[richard roop]

in reply to: 2025 is Here. Whatcha Got Going? #171366

Ok ………….. Another book well worth the read;

Best of Trail’s End by Jim Dougherty.

No secret that I’m a fan of Jim Dougherty. His Varmint Hunter’s Digest is required reading by anyone wanting to squeeze the rabbit for predators. I’ve always enjoyed his style of writing and he has the knowledge & experience to back it up.

The book’s worth the coin it costs ………………… or if you’re cheap have somebody get it for you for Father’s Day.

[richard roop]

in reply to: Nem member to the bow rack #171318

That’s the one !!!!!

Found some lighter arrows & put a new string on it. Love the grip. For some reason, the belly side of the shelf is a bit higher than the center, so I had to raise the rug’s middle to get arrow flight.  I may just go with the tried and true, bullet proof Bear Weather-Rest.

Fun to shoot !!!!

[richard roop]

in reply to: Practice with a purpose. #171197

Ok …………… My computer skills are really limited.

No idea why the post didn’t go thru or why it showed up later ?????  Thanx to a moderator in the shadows ???

Anyway, the point is to keep it interesting by focusing on different things on different days. Yesterday I was on the 30 yard line with no thought other than ‘bow arm’.  Today I  was on the 100 yard line just for the joy of watching ’em fly.

[richard roop]

in reply to: Practice with a purpose. #171173

Ok …………….. Something didn’t go thru ???

[richard roop]

in reply to: Archery in the Schools #170866

Outstanding !!!

That’s the most kids I’ve seen without their faces in a smartphone in a long time.

[richard roop]

in reply to: 2025 is Here. Whatcha Got Going? #170865

Here’s to hoping that everyone adjusts to the ‘new normal’.

Good luck & stay strong !!!!

[richard roop]

in reply to: 2025 is Here. Whatcha Got Going? #170716

Here in Az. it was in the low 80s today and the Slaughter in the Water  has begun. Carp swimming upstream to spawn and schooling in the Gila at the Eden  diversion dam.  Nothing big; three to five pounders but hey, bowfishing in Feb !!!!!

[richard roop]

in reply to: 2025 is Here. Whatcha Got Going? #170574

Here’s a thought that might work for cutting the nocks into wood shafts;

Get a 2×4 about 10 inches long and rip it into a couple of 1x4s.  Mark the centerline and use a wood gouge or a Dremel tool to make matching grooves the size of your arrow shaft in the wood pieces. Put the shaft in the grooves in the block and clamp that to your table with just enough for the nock sticking out, then cut away.

[richard roop]

in reply to: 2025 is Here. Whatcha Got Going? #170570

Don’t know if this will help or not ………….

At one time I had a pair of Vice-Grips that I removed the adjustment bolt and found a longer one . I forget the thread size. I drilled a hole in my bumper and installed the bolt vertically with a couple of lock nuts.  I could then screw the Vice-Grips onto the bolt and have a decent sort-a vice / sort-a third hand.  I have the same set-up on my all things fishing bench with a smaller pair of the long nose model for fly tying and such.  Neither are heavy duty but might be handy for working on arrows.

The vice I have on my archery bench started life as a suction cup base model. After a few years it didn’t suck so well and I just bolted it down. No idea where I got it from.

[richard roop]

in reply to: 2025 is Here. Whatcha Got Going? #170560

Have you got a Harbor Freight somewhat sorta near you ???

[richard roop]

in reply to: 2025 is Here. Whatcha Got Going? #170539

We could use about six weeks of gentle winter rain over this way. It’s been waaaaay too dry this winter.

I saw on the news that PETA was whining about the mistreatment of that groundhog. Hard to believe how far removed from reality some people can get.

[richard roop]

in reply to: Rotator Cuff Stuff #170407

Got my Mojo back !!!!!

Recently my shooting has gone downhill. I lost 5 yards on my point on, going from 45 yds to 40 yds for no good reason. I would shoot a paper plate sized group at 30 yds but below the paper plate I was shooting at. Very annoying and affecting my confidence.  I was also noticing that the Deltoids in my left shoulder hurt. Not the happy soreness after a good work-out but that pain that starts to cause concern kind of hurt.  Not good.

Then the other night, I was cruising some U Tube videos and ran across one by John Schultz that I’ve seen before on the Swing Draw.  That’s pretty much my style of shooting except I hold at full draw a bit longer and then expand on thru.  It took a minute but the ‘dumb light’ came on and I realized  that somewhere along the way my form had changed over time.  I was now bringing the bow up and the arrow back to anchor in one movement putting a massive strain on my Deltoid muscle on the bow-arm  instead of bringing the bow up, partial draw and then drawing the remainder of the way straight back to anchor. A small thing with huge implications.  Once I got my mind right and my form back, good things started to happen and I could work on back tension & bow-arm again. Now, I’m a little taller, a bit better looking and shooting is fun again.

Seriously, I hope that I caught this before I did any damage to muscle, tendon, or cartilage.  I’ve now written out a detailed check-list of shooting steps that I read aloud before each practice session.

Much Thanx to John Shultz. …….R.I.P.

 

[richard roop]

in reply to: Keeping it simple and lightweight while ground hunting #170365

The binos that I use are Vortex 6.5×32.  Low enough power to hand hold steady but still strong enough for what I need.  The big plus is that they are the only ones I’ve found with a good field of view with my glasses on.  Mounted on a tri-pod I can glass steady without eyestrain.  I like them enough that I bought a back-up pair.  As I recall, they were pretty reasonably priced, too.

I have a couple of rangefinders. I carry the Bushnel most of the time.  For ranging big game, not so much but for confirming guest-a-ments  after a roving shot is good practice. Roving shots can be anything from 5 yards to 125 yards.  Often, I’ll look at a rock or a tree, estimate the yardage and then check it with the rangefinder.  Useful tool.  Useful practice. I have it on my bino strap so I always have them both with me.

[richard roop]

in reply to: 2025 is Here. Whatcha Got Going? #170364

Pretty much the same story over this way in Az.

Send rain.

[richard roop]

in reply to: Keeping it simple and lightweight while ground hunting #170242

I see that we have a couple of new voices here. Greetings and salutations from S.E. Arizona !!!!

What I carry (usually too much) depends on what I’m doing & when. A morning walk-about calling coyotes, I’ll take a shoulder bag with calls, tracking tape, knife, pruning shears, license / tags, some para-cord, some cheese & crackers and a bottle or two of sweet tea.  Also always have binoculars and rangefinder on a strap. I wear knee pads for a bit of comfort while tucked back into a cubby in a bush via the pruning shears.  Gloves & a beanie over a camo baseball cap for the early cold.  I carry a powder bottle for wind detection in a pocket.

For longer all day treks or sits I took a folding dove stool WITH A BACK REST, threw away the bag under the seat and sewed a day pack onto it  I then sewed a hip belt onto the day pack. I now have a pack that I can carry far more junk than I need and at the end of each season I go thru everything and ask myself “What were you thinking ??” I usually have a paperback book to read (or start a fire with) more munchies, and much more fluids. I have a GPS gizmo, and all of the stuff I would have in the shoulder bag.  My bow quiver always has two or three expendable blunts for roving shots.  On the warmer days or while scouting I carry one of those insulated lunch bags with a frozen water bottle and a couple of zip-loc baggies. If I get lucky and pop a rabbit or two I can clean it and keep the meat cool or at least have a cool drink of tea.

Edit to add; I like to carry stuff that has multiple uses. Paperback / firestarter. Kleenix / trail markers, chapstick / string wax & firestarter etc.

• This reply was modified 5 months ago by richard roop.

[Author]

Posts