[David Petersen]

in reply to: My first shot at a deer #41715

Jay — you’ve hit on a big problem that doesn’t get nearly enough discussion among us — failure under hunting pressure to pick a spot. I can screw up a shot even at close range, and the farther out the target, the greater the screw-up quotent. I have personally never been able to understand “target panic” when shooting at targets. But when shooting at game re call it buck fever and I still suffer from it. In recent years I’ve developed a habit of chanting silently “pick a spot, pick a spot” as game approaches or I’m waiting for the right shot siuation. But even then when I start to draw, the “spot” too often becomes a zone the size of a football. It sure help when occasionally an animal has a bit of scruffy fur or other identifiable spot to concentrate on in the kill zone. Another thing I do when practicing close to and during hunting season is shoot at blank targets, where you’re forced to pick a spot. But of course, soon’s there are some arrow holes in there, we have spots to look at. It’s a huge problem and good that you recognize it in yourself. With targets over 15 yards or so, in my experience, failure to pick a precise spot virtually guarantees missing the mark. Hang in, dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Bow (Speed) #41703

I can offer info from only one top bowyer, Gregg Coffey, who makes every Shrew by hand. We recently had this conversation and Gregg said that while a recurve may be a very few fps faster than a longbow, all else equal, the new limb technologies — foam cores, carbon lams, cross-weaved glass, etc. — can easily equal that out. And too, many if not most modern glass longbows are of the deflex-reflex design which can be thought of as offering most of the same benefits as a recurve, but with the recurve spread throughout the limbs rather than all at the tip. That’s an oversimplification but you get the picture. Gregg’s recommendation is to go with whichever design you feel best shooting and looking at — aesthetical appeal will count more in satisfaction in the long run than a few fps one way or another. And as the Ashby study reveals, with the right arrow setup speed is overrated. Now, all that said, certainly the average recurve will be notably faster than the average old-style straight-limbed longbow, given equal draw weight. I own two r/d longbows and recently sold a beautiful recurve simply because the longbows appeal to me more on a gut level. It’s all fun, dave p

[David Petersen]

in reply to: pop-up ground blinds #41693

M — a tree seat indeed offers a whole other realm of options. I hadn’t thought of it. Only problem I foresee is that it limits you to maybe 90 degrees of shooting coverage without conspicuously turning or dropping off the seat to your knees. In some setups, where game can’t come in from behind, that’s no problem, but in others it could be??? But then, my brush blinds when possible are built under a tree to lean back on and provide shade, and that can limit the shooting area also.

More opinions on this good turn in the topic?

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Grunting 101 #36580

I have seen the cans advertised online. Is there any consensus among those of you who have used them which model is best? Thanks, dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: pop-up ground blinds #36570

Norris — good to have another fellow Shrew-ball here :P, and thanks for the photos, which always liven up a thread. After checking out all the good leads provided here and elsewhere, I’ve ordered a Primos Ground Max. A bit heavy at 17# but seems roomy and high enough (Tom) at 70+”, since I’ll be shooting a 54″ Shrew and sitting on the ground on a folding camp cushions with a strap-supported back and shooting from my knees rather than a seat. But mostly, at $99 on sale and free shipping, it seemed like a good deal for the money. When it arrives I’ll set it up and practice shooting out of it and if I’m not pleased, I’ll send it back and start over … so please keep your posts, opinions and photos coming. It’s all fun.

Thanksgiving P.S. It’s hardly a secret any more but revisionist history says there was no turkey meat at the original “turkey day” feast. But there were five deer! dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: EFOC with Wood? #35308

Aha!

[David Petersen]

in reply to: quiver #35306

Chris — this is a common theme or question among us, and it comes down largely to what size bow you’re shooting, how many arrows you want to carry, and personal aesthetical preference. Great Northern is perhaps the industry standard for strap-on bow quivers, though personally I prefer Thunderhorn, which, for about the same price, offers a lot more options and is more handsome too. I prefer the smallest and lightest one I can find, as I shoot small light bows. And while I used to remove the quiver on stand, I no longer do — rather I use green and red fletchings. I like the bit of extra weight and stability the quiver adds to the little Shrew and my homemade longbows. You will get lots of opinions here and maybe someone with a sharper memory than my own can direct you back to similar threads. dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Grunting 101 #34040

Thanks, Duncan. Sounds like a good primer for me there. I’ve rattled and grunted, but never with an established pattern. I’m sure that a realistic pattern is as important to calling deer as it is to elk. I’m always disgruntled when guys come into the elk woods with a bugle stuck into their mouths and seem to think the more and louder they blow it, the better, when in fact they are shutting up and scaring off the real bulls. I don’t want to make the same mistakes with deer. I’ll practice, and I’ll not overwork it in the field. Thanks, dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Boots For The Bold #34032

Frank — let us know how it works in the field. I think it’s beeswax with some other stuff in it. Can’t recall an odor but that could be important. MT Pitch Blend has a nice piney smell that doesn’t seem to bother game one whit. dp

[David Petersen]

in reply to: pop-up ground blinds #34026

Thanks, Amigos. I’ll check all of these out. Chad, I have long used a “half umbrella” in camo, which works just like the Apache only it’s lower. With no wind you can brush it in and it’s great. It can also be wrapped around a tree trunk to sit under in a rain. But in completely open situations the umby and Apache have the same problem: they hide you from only one direction and we can’t always predict which way game will come in. And the umby in a wind is impossible, wanting to become a drag parachute. I also have burlap camo which works great if there’s something to attach it to. But in this instance I need a full blind that can be set up with no structural support or natural cover within reach. I hate it, but there it is. Thanks again to you all and keep ’em coming. I probly won’t order until this weekend. dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: EFOC with Wood? #32935

Bounty Hunter — this is precisely the jig I could never once drill a straight hole with and finally threw away. How do you make it work? dave p

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Shot Placement Question #32934

Dave — I agree with Ireland to stick with your current very strong arrow setup. Obviously all anyone can do is guess and I know how even the shooter has trouble sorting out exactly what happened and what he was seeing in a few seconds of whirlwind activity. My guesses are as much questions and include: Was your broadhead shaving sharp with a good Tanto tip (which would eliminate or minimize skipping)? Was the buck in the process of turning when you shot, or standing stock still? A turning target will definitely limit penetration, as I experienced on a 5×5 bull I killed last year from 6 yards. I was lucky to get him with half-shaft, one-lung penetration and zero blood trail. On the latter topic, one of the many reasons I rarely use tree stands is my discomfort with shooting down at a steep angle, which radically complicates gett a double-lung and/or heard shot. With a high entrance wound, no exit wound and the arrow still in, I’m surprised you got any blood trail at all. What was the shot angle on the buck re elevation? Assuming any “fault” on your/the shooter’s part, which I always look hard at in my own failures, broadhead sharpness and shot angle would seem to be the two most obvious likely culprits, though neither of them may have come into play at this point. Losses will always happen but an Ashby setup definitely minimizes them as other recent posts here continue to demonstrate. Thanks for being honest about your loss and doing your best to sort it out. That’s all we can do at times. Great arrow setup, so that’s not it. Best luck, dave p

[David Petersen]

in reply to: First EFOC Deer Down #32920

M — congrats on your second deer! And indeed, as the Doc keeps encouraging us, small samples DO count for a lot when we all contribute them, as you have here, so that Ashby can add them to his stats. Filling out his report forms are particularly helpful (find them via the Ashby library). I’m just back from WV and was shocked at how open the hardwood forests are after leaf drop. But it sure was nice being able to hear deer coming from a distance — a totally new experience for me. Squirrels were a real problem and next time I hunt there I’ll carry a slingshot. I could have killed a fat doe at 8 yards but didn’t even see a good buck. I had only 2 days to hunt and am positive I could have scored a decent buck — my host was seeing them — if I’d had a bit more time. Cheers, dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Whitetail leg bone impact #32914

Jason — thanks for this excellent report, photos and speculations. I’m sure when Dr. Ashby makes it back here he’ll have further interpretations to offers. Once again, here is practical proof of what the Ashby Study tells us over and over again: “perfect arrow flight and placement are great, when they happen. But ethical bowhunters should prepare for the not-infrequent unseen limbs, bad releases or whatever may cause imperfect shots and unfortunate arrow placements. Another trad bowhunter I know just last night lost the biggest whitetail he’s ever put an arrow into, when he hit the scapula and the non-Ashby broadhead — a model with which he’s killed countless deer under better circumstances — failed to penetrate. One small correction: the red El Grande as pictured is 190 grains rather than 150. The new El Grande is black and 200 grains. Amazing heads, like an increasing number of others from enlightened manufacturers. Thanks again for sharing, dave p

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Kansas! #26689

TBM, aka “the magazine,” will want several photos to choose from and I doubt that posting here will make or break you getting a story published. That’s far more a function of how good a writer and storyteller you are, and the freshness of your material. “My first kill” stories are a hard sell, as there are so many of them. Again, while I write regularly for TBM I’m not on staff so this question is for TJ or Don T.

Re Kansas, while I’ve never hunted there I know lots of guys from here in CO who go there every late fall/early winter primarily to hunt pheasant. But because you can buy almost endless whitetail doe tags very cheap, they usually set aside a couple of days to load the truck with meat. I’ve had it, and don’t tell anyone I told you this, but to my taste a young KS doe is easily as good as elk. I also hear that while KS has some great bucks, they’re darn hard to come by with a bow. So you done good and will find great reward at the table, with or without a magazine article. dp

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