[David Petersen]

in reply to: Feather???? What Feathers!!!! #40021

Troy — What’s an “annal”? 😛

[David Petersen]

in reply to: who carrys a backup gun #40014

Only time I carry a handgun when hunting is along the AZ/Mex border, and I’ve never even come close to needing it. Of course I always have one in my truck and I always have one in a tent at night. Never needed one there either and hope I never do. I view the justification for a reasonable man to paack to be increased self-confidence. By knowing you have a “backup buddy” close at hand, you have the confidence to handle nasty situations in a way that keeps you from ever needing a gun. I think women should carry, always.

In general, I agree with grizzly guru and Vietnam Green Beret Doug Peacock, who says “I never pack a piece in grizzly country. It’s their bedroom and for me to come barging in armed would be rude. Now put me in a big city, and that’s when I feel the need to pack.”

[David Petersen]

in reply to: What Have You Forgotten? #40005

Last fall, on the evening I killed a bull, I realized I’d forgotten my new camera so have no “hero shots” from that hunt.

Three years ago I killed a bull on the last day of the season and realized I’d neglected to bring my belt knife … a Helle. Had to quarter the elk with my backup knife, overall length less than 4″. It too was a Helle blade and worked great, but the handle was small and thin and I couldn’t use my hands for about a week after that due to cramps.

Many years ago I left a Swiss Army knife sitting on a log some four miles up the mountain from home, blade open, where I’d stopped during an elk hunt for lunch. Next spring, after lying under our average 19′ snow here all winter, in turkey season I returned and there lay the knife right where I’d left it, the blade clean and shining like a mirror.

Most recently, when I killed a Coues buck this past January, once again I didn’t have my belt knife along that morning … and this time I didn’t have a backup either, so did the work with a Swiss Army knife … no, not the same one that sat out all winter long ago, which got lost again, this time permanently.

Once I drove to the trailhead without my bow, which I’d left lying on the target butt. Happily it was only a few miles.

All of this makes me realize, happily?, that I can’t blame all of my current forgetfulness on age alone, as I’ve always been dumb that way. 😛

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Noteable Quotes! #39994

Onward, through the fog … R. Crumb

[David Petersen]

in reply to: neat Ashby video #39025

You guys are killing me 😆

Gee, I hope that’s not the plan! 😯

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Feather???? What Feathers!!!! #38914

Smithhammer is going to be jealous of you guys!

But you have my applause.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Dave Petersen's new avatar #38907

Eat lots of …. elk. That’s my secret to prolonged youth. And hair implants of course (for me, not my wife who as you can see doesn’t need them). 😛

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Sharpening single bevel heads ? #38589

Thanks, Ron. For those who don’t already know, Ron Swartz is “Sharpster,” owner of KME Sharpeners. While Sharpster never flogs his own products in this forum, the KME knife sharpener is the finest, fastest, and most precision single-bevel sharpener I’ve discovered. For one thing it allows you to adjust the clamp that sets the edge angle to any angle you might want. Most single bevels today are 25 degrees. While the scale on the sharpening jig is accurate, I also eyeball for a pricise bevel match before clamping it down. For double-bevel heads the KME broadhead sharpener is the ticket. dp

[David Petersen]

in reply to: "The Grey" #35978

Tailfeather — I’ve given up. The link works for a while, then locks us out again. I have, via an intermediary, contacted the producer three times and he’s got it working three times … briefly. His name is Eric Temple and if you google “eric temple edward abbey” you might come up with a way to contact him directly or get a different, friendlier link. If I’d know it would be so cranky I’d not have posted it. There are three or four excellent Abbey programs out there, and this is the only one I’ve found that’s downloadable. Maybe someone with better internet skills than mine (that’s almost anybody) can straighten this out. Sorry …

[David Petersen]

in reply to: ghost grizzlies DP #35068

Mike, thanks for your generous review of the book. If your friend was hunting what today is the S. San Juan Wilderness, or anywhere around there, to Platoro and below, he darn well could have seen a grizzly. The “last” CO grizzly was killed with a hand-held arrow in 1979. That very old female had nursed cubs, and there had to have been a male grizz for that. So nearly a decade before the “Wiseman bear” was killed there had to have been at least two and maybe as many as five grizz in that area alone. Even today, having gone round the corner and now being a doubter that any grizz are left here, to hike and hunt alone through that country is a very special feeling, truly still haunted by ghost grizzlies. Also loaded with elk. 😀 Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Fantastic Armguard #35034

Got mine yesterday. Here are a couple of snapshots. This thing is seriously “overbuilt” by today’s standards (like EFOC arrows :P). That’s to say, the quality is vintage, built for multiple lifetimes of rugged use. Excellent leather with rawhide sandwiched between so that the design, in this case a monster deer track, isn’t merely painted or stamped on, but is heavy rawhide showing through “windows” in the top piece of leather. So essentially it’s three thicknesses, though it quickly adapted to my forearm and holds the form. The buttons you hook the wrist straps over are buffalo nickels. While flashier knife handles are available, I actually intend to hunt with this thing so requested a dark wood handle (Honduran rosewood) to blend in better. The guard is wide enough that the knife can ride atop the arm, well out of string’s way. And it’s deer-skinning sharp. Just gorgeous all around, and at $145 no “bargain” by modern standards. Surely Tim could sell more “units” if he backed off on the “excess” quality a bit in order to lower the price, but I hope he never does and doubt he ever will. Do I “need” a fancy armguard with knife? No. But I’m sure tickled to have it and plan to pass it along to my grandson, with my favorite Shrew and other hunting heirlooms. I’ve never met Tim but his Farr West Leathers will have a booth at PBS in Portland next month and we’ll shake hands then. This level of “excess” quality is as rare today as an honest politician.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: A long look at fletching and EFOC #34085

What? BHFOC? Exploring unchartered territory? Trying to “fix something that ain’t broke”? Heresy! I’m betting the Trilateral Commission is involved in this unAmerican, unGodly fondness for exploring new ground and having fun with it … “they” are up there, hiding above the dark clouds in black helicopters! 😛 “It’s not paranoia when they’re really after you.” 😯

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Who Hunts Alone Most of the Time? #34011

I’m right in there with you guys, though age makes me increasingly more sociable, win or lose. Most of my hunting life I hunted and camped alone. Part of the reason, I suppose, was that there just weren’t many other trad bowhunters around, and narrow that down more to those with a general worldview to share around the proverbial campfire. These days I”m far more sociable about camping, but still hunt alone. Only very very rarely is there any benefit in having two or more people actively hunting together, unless of course one is guiding/mentoring the other. So I still hunt almost exclusively alone, and am about 2/3 camping alone and 1/3 with a friend, very rarely more than one friend at a time. As much as I love the company and conversation, I tend to “have way too much fun” at the campfire with a friend, that is stay up too late and drink too much, which doesn’t really help when the alarm goes off in the dark cold morning. When camping alone I still drink at night but not nearly so much, and I’m often in bed very early. Like almost everything else in life, I see no “best way” here. Camping with established friends is great fun. Camping alone is among the most self-revealing and spiritual experiences we can have these days, esp. if you have some real backcountry to be alone in. To own his each. 😉

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Movable nocking point #32852

Great info, Jason! Can’t believe I’ve never picked up on that. So far as I can recall, all mine, since they were invented, had black rubber grippers, and I’ve not seen the other colors advertised, though I don’t spend much time perusing supplier websites and catalogs. With the ongoing shift to thinner FF strings (I’m shooting an 8-strand and there are 6-stranders out there) the blue nocks could become more common. Although, due I presume to complaints about standard arrow nocks coming off the skinny strings, and/or thin strings being uncomfy even with a shooting glove, lately it seems the top-end makers of skinny strings (like SBD) are wrapping the servings thicker to compensate. So far I’ve had no problems with the blacks, but this is an interesting tidbit to learn at this late stage, thanks.

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Short Bows #32742

Hey Kathryn, welcome to the Shrew Crew! I have a K-Mag too, but one is enough since I just can’t keep my hands off the Classic Hunter. I have no doubts there are other shorts bows, recurves and r/d reflexes both, that are in the same remarkably low-for-quality price range, look as cool and perform as well as the newer Shrews (those built by Java Man, which covers the past several years), yet different forms “speak” to different people in different ways. For me, the best word to describe what I personally get from Shrews that I don’t, or not nearly so much, from others including those I make myself, is soul. Darn, I’d sure like to make K-zoo again. Maybe next year. Dave

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