Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
in reply to: Just a thought (on technology)… #40147
Jim, I can’t quite decipher your meaning here (too much coffey?), but way too often the “more effective thus more humane” potential advantages of big rifles and compound devices is erased and then some by the ever-growing sickness of longer and longer shots. And with compounds, those longer shots are facilitated almost always by light arrows and mechanical or other inferior broadheads … the net result being more wounding loss, not increased efficiency/humanity. If there were some way to absolutely assure that compounders never took shots over 40 yards and used effective arrow set-ups, then I would join the ranks of “live and let live.” It’s going just the other way, so, if I were your hypothetical deer looking for a fast efficient death at the hands of a hunter, as things now stand I’d have to put my faith in the guy who chooses to hunt with a stickbow or an iron-sighted rifle, as I would know that he intends to get close and do it right, and that he has chosen a weapon that demands he get close, thus for that one, the hunt means more than the kill. Right now I am convinced that the shooters of the “most efficient” weapons are responsible for an overwhelming majority of wound losses. Just my take from here …
in reply to: String silencer placement #40036Kevin, it’s not my “message” that got lost in translation, but rather my inept attempt at humor. 😕
in reply to: Favorite AMO for hunting? #39102Length is a bonus in some aspects of life (or so I hear), but not in bowhunting. My first real bow, with which I killed my first two deer as a teen, was a 48″ recurve. For several years now I’ve been shooting 54″ reflex/deflex longbows. For a while I had a 52″ (now owned by ColMike) and it too was a sweatheart. I have lost shot ops with longer bows due to their inherent clumsiness. With the short-bow design technology introduced by Ron LeClair and Gregg Coffey and others in recent years, most or all of the advantages to longer bows–smoother draw, less hand shock, forgiveness of imperfect releases, string noise–have been neutralized. I’ve never shot a more user-friendly bow in my life than the series of Shrew Classic Hunters and now Java Man Elkhearts I have owned. That said, I hunted last season and will again this year with a 62″ Osage selfbow, simply because it’s on my bucket list to kill an elk with a selfbow. After that it’s back to the shorties.
in reply to: String silencer placement #38750Ah yes, fellers, I’m still to learn to re-read my posts before dumping them on the world. Of course “wood” was a typo. What I really meant say was “elk ears.” I find that a complete elk ear on each end of the string takes 100% of the noise out. 😛
As I was just reminded by Smithy’s thread in this forum, the little squares of felted wool that Java Man uses and which work so well for me are made by Two Track. It’s a company that makes felted wool clothing and is usually at Kzoo. Expensive but minimal size, very effective and so far indestructible. I use them on my Osage longbow as well as my Java Man.
in reply to: BHA Get-Together > Boise #38740Several faces there I recognize–especially good to see Larry there. But your appearance remains a mystery, Bruce (and probably just as well :P). A few years ago I happened to be in Boise on TBM business when the ID BHA had their organizational meeting and elected officers. A strong group, as befits a tough state politically.
This reminds me to brag on CO BHA’s latest feat … meat for another thread.
in reply to: String silencer placement #37606From a post on a previous thread, by RI Swamp Yankee:
“The science suggests the harmonic nodes on a bowstring would be highest (most noise) at the 1/3 and 1/4 points; thus you hear a lot of suggestions to use either/or both of those points. I’d suggest that’s a good place to start, but there is no escaping the fact that you need to invest the time and effort to fine tune from those starting point locations. Nocking points, finger placement, serving size, yarn wraps etc all contribute to changing the location of those harmonic nodes. Just like with an arrow spine calculator, the science is a great place to start, but archery is more art than science in my opinion and the user needs to get involved (do the work).”
My bowyer, Gregg Coffey, started placing very small wool silencers in these locations and it worked so well across a variety of bow designs that I tried it and now it’s my standard. But experimentation in all aspect of tuning and archery is fun, and like RI suggests, start there and then experiment. Except for some poorly designed bows and/or shooting arrows too light, you can tune an easy majority of string twang out without silencers. I find a strap-on bow quiver also helps.
in reply to: new elkheart #36569Perfecto! Now all it needs is some dried blood on it, preferably not your own. 😀
Being a long-draw bowhunter has always been a detriment in that it requires a longer bow. But this new generation of short superbows, pioneered by Shrew and perfected by Mr. Javaman, goes a long ways to equalize things. You were already too good a hunter. Now I’ll be really jealous. 😛
in reply to: End of Season #36455I sure can empathize, David. Every year after our parallel deer and elk seasons end, I have a few weeks of what I can only describe as withdrawals: no sweating or trembling, but constant pacing around, inability to focus, excess energy to deal with. And it doesn’t matter whether I killed or not, it’s still the same.
As much as most of us would jump at the chance to hunt all year, I do think it’s human nature to appreciate more what we sometimes can’t get. October’s a long time coming from here, and September (for me) ain’t much sooner. If we had cottontails here that would be my methadone. But they’ve been in a slump cycle for years. Tough on me and the other coyotes. 😆 Get yourself over to Kzoo!
in reply to: Coyote on Deer #35251Speaks for itself …
in reply to: Arrow spine foc #35116Doug — I’d check with Gregg Coffey for recommendations; I’m sure he gets asked all the time and can get you in the ballpark.
Meanwhile, you said last night you were shooting pretty good with your current arrows, off a tad but grouping. If these are carbons I would play around with point weight to see if you can make them work. Doesn’t sound like you’re far off target, so to speak. If you’re real lucky you might find you’re a bit light up front and with a heavier head you won’t need new arrows. (Although the new bow is lighter, speed differences can be an equalizer.) That’s the joy of carbons … so very easy to experiment with. Of course you can do the same with woods; that’s why they invented heat glue. Again, congrats on a great choice in bow and woods. You should post a pic here to make us jealous. 😛
in reply to: Noteable Quotes! #34850Thanks for the link, David. A great way to start the day. And a perfect duo, as Iris in many ways is the female John Prine.
😀
in reply to: Noteable Quotes! #34061DWC and Duncan– I should have added that even when drunk, Prine never missed a beat and if anything, he was even better (because more relaxed?). In that place and time and situation, a merely beer-high performer was a relative saint, considering that most were down the tubes on smack or coke. While I’ve never cared for his hairdo, Prine remains a personal favorite musical philosopher, and about as “traditional” as a longtime celebrity musician can be. It’s a hard life, I hear.
in reply to: how good is good enough? #33644Solo — You don’t learn to play guitar by going straight to jazz. For a new trad shooter 30 yards is not a reasonable goal to be shooter for. Some veterans can handle that quite well but they are an exception. Thus, the near universal self-imposed max of 20 yards. Getting close IS trad hunting. First make sure your gear is perfectly tuned, then start at 15 yards and stay with that until you’re so consistent it’s boring with a 6″ bull. Then move back to 20 and, IMO, put all future effort into perfecting shots from all angles and positions, out of breath, etc. real hunting conditions, at 20. I wouldn’t take a 30 yard shot at a world record bull standing broadside. That’s not the trad game. IMHO
in reply to: Cabin fever….whose got it? #31738Now Wayne, what would make you think that? There’s plenty of entertainment here in winter. For instance, I just came in from lying on my back on ice to put chains on the truck so maybe I can get it back up to the road. There’s always firewood to haul from the big pile by wheelbarrow, or plastic sled if the snow’s too deep and soft for wheels, to the porch pile. Ashes to haul, snow to move from one place to another. Wife to fuss with in the claustrophobic cabin, dogs to kick … and my love/hate relationship with this computer.
Aha! I just came to the base of your accusations of cabin fever: Bruce and I are on here far more than during the fall! 😆 And I’ve been dreaming out loud about AZ. Yup, I must got it.
But then, I’m nowhere near bored enough to go bowfishing through the ice! Besides, the biggest thing I might get a shot at on the local lake is a 20″ brown trout.
in reply to: Great Coues Hunts #31437Paleo– You nailed it, according to bios I’ve talked with. Since the Pleistocene, the Coues’ primary or only predators have been mountain lions and until man shot them out, jaguars (a few are returning). Cover is sparse, water is sparse, so they are at greatest risk of ambush by a cat at water and have adapted accordingly. To the contrary, they like to walk along open ridges and show themselves off. Nobody has told them about rifles. Back to the water, I’ve seen them take nearly an hour, circling and watching, to come in. But once they commit the often as not just trot in and drink with no further overdue nervousness, like “Let’s just get this over with and get out of here!” If 1shot is not hunting over water, well, I’ve not yet had enough experience to try that. Next time, maybe.
-
AuthorPosts
