[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Maximizing my moose mojo #25515

Thanks, Jeff. Sorry to hear you weren’t drawn. The more I read about the recent revenue-driven tinkering with the mechanics of the Maine lottery, the more I’m glad I’m on this side of the Piscataqua!

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Wisdom from 1859 #23488

In the same vein, here’s an excerpt from the Preface to the American Edition, published in 1880 and available for free at Archery: Its Theory and Practice:

“It is true that more than twenty years have passed since the book was written, but in this time very little if any advance has been made in archery, and those best capable of judging are unanimous as to the almost invariable finality of Mr. Ford’s conclusions in everything pertaining to a correct use of the bow and arrow.”

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: voodoo or what? #23331

I’m going to go way out on a limb here – feel free to cut it off behind me.

In my experience, shooting a traditional bow is a head game once your equipment is properly tuned and your shot process is sound. If your head is not in the game because you’re frustrated with your shooting or anything else in your life, or you’re distracted for some other reason, it will be very difficult to be consistently accurate.

I would suggest you find a competent and congenial mentor/coach to check your shooting process first. If that is found to be sound, then you might consider forgetting all about hunting with your recurve until you fall in love with shooting your bow.

How much roving are you doing? Many compound shooters have never experienced the great pleasure of roaming the woods and killing a succession of stumps and other suddenly-encountered targets. IMO, there is no better practice for hunting and very little that exceeds it for fun.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Maximizing my moose mojo #22149

Thanks for all the good wishes. I’d apply in Maine as well, but the total cost for license, permit application and permit as a nonresident would be $714, which is a bit steep for the budget here.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Maximizing my moose mojo #20625

Thanks for the encouragement, guys.

The NH moose population has taken a hit recently, which I (and others with more expert knowledge) attribute to the fact that we’re at the southern edge of the range and the winters have been getting warmer. Warmer winters mean more winter ticks on moose.

The recent figures illustrate the point. As you will see, my odds aren’t all that good (even though I’ve accumulated about 5-6 points as I recall):

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Maximizing my moose mojo #20183

Thanks!

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Safety Glasses #13832

R2 wrote: I think your more apt to run into a low hanging branch when hunting or stumping and poking an eye rather than when shooting a bow.

On two separate occasions, I’ve had to lead someone out of the woods by the hand as a result of them getting poked in the eye. On another occasion, my niece took a twig in the eye that required three surgeries at the Mayo Clinic to save the eye and her sight in it.

If you don’t wear a brimmed hat and some sort of eye protection in the woods, you’re rolling the dice every time you go out. JMHO.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: "The Good Hunt" film trailer #13827

David Petersen wrote: I’d much rather sound like Bear Claw Chris Lapp, the real star of the show. That other fella was just a straight man.

“You sure you know how to skin griz, pilgrim????”

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Resealing shafts? #60804

R2 wrote: Just think, if sloths were predators they’d be undetectable until the pounce :D. Might be a thought to another thread on here.

There’s an example to follow, but I doubt many of us are capable of catching a deer or elk asleep in its bed:

Slowest Greenland shark hunts sleeping prey

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: "The Good Hunt" film trailer #60792

There’s a special place in hell reserved for teases. 😉 I just sent a contribution to help speed things along and save your mortal soul from eternal damnation.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Solo River Trip #60781

I grew up canoeing, and apart from time spent with my wife on dog walks and various excursions, I’m alone when I’m in the woods. It will be a cold day in hell before I complain about someone sharing such an experience here. Thanks!

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Into The Wild #54721

I sat here for several minutes, debating internally whether to involve myself in this. In the end I decided to do it.

A reporter and outdoor editor for the Anchorage Daily News, Craig Medred, covered the story at the time. I read his accounts then and his later writings on the matter. He is not a man who shies from expressing himself. I happen to share the opinions he expressed in The Chris McCandless example, 20 years later.

This will probably make me fairly unpopular in some quarters, which is OK – to each his own.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Close encounters and backup #53432

David Petersen wrote: Just don’t make the mistake I did one night up along the Canadian border and have a roast big greasy smelly sausages on a campfire. I was young and dumb then and assumed the fire would burn off all stench of grease, but it didn’t and we had to abandon that camp in the middle of the night. Now, being old and dumb, I know better. 😆

And don’t make the mistake I made one warmish winter up along the Canadian border and open a can of sardines in the tent. I broke my own “no food in the tent” rule ‘cuz, hey, it was midwinter and what could happen? Well, bruin (Blackie, in this case) happened. I spent all night holding onto my Newfoundland dog as the bear circled the tent, trying to get to the fish without tangling with the dog.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: River Monsters #45651

Well, you will notice that there were no scenes in that video of E.R. actually taking a bite of the celebratory pie …

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Does this sowbelly make me look old? #45516

As pretty as that white glass is, it’s not very practical for hunting. (Which is undoubtedly why it had such a short tenure in the Bear hunting bow product line.) It was time to find something more appropriate to wear – camo limb socks, a new string with qiviut silencers, plus a Bear hair rest and plate.

It was a blast shooting stumps today, in one case literally as a judo point blew right through a stump, showering debris in its path. “I love the sound of stump thumpin’ in the morning.”

[Author]

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