[David Petersen]

in reply to: Mid Summer Feeling #23520

trl and jmsmithy — You fellers certainly have a right to your opinions, which in this case are close to that expressed by Ray Borbon recently in another thread. In another situation I would agree. But please allow me to take the discussion a few steps farther. First, trl, I don’t think anyone here “hates” anyone for the hunting tool they choose to use; what I and others I know feel is disgust at a marketplace and media that have led contemporary bowhunting away from its traditional baseline values of woodsmanship and “doing more with less,” toward increased hi-tech replacements for personal effort and skill — and I feel not hate but sympathy for the hunters who have followed that route, as they are going only skin deep and missing the heart of it all. And Smithy, if it were as straightforward a matter as having the open-mindedness to live and let live so far as personal weapons choice goes, I’d not be concerned or upset. But it’s far more complex and troublesome than that. In sum, the popularity and profitability of the compound led the marketplace to take the next step and improve and popularize modern crossbows, which are even easier to use than compounds. Use x-guns in gun season and nobody cares, certainly not me. But the issue here is not simply a matter of personal choice or even ethics. Problem is, increasingly, with the strong backing of NRA, states are allowing x-guns in archery seasons. This is problematic on at least two fronts: first, x-guns are not archery equipment and thus don’t rate the special season considerations given to “primitive” (not my term but the official term in most states, with the bottom line being muscle-powered and held) archery gear. They are simple machines that launch metal bolts with the touch of a trigger. Second and most problematic, at the same time we’re seeing the expansion of hi-tech into archery seasons, we’re seeing more “bow” hunters and higher kill rates. That in turn facilitates the argument from the gun lobby that archery seasons are no longer “primitive” and are having an increasing impact on game management, thus should not have the special benefits associated with them — long early seasons, camo, rut hunts, etc. — and should be shortened so that gun seasons can be repositioned and lengthened. Thus, technology is hurting us. Again, I am not arguing with you, but merely attempting to expand on this complex topic to reveal the background issues. Cheers, dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Javelina… Its whats for breakfast. #23500

The best javalina cook I know, a trad bowman down in AZ and retired wildlife bio, sums it up this way: It’s all in the cooking. Slice off a nice steak or chop and fry it in a pan … then throw away the meat and eat the pan. It HAS to be slow-cooked, very slow, in big chunks, then torn apart in sloppy joe style. Done right, pig’s pig. There are also those very nasty stink glands on the back to work around.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Finally back to bow building. (Updated pics) #22643

wTk — Well shucks. Very best luck with your continued recovery. My wife is a survivor, 10 years now, with only surgery and no rads or chemo. Sometimes the magic does work and here’s wishing it works for you. I really like the looks of those limbs. Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: scent masking #22632

Ah, Bruce, it’s good to finally know what you really look like. Close to what I’d envisioned.
I can barely bear to look …

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Tuning Bear Kodiak Hunter #21609

Smithy — Instructions for posting pictures are at the top of the Campvfire forum. However, by downsizing my photos to under 200kb or so I’ve been able to post them directly from my computer without having to go through Photobucket. At the bottom of the posting window you’ll see “Attach File”; use the “browse” button to select a photo of the proper size from your files and click on it and its link will or should go into the “Attach file” box. When you hit “save” it will post, maybe after a bit of a delay. Lazy man’s way, my way. Let’s see how this one works, last week’s bear track in my “driveway,” at 183kb.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: The Good, the Bad … and Me #21071

What George said! 😀

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Interesting Waste of Time #21066

Ray– I can only repeat my conclusion: “I can and do however happily accept your views as your views, without backing away from my own convictions.” No amount of discussion is likely to change either of us on this issue, so I’ll leave the last word with you. Cheers, Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Doc? David? Everyone? You seen these? #20222

Polar Bear, I’m with you, also on a fixed and shrinking income, only lacking your willpower. 😳 I believe I mentioned in an earlier post on this thread that this quest for the most lethal and bulletproof possible broadhead for really heavy game under all shot circumstances, need not be for everyone. But it’s for me, being primarily an elk hunter. And, frankly, I am into it partially in order to help facilitate such interesting public conversations as this one. And like Ashby, I don’t allow manufacturers to give me their products for testing, though I see nothing wrong with that up to a point. Happily, there is still a solid middle ground for those who want to get into the cutting-edge single-bevel game (pun intended, sorry) without blowing their kids’ college fund. I have long said that I think the Abowyer Brown Bear is the best single-bevel on the market for the money. I’ve heard that they recently raised prices significantly but haven’t looked into it to confirm how much. If the BB has priced itself out of the market for many, the honor of best bet for the bucks, IMHO, falls to the Tusker Concord. I’ve tested both these heads on elk with just as excellent outcomes as I got with the Grizzly (which increasingly is allowing itself to be displaced as market leader) and the premiere ABS Ashby. I’ve never tried Silver Flames, however, another top-ender so I hear. We have endless choices, ain’t it great. Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Interesting Waste of Time #20209

Ray — You are right. Much of America, including Wall St., operates on the Cabela’s model of business. And we see what that has gained us. My specific arguments against Cabelas as in fact leading hunting in dangerously wrong and unethical if not immoral directions, aside from selling anything that’s even marginally legal anywhere, include them brokering “trophy dart hunts” for rhinos and elephants behind high fences in Africa, and buying up prime riverside fishing property in MT, which had always been open to public access, and developing them with trophy homes as high-end “trophy fly fishing properties” not open to the public. There is conscientious capitalism, which helped make America great, and there is pure self-serving greed and to hell with everyone and everything else, which greatly weakens us. The laissez-faire model of “let the other guy do what he wants so long as it’s legal” has never struck me as something sacrosanct and above criticism. If pointing these things out is “preaching,” so be it; I’ve always thought of it as necessary and I wish others were doing more of it so I wouldn’t have to. I can and do however happily accept your views as your views, without backing away from my own convictions. Cheers, Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Doc? David? Everyone? You seen these? #20131

Well, I still pack mine out, fingers crossed. But I always hunt uphill to facilitate that. If I could ever get the endless cabin-upgrades finished, I think my elbows would be OK. Something about the combo of holding a big belt sander overhead for hours at a time, endless pounding with a hammer, carrying heavy 4×8 sheets of lumber up steep stairs alone, when combined with perhaps too much daily archery … well, something has to give. Too late, alas, to train my 102-pound wife in the use of power tools. I’ve gone and spoilt her. 😆

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Interesting Waste of Time #20126

I just got a big fat Redhead hunting catalog, and it has NO trad bows or gear, period. Meanwhile, the new L.L. Bean hunting catalog has a “family archery set” of inexpensive, low-pounds take-down recurves … and NO wheelie junk much less X-guns. If I have to buy something from a big mail-order house, it will be L.L. Bean. But so far as finances and availability allow, I much much prefer to support the Ma and Pa outfits who are themselves trad folk, esp. those who advertise in TBM. It wasn’t Cabelas, Redhead or even Bean that brought traditional bowhunting back from the edge of the grave–it was TBM and the advertisers who support them. I feel morally obligated, and happily so, to return that support and keep it all in what truly is a family, including this website. The trad world is the only way I’ve ever been a “family man.” IMHO.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Doc? David? Everyone? You seen these? #20112

Amigos y amiga — I have spoken to Joe and here’s a bit of background info on his new Tuffheads: He is 72 and a one-man operation and clearly not in this for the money. The labor involved in this new generation of Ashby-inspired heads is intense, and high quality materials are expensive, thus the high prices. Worth it? That’s an individual decision. Joe is also working on a 300+ grain glue on, very exciting for the EFOC crowd, including me. Basically, he studied Ashby’s findings and set out to design a head that incorporates as many penetration-enhancing features as possible.

I also just spoke with Dr.Ashby, who is settled in to his new one-room cabin home in Texas, just got hooked up with internet and if we’re lucky, will soon be joining our conversations again. Ed said he has some prototype Tuffheads, which he’s not yet been able to test but seems very impressed so far. I have ordered a 3-pack and will let you know what I think (don’t I always? :shock:). I may wind up hunting this year with the new Werewolf on carbons for EFOC, and the Tuffhead on Surewoods or pine hex shafts. While I respect the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” outlook to bowhunting, I find experimenting with new broadheads, new shaft woods, etc. all quite fun for the off-season. And I’ll never stop searching for the “perfect” arrow set-up that will allow me to take a shot at a big bull elk with a low-50s# longbow, have the animal move just as I release so that the hit is in the massive lower shoulder blade, and still see the arrow pass through and sail over the horizon. It can be done, and my search is driven by the fact that at my age, having bowhunted for almost exactly 50 years now, I’ve had my fill of “well, sooner or later it happens to everyone” wounded and unrecovered game.

Steve Sr. — I too am always broke, and this year will be hunting with severe tennis elbow in both arms, wearing braces and doped-up on ibuprofen. Maybe we should get compound contraptions with 80% let-off and the dozens of gadgets necessary to support their function, and ATVs to haul it all right up to the automatic bait feeder. 😛 Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Roosevelt Elk vs. Rocky Mountain Elk #20090

Not to rob this thread, but Bruce, I just checked your link and see that you’re one of those bird-brains. 😉 In fact, nice work! I have always had alleged bird dogs, alas, untrained as we have no upland birds here in SW CO and I can’t afford to travel. Of course we do have the beloved “thunder chicken.”

Now, back to Rosies vs. Rockies. Re Homer’s comment that “elk are elk,” in fact the notion of N.A. subspecies has pretty much been erased in the scientific community, if never in the popular mind. What they are, are “regional variations.” The small differences we see in morphology (visible differences if physical form) and behavior have to do with local habitat. Take a herd of Tules and put them in Colorado, with no interbreeding with Rockies, and in a few generations their bodies and antlers get bigger and they are Rockies. And vice versa. As the business folk like to say, it’s all about location. Which is NOT to say that habitat differences don’t require different hunting strategies. Dave
dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Who names their bows? #18185

Larry, that’s one white “yellow” Lab you have there! Welcome to Tradbow. Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Another short video w/Buck's Bow. #18184

George — How do you shoot so well with all those different bows? Do you warm up and get used to a particular bow before making these videos? I can’t shoot that well with just one bow. You have a gift.

[Author]

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