[David Petersen]

in reply to: Confirmed Werewolf Kill #45288

SDMFer — Congratulations! First kills are special and never forgotten. Mine also was a cow, and also a less than perfect shot, but ended in recovery. That was when I learned that packing out an 80-pound green elk hide isn’t worth it. 😯 Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Wife says I went too far… #44694

Bullseye — I long ago quit hunting a half hour or so before the end of shooting light, in part because in low light my old eyes get “swimmy,” but mostly because I don’t want to have to track an animal in the dark. I don’t mind field dressing by headlamp, but I don’t want to follow a blood trail that way. Also, leaving a bit early allows me to sneak quietly out of the woods without making a racket or using a flashlight, so that I can return to the same area the following morning and know it’s undisturbed.

Back on topic, what I’ve always thought sounded like fun but I’m yet to try, is shooting at a candle in the dark.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Eagle's Flight Quivers #44069

Looks like the perfect quiver for a selfbow or other light, skinny bow.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Curious about numbers of deer most shoot. #43615

Considering elk as big deer, I average four every five years. This year I have two tags — one down, one to go. I quit hunting deer for many years to repay bad karma after an unfortunate accident. Started back about 5 years ago and only one Coues to show for it. Today is the last day of archery deer here in CO, but most of the big bucks are down in town (with the bears) where apples litter the ground in many neighborhoods. In general I try not to kill more meat than my wife and I and a few close friends can eat in a year. One elk goes a long ways.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Wife says I went too far… #43612

Shawhill — you shoot better in the dark than I do in full light! And I’ll make an educated guess — based on the inside of an ice cream lid — that you eat Breyer’s??? 😀

[David Petersen]

in reply to: A Few Pics From the Evening Hunt #41776

Bruce — The picture we most want to see is the real you, if you in fact exist. 😛 You must either be some kinda ugly or wanted by the FBI, CIA, KGB, or IRA.

Do you have grizzlies there?

Re wallows, at least down here in my CO elk turf they tend to wallow most commonly 3-4 or so in the afternoon. The latest I’ve seen is 5:30. It’s “displacement behavior” — something to do while awaiting the evening fun and games. Just last week I was an hour late heading out for the evening hunt thanks to some Honey-Do’s, and as I approached my stand I heard bugling, precisely 4 p.m., and arrived just as the bull had walkedaway from the hot-fresh wallow. Trick is for hunting wallows that time of day, getting the wind right. And in your photo, finding good cover could be a challenge. Anyhow that’s my 2 scents worth — go out on your evening hunts around 3 and watch a wallow until early evening or when something starts bugling that you can play with. Another wallow tip: Get ’em the first chance you have approaching or in the wallow, before they piss all over themselves and flop down to roll in the muck. I see no possible way to get clean meat from a freshly wallowed bull, unless you have a fire hose handy. They are completely black and at the peak of stinkiness. A few years ago I passed easy shots on a nice 5×5 for that very reason — he “got down” before I could get a clean shot off. After that he was safe. Enjoy.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Barta on techno-BS #40327

Interesting variety of comments. As I said, I’ve never seen a single one of his shows and in general have no use for Outhouse Channel heroes. But I do like what he says on the clip in the link and find his style entertaining. If he uses it for everything, you bet, it would get old fast. Oh well, enough of this as it’s time for the evening hunt. dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Congratulations Dave #39309

Thanks guys, one and all. Yes, I will be writing a story about this year’s hunt for TBM, as lots of fun stuff happened before the end came. Which is why I’m being stingy on details here. 😀 I still have a deer tag, cow elk and turkey, plus grouse if I run across any. Henceforth, the Shrew and carbon arrows having earned my winter’s meat, I’m hunting with an osage selfbow given to me by a friend, and wood arrows fletched with turkey feathers from a bird killed on the Aldo Leopold “Shack” property this spring, another very special gift. Such gifts deserve to be honored by wild blood. Thanks again and I wish one and all as much fun this season as I’ve been having. Meat and antlers are a bonus. A true hard hunt is the real deal. Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Congratulations Dave #38875

“Any pics of what the broadhed did?”

Nope. Amazingly, the arrow slipped between ribs both in and out, just barely nicking one. In part that may well be due to the extreme narrowness of the Tuffhead; one of the things I like about it. It was a double-lunger and the whole chest cavity was just big mushy globs of blood and I’ve never seen an elk blow so much blood from its mouth in dying. A heart shot would have been gratifying to me, but it couldn’t havde killed him any faster. Here’s the head what done it:

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Congratulations Dave #38602

Thanks, Steve. Obviously Alex let the cat out of the bag. I just dropped him off at the bottom of the mountain in the dark — he has two days left and the elk have quit bugling and gone to ground. They must not like jazz musicians. 😀 Ironically, after packing a camera every day of the hunt, on this evening I forgot it so all I have are post-butchering shots from the pack-out next morning. I have killed 3×4, 3×5,4×5, and 5×6 over the years but never even heard of a 4×6, which makes this rack special to me. The two sides are symmetrical in beam and tine length, but one has two more points. One shot with “Ashby” arrow set-up — bull walked, not ran, 15 yards and down and dead all in seconds. Of the two dozen or so elk I’ve killed with stickbows, only three have done this — down and dead within sight — and all three were shot with heavy arrows and two-blade heads.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Discipline in the field #37806

Walking and calling are fun hunting, and as you say they combat boredom. But for killing elk you can’t beat sitting in silence, long boring hours and days, in a place with plenty of recent sign, or several such places. Thomas “T” Downing is the most successful cow-calling elk hunter I’ve known–he called in a bull for me two years ago and had several others going crazy in a place where I hadn’t heard a bugle or seen a bull in nearly a week. But T has the vocal magic and most of us don’t. IMHO

[David Petersen]

in reply to: A swing and a miss… #37795

At 23 and 25′, you might do well to build some 10-pound arrows and just drop them on the deer. 😛

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Cheap targets #33034

No, no, Shawhill — 6″ targets would make me into a lousy shooter, while 2′ targets make me a master. How’s about garbage can lids?:lol:

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Thanks to all of you who have contributed questions and answers! #30332

Gobbler — Good to have you here. Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but the only question I can see that you asked is about PSE bows. In general, such precise questions get the fewest answers simply because it really narrows down those of us who are qualified to respond. If you asked about bow-building, I can’t find the question. In any event it’s hunting season, brother. Those who aren’t out hunting are single-minded in thinking about their upcoming hunts, with little time left for the computer. And even at best it takes a few days for the full round of folks to check in and comment. Meanwhile, the mandatory place to start with bowyering is the Bowyer’s Bible, V1. That will keep you busy for a while. Building and shooting your own bows is the pinnacle of traditional archery experience. You’ll love it. But you have me totally confused. 🙄 Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: A change of heart #30328

A man should never do anything his gut tells him it will be queasy with. I was an archer before I was a hunter, and if/when the day comes I can no longer hunt or don’t choose to, I’ll still be an archer. And should you change your mind someday and return to hunting, you’ll be all practiced up with well-tuned gear. Davd

[Author]

Posts