[James Harvey]

in reply to: Caroline & David Petersen #35062

colmike wrote: David

Not strangers–but members of your tribe.

Semper Fi Brother

Ditto.

We are members of a tribe of shared ideas and passions, with the great physical and geographic barriers of the world impeding our sharing not a jot. To people who value hard thinking and good ideas that ought to be worth something.

And if this little tribe had a medicine man, I think we’d all know who he’d be… As important as we have all mysteriously become to you, so you have become to us. If our support has offered you any comfort at all I think we would all consider that an honour, not a burden.

Your friend from a far away land,

Jim

[James Harvey]

in reply to: What ya got goin? #34872

Smithhammer wrote: The Inuit were very adept at hunting from their craft, though it seems they usually used a lance or atlatl

For those interested I came across an interesting old film of an Inuit walrus hunt.

http://aifg.arizona.edu/film/eskimo-walrus-hunt

I was particularly impressed by the bloke at about 2 minutes who paddles off with a pipe in his mouth… that’s multitasking 😉

[James Harvey]

in reply to: Short recurves…suggestions? #34867

I have Mike, but I don’t fancy beaching my kayak then bringing my spear into the mangroves to tickle pigs with 😆

[James Harvey]

in reply to: Books on Bows #34797

Hey Bruce, was there much variety across North America in terms of bow styles, building techniques etc? Or was it a fairly consistent thing across most tribes?

I’d read somewhere (in an anthropological context rather than archery) that the first wave of humanity from Asia predated bows and a later wave brought them over before the land bridge was ‘sunk’, so there was a definitive ‘moment’ and ‘brand’ of bow technology that arrived before N.A. was isolated once again. I wonder how much development and variation occurred after that final isolation.

Or have I remembered wrong and just made a bunch of stuff up? 😀

[James Harvey]

in reply to: Short recurves…suggestions? #34783

SmithZappa wrote: I know. Those guys are soooo annoying. They should really just have their own sub-forum and quit taunting the rest of us…

[quote=ausjim]I really want something shorter than 52″, to fit a space I have in mind…

Climbing down a dingo hole?

I stand by my character judgement in the original post 😀

But yeah, a really short bow like that would suit my kayak adventures to a T. It could be stowed inside my yak, strapped to my front deck (I think with no overhang but testing will be required) and I think could even be shot quite comfortable from inside the yak.

It’s a pity, I really like the look of those Cascade Golden Hawk’s, they’d make an excellent backpacking bow too… But I think a one piece will handle the seawater better long term.

[James Harvey]

in reply to: Short recurves…suggestions? #34761

Steve,

I was able to find a little out about the black mountain bow. The fella who makes them (or did 5 years ago) has an account on tradgang so I sent him a PM. Hopefully I hear back from him.

Squint, those Korean bows are pretty popular in Australia at the moment and you’re right, they’re pretty reasonably priced and fit the bill. Except for the handle. I’m a big baby and shoot much better with a high wrist on a pistol grip style handle 🙁

[James Harvey]

in reply to: Short recurves…suggestions? #34684

My draw is just over 28. That was my biggest concern.

I didn’t mention it in my OP, but I’d like a one piece. A fella from another state was selling a 48″ Cascade Golden Hawk recently but it was a take down 🙁

[James Harvey]

in reply to: Books on Bows #33771

Isn’t it funny that so many tribal bowhunting societies (I can only think of two right now… but I’m sticking with “so many”) used to have a big quiver that carried their arrows and their bow, now so many of us have a little tiny quiver that we put on our bow to carry our arrows.

I guess if I didn’t have a wall to hang my bow on and actually took it everywhere with me I’d want a carry bag too, so maybe it’s not that funny after all, just reasonably, uncomically, practical.

Anyway, an interesting discussion Bruce. You piqued my interest with your dismissal of the ELB. I bought a book last year on the history of the longbow, which skipped forward rather rapidly through what I thought was the interesting stuff, to English slaughtering French and gave it the mythical Robin Hood kind of spin. I remember thinking “Settle down pal, it’s an area of effect weapon system that took advantage of an entrenched and inflexible set of tactics…Not some mythical confirmation of the superiority of English craftsmanship and manhood (you’d only have to look at Jaguar cars and English football players to see how ridiculous a notion that is)”. I couldn’t handle his romantic prattle and didn’t get more than half way through.

Perhaps I’ll bend my mind to something Asian next 😉

[James Harvey]

in reply to: The Non-Trad Knife Thread #33522

David I reckon that’s a cool sheath by the way, kind of suits the tough old knife it holds 😉

[James Harvey]

in reply to: The Non-Trad Knife Thread #33357

paleoman wrote: Just for the record and I’m pretty sure no one here would try it, but don’t count on any knife to be electrically insulated.

Challenge… accepted!

Nah I’m just kidding 😉 I’m scared of high V!

[James Harvey]

in reply to: What ya got goin? #32543

Bruce,

that Gaff and paddle float game sounds pretty exciting. 125lbs of anything would be a challenge in a kayak, let alone 125lbs of unimpressed fish!

Mike, lucky for me sharks come in all kinds of sizes and if you ever hear me brag about a shark I took you’ll notice I won’t mention how big or small it was 😉

I got out for a paddle this fine Easter morning, with a bow stowed in the yak and some bowfishing in mind. After setting off from a place I went a ways and along a lonely stretch of beach something about it made me think it was worth a look.

I just had to take this photo as I love these things… this was a LONG stretch of long beaches and I’m pretty sure these are the only human footprints laid on them today…

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Turn around though and there are signs of other kinds of life…

What was particularly exciting about that collection of tracks is the canine (unaccompanied by man) using the beach as a highway. That could be a dingo (which has just been classified by a group of zoologists in the Journal of Zoology as it’s own species..another tale) or a feral/wild dog, the latter of which would be fair hunting game.

Something about the lay of land begged further questions though so I let myself be further distracted from my bowfishing purpose and trekked in a ways to find this…

I don’t know if you can see it but leading from bottom left of shot, through center of shot and and curving back to left is fresh little piggy track leading into the mangroves there. There was actually a little piggy highway over another rise but I liked this shot of a clean single track.

Noting this spot for another time I climbed back into my yak to find a sandbar I had noticed on another little adventure. I got out there and set up my rig. I don’t know if you’ve ever put together a recurve on a sand bar surrounded by ocean but there is something a little surreal about it… My leather tab, armguard and flemish twist string seemed a little out of place.

Out of place or not I set off on a lap around this ‘archipelago’ of sandbars with bow in hand. I skewered a several clumps of seaweed but only had one shot at a real fish. Notched up another miss. I’m an Ace at that 😉 But I didn’t get stung by any box jellyfish and some pelicans came and hung out on my way back…

A nice morning in the sun 😀

[James Harvey]

in reply to: Caroline & David Petersen #32516

May Caroline live forever in the hearts of those she knew and loved and who knew and loved her.

As impotent and meaningless as it feels, we are all here for you Dave.

[James Harvey]

in reply to: What ya got goin? #32214

Ralph, I can’t tell you how many hours of my life have been wasted pouring over my dad’s old collections of BC’s and Wizard of Id’s. I love it :D:lol:

Bruce, I read in an old TBM from a few years back a story by a fella (Clint Miller) who doesn’t live too far from me who took a pretty decent tiger shark and hammerhead with his recurve. As I recall he had a custom pronged broadhead with the line feeding onto a rod and reel. I’m really taken by the idea of this big float business though. Having to pursue the animal after its been shot could be a grand adventure. But I’d worry about losing it 😕

[James Harvey]

in reply to: A real nice visit with good folks today.. #31581

Critch wrote: Why couldn’t I be rich instead of so good lookin’?

Hah, my Grandma used to say “It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, as long as you have money.” 😉

Sounds like Smithhammer’s tip paid off?

[James Harvey]

in reply to: What ya got goin? #31577

Bruce,

I share your concern re: exposure to salt water. I reckon the Sage will serve as a bowfishing rig as I can keep it stowed en route and set it up when I’m in location. I reckon I might look for a very short once piece as something I can keep on deck while on rivers. I saw a review Jeff Cavanaugh (sp?) did on the Bear Supermag and that may be a good option, especially if I can find a second hand one down here. I figure a well sealed one piece will be fine in fresh water. Plus the very short bow would have obvious advantages with deck stowage and shooting from sitting.

It may have been in Art Young’s Alaskan Adventure film that I saw some Inuits (I’m not clear on the right name for those folks) rolling their kayaks for the camera. I do rolls for fun here, but the water is refreshing. Those guys are mad, that water must put hair on your chest!

PS

Is that a big float bladder on the back deck on a line to the spear? That is awesome.

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