[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Bows in the Military #13683

Not since this guy:

“On the 27th of May 1940, whilst in command of a mixed force holding the village of L’Epinette, near Bethune, during the retreat to Dunkirk, Captain Churchill, who had been slightly wounded on the 25th, became the only European for centuries who, in the action of war, had killed an enemy with the longbow. Climbing into the loft of a small granary, through a vertical opening in one wall, normally used for hauling up sacks of grain, he saw, some thirty yards away, five German soldiers sheltering behind the wall but in clear view of the granary. Quickly and quietly Captain Churchill fetched up two infantrymen and instructed them to open rapid fire on the enemy but not to pull the trigger until he had loosed his bow, took careful aim and loosed the shaft. At the same time as the bow string twanged, the air was shattered by the rapid fire of the two infantrymen. Captain Churchill was delighted to see his strike the centre German in the left of the chest and penetrate his body; the remaining Germans of the party slumped to the dusty ground… Five years before the first atomic bomb exploded and nearly 600 years after the Battle of Crécy an English archer had incongruously and briefly returned to the ancient battlefields of France.”

Longbow at Dunkirk

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Why I like bright fletches #13045

Sorry, the first picture did not convey what I wanted it to do here. If you look at the stump, there’s a light-colored vertical stripe just left of center. Immediately to the right of that stripe, dead centered on the stump, is the fletching.

We have all kinds of orchids here in NH. Unfortunately, I don’t know them without their blooms, and most of those are gone for the season. I’ll try to identify it.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Cold Shots #12782

I’m the polar opposite on most of this. My best shooting usually comes when I subconsciously rely on lessons learned from past practice sessions and let one (and only one) fly. It reminds me a lot of making good tennis shots. The more I thought about my forehand once I started having a problem, the worse it got. Ditto for my bow shooting.

Of course, it’s essential to be in the right frame of mind for all this. In my case, it seems necessary to be alone, just as I am 99.99% of the time I’m in the woods. I shoot a fair bit better on 3D courses by myself. (Yes, you’ll have to take my word on that. 😉 )

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Hang your bows? #57843

Well, my system of hanging them in a room with carefully controlled temperature and humidity, with custom hangers, is worth a picture. 😉

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: 2013 Poke and Hope Rendezvous pics #57745

Steve Graf wrote: Looks like fun, and looks like the sun was shining. You got lucky!

This wet cloudy weather pattern is starting to wear on me. Yesterday, the weatherman promised sun today, but now he’s saying tomorrow.

My neighbor mowed his lawn in the pouring rain 2 days ago. That was a thing to watch as I drove by trying to see the road through the downpour

Our tomato’s have sprouted roots from branches that are 3 feet off the ground. It’s like the tropics around here.

We had the same thing here since the beginning of June until last Friday. The start of this week is forecast as sunny but hot, with those #%^! showers and thunderstorms supposed to return on Thursday and Friday. But it looks like (and feels like) the pattern is finally changing.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Look at what I found… #46700

Good on ya! Are those rusa? (As if I actually know anything about the deer down under …)

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Bunker Buster UEFOC arrow #46068

I have no idea whether this will work for the purpose discussed here. However, West Marine sells a tough, flexible epoxy that I have used extensively in fixing a kayak and making carbon tips on a wooden paddle:

G/flex Epoxy

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Night Practice! #38920

It’s a regular feature of some trad shoots around here, where I’ve done it on occasion. I haven’t actually worked on it with archery, but I have noticed the effect repeatedly with nordic skiing. I’ll leave it to the kinesthesiologists and psychologists to explain its basis, but I am a believer of sorts.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Continuing with the bear theme… #33949

ausjim wrote: [quote=eidsvolling] Behind me is a bookshelf with a couple rows of bear books (probably including the one you referenced.)

‘Mark of the Grizzly’ by McMillion. It’s been surprisingly outstanding for this kind of book, as he educates as much as he titillates.

Is that a native american style artwork? It’s pretty cool.

Jim

I don’t have that one. Just took a look at a preview, and I’m going to add it to the library!

The artwork is an original piece by the late Roy Thomas,a renowned Ojibwa artist, on paper he made. When I saw it for the first time hanging in a gallery in Minnesota, it grabbed me hard. My wife saw my reaction and bought it secretly for me as a gift. I challenge anyone who sees it in person to deny its power.

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Continuing with the bear theme… #33833

ausjim wrote: Ben, this bear theme is so out of control in my little brain that I just yesterday bought a book on grizzly bear attacks. I’m already about 1/5th of the way through. I’m a little obsessed at the minute. And it’s the fault of everyone here 😉

FWIW, you’re not alone. There’s a picture that I took of a black bear (Ursus americanus) to my left as I write this. Behind me is a bookshelf with a couple rows of bear books (probably including the one you referenced.) Out in the living room is a picture that I took of a brown/grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) at Denali National Park in Alaska. Oh, and the bow I’m shooting most often these days? A 1958 Bear Kodiak. 😉

I plumb forgot to mention this hanging opposite the brown/grizzly photo:

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Going Trad #30638

Well, I’m in and thanks, Mom. But the rest of you have little to worry about. I done used up all my mojo this week …

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Maximizing my moose mojo #30084

Good news and bad news: My October deer hunting won’t be interrupted by any moose hunting as a result of this morning’s permit lottery.

Sigh. Well, at least this time I know one of the high-ranking alternates, so I guess my luck is improving (at a glacial pace …)

[Charles Ek]

in reply to: Emergency Kit? #28398

David Petersen wrote: Oh, and one of the new blood-clotting pads in case I stab myself with a broadhead, as a nonresident compounder did here a few years ago while chasing a bull with an arrow on the string. He died peacefully and alone in the woods. But he’s still dead.

I’m quite sorry to see demonstrated here the value of the fourth tip on the list below:

Mixed Bag

[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.”

[Author]

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