good practice for deer hunting too, for me anyway.

[richard roop]

#166610

I can see where a Judo would be a problem with a back quiver.

Sounds like you have some tough squirrels.  I double lunged a goat on Catalina Island once long ago with a Judo but that was with a heavy arrow and a high poundage compound. It only went about five yards. Not a stunt I’d recommend.

[aeronut]

#167209

Just a little chilly here this morning.  -3* and the wind chill is -14*.

I think I’ll stay inside.

• This reply was modified 10 months, 1 week ago by aeronut.

[Stephen Graf]

#167215

We will bottom out about 10 deg here.  That’s enough of a tropical heat wave for me. My little shop heater runs 24/7 to keep my glues, paints, lacquer, etc from freezing.  I wouldn’t mind a bit of snow though…

[Kees]

#167273

A bit chilly here also, 10* on the front porch this morning.  Had snow starting Thursday night and all day yesterday.  I have the wood stove fired up to add a little heat to the upstairs.  took the upstairs bathroom sink drain apart because it wasn’t doing what it is supposed to do, but couldn’t find any problem.  I dumped a bunch of Draino down, we’ll see if that makes any difference.  We had a “bad smell” problem for a couple of days here.  Carol was ready to have cats put down if they are spraying in the house.  I figured it out yesterday when I was bringing in fire wood; a cat had sprayed on everything in the wood shed.  The wood box sits right next to one of the cold air returns for the furnace so the odor was being pumped throughout the house.  I’ll just bring in enough wood to go directly into the fire and not load up the box in the evening like I used to.

Okay, I have banana bread to bake and a house to clean.  Later!

~Kees~

[aeronut]

#167294

Got some freezing rain last night.  Didn’t get much but it sure looks glossy and slick.  I’ll find out how slick in a few hours when I hike out to get the mail.  More is in the forecast.

[aeronut]

#167317

Now it’s been raining and we have had dense fog advisories.  And it’s DENSE fog in the mornings.  It’s 9am here in SE Ks and it’s cleared up to about 300 yards visibility.  I’m glad I’m retired and not driving that bucket truck now.

[Kees]

#167340

Just got back from getting Carol’s right eye zapped.  She had cataract surgery last year, then a month or so ago her vision suddenly got very blurred.  It turned out to be the membrane behind the new lens had clouded over with scar tissue.  This happens to 1/3 of cataract surgery patients so why they don’t warn people that it could happen is beyond me.  Anyway, they did a quick laser surgery to cut an opening through the membrane so light can get through, a 2 minute procedure.  That was on her right eye, the left will get done in a couple of weeks.  It really worked; she can read the wall clock from bed again so is a happy camper.  Amazing what can be done these days!

I feel a nap coming on after the cat kept waking us up last night,  The rain has stopped (it was 60* yesterday) so I may get out later and fling some arrows for “upper body conditioning”.

~Kees~

[aeronut]

#167348

I had the same thing happen back in 2007 or 8.  The laser treatment was like opening a curtain.  I haven’t had any problem with my left eye on that note.

[Kees]

#167353

You’d think they would warn patients that this could happen; after all, 1/3 of them getting this problem makes for a pretty strong possibility it will happen to the new patient also.  It would have saved us a bunch of worrying if we had known!

~Kees~

[richard roop]

#167362

The whole concept of vision is pretty incredible when you think on it. Our brains can ‘see’ reflected light.

In the last year & a half I’ve had two cataracts removed and a torn / detached retina repaired.  Right now I have 20-20 / 20-10 corrected vision, a little better than before all of the issues started. Needless to say, I’m pretty happy with the eyeball mechanics at Barnet / Delany. (If the business plug is inappropriate, someone feel free to delete it without offense.)

The funny thing is that I was not aware of any serious problems with my eyes. I went to the eye Dr. because my glasses just weren’t getting dark in the sunlight anymore.  I was lucky that I dodged a bullet …….. my eyes could have gotten really bad to the point of permanent loss of vision. I would strongly suggest that anyone who hasn’t been to have their eyes checked out lately pick a date, …. birthday, Father’s Day, 4th of July etc. and make it a yearly thing.

End of soapbox rant.

[aeronut]

#167449

Felt an earthquake last night about 11:25.  I was in bed reading and it came like a wave and shook the house for about five seconds.  Sounded like something very big running across the roof.

Initial report said it was around Miami, Ok but later said it was NW of Prague, Ok.  That’s SW of Tulsa a ways.

[Raymond Coffman]

#167470

Aeronut

Glad you are OK…

Do you get seismic activity very often near you?

Scout aka Ray

[aeronut]

#167473

I’ve felt four tremors here and all of the quakes were around the same area in Oklahoma.  The first one was several years ago and it was a mild vibration.  I thought one of my daughters cats was pawing the back of my recliner and then I noticed they were in front of me with the ‘what the heck was that’ look on their faces.  My daughter was on the internet and said one of her friends said there was a quake down there.

One morning just before I got out of bed it felt like someone grabbed the end of my bed and shook it as hard as the could.  I felt another slight tremble a year or so after that and if I had been walking I wouldn’t have noticed it.

This one was the longest rumble I’ve felt and it’s been long enough it surprised me at first.  My oldest daughter lives in Pittsburg, Ks about 20 miles further east of me and she said it shook the entire house.

The authorities say the cause is the fracking method used for oil wells there in Oklahoma.  Lots of oil production in that area.

The Osage Indians were placed on a reservation around Pawhuska, Ok and when oil was discovered on their land they became very rich.  There’s a book and a movie about the murders committed there.  The book is a good read about the evil done there.  The movie is very long and hard to keep up with unless you have read the book.  Killers of the Flower Moon is the book if you are interested in a chapter of the native American history.

[Kees]

#167557

I just put a hold on Killers of the Flower Moon at our local library.  It must be popular, I was #4 on the list!

I’m surprised they had it in print; more and more when I do a search there it comes up with lots of electronic media but NO print.  Then I make a suggestion to buy and after several months an email appears that the book is in at the local branch, and I get a brand new one in my hands!  I have canceled, or not renewed several magazines which dropped print, hold in your hands media.  I realize that the cost of paper and publishing has gone up and probably for a small, special interest publication online only may be the only way to keep going but it’s not for me.

[aeronut]

#167562

Same here Kees.  The batteries never die on a printed magazine.

The book is a good read.  The Osage people were really screwed over by the govt and the swindlers.

[Kees]

#167609

The Native people were screwed over all along.  They were considered vermin to be pushed out of the way or exterminated, and then people got upset that the First People fought back, with much the same barbarity the Europeans used.  I have cheered the Alaska Natives for going through the courts to hold up the pipeline until their lands claims were settled.  They were successful because they weren’t conquered; the Indians in the Lower 48 had been and so lost their rights, apparently.  I don’t remember the exact wording but that is the way I understand it.

Otherwise things here are uneventful.  I get out in the back yard and fling arrows every so often, when it’s not too cold.  I feed the wood stove when it is.  I made up some arrows with Larch shafts a while back and am very pleased with them.  They seem to be tough and fly as straight as I can shoot them, which isn’t saying much.  I can get 25 yards in the back yard, 30 if I go out into the alley.  Unfortunately my shooting falls off past 15 yards….

I’m going back to bed.  Take care, everyone!

• This reply was modified 9 months ago by Kees.

[richard roop]

#167674

Fairly strong wind coming out of the West today. Perfect time to test some broadhead / fletch combos.  Pretty happy with my flight back to the 50 yard line. Zwickey Eskimos were flying great and some old Pearson Deadheads, the large ones, had a bit of tail wiggle but not to bad.  Now I KNOW that my set-up is good to go up-wind, down-wind and cross-wind. It’s the little things that add up to confidence and this is one of them.

Now when I screw up I got nobody to blame but my own self.

[aeronut]

#167682

Winter came back here last night.  Yesterday temps were in the low 80’s.  Right now it is 22* and very windy.

[Raymond Coffman]

#167728

It’s warm and sunny here in NM .. a little windy but thats the norm for march..

Need to get out and fling some arrows

Scout aka Ray

[aeronut]

#167731

My granddaughter has started middle school and is shooting in the archery in the schools program.  She had a start shooting in my yard since she was six years old.
She is on the far right shooting at target 12.  She’s doing better with the different type of bow and the shooting regimen.

[Kees]

#167817

Saturday was raining, & became a baking day. First a loaf of sourdough bread, then 40 cornbread mini-muffins then banana bread.  The mini-muffins were a request from the church for the fellowship meal on Sunday which had a chili theme.  Sunday was a;so rainy so I spent the afternoon reading.  Today was lovely weather, and I wasted it sitting at the confuser…. it’s an addiction I tell you!  I have great plans for tomorrow though.  There is a stack of wood I need to split and get into the shed.  As long as I stay away from this infernal machine I’ll be okay.

Went out back today and flung arrows using the recurve,  I was pleasantly surprised at how well I did, for me at any rate.

The grass is greening up nicely with numerous tussocks popping up.  I’ll need to mow if this keeps up.

[richard roop]

#167818

Aeronut;

I’m confused. If that’s her on the far right and shooting target 12, isn’t she shooting across the entire line ?????

Getting good weather here. Carp should be rutting soon. We have hills that are awash with color from the poppies & such.

[aeronut]

#167819

I’m shooting the picture at about a 30* angle to her.  Follow the line on the gym floor.  She’s shooting straight across the gym.

The set up is two kids shoot at the same target with different color fletch.  The girl behind her is shooting at the same target.

[Raymond Coffman]

#167822

Aeronut

Excellent to see young folks on the traditional Achery trail !

Looks like they have a good turn out at that school. In ancient times when I went to UNM they had a dedicated archery range… long gone now

Scout aka Ray

[richard roop]

#167824

Makes perfect sense at an angle !!!

Yes, good to see young people doing something besides burying their faces in a smart phone.

[aeronut]

#167837

My daughter had a BBQ for my birthday on the 2nd and I took a few bows for the ‘yard darts’ fun.

I’m the old pf*rt.

With my son-in-law

I’ve been chasing arrows for 58 years now and making bows for 20.

[richard roop]

#167989

Got over to Roosevelt Lake this last week-end to hunt the carp rut. Had a great time even though they were only running mostly in the 5 pound range.  I did manage to get one about seven pounds.

Interesting to note; My carp bow is an old Pearson Signature take-down 55xx  that has always felt a bit ‘rough’ on the draw. Since I normally shoot 60# I just figured it was the bow.  At some point during the day I noticed that my regular carp shooting glove was barely covering the crease in my finger joints.  Switched to my back-up glove and what a difference it made. The draw was much smoother !!!  Seems that I was clutching the string and putting tension on the inside of the draw hand rather than the outside. My hit / shot ratio went up, too.  Sometimes it’s the little things right in front of you that can make a difference.

So ……….. Bow’s shooting great, got a bunch of fillets, the buzzards put on quite a show with the carcasses,   and the wind was even at my back for a change paddling back to the boat launch.  Pretty good day !!!!

[richard roop]

#168029

Got over to Tucson Mt. Park and shot a 3D fun round with Desert Archers. Awesome range in a forest of Saguaro Cactus, Prickley Pear, Cholla and Mesquite & Palo Verde trees.  Bonus yellow & purple flowers covering the ground.  Good bunch of folks, a great course, and a good time had by all.  Didn’t even lose an arrow …………… although it wasn’t for a lack of trying.

[Raymond Coffman]

#168074

Richard

Sounds like a great time . Seems like you have a lot of tradbow people over their in AZ.

Unfortunately here in my area…Abq. N.M. doesn’t have that many…

Scout aka Ray

[richard roop]

#168080

Ray ………………. It’s my understanding that there’s a club over near Silver City, Magnus Bowmen. I’ve never shot with them as they’re a no rest / off the shelf club but if they have an open invitational sometime, perhaps we could meet and fling a few.

[aeronut]

#168082

There’s only a couple of places around here that shoot 3D but none are trad.  I’ve shot at them but waiting for a group of compounders look at the target with binoculars, check their range finders, set their sights, double check with binoculars and range finders is worse than watching grass grow.  Multiply all that with five or six guys in the group and you can set up camp and cook supper.

I do like the sneers we can get when we walk up to the stake, draw, and shoot and still beat some of them.

[Raymond Coffman]

#168152

Richard

Maybe this summer…

Aeronut

Yes , it is fun to educate the compound crowd

Scout aka Ray

[richard roop]

#168162

Either a Range or a sandy sand wash would be fine with me.  Real roving is a real blast !!!!

[aeronut]

#168190

I just got home from south Texas and am now watching my yard turn into a pond.  Lots of rain today and they say two more days of it is coming.

I joined a group a few years ago called Texas Border Volunteers.  We set up on the ranches at observation posts and report to the border patrol and Department of Public Safety of any illegal immigrant traffic.  There is a lot of traffic and the ranch owners are tired of the trespassers and the damage they do.

I try to make the trip at least once a year and it’s nice to see the volunteers again.  I’ll post a couple of scenery pictures when I get stuff unpacked and stored away….If I don’t float away with all this rain.

[aeronut]

#168207

A couple of scenery shots.  Lots of sand, Mesquite, and Live Oak trees.

One of the team members brought this.  1952 Willys Jeep.  It was a fun ride on the ranches.

The instrument cluster reminded me of the 1979 CJ5 I owned.

[aeronut]

#168208

One of the animals you can see running wild on the ranches is the Nilgai, a large Asian antelope.

A few of the rattlesnake skins decorating the radio HQ ceiling.  These were caught in camp over the years.  The longest one is right at 6′ long.

Some fresh trespasser tracks on the ranch.  My #10 boot for reference.

[aeronut]

#168210

I would like to bowhunt Nilgai down there some day.  They are very skittish.

[richard roop]

#168289

Just finished reading Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell. Most excellent account of one of history’s epic battles fought by archers. I highly recommend it.

[aeronut]

#168294

I’ll have to find a copy of it.  I’m always looking for a good historical read.

[Raymond Coffman]

#168308

I have read and enjoyed a lot of Cornwells’ books. I wasn’t aware he wrote about Agincourt..

I will need to get it

Scout aka Ray

[Robin Conrads]

#168352

Hello Friends. I have been busy messing up your forum, LOL. I had to move the website to a new hosting provider and we seem to have lost the little flag that jumps to the last place you read. Hopefully, it will pick up again as you read the posts. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Let me know if anything else weird is going on. It’s best to email me at robin@tradbow.com for a faster response.

Robin

[Kees]

#168366

I’ve been MIA for a while. Got a new Grayvn longbow, 43 pounds @ 28″ on my fishing scale.  I put an arrow rest on it; I’ve had feathers stuck in my hand before and prefer not to have that happen anymore.  Anyway, I am impressed with how well it shoots.  A very slender hickory self bow, very light in the hand with no hand shock.  I’m not the greatest archer in the world, but I’m doing tolerably well with it.

Otherwise we are just going day to day here in SE Ohio.  I’m late getting the garden done, got the beds hoed and raked yesterday with plans to get seeds in this afternoon after it cools off a little.  And hey, it’s Friday – PIZZA NIGHT!  I’d best get it in the oven….

~Kees~

[Raymond Coffman]

#168367

Hi Robin

No sweat we’ll work thru it . I just scroll down …quickly. if it gets too long , we can start a new forum😁

 

Kees

Good to hear from you . Yes on fletch in the hand , dont care for that myself….

Sometimes I put a “cushier” rest on a bow ( higher,  away from my hand…) but if it’s shooting like you want it sounds like a perfect solution . Enjoy your new bow..

Thanks to all the Veterans out there past, present , future— their sacrifices allow us all to have a nice Holiday weekend…

Scout Aka Ray

[Raymond Coffman]

#168368

Richard

Your greased glove email showed up in a alert mail to me ( let’s me know there’s activity on the forum ) but I couldn’t find it here ?

Maybe try sending it again?

Scout aka Ray

[Robin Conrads]

#168373

We are having some trouble with new posts. I’m working on it.

[aeronut]

#168377

No need to open the thread and scroll down Raymond.  Just go over to the right side and click on the date above the last poster’s name.  It will take you to the last post.

[Robin Conrads]

#168380

Thanks for that tip, Aeronut. The flag and the posts are fixed for now, but I don’t like it. This forum software is very old, and doesn’t play well with updated websites. I’ll keep testing, but for now, please let me know if you have any trouble with any part of our website.

Robin

[Kees]

#168388

Thank you Robin for the work you do keeping the site going instead of retiring!

~Kees~

[Robin Conrads]

#168407

You’re welcome! Retiring from this job has been a challenge, mostly because I love the job. And it’s hard to not be involved when we own the company. Mostly I just answer phones and put out fires. Some of those I create myself!

[Raymond Coffman]

#168437

Roger that aeronut

Using your search advice

Thanks

Scout aka Ray

[Kees]

#168504

Picked up a used Bear Montana at 45 lbs recently, and it is a tie with the Grayvn bow.  I do like the later even if it’s not center shot,  I just got a bunch of shafts from Surewood so need to get some more arrows made.  BUT, I have to do a bunch of other stuff around the house so that will be put off for a while…

~Kees~

[Raymond Coffman]

#168549

Kees

Cool bows, will be get great fun to shoot …

I Don’t own any ” real” longbows anymore. Shoot ” hybrids mostly now …

What wood are you making your arrows from?

Scout aka Ray

[Kees]

#168554

Surewood makes the shafts from Douglas fir.  They seem to be tough and straight.  The prices are very good also.

~Kees~

[Charles Ek]

#168600

It has been a (too) long time since I posted anything. Here’s something to whet appetites for the not-so-distant archery seasons.

From a video I shot this morning as we rolled down our driveway here in Duluth, MN. He’s the biggest of the three bachelors that were hanging out together – on my archery range.

[aeronut]

#168603

Good looking deer.  The bucks I have seen don’t have half that much antler growth yet.

[Kees]

#168607

Healthy (fat) little rascal!  Good luck when the season opens; bet he won’t be anywhere around, or going to ground during the day…

~Kees~

[Raymond Coffman]

#168632

Nice healthy northern whitetail!

Looks like the forage is excellent on your property / archery Range👍

Scout aka Ray

[David Coulter]

#168729

Happy Fourth of July! In PA we are well on our way to procuring licenses and extra tags for various furry things. Fall is coming fast, although weather in the 80 degree + range makes it seem farther. All the best to you all, dwc

 

[richard roop]

#168731

It cooled DOWN to 80* last night at my house !!!!

Happy 4th everybody. ……….. Stay safe !!!!

[aeronut]

#168733

I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th.  We shot some fireworks and then at 9pm sat on the porch and watched a downpour for an hour.  The city postponed their fireworks show until this evening.

[richard roop]

#168742

With the Monsoon Season off to a slow start, I got toads. Not the little one, either. I got the River Toads the size of Bullfrogs that the hippies lick. My goofy dog has gotten into it with them twice now. (I said she is a good dog ……… not a smart dog).  These things are toxic to dogs & so far we’ve been lucky. Benadryl and hosing the clenched mouth out is the treatment when the vet’s closed. It’s not pretty when your dog’s having convulsions.   Since they come out at night, the vet’s usually closed.  They are attracted to the goldfish pond on my patio and I’ve pulled several out for relocation.

Living here in Paradise ain’t for sissies !!!!!

[Charles Ek]

#168781

We had a Border Terrier that developed the lick-the-toad habit. Fortunately they were small enough and we noticed in time before it could cause serious harm. But it messed with her nervous system.

[Kees]

#168743

I have a rip in the side of the driver’s seat of my 1989 Ford Ranger.  Before it gets worse I arranged with an upholstery shop 35 miles away (and the one closes to me) to repair it.  He asked me to take out the seat and bring it to him next Wednesday, so yesterday I removed it, only to find a rusty looking bulge in the floor.  I then took out the passenger seat and it also has this bulge.  I got out my chipping hammer and scraper (the navy taught me well) and got at all the rust I could get to, which removed a good strip of floor 2″ x 6″.  With the floor out of the way I saw that there is a cross member under there which extends under the other rust spot.  I painted what I had cleaned up with Naval Jelly, waited the obligatory 10 minutes plus some, and hosed it down.  Then I could remove the carpet as the rinse water traveled under it, which meant I had to dismantle other pieces holding the carpet down….

88* on the front porch at noon so it shouldn’t be too bad working on it this p.m.

The dog has developed his annual allergies so he gets pilled twice daily, and the old cat has developed hyper thyroid so he gets a pill every morning now.

BUT, the tomatoes are getting ripe, we have squash overload, the carrots, lettuce and beets are looking good although the spinach has bolted.  My sourdough bread came out beautiful this morning and I didn’t have to be an usher at church.   All in all life is good!

[aeronut]

#168746

When I was in high school a friend had an old car that was his hunting, fishing, everything transportation.  I was riding in the back seat on one trip and noticed the carpet under my feet was moving.  I lifted the edge of the carpet and watched the road going by below me through a fairly sizeable hole.  We cut a piece of tin and formed it with hammers to fit the floor pan and lessen the chance of someone doing a Fred Flintstone braking maneuver.

I don’t have a garden but with all the rain my apple trees are doing better this year than they ever have.  My oldest daughter is waiting for them to ripen so she can make pies.

[Kees]

#168747

You can send some of that rain up here.  My back yard lawn has large patches of brown, and I have to water the plants every evening.  The two apple trees have a great abundance of fruit, and we hope they will get large and ripe without being ransacked by bugs.  Looking forward to making apple pies, dried apples, apple crisp etc.

Went for a walk with Charlie the snuppy-puppy this morning, on the rails to trails bike /hike path.  It has a lot of shade trees so that makes for comfort.  Temperature is supposed to get in the mid 90s this afternoon so I may stay inside and make up some arrows.  I’ve been  shooting the same half dozen from last year and they are getting pretty tattered.  One broke in three pieces which I was able to glue together, with thread wrapped at each end of the break.  It still flies the same as the others but I have no confidence it will last.

[richard roop]

#168754

Kees;

I literally shuddered when I read and thought about shooting a glued together broken arrow.  I saw a guy once have a shaft break on release. It went thru his bowhand and from the sounds that he made, was quite painful.  His trip to the E.R. was expensive and he was forever after known as ‘the guy who shot himself with a bow & arrow’.  Don’t be that guy !!!!

Seriously, I’ll salvage any arrow I can but there comes a time when safety overrides all else.

Just my $0.02 worth. End of lecture.

[Kees]

#168783

Well, the break was a long one along the grain.  After gluing and clamping it, I wrapped thread set in glue around both ends of the break, plus one more in the middle.   However, I need to make up some more arrows and then this one can become a tomato stake.  I do thank you for your concern although I feel I am safe enough.

Otherwise I must apologize for the tardiness of my response; getting the Ranger back to usable condition is taking up a good bit of my time.  The plan is to sand it down again and put another coat of paint on it this summer.  I said that last year though, and it didn’t happen.  We’ll see how 2024 works out!

~Kees~

[Stephen Graf]

#168775

I have to disagree Richard.

We shoot bows that are glued together without any concern.  And what about footed shafts?  How do you think those footings got there?

It depends on the break.  If the break is along a run-out grain and clean, the arrow can be successfully glued back together.  If it’s just straight across the arrow and the glue joint would be end grain, well that might not do so well.  A break with missing wood, or a split that continues into the shaft would make a bad glue joint too.

I’ve glued a number of broken arrows back together and shot them for a long time.  A glue joint is stronger than wood.  That is if the right kind of glue is used (no super glue for example), and the glue has not been abused (like freezing).

I just did a little class on repairing broken arrows using the jig I came up with some years ago.  I wrote an article about it for TBM a few years back.  One of the biggest problems folks have with wood arrows is how often they break.  But when they find out how fast and easy it is to fix one, their tune can change.

Once you learn to fix wood arrows you turn it’s weakness into it’s superpower.  Carbon arrows don’t break as easily as wood that’s true, but when they do that’s it.  Wood can be glued many many times.  I have some shafts that show 10 repair rings and shoot just fine (I draw a ring around the shaft in front of the feathers every time I make a glue repair to the shaft.

Fixing arrows is a fun winter or rainy day chore.  Speaking of, I hear thunder now! Come on rain…

[aeronut]

#168777

I’m with Richard on this one.  The cost of a dowel is not worth risking a skewered wrist to me.

[richard roop]

#168779

Stephen;

All valid points that you make, and I will concede that they are true. I’ve even made and shot footed arrows, glued together.

But I can still hear that guy’s scream.

How about we just advise caution when repairing and using broken shafts and call it good.  ???

If you have any extra rain, send it this way.

[Raymond Coffman]

#168788

I am that guy … at least the PA one. I think I am still in one of their medical texts..

When I first started shooting tradbow ( high school) I was self taught, and learning as I went. I was not checking my ( wooden) shafts properly ( often) enuff after missing a tgt or doing roving drills. One day not seeing the a crack In the shaft the arrow came apart on release blowing a inch long piece into my bow hand thumb. Yes it hurt like the Dickens! I didn’t scream, but expletives where declared !

My father who was with me, wrapped it up and had me police up my gear and tidy the range before heading to the ER. Luckily after a long time to heal and rehab it still works pretty normal. I switched to aluminum arrows for a long time. Eventually going back to wood , ( I also shoot Carbon) I diligently check my arrows anytime I miss the back stop now! Haha.

I personally don’t repair breaks . I would imagine if done properly repaired arrows would be OK. I like my arrows as perfect as I can make them for accuracy imho….just my preference.

Scout aka Ray

[Kees]

#168789

The point is taken, maybe you have made a convert (me). Well, with a little help from Aeronut.

On another subject, our village is redoing the sewer lines (thanks to a grant from our Congress and President).  This entails shutting off the water periodically and today is one of those days.  At least they gave us warning this time.  The last time this happened we weren’t prepared and it took an extra day before we were able to flush the toilets although I went to the next town over where I get gas, and was able to fill a couple of water jugs there.  On the bright side, I installed a Reverse Osmosis water filter in the kitchen a while back.  It has its own pressure tank so we have good water for coffee, tea and cooking.  Only a couple of gallons though so it’s not to be used for washing dishes!

Hope everyone has a good day and is staying cool.

[richard roop]

#168884

Off to Roosevelt Res. for a day of bowfishing for Moby Carp out of the canoe.

Clear skies, no wind, aim low.

[Kees]

#168886

That sounds like fun!  don’t tip the canoe though….

[aeronut]

#168885

Good luck and post some pictures of your trophy carp.

[richard roop]

#168890

Well, it didn’t go well. Wind came up and the carp were staying deep. Saw two and missed one.  Did find a few bass plugs tangled in the brush from when the water was higher. Canoeing thru whitecaps is always an adventure, though.

Bad times make the good times even gooder !!!!

[richard roop]

#168931

Deer season opens in a couple of weeks out this way.

Time to start shooting practice broadheads into the sand pit and more kneeling / sitting shots. Wearing the daypack & optics while shooting, too.

A wise philosopher once said “Chance favors the prepared mind”. ……….. or maybe it was a movie villain. Whatever.

[Stephen Graf]

#168945

I thought it was: “Providence favors children and fools” 🙂

[richard roop]

#168946

I resemble that remark !!!!

Lost a friend;  ………. A few days ago, I was doing bow drills. 10 shots w/#60, 10 shots w/65#, 5 shots w/70# and try to get 75# back to a solid anchor. Repeat as able.  Sadly, my beloved 65# Super Diablo, rosewood riser & black glass underwent explosive disassembly while shooting. I really liked that bow, too.                                                                                       AND THEN …………. the next morning on eBay the clouds parted and a ray of sunshine shone down on a 65# Damon Howatt Mamba. Good looking stick and it was meant to be !!!  It should arrive soon. Can’t wait.

 

[Clayton Collins]

#168987

I know i’m a bit late, but finally changed jobs so I canget back into this.  my goal for the rest of the year is to figure out how to shoot in my backyard. i used to use a pse sequoia 64″ which i loved. now just looking for something similar. the less expensive takedown i’ve had I can’t even remember the name of.  Now i just need to find a 3d course

[richard roop]

#168989

Clayton;

Greetings and salutations from S.E Arizona.

Where-abouts are you located ??  If there’s no 3-D course near you, it’s hard to beat walking a desert sand wash and slaying cow patties and dirt clods with some blunts.

[Clayton Collins]

#168990

Thanks Richard!

I’m in Charlotte, NC and i’ve found a couple sites that look like they used to be clubs and reached out, but i never heard back.  i used to shoot a course weekly in TX and it was my stress reliever for the week.

I might have to go that route for shooting if i don’t find anything.

[richard roop]

#168992

Well, ….. Rats. I was hoping that you’d be closer and we could get together and fling a few.

As far as stress relief goes …………… I’ve become rather fond of the long shot. I have a target set up at 125 yards and it’s ‘Go baby, go, go, augh !! Just missed.’  Once you ‘get the range’ it’s surprising how close you can actually get.

[Clayton Collins]

#168993

jut a bit too far…

I might have to try a long shot next time I get out. Could be fun!

 

[richard roop]

#168999

Here’s one that you might try for fun ………….. although honesty forces me to admit that I still haven’t perfected the shot;

Make up a Flu-Flu arrow and determine the maximum distance it will fly. I’ve got a couple that after a bit of trimming on the six fletch will go 65 yards. The idea is to ‘flight shoot’ the Flu-Flu arrow and while it’s on it’s way shoot a regular target arrow and Double Tap the target.  It’s still a work in progress but if I ever get it figured out it should be an  Ok ….. Match This  moment.

I take my archery serious as a heart attack but if you’re not having fun now & then, you’re gonna HAVE a heart attack !!!!

[Raymond Coffman]

#169019

Richard

That sounds more like trick shooting than hunting practice, imho. I quess it might be useful, if you were shooting at a pheasant in flight and it’s cackle on the rise spooked up a whitetail buck in range 😉

I think you should send us a video when you have that shot mastered😁

Scout aka Ray

[Clayton Collins]

#169024

Agreed! I’d love to see a video!!

[richard roop]

#169026

Even posting photos is way beyond my meager technological abilities.

[aeronut]

#169106

We used to do long shots in the hay fields.  We’d play the ‘Horse’ game and some of the bales were around 100 yards away.

I just got back from nine days of hiking in the Smoky Mtn Natl Park.  No archery involved, just hiking.  I’ll post some pictures when I get everything settled back in here.

 

Aeronut

[Clayton Collins]

#169107

Ha! I lived next to a pasture and would launch arrows like “robin hood” the same way

I started a plan to hike all the waterfalls in NC, I might have to add the smokies since they’re close

[richard roop]

#169108

Deer season is open out here. (Buck only) Able to hunt from sunrise to about 9:a.m. when the temps start to push 100*.  Been out twice. So far, only called in four coyotes and five does. Not a horn to be seen and believe me, I looked hard. Couldn’t get a shot at any of the coyotes but I still consider calling one into recurve range a win.

[Raymond Coffman]

#169110

Richard

Are you hunting Mule Deer , Coues, or whichever shows up ?

Scout Aka Ray

[richard roop]

#169111

Right now, the area that I’m hunting has Mule Deer. Not a great spot but I seem to have it all to myself. Later this week I’m going to go higher and see about getting into some Coues Deer. After the Holiday, if the unit is still open I may got up on The Rim for whatever comes in.  It’ll be a circus up there over the Holiday and I’m hearing rumors that tree huggers are buying tags and then calling in a ‘kill’ to fill the harvest quota and close the unit.  We’ll see ……….

[richard roop]

#169151

Got out yesterday calling in the junipers.  Saw no deer but called in four coyotes. Got a standing 33 yard shot at one of them but it was looking right at me & jumped the string.  I still consider a shot at a called coyote, even if it misses to be a win.  Actually harvesting one and it’s the ‘Happy Snoopy Dance’ all the way back to the truck.

[Raymond Coffman]

#169159

Richard

Wishing you good luck on the deer hunting . I have hunted the rim in the past , and know exactly what you mean about labor day weekend. I made the mistake of being there for that holiday a few years ago. Most crowded I have ever seen a Natl forest!  I think all of Phoenix showed up  !!

Hearing the same, about anti hunters buying Tags here in NM (from good sources).never ending battle…

Any time you call in a coyote that close is a win.

Scout aka Ray

[richard roop]

#169434

Well, deer season was fun but no deer.  Back to calling coyotes.  Had one come in at a trot this morning and got a shot at about 35 yards.  Running shots at anything are not my strong suit and big revelation………. need to lead a LOT MORE with my recurve than with my shotgun.  Clean miss, no hit, no foul.

And just to make the morning really cool, the Goodyear Blimp flew over. Haven’t seen it since I lived in Calif.

[aeronut]

#169439

There used to be three packs of coyotes around my place.  My nephew and I were talking last light about not hearing them for quite a while.  Seems kind of odd not hearing them every evening.  Our calling has produced zero results for a few months.

[richard roop]

#169440

Between our long term drought and the Rabbit Hemrogatic (sp?) Fever that went thru here the numbers of prey and predator are all down over this way.

Noticed last week that my target arrows were starting to look pretty ratty. Took an old set of really ratty ones and did the rebuild routine. Stripped, cleaned, straightened, graded, wrapped, crested and refletched with spliced feathers. Burnt to shape and detailed the leading edges.  Now they look great and shoot great. Something about a fresh set of arrows just makes you shoot better.

[aeronut]

#169503

a

I have spent many hours looking to the night sky.  I use the stars to find my way back to the  truck and just like to watch for satellites and whatever else is moving by.

Last Friday evening my granddaughter and I went out to see if we could spot the comet A3.  I told her to look for a fuzzy streak and she said there’s an airplane.  It wasn’t an airplane and was a satellite.  We watched it as it traveled east out of sight and started looking for the comet again.  She said she thought she could see it and asked for the binoculars.  She had found it and directed my gaze toward it.

I wanted to get a picture of it but was busy Saturday and Sunday evening.  I grabbed my Nikon and tripod yesterday evening only to watch a cloud bank move in.  I went out again tonight and was blessed with a clear sky.  Clear meaning no clouds.  We haven’t had any rain for almost two months and the air is thick with dust.

I started doing a grid back and forth taking pictures and finally found it.  It’s in the picture.  Can you see it?

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by aeronut.

[aeronut]

#169504

It’s right there.

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by aeronut.

[aeronut]

#169505

I’ll zoom in a little bit.

This was a 3 second exposure at an ISO setting of 10000.  Any little vibration causes streaky stars and out of focus pictures.  I hang a 5 lb lead weight on my tripod to help keep the vibrations down.

[aeronut]

#169588

We finally got some rain.  We were under a severe thunderstorm and tornado watch most of the afternoon and evening and the storm finally hit us about 8pm.  No tornadoes and we got a couple of inches of much needed rain.  This morning you can’t even tell it rained hard last night.  My yard soaked it up so fast.

[richard roop]

#169594

What is this ‘rain’ of which you speak ????

Question; Satellite goes over. Totally cool. So ………. How long does it take for it to come around again ?????

[Stephen Graf]

#169600

Nice Comet!

How long a satellite takes to orbit the earth depends on its altitude.  Low altitude satellites like space stations take about 80 minutes to orbit.  High altitude Geo-stationary satellites take 24 hours to orbit.  Something even higher like the moon takes a little over 27 days to orbit.

It takes a year for the earth to orbit the sun.  It takes 250 million years for our solar system to orbit the center of the milky-way galaxy.   Our milky-way galaxy is a member of a local group of galaxy’s including Andromeda.  And you guessed it, they orbit each other.  Their orbit takes billions of years.

 

[aeronut]

#169601

I was down in southern Arizona a few years back on a border watch OP and one evening while sitting around the campfire I saw an Iridium flare flash twice.  Only time I’ve seen one.

One of the other guys was watching the sky and said “What the heck was that!” so I explained it to him.  Everybody was looking up after that.

How to Catch an Iridium Flare

[WhistlingBadger]

#169731

Well, I think I finally got hooked up so I can post on the forum again.  Is anybody still around?

[Kees]

#169734

I just bought a bale of straw for the outdoor cat house and was charged $7.50.  I commented that “they don’t give those away anymore, do they?”  In jest, of course.  The man behind the counter said that the drought has really hammered the local agriculture, and that their cost of hay is through the roof.  I know that one of the local farms, Hartman’s, plants mostly corn.  Usually that grows (and here I am just estimating) 8′ tall with good sized cobs.  This year I don’t think it was more than 4′ high and while they did harvest it, it all went for silage.  I hope they don’t lose so much that they lose the farm!

[Author]

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