Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
in reply to: off the shelf #11287
Greg — you should definitely read “The Traditional Bowhunter’s Handbook” by T.J. Conrads. It will clearly answer questions you didn’t even know you had. (And no, I don’t get a commission :D) dave
in reply to: Some Old Photos #11282What great luck to have had a toxophilic parents and upbringing!
in reply to: My Dad's Old Bear Bow #10719I think you may have a collector’s item there and would check around for details before performing any modifications or further repairs even. Cool, indeed. I’ll give you $50 for it right now. :twisted::lol:
in reply to: short longbow recommendation #10204David — I pull 28″, which a 52″ Shrew handles well and a 54″ feels like 62″. Someone mentioned that the “long wait and price” work against Shrew. As thoroughly discussed in this thread, indeed the wait is excruciating. But price? Please see my earlier post to refute that. I’m sure there are used Coffey Shrews already selling for more than their new cost and that will be the norm in future years. Among the many blessings of the reborn traditional archery and bowhunting movement brought about by TBM over the years is that today we have SO many superb bowyers and arrowsmiths working, that who and which is “best” comes down mostly to personal preference. My preference for Shrews does NOT imply that other bows are inferior, but only that I personally prefer these “hot little redheads.”
You should also check out Java Man Bows, Gregg Coffey’s own line of unique and excellent custom sticks.
“Shrewyer” … I like that, Gregg. 😉 dave
in reply to: Don Thomas Deer carry method? #10194Don is away from the computer the rest of this week. I’ll let him know of your question. My own first suggestion would be to “shoot a really small deer.” 😛 dave
in reply to: what arrow #9056Apache — you are drawing 29.5 with a 52″ bow? Amazing! What bow, what about finger pinch, and do you get good accuracy? dave
in reply to: I discovered the ultimate quiver.. finally #9032Ray — what would you decoy with this? Other coyotes? If it’s on your back, won’t they sneak up behind you? :P:lol: Just joking of course … it’s cool. dave
in reply to: backpack hunts #7901As much as I love backpack hunting, as as essential as it is sadly becoming to escape the ATV hordes on western public lands, it takes a huge amount of planning to get everything you need into a workable load. My most recent trip, with T Downing, was at timberline in CO and I humped about 65 pounds and T even more. A big problem is that you need two separate sets of gear and packs: one for camping and one for hunting. I wound up with my hunting packed stuffed full and strapped atop my backpack. Happily, though we were high it wasn’t a long hike in so it was doable. Then if you succeed (we were after mule deer) you have the meat and maybe horns to deal with in addition to your gear. It’s worth thinking all of this out ahead of time. That said, I personally find going into real wildness, with a friend or solo, to be the purest and most rewarding form of hunting, if also the most demanding. Beyond the mountains and at lower altitudes it would be far easier. Just do it and sort it out as you go along. 😛 Dave
in reply to: Goose (Big Game ?) #7888Good shooting, John. Great arrow placement and that Big head would be just the ticket for turkeys. I also ground-sluiced a Canada goose once, in fact twice, by creeping along a cottonwood-lined creek adjoining an alfalfa stubble field on the Navajo Rez in NM, where hundreds of birds were feeding. With all those wary eyes they are indeed hard to get. Maybe a ground blind would be a good set-up in areas where they spend lots of time on the ground all year. But in the end I’ve not been able to enjoy eating them so gave it up. Tastes differ. dave
in reply to: first game kill #7885If you ever do get caught out with a fresh dead bunny and no knife, there’s no problem though it gets a bit messy if you’re squeamish about blood and guts. The skin is so fragile that you can simply pinch up a bit of it anywhere on the body and use a fingernail to rip it open, then simply peel it off. I start by twisting and pulling the head off then stincing a finger inside the hide at the torn neck and working from there. For the innards, likewise you can open the belly with a fingernail (and mine are never long or sharp), rip it wide open, then grab the bunny by the hind legs and “whip” toward the ground and the guts go flying out, clean as a whistle unless you get ’em on your boots. Takes a bit of practice but no more than learning to skip a stone. Only part I find I need a knife for is to cut off the tail, which can wait until I’m home. All that said, I wear at least a Swiss Army knife at all times except in bed and the shower. dave
in reply to: Gerilla arms #7874The Carbon Express shafts I’ve bought come at 32″ if I recall. If you need longer shafts and Easton doesn’t make them, seems you’re stuck with switching brands. That’s a lousy answer but the best I can offer. Others will chime in I’m sure. dave
in reply to: stain/sealer/cap dip/crest paint/glue compatibility #7869Hi Mr. P, and glad to see you here. You might get a better response for this good question from the Bowyer’s Bench forum. For what it’s worth, I long sprayed my shafts with Minwax Spar Urethane, which I’ve also used on selfbows. It works but it’s really wasteful and thus expensive. I finally broke down and bought a shaft dip tube, available from most trad mail-order outlets for a few bucks, and use one of the standard shaft finishes, as sometimes advertised in TBM. I’ll leave it to those more experienced than me to suggest specific products. Another advantage to dipping over spraying is that you can even out the weights of a dozen shafts by repeatedly dipping the lighter ones, adding as much as 10 grains per dip. I’ve even increased FOC by repeatedly front-dipping. It couldn’t be easier, and it’s fun. Dave
in reply to: The Werewolf #7864I just returned from Boise and the ID trad event, where I got to handle these wicked-looking new heads and enjoyed a long chat with Blake. The Teflon coating brings up the common human inner-battle between flash and function. The blades are just gorgeous, like polished silver, so from an aesthetical pov it’s a shame to dull ’em with a coating. On the other hand, from a practical pov, that same pretty glint works against us in the field, so I’m with you on the coating, Blake. So far as I can tell, the Werewolves incorporate several improvements including a 25-degree bevel (for the single-bevel option), upgrade to 52-54 Rockwell hardness (my personal preference range since any harder is unnecessarily hard to sharpen and any softer, IMHO, is too soft and risking failure on elk-sized heavy bone strikes). The Tanto tip looks great too and I love the heavier weights these offer. I hope that some of these upgrades, after a shake-out period of user field testing, can be adapted to the classic Eclipse and/or a glue-on Werewolf. Best luck and thanks Blake for your unrelenting innovation. Folks will be impressed, to say the least, to learn that the ferrules are attached to the solid blade with tiny screws and Blake inserts every last screw by hand with a tiny driver. Talk about TLC! dave
in reply to: Oklahoma Selfbow Jamboree #7859Thanks for this alert, Dennis. I’d sure attend if I lived within striking range. Good timing to build your first selfbow and use it for spring turkey. Good fun, dave
in reply to: Tusker Broadheads… #59836I have long praised the Concord as “the best inexpensive single-bevel.” On the positive side they come a bit sharper than the Grizzly, and the steel isn’t quite so hard though it’s darn hard. And if you want to change the bevel you’ll still have to use a file. More and more I’m coming to feel that the Abowyer Brown Bear is the “best single-bevel for the money.” They come fairly sharp and are sharpenable but still good and hard. And the MA is right on the money. Lots of great two-blades out there so personal experimentation is a good idea and fun. dp
-
AuthorPosts
