[David Petersen]

in reply to: Let's See Your Fletching #23230

Jim, welcome back. I’ve never had trouble breaking self-nocks, unless they’re hit by another arrow in practice. The front ends, however, are still at significant risk of breaking behind a 300-grain head, which is all I shoot any more. The splines help but don’t cure the problem and the risk is too great, I’ve decided, to be shooting any softwood shaft with a heavy head at elk. So this year I’m back to CE carbon shafts behind a total 475 point weight and no worries. I’ve been shooting blunts that weight into burned trees so hard the arrows bounce back rather than penetrating, and no damage whatsoever to shafts so far. Again, I must reluctantly say that if you want EFOC with shaft strength you’re talking carbon, period. Some hardwood shafts can take the shock of a 300-grain head, but they weigh so much as to seriously reduce FOC, plus total arrow weight gets real high.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Let's See Your Fletching #22201

OK, big wind blowing and rain on the way, so I’m taking a break from the evening hunt (after four nights in a row out and nothing much doing just yet). Since you’ve shown me yours, I’ll show you mine: 4×3″ NC wild turkey, kilt and cut by Steve Graf. Shafts are Sitka spruce splined at both ends with hardwood for strength, and self-nocked.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: flemishbowstrings.com #62072

For the most part a string is a string. It’s the material you choose far more than the maker. That said, in our little trad world, I will always go with a “custom” maker, that is Ma or Pa, rather than a big supplier where you have no idea where they get the stuff they sell. Aside from having a name, face and reputation to associate with the products, it has always struck me as the right thing to do in our minority situation … support the little guys and gals who support us and us only. IMO …

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Another Noisy Recurve #62069

Assuming it’s the string slapping the limbs where they meet the recurved tips, try padding with self-sticking felt etc., same stuff you’d use for a shelf rest. And/or try a softer string, like Dacron. Or likely best of all, get a new bow. One of the many advantages of the hybrid deflex-reflex longbows is that they spread the “recurve” effect throughout the limbs rather than bunching it at the tips, thus are generally far quieter. I had a Martin once, many years ago, before I discovered that even a used custom bow, well made, is far better than a new factory bow. IMO

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Catskills base camp fun! #60882

Alex, please clue us in on the “silent” piano??? You hear it through headphones only?

Raining here. Still very few elk down at this altitude but I walked into a wall of fresh elk scent last evening, 200 yards from cabin while stumping, and it got me instantly fired-up. On today’s walk the dogs immediately got into a sow with two big two-year-old cubs that have been hanging down low and don’t seem afraid of people, and certainly not afraid of two old dogs. Dogs were bad but bears were good. One cub went up and down a tree several times while the other stuck with mom, who stood her ground and vocalized but didn’t charge the dogs. I was able to get them away before any fur flew. They were still standing there as we walked away. I should have been packing bear spray … for the dogs.

Do they have campground bears in the Daks? 😛 Sleep well.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: kme sharpener and tuffheads #59693

Well, then. It would seem that since angle scales on sharpeners are approximate at best, and continually confuse users, we’d all be better off to quit even putting inaccurate scales on sharpeners and simply instruct users to match the angle of the sharpener to the bevel of the object to be sharpened. As Julia Child’s often said, a scale that’s off ain’t no scale atall. But then she was drinking wine and I’m on my second beer after a fruitful day of firewood cutting.

More seriously, while the beveled edges of a double-bevel are so darn thin–almost invisible on thin-blade heads–it could be challenging to match the sharpener to the bevel. But all quality single-bevels have thick steel and an obvious shelf angle that’s super easy to use as a gauge to set the sharpener angle. And even easier if we follow Ron’s advice to coat the bevel shelf with ink in order to detect precisely the angle of attack of the sharpener.

This hunting-prep stage is SO much easier than actual hunting, no wonder we always get excited about it. 😀

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Best Natural Cover Scents #59688

Kingwouldbe seems to do pretty darn well on hogs, using cigar smoke. And ain’t no nose like a piggy snout.

There are two basic kinds of scent: First is immediate and airborne and can be managed only by trying to stay downwind of game … which is easier said than done since we rarely know where the game is (thus “hunting”) and second because the wind shifts. Second is residual scent that we leave behind us from contact with vegetation and the ground. This is the one most hunters–who spend most of our time sitting in ambush, tree or ground, in the same small areas over and over through the season–neglect. Let it build up and the game learns we are there when they come by at night and we’re not there. In other words wind scent is momentary, while residual scent works against us for hours or days at a time. Staying clean and doing all we can to eliminate spreading scent to vegetation and ground that we pass frequently, that’s the only remedy. I tromp in wild poop and keep my free hand in my pocket, then sit on a foam pad. It seems to work pretty well.

So far as packing a skunk, I’ve found that eating raw skunk works even better and you don’t have to pack it. I prefer young females.:P

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Elk water #58145

Shane, “it depends.” The only way you’ll be able to determine if elk are drinking there is to check for tracks. There are so many variables, including not just water quality but exposure/security, proximity to an alternate water source, presence of desirable minerals as Clay suggests, hunting or other human pressure. There’s simply no predicting without checking. While I have never seen elk drink from a shallow mud wallow, which they always pee in, I have seen bulls wallow in the same spring pools they they and other elk drink from. But those have flow-through to clean them up. Go have a look and good luck.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: B and C #56409

Thanks, Shane. Wow, it’s almost as if the author of this is a tradbow.com member, so clearly does he or she echo our majority sentiments. Not even P&Y (who have done nothing but cave in to technology for years now), but B&C. In this case at least, the rifles are ahead of the “bows” in seeing and owning-up to the truth.

So far as “numbers” and what good would they do? First, as the B&C statement points out, they become irrelevant unless we specify numbers for every rifle caliber, scope, etc. (and same for “bows”). Indeed it’s the shooter’s intent more than the weapon or distance. However, some form of formal “official” statement on max ethical ranges, or max ranges acceptable for trophy book entries, might at least keep magazines from proffering the “farther the shot, the better” BS they’ve been spewing in recent years. One techy compound-device rag, a year or so ago, had a cover banner “If you’re not regularly making 50-yard shots, here are some tips.” That establishes 50 yards as the minimum you should be “competent” at.

Regarding the compounders shooting craps at a recent shoot–take away their range-finders and they are babies with no diapers and poop all over their butts.

To paraphrase a well-known Dire Straits tune: “That ain’t huntin’!” That ain’t even archery.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: kme sharpener and tuffheads #55353

If I recall, I have been busted on this view by Ron himself. But as one who has owned and used both the KME broadhead and knife sharpeners, I find the “knife” sharpener far easier and more effective for single-bevels, and the broadhead sharpener best for double-bevel heads. But I have been told I am odd, so who knows. In any event talking with Ron is always informative and fun. Just don’t plan to be done in 5 minutes. 😀 Guys like Ron and Joe of Tuffhead/Vintage and Greg Coffey of Java Man Bows and many more in the trad world–guys who love their work as a craftsman loves his craft, and love their customers like friends or family–offer a welcome antidote to the evils of modern capitalism and industry and take us happily back to when pride in your work, not greed for profit, drove American craftsmanship.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Broadheads #52951

Good points, Jay. I am anxious to learn the proven facts about “the many valid reasons for multiblade heads as there are for two-blade designs” that you mention. Ashby’s work and my own experiences, and that of many others I’ve talked with, provide the evidence for two-blade superiority. I’m hoping you will now educate me and us about the proven advantages of multi-blades over two-blades? I try to keep an open mind. Thanks

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Broadheads #51471

x 3 what ColMike said. There are also several Ashby articles over the years in TBM, some of which are quick-read summaries of the extensive research.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: cow calls #51468

Shane, IMO you can’t beat a diaphragm, if you can master it. First, you can hold it in your mouth and keep calling as an elk approaches, without needing a hand. Second, you can get a lot more tones out of it than from a reed call. Third, you can control the volume better. And you can bugle as well as cow chirp, though I generally caution against that. But lots of folks can’t get the hang of a diaphragm. Elk get wise to the consistent sounds of various calls right away. To beat that, stay away from whatever call is most popular at the time and carry two or three different types and switch around. For years the Skeery was the “best,” but so many of us have used one over the years that most elk now are savvy. As you noted, no matter the call, the primary thing is to not over-call. Always have a set-up and strategy before calling, and never just stroll through the woods tweeting.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: "Hanging out" with a deer #47298

Well done!

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Deer Farming #44037

The comments and emotions expressed by you gentlemen here offer a bright hint of hope that there still remains some minority hope for sanity in this self-terminating human-made world. We could do worse than “Embrace your outrage” as a guiding philosophy.

[Author]

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