[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Spokane in March #58485

Looking forward to it Dave. I like the new title.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Good Reads #57521

tailfeather wrote: Not to go off on a tangent, but we frequently have the Croc debate as well.:D Put me in the “pro” crowd. A good treatment of the topic:

http://hairyhippymountainman.blogspot.com/2013/08/whats-your-frickin-problem-with-my-crocs.html

Well you started it so I’ll carry us a little farther off course. The Hairy Hippie Mountain Man if a good friend who will soon start blogging on Twistestave… You fellas would dig him.

Lookin forward to seeing where you take this thing Bruce. Good reads indeed.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: ATV wheelie #44257

grumpy wrote: Watch of course,

Reminds me of when Red Green used duct tape to tape a good tire/wheel on the flat tire/wheel. Then tried to drive away….You DO remember Red Green.

Definitely a Red Green moment. My favorite is when he made the Zamboni by sticking a pitchfork in the radiator of an old van..

Yes, this is much better than a truckers hitch. She’ll get tight in a hurry with no need to tie any pesky knots.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Backcountry College – Ultralight shelters #25723

nikwax. I sprayed it on my backpack and could smell it for a few days. I couldn’t smell it at all after that. I’d think that if a deer smells it, he’s also smelling what you had for breakfast.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: 7 year spike #54320

A video on either could be hazardous to myself and anyone surrounding. Last time I tried golfing (my brother is addicted) I planted a ball squarely in the hood of a car traveling down a highway adjacent to the course. 😯

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: 7 year spike #54072

Broadhead wrote: Clay, is there anything you can’t do and do well?:D

Golf… and knitting.:roll:

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: 6 hunting personalities you should know… #54070

I’ve read all of Renella’s books and recommend them to anyone who’s interested in hunting or fishing. He’s a top shelf writer and sharp as a tack. I’ve watched a few of his Meateater shows and have enjoyed them. As far as hunting shows go, it’s a pretty good one. I like that he places a lot of emphasis on the backcountry experience and, of course, meat. He’s a bit of a utilitarian, but in a good way.

As mentioned above, “Alone in the Wilderness” is a great flick. I watched it back to back 3 times when I first discovered it some years ago. You should be able to find it online or check out a copy at the local library. Good stuff.

I don’t know much about Newberg other than he’s a supporter of BHA. Never seen any of his shows or anything he’s written.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: 7 year spike #43187

Tuffhead worked great as well..

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: 7 year spike #39790

When I first started hunting elk I was in a good area. Lots of opportunities to mess things up. I was able to hunt down there for 3 years and had some truly awesome experiences. Thinking back, I should have killed a few of those elk. Several times I can remember the thought of actually shooting didn’t occur to me until the opportunity was gone. I suppose I was just awestruck at being that close to such a great and big animal after hunting whitetail my whole life.

Then I moved to the dense conifer forests of north Idaho and those ample opportunities turned into maybe one real chance a season, and that’s if I was lucky. Hunting in a game poor region where you can’t see more than 40 yards most of the time makes you hard on yourself when you screw up that once a season chance. But that’s exactly what I did last year.

I had a nice 6X6 walk by at about 15 yards, came to full draw, and put the arrow right behind the shoulder. A little low but it looked good. Complete passthrough, two streams of blood like it was poured from a bucket. But try as I strained, I never heard the crash we all listen for. That was at around 8 in the morning. At 7 that evening, the light began to fade under the closed canopy timber so I broke off the trail which, by that time had dwindled to pure sign, tracks and rearranged vegetation, confirmed only by a pin speck of blood every 50 – 100 yards.

Went back next morning with my partner and together tracked him until dark again. Close to 2 miles if I remember correctly until the track merged with a bunch of other elk that’d been there overnight and obliterated the bulls track.

When I saw where the arrow was, I was sure he’d be down within 50 yards. I couldn’t, and still can’t, figure it out.

So with that lingering in the back of my mind we decided to head back down south, to fresh country. I was pleased to get back into an area where you could bump into multiple elk in a day instead of maybe one a year. They weren’t bugling yet when I killed the spike, not responding to calls much either. So it was down to ambush, whitetail style. Find where they are and where they’re headed and get between. I was after this group the evening before but they gave me the slip after hanging out on a ridge all day waiting for the thermals to switch. But I knew where to be in the morning.. And that, as they say, is the rest of the story.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Assumptions and Biases #36787

Good points Bruce and, to a certain extent, Dave as well. Although the devices nearly make me nauseous now, I started my own bowhunting career shooting a compound.

Dave makes an excellent point about many archery seasons and hunting opportunities being curtailed as a direct result of increased efficiency of archery tackle. I whole heartedly agree with that and it makes my fighting mad that we can’t really do anything about it. But… That’s besides the point here. The argument about long shots and flimsy tackle may have some merit but that can also be true for trad shooters as well. To illustrate, I once know a fellow that made his own bows and knapped his own heads that flat out told me that you only needed an inch of penetration to kill a deer and that you could do it with a field tip. With that said, I think that the extremes, both high tech and low, are just that – the extremes; tails of the bell curve.

I’m drawn to Bruce’s points because I can relate, being a convert myself. When I first started bowhunting, compound archery was all I was exposed to and so that’s where I naturally went. And therein lays the problem. It’s still that way, albeit to a lesser extent due to info on the internet and sites like this. If a guy wants to start bowhunting though, odds are, the only hands on help he’ll find is some guy at the pro shop that wants to sell him the latest compound and associated gadgets. If, during my compound days, I’d run across some highbrow elitist longbow shooter that looked down on me for what I was shooting, I would have still found my way to traditional archery. It’s who I am. But I can see how it might hinder someone who’s more prone to be offended the I am.

We all need to do what Bruce has done. Be there to show the way and give a helping hand to anyone who has what it takes – in the way of interest, desire, fortitude, and stubbornness – to hunt with traditional gear. But also do as Dave does, in the way of questioning the overall impact that the more, faster, easier, culture of modern hunting is having on us all. The repercussions go well beyond shortened seasons and increased competition in the woods. It causes a perception issue with the vast majority of non-hunters that will ultimately determine the fate of hunting. But all of that is much bigger than the individual that gets caught up in the industry hype and available guidance and decides on a compound vs a longbow. It’s the individual that can change and culture is a product of individuals. Keep that in mind.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Elk water #57585

well, that depends I guess. Most wallows I’ve seen that are being used have at least some slight flow to them. They are little seeps that the elk have pawed out of the hill sides. Some look “stagnate” at first glance but will clear with time.

With that said, I’ve watched cow elk cross a crystal clear flowing stream and walk up slope to drink from a muddy track pocked wallow. maybe there was some mineral they were after..

When someone says stagnate I think of an algae loaded cesspool. But, algae blooms are usually a good sign of excess nutrients, sometimes from ag runoff or lots of cattle, in areas where you wouldn’t usually find elk.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Backcountry College # 9 – Bury a Dutch #57163

R2 wrote: Different folks got different choices. Some places you camp where you gotta if you want to camp. 🙂

Yea, I know:evil: I got a warning last December for an unattended campfire in an established campground that was covered in a foot of snow. That was the first one I’d stayed at in years.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Backcountry College # 9 – Bury a Dutch #49127

R2 wrote: We used to cook with our Dutch oven buried when I was a kid in Idaho. Some of the best goodies ever.

I felt bad though when I told a friend about it and here on the Lake Meredith Rec area, Fed land, he gave it a try, buried the oven up and went hunting. Danged if the feds didn’t bust him for having an unattended fire. Might be a thought for some areas.

🙄 just one of the many reasons I tend to avoid established campgrounds…

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Osage Orange sources #40332

In case you haven’t seen this series yet, there are 3 videos. This one just covers taking an osage stave to one ring which isn’t really very applicable for anything aside from osage. The next two though cover topics that can be applied to any wood.

[Clay Hayes]

in reply to: Thoughts on things… #40320

Thanks Bruce. so true

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