[David Petersen]

in reply to: My Elkheart has arrived!! #49852

Alex — What bow? All I see is a tree. In fact that’s a pretty uniformly light colored tree. I think the camo will be even more impressive, i.e. invisible, in the real woods with it’s various shades and shadows. There are lots of nicely camoed bows around these days but what makes this pattern so special is that it’s not painted or dyed on but simply the way this wood, specially angle-cut as it is, reacts to a uniform dark stain to produce its patterns and colors. You’ll also like the cool little–tiny but highly effective–string silencers Gregg has started using. Not that you’ll need them.

FYI, the elk are just now breaking up their big cow herds that have been camping in the open in green grass pastures for the past month … moving uphill and splitting up for calving. This is Carolyn’s least favorite time of year, when she has to walk the dogs on leash. They are good dogs, but with calves popping out everywhere we take no chances.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Barta in a high fence? #49839

Rupe — It’s likely a combo of three things:

1. Little or no support here for canned killing under and circumstances.

2. No disabled canned killers available to respond to you.

3. Thread topics tend to run their course and end. Someone always has to be the final poster.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Help with bow finish. #48701

Rupe — I’ve tried just about everything on wood bows I’ve made in the past, and have come to believe that both practically and “spiritually” a good rubbing with tung oil is the way to go. It protects the wood without adding gloss, making for a lovely yet flat finish so it won’t glint.

Clay Hayes and several others here have far more experience in this arena, so let’s hope they see your question.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Does altitude affect arrows? #47971

Indeed, once in a while when I’m hunting at tree line my arrows get dizzy the moment I release them and soon fall down. 😆 I find that wood arrows have more altitude issues than carbon, especially if I use low-altitude woods like POC.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: FOC Evolution… #46845

Bruce — You can up the front weight and FOC by using heavier internals, far cheaper than heavier heads. If you’re hunting elk and a student of the Ashby study, you need to get total arrow weight to at least 650 before worrying a lot about FOC. I personally go for 700 minimum and my average elk arrow is 790-810 or so. I have proven to myself through experience, good and bad, that up to a point, weight indeed counts most. The sweet fix for you is if you can add front weight via internals enough to get total weight up to 650, at the same time increasing FOC … all with the same shafts you already have. 28.5″ doesn’t leave you much to work with unless you draw less than 28″. My el cheapo CE 350s provide an amazingly wide range of spine, which makes it all real easy. It’s woodies that continue to be a challenge, thus more fun.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Making fletches! #46834

Steve (et al) — Do you find fletching made from wild turkey feathers as good as commercial? I made some years ago and the feathers were sort of soft and just didn’t last very long. Goose feathers were even worse. But I don’t rule out my inexperience as the primary fault.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: best fletching jig? #46830

Another vote for the Bohning as “most for the least.” $40 is the most I’ve seen anyone charge for one. Saw them at Kalamazoo for $30. I got mine used a decade ago and it will outlast my young grandson.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Steel Master Broadhead Sharpener #46829

This is another reason for straight-edged broadheads. Concave are really difficult to get properly sharp as you can’t use an standard sharpening tools on them. Convex blades tend to wear down toward flat, most often unevenly, potentially affecting flight.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: River Monsters #44332

I hear they are delicious sautéed in red wine.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Getting in shape #41979

When I’m into serious upper-body strength training, like now, I increase the weight from American pints to British pints and double the reps in my daily bow-arm-curling workout. I’m so gung-ho on staying in top shape that I even continue my grueling daily workout when I’m gone hunting. It helps! 😆

[David Petersen]

in reply to: All these new bows,, guess I better show mine #41122

Show off! 😛 I really like the stippling on the hand grip. The slickness of the grip on compound bows, before bowyers (some) started wrapping them, was always a problem for me when wearing gloves. I once actually bought a bow because it had stippling like yours, which is both lovely and functional. Good work.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: woodies 101 #41118

Clay — You nailed it. I lost your vid after the feather burning and assumed it was just a really short seg. Second time through I got it all, thanks.

Do you, or anyone else here, having any experience in harvesting and using elk back sinew … is it any different than deer? You are a bad influence, making me think primitive thoughts. 😆

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Noise, wheels and getting around. #41110

This is a Pandora’s box you’ve opened, Jim. Back when I was fighting the motorized takeover of public “wild” lands and wildlife and fish habitat as a “professional” for Trout Unlimited, and as deeply involved in this battle as it’s possible to get without stringing the piano wire, we started hearing about the future of electric ATVs, dirt bikes, etc. and discussing how to react. On the one hand, yes indeed it’s the noise that most disturbed quiet-use outdoors folk, even as studies have shown that the noise of approaching ATVs moves elk sooner, faster and farther than any other form of human travel through the backcountry, etc. So by getting rid of the noise the industry will have solved a major problem … only to create new and more difficult problems for the natural world, including muscle-powered humans. For one thing, they could better “sneak up” on game to shoot at with obscenely long shots, rifle or bow. For another it presents a huge trail-safety problem for horsemen and hikers and bicyclists and wildlife … and the motorheads themselves, given the excess speeds most travel at most of the time, hills and curves in trails … you get the picture. But the most worrisome of all is what you have hinted at, Jim — the politics of the motor alliance being able to say “OK, so we got ride of the noise you always complain about. Now leave us alone!” The only realistic and lasting cure is to close all motorized trails on public lands, period. If they prefer to ride in the open, rain, dust, etc. on designated forest roadways rather than the comfort of a vehicle, no problem. But when we leave the roads and get onto “backwoods” trails, it’s muscles only. Fat chance that happening.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: woodies 101 #40808

Hey Clay —

Good videos, thanks for posting. I watched all three but you weren’t quite finished with the arrows. For instance you didn’t show wrapping the self nocks. I’ve made self nocks on several batches of arrows but the only ones I was totally happy with were compressed oak, which is so darned hard I didn’t have to wrap ’em at all. Otherwise I use fake sinew and dip it when done. But it’s nearly impossible to not get a little bump where it’s tied off, and I worry the wrap will not pass over a shelf as smoothly as a plastic nock. But then some plastic nocks for glue-on are big gat things that would be worse. Anyhow I’d like to see how you do it. Is a part 4 forthcoming?

Question: What sort of saw is that you use to cut the nock notch? It’s clearly a round cable type blade maybe in a coping saw frame? I either use a hacksaw or the band saw then widen it with a thin file. Your way looks faster and cleaner.

Last question: The fletching glue you’re using has a creamy color like wood glue rather than being clear like all fletching cements. What’s the deal there?

Thanks again, Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: On The Wild Edge #39316

Steve — Good to have you back … and Clay Hayes too. Two missing persons found! Stick around this time.

As it happens, “On the Wild Edge” has been out for a few years. After a long spell of no new books, I have one coming out next month, sort of a sequel to “A Man Made of Elk,” called “Going Trad.” And another one yet, a lot more serious in subject, “The Good Hunt,” mid to late summer. After that my bucket is empty of hunting topics but I’d like to do another book on elk natural history, management, politics, etc. We’ll see. Writing keeps me from going even more insane than already in winter. Rest of the year I’d rather be outdoors doing anything, even napping in the shade, than indoors doing anything. Well, almost anything. 😆

[Author]

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