[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Not sure what to call this thread #42463

I empathize, and I salute your candor. We need to be able to talk about these events, because they do happen. My biggest criticism of Fred Bear’s great “Field Notes” has always been that he doesn’t mention a single bad hit, and we all know that nobody hunts that long and hard without a few. For what it’s worth I think the most likely outcome is that this deer will break the shaft off quickly and survive. You didn’t mention the degree of penetration. If the head didn’t come out the off side, it almost certainly struck a vertebra and if it didn’t drop him in his tracks it’s probably not lethal. Good luck in the morning. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Lost Season, Maybe Worse #39454

Great to hear from you, Olin. What’s going to happen to Rosey with neither of us around up North to look after him? Stop by if you’re around. And you’re right about bones versus joints. When my surgeon got into my shoulder he found things even worse than we expected. I’m going to be out for a long time and lucky to shoot a bow again. I wish I’d just broken the damn thing. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Neat Dialogue #39447

Good comments all. Bad as TV can be, some of the extended series being done now are indeed terrific. Other recommendations: Game of Thrones (read the books first, but don’t start until hunting season is over), House of Cards, Downton Abbey. I’ll check out some of your recommendations too. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Douglas Fir Shafts: Stain and Sealer #37661

My experience with Doug fir is that it is incredibly tough but prone to warpage, especially if there are islands in the grain as is often the case. The sealant mentioned should be fine, but apply tons of it and check your shafts frequently. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Totally Traditional #37653

You can’t be a bowhunter if you’re relying on a rifle and you can’t be a traditional bowhunter if you’re relying on a compound. Donate it to as raffle item at your bow club’s or state organization’s next banquet and don’t look back. You’ll never regret it. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: ATV wheelie #37462

Lori was driving down the highway last week when the pickup right in front of her shed an ATV from its bed at 75 mph (actually slow for gravel backroads in Montana). She had to engage in some world class defensive driving, but fortunately the machine was destroyed with no loss of human like. The guy obviously should have bungeed it off to his wheels. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: What a year it's been! #27971

Well done. In the photo, the shot placement looks spot on to me! Bet the buck thought so too, at least for a few seconds. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Lost Season, Maybe Worse #27969

That’s interesting, Forrester. Impingement syndrome usually results when arthritic spurs or congenital variations in anatomy of the acromion (the part of the shoulder blade that overrides the joint) pinch the rotator cuff tendons on the way through. Exercises that work to expand that space can help a lot, as you found out in a unique way. Surgery next week. After that I’ll either be a bowhunter again or a left-handed beer drinker for the rest of my life. Thank you all for your encouragement and support. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Lost Season, Maybe Worse #25957

Listen to my doctor? Ah, they’re all idiots. But don’t worry–I’ve already learned how to drink beer with my left hand. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Garbaging for Bears #23851

Mike, I’m all over that fly rod. But I admit that when we are at our Alaska home the catch and release principle vanishes in the face of halibut. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Lost Season, Maybe Worse #23849

Thanks to you all for the goodwill. Bruce, I had exactly the same conversation with Dick earlier this year. Unfortunately, I did not listen to his advice. As usual, he was spot on. Yes, Jim, I plan to do some mentoring. I’m also spending even more time than usual with my two terrific young dogs, one wirehair and one Lab. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Lost Season, Maybe Worse #23415

Thanks, guys. As noted, I’ll produce a detailed piece on the medical aspects of this problem soon, but the first step in prevention is to drop your bow weight, as you are doing. We don’t need #75 to shoot deer. Or elk. Or moose. Fred Bear proved that decades ago. I know I’m paying the price for years of shooting more bow than I needed. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Garbaging for Bears #23303

My feelings on the subject are well known, and I am absolutely not going to get drawn into a bitter argument about something that is ultimately a personal decision. But I will share a funny story. Some years back I was speaking at a bowhunting event in the Midwest when two guys marched up to me with angry looks on their faces and told me they wanted to talk to me about bear baiting. “You and your friends think it’s so terrible and unsporting,” one of them began, “but I want to tell you what it’s really like.” Turns out they regularly went to somewhere where it’s legal (Minnesota?) and put out baits in an area with a lot of bears. Every year their baits were hit regularly. “But the bears are so smart,” he explained,”that in five years we’ve never even seen one. Does that sound like easy hunting to you?” I asked him to describe the terrain, and he told me that in the evening the bears left the thick swamps where they bedded and traveled along narrow fingers of timber to reach crop fields where they fed. I asked him if they’d ever tried waiting for a good wind and then still-hunting or taking a stand in one of those fingers at the right time of day. “Oh,” he replied. “That would never work!” Point being that they were so convinced bait was the only way to hunt bears that they were unwilling to consider any alternatives even though they hadn’t seen a bear over their baits in five years. I think there is a lesson there. Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Mushrooms #23291

Preston–I certainly agree with your advice about testing any new mushroom in small amounts because of the wide range of individual intolerance of perfectly good species. Like your friend, I just can’t eat chantrelles, which was a heart-breaker when I was growing up in Washington State, where they were everywhere. To the best of my knowledge there is only one toxic bolete–the aptly named “Devil’s Bolete”. It’s pretty easy to recognize, and your tip about bruising blue is a good one. There are actually several species of scaly hedgehog mushrooms, so you need to know the ones in your area. Where you are, all indeed may be fine, but others can lead to nausea and vomiting.That’s about the worst thing that can happen with most of the “bad” mushrooms, except amanita phalloides. Everyone needs to be able to recognize that one and steer clear! Don

[Don Thomas]

in reply to: Mushrooms #21541

The trick in gathering wild mushrooms is not to exceed your confidence level. A good place to start is with the “Foolproof Four”: puffballs, chicken of the woods, chantrelles, and morels. Branch out from there, hopefully with the knowledge of mentors. Almost all boletes are fine as are orange delicious and a number of other readily identifiable species. Remember that there is really only one mushroom in North America that will flat out kill you (without a liver transplant): Amanita phalloides. Know what it looks like and beware. (it’s not hard.) Don

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