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in reply to: Taking pics after dark #12576
I can’t determine the problem exactly from your post, but it sounds as if you’re describing “red eye”–the glare from the retina that occurs when you use flash on a subject whose pupils are naturally dialated because of darkness. If this is the case, check your camera and its manual. Most “point-and-shoot” digital cameras have a “red-eye” function that flashes a low intensity to light before the shutter clicks, to make the subject’s pupils constrict, eliminating the problem. And if the weather is cold enough so that you don’t have to process the quarry completely, you can always take some shots early in the morning, when the natural light is at its best. With good, tight composition, it won’t matter if you field dressed the animal the night before. Don
in reply to: good old mushroom #9094Bowhunting and mushroom gathering go hand in hand. In terms of the hazards, picking mushrooms is a lot like flying an airplane: You can play it safe, or push the limit of the envelope. As long as you go with the former approach, it’s quite safe. Stick to the easy ones–morels, puffballs, chicken of the woods, shaggy manes, chantrelles, orange delights. Most of the large boletus family is fine too. There are hundreds of species of mushrooms in North America and a number will make you sick, but only one will flat out kill you. Learn to recognize Aminita phalloides and avoid it and you won’t get in real trouble. Bon appetit! Don
in reply to: Enough for Elk?????? #13871I think the real answer to this question is the same no matter what the quarry–shoot the heaviest tackle you can handle comfortably without sacrificing accuracy. As an aside, I would note the big regional differences in the definition of a heavy bow. Out west, anything under #60 is considered “light”. Don
in reply to: Tip from oldtimer?????? #43647/we have lots of dogs as most of you know–hounds, Labs, pointers. We make our dog treats by letting them all in the house every couple of weeks and forgetting to lock the doors on the kitchen cupboards. Everything that’s gone in the morning was a genuine dog treat. Don
in reply to: Anyone else hate gun season? #29977I haven’t shot a big game animal with a firearm in decades, but I can’t say I hate gun season (and yes, I probably spend almost as much time hunting birds with my shotgun and dogs as I do bowhunting!). Sure, a lot of unpleasant things happen during gun season, but that’s also when I do all of my serious whitetail hunting. And let’s be honest: It’s hard to point fingers when “bowhunters” are taking 90-yard shots at elk! Don
in reply to: The "older" Bowhunter #12218I’m about to turn 62, so a lot of us are in the same boat. I still do a lot of physically demanding hunting. The following principles keep me going. 1. I refuse to let age be an excuse for not doing anything I really want to do. 2. I do something at last moderately vigorous outdoors regularly 3. I’ve learned that going slower means seeing–and killing–more. The last raises an interesting point. As I deliberately slow down when I’m in the field with my bow, bowhunting no longer provides me with the same level of exercise it once did. That’s why I hit the coulees with my shotgun and dogs regularly during the fall. Don
in reply to: For those of you that hunt with wood arrows #9696Snuffy’s comments about obtaining EFoC with wood raises a valid point. My response? Ignore EFoC and keep shooting what’s worked for me for decades. Seems easier than switching to carbons. As for wood arrows being good for pigs and deer but nothing bigger… come on! I’ve killed moose, brown bear, eland, and water buffalo, all with wood arrows, pass-throughs in almost every case. Henry David Thoreau reminded us from Walden Pond to “Simplify! Simplify!” and he had it right.Why do we–TRADITIONAL bowhunters, of all people–keep inventing problems just so we can solve them? Don
in reply to: Dad….This ones for you! (pics) #58519A touching tribute with a lot of personal meaning for me. My own father, a terrific outdoorsman and the 1990 Nobel Laureate in Medicine, is about to turn 90. He had a leg amputated In August and I hope for nothing more than one more chance to hunt together. Don’t know if we’re going to make it but I’m sure going to try. Cherish the moments you have with the people in your life who count. Don
in reply to: Greed…the difference between rifle and bow hunters #58514My take my surprise some people, since I haven’t hunted with a rifle in ages and wouldn’t shoot a world record deer with a rifle if it stepped out in front of me. But I think you’ve drawn the wrong conclusion from a bad situation. The fact is that there are plenty of bowhunters–even, yes, traditional bowhunters–who might have done the same thing. Unfortunately, bowhunting, more than any other element of outdoor sport, lends itself to bad judgement based on greed and egotism. We all know examples of once honorable bowhunters lured to the Dark Side by the promise of fortune and fame. From there it’s a slippery slope to compromises both ethical and legal. Meanwhile, involvement with groups such as Backcountry Hunters and Anglers has reminded me that a lot of hunters who share the same core values that I hold choose, for whatever reason, to hunt with firearms. Sure, what happened to you was rotten, but I wouldn’t generalize the experience to all hunters who carry firearms. Buying a longbow does not automatically make you an ethical hunter or a sportsman. My two bits worth and nothing more… Cheers, Don
in reply to: For those of you that hunt with wood arrows #57977I’ve always shot wood, and view the recent rush to various alternatives with confusion. Exactly what problems are carbon arrows supposed to solve, anyway? I’ve just never had any difficulties with well made wood shafts. And then there’s the “What is traditional?” question, best left for another time. Anything you can kill with carbon or aluminum, you can kill with wood. My advice? Don’t make it too complicated. Get some good, straight shafts,shoot them at some targets, and once they’re checked out, go hunting. And remember that, as always, 95% of bad shooting is due to the archer and not the tackle. Don
in reply to: 40# Recurve and a Buffalo #56880With all due respect, I’m not sure quite where this discussion is headed. Of course you CAN kill an elk with a #45 bow, but that certainly doesn’t mean that light bows are an optimal choice for heavy game. And I agree that bow weight is not necessarily the most important factor in delivering a lethal arrow, and that many of us shoot heavier bows than we need. (I’ve dropped back from bows in the low #70’s to bows in the low #60’s for most North American game.) But draw weight still has its place in the equation. Among other things, it’s hard to shoot a heavy arrow with a light bow, and I think we all agree that arrow weight is a very important variable. As for the theory that aging bowhunters need to shoot light bows… come on! I’m in my 60’s, can still shoot #70 bows comfortably, and can move up to #80 with practice if need be.I do that by working to stay in shape. The real point–as I tried to make in a recent piece in the magazine–is that despite all the dithering over equipment one hears nowadays, the most important variable still is and always will be the archer. If we spent more time shooting our bows and out in the woods studying the game so we can get closer when we shoot, we wouldn’t have to worry so much about what we’re shooting. Cheers, Don
in reply to: God's Dog… #56869I guess I come down somewhere in the middle of this one. I have tremendous respect for coyotes, just as I do for all fellow predators. I strongly oppose efforts to kill them just to get rid of them (the USDA Predator Control program, for example). But I also see no conflict between respecting animals and killing them selectively; after all, we respect deer and elk too. In fact, I have always argued as a matter of policy that the best approach to managing controversial large predators (wolves are an excellent current example) is to treat them as valuable game animals. This approach acknowledges their legitimate place in the ecosystem, makes them valuable in the wild, and allows for selective take by those who choose to do so. Would I have taken the shot? Yes! Do I respect the opinions of those who wouldn’t? Yes! Go figure… Don
in reply to: Gun Season with a Bow? #56861I’ve been bow-only for big game for decades, and there’s lots of good bowhunting to be done in firearms season. Here in Montana, the gun season includes the entire whitetail rut (one reason we don’t have more big deer), but that’s my favorite time of year to be in the woods with my bow. The gun hunters really don’t bother me much. In Montana, 95% of archery tags are sold for one reason only: that’s actually the best way to kill a really big bull elk. The real bowhunters are still out there with their bows in November, hunting the hard way. Don
in reply to: Bug Spray Conundrum #25316If they can smell your bug spray, they can smell you. Don
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