[David Petersen]

in reply to: Tuffhead testing #46475

Jim, what would be most interesting is a photo showing the damage to the various other heads, as well as the indestructible one! One of the most informative parts of Ashby’s research are the photos of damaged and destroyed heads. By looking at how they are designed, you can pretty well guess beforehand where they will fail. As a military man you fully understand how much fun there can be in gratuitously destroying things! 😛

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Paleo Site #43175

1shot — Now that’s a truly primitive head. Either it’s super old, or was made by a 5-year-old. What is the name of your stone point ID guide book? I didn’t know such a thing exists. I just picked up a piece of local quartzite on the dog walk today and plan to destroy it in a crude attempt to see if I can get a sharp edge.

I’m also enjoying this thread a lot, and learning more than a little. Thanks for starting it up, Paleo, and thanks to all.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: lessons learned #43165

Mike– your last line sure sums up my time in the Corps! 😯

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Carbon in longbows #37928

Maybe Mr. Coffey will correct me here if I’m mistaken, but seems I recall that he considered both carbon and foam cores as fads and no longer uses them in his Java Man bows, except perhaps by special request.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Foiled by darkness! #37925

A tough call but a wise and ethical decision, Bill. Years ago I quit staying out until last light, for the very reason you stated–not wanting to have to trail an elk after dark, when chances are excellent, given elks’ ability to turn off the blood flow no matter how vital the wound, that you won’t make a recovery that night. And I learned from the first elk I killed with a bow that you can’t leave them out overnight like you sometimes can deer, without losing the downside meat, at the least, to souring. So you done right and your elk karma is strengthened!:lol: Last night I had a spike bull try to run over me, perhaps because I was sitting “Zenlike” in his trail of choice. Of course, at this point I’m in overtime, hunting on a cow tag. Best luck, Bill.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Introduction of new member #34107

Welcome, Paul. We’ll forgive the shady company you keep. 😆 Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: AR opener… #34106

Oops! I made two assumptions with just a glance. I should have looked closer. No wonder the antlers are so big! It’s still a dandy buck taken with an impressive weapon. I have hunted whitetails twice in AR and never had a shot op. Deer everywhere but during rut the big ones in particular seem to go nocturnal. But great rolling hardwoods and fun hunting, just tough.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: EFOC & Tuffhead combo #33393

Guys, your experience echoes my own with elk, several times over, and that of others I’ve talked to and who have posted here. Doug Krueger killed his first trad elk this year and commented that the entry wound was “a big round hole” as opposed to the usual arrow slit. Even on entry the single-bevel is spinning. A double-bevel cuts like a knife, while a spinning single-bevel cuts like a knife mounted on a high-speed drill! Splits bone and homogenizes soft tissues. All those who argue against this new-ancient technology without trying it are just plain … stubborn.

As we continue to experience the truth and wisdom and (my primary concern in all of this) humanity-by-lethality of all that Doc Ashby has taught us, let’s never forget the tremendous insults he had to absorb for decades and in some circles still today. Thanks again, Ed!

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Looking for compressed cedar shafts #33387

Alex, let me know what you get and how they work out for you.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: AR opener… #33385

Dan — I’ve hunted Coues several years, killed two, and quit temporarily to protest the growing baiting problem — solved now! thanks in large part to sportsmen, mostly trad bowhunters, who wrote and complained. Anyhow, I know well what a tough hunt the Coues is, right there with pronghorn for the toughest trad bowhunt I know of. And if you’re doing it the “easy” way, over water, the Coues is much harder. You have my respect, and especially using that 20-foot bow! Great work.Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Tradgang closing free classifieds… #33172

Thanks, Robin. Hearing that from you means a lot to me, esp. right now, and I presume you are referring to the fact that I haven’t forced you to delete me too awful many times. 😀

Our rules of decorum prevent me, or anyone, from wailing on other sites in explicit terms, but I will say that the lack of a single dignified, civil bowhunting site is what motivated me to pitch in and help get this one going. The reward has been seeing how many truly great trad bowhunters, people, there are out there. So thank you.

Our classified have always been radically underused. More leads to more, so use this free service any time you can.

Time for the evening hunt. I almost lowered the string on a prime cow last night, when a herd of grouse exploded all around her and end of story. Oddest way I’ve ever had a hunt spoiled and the first grouse I’ve seen since season opened. Murphy never sleeps. 🙄 Try again tonight (I’m in overtime, like last year, with a private land cow tag, having lost most of either-sex archery season to rain and pain. With good meds and good weather, it’s more fun out there now than the entire month of Sept., except that bugling is sporadic at best.)

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Paleo Site #31215

1shot — you are right about it being tough to ID a head by the point without the base. And this one will be even tougher since another ID of Clovis besides the fluted base is over-shot flaking, which is common to Clovis and no other type, yet like fluting not absolute. This head has what I would call semi-over-shot flaking! Here’s a cross-section of the broken base:

[David Petersen]

in reply to: New vids on woodsmanship, etc. #30000

Well done, Clay! If you got a light enough waterproof tarp, you could pack it as standard gear in your hunting pack and never have to worry about getting stuck out all night in nasty weather and dying of hypothermia.

But I have to wonder, with the only floor being the parts of the tarp that tuck under/inside, how waterproof is it in a prolonged hard rain and wind? Also, if the door only ties at the bottom, which is how I saw it, that could be a problem in windy wet weather. Maybe a couple more grommets in those panels to allow for lacing tighter shut? Finally, what are the inside dimensions? With most lightweight tents and tarps, if your bod comes in contact with the material in a rain, it will leak at that point. So I’d want the minimal size tarp that would make a shelter big enough to stretch out in without touching, and also fit my pack into. Finally, I’d use a rock for a hammer (or my head) and leave the hatchet at home.

This is such a cool idea that as soon as you advise on these details I’m going to make one and give it a test sleep-over.

I’m really glad you’re working on this good project with BHA, Clay. So far as I’m concerned, when it comes to practical woodsmanship skills (that is, not primitive for the love of primitive, but everyday useful skills), you be da man! You should adapt this to a “Primitive Skills” article for TBM with photos and sketches to further clarify. Keep ’em coming. Uncle Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: MREs #29993

Mike’s experience dwarfs my own (and I’m SO happy it was him and not me!:P). In fact my only experience with MREs was several years ago on a 10-day fly-in caribou camp in AK. My partner and I had MREs and Mountain House backpacking meals. I much preferred the MREs because all you had to do was pull a string and in no time the meal was steaming hot … whereas dehydrated meals require a stove to boil water. Best I recall I was surprised how tasty the MREs were. But then, hunger is the best sauce. The plus side is that they are fast, nearly instant, and require no cooking gear or fire. The down sides are that even though we weren’t that physically active (damn whitesox and skeets and noseeums kept us in our tents except when it was raining), it took two to make a meal. Since they’re not dehydrated they are heavy if you need at least four a day, so not great for backpacking. But for car camping, no problem. Finally, while I haven’t checked prices lately they were pricey compared to Mountain House last time I checked. If you really want to be lazy about cooking, and I sure understand that, I’d go with a combo of MREs, dehydrated, plus fruit, trail mix, etc. as suggested above. Another good idea, if you can find someplace to sell you a single MRE, is try them before you’re stuck with ’em. For car camping I don’t feel that heating a can of Hatch green chili stew or some hearty soup or chili is too much hassle–just eat out of the pan, rinse the pan out with hot water and you have a cheap and satisfying meal. I’ve always felt that Hatch green chili stew (medium is spicy, for a reference) is the best thing you can get to eat in a can. Alas, tonight I have to eat birthday cake (a friend, not me, as I never age) when I should be up on the mountain feeling hungry after a long day of elking. Tomorrow for that!

[David Petersen]

in reply to: The 2013 Season Bulletin Board #28593

For some reason I can’t seem to post both photos in the same post. Here’s the rest of the family …

[Author]

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