[Mark Turton]

in reply to: "Wow, now THAT'S a VERY old bow!" #36239

In an earlier life Tom, or sometime in the future, must check with Steven Hawkin.:?

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: "Wow, now THAT'S a VERY old bow!" #32699

Never had the opportunity but would like to say that mine is a family heirloom passed down through countless generations, father to son, slain countless on the beaches of Hastings and the fields of France, hunted in forests, fields and wastelands of three continents and if he is very lucky one day I might just let him hold it, one day.

Mostly lies of course, Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Wood Arrows WithOUT A Sealant #25017

To remove the fuzziness wet the palm of your hand and wipe this over the arrow, this will make the fuzz stand up then use steel wool to remove it, do this a couple of times and no more fuzz.

How about sealing with a little boiled linseed oil?

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Ladies, welcome to the campfire. #22706

I see Patrick has become a founder member of the Ladies Forum 😀

Not sure if opening cans qualifies as cooking but you are most welcome to join me for a bowl of tuna, sweetcorn and BBQ sauce.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Abbott Bows #22690

Sorry can’t help you but welcome to the site.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: White Deer #20329

We see white deer very occasionally unfortunately they are shot on site by landowners as they are magnets for poachers.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Ghilli suit #17024

Hi Dave, the voice of reason as ever, nothing beats good field-craft and going afield with little more than a bow some arrows and lunch in your pocket.

Ghillie suits marketed for hunters are almost always based on military requirements and it is patently not suitable, see MattyC’s comment, my offer was to make something much more suited to bowhunting, the sort of thing that will allow you to sit in a thin hedge or in sparse low cover.

Personally I rarely use camo pattern gear and like you being able to walk into town without attracting unwanted attention is comforting so a jacket of this type that can just go into a stuffsack is useful.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: 1st bow to heavy. help!!!!!!!! #16034

Hi Chris, stick with it as TDowning says, only thing I’d add is if you feel pain back off, give it a rest. The muscles will soon shape up.

I shot a 70# compound for years and could not believe how different it was going to a 50# longbow, but worth it.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Ghilli suit #16021

Ghillie suit can be seen as a mystical cure-all when in reality they only complement good field craft:
Shape
Shine
Shadow
Scent
These are the things we all need reminding of from time to time.

There is some really good camo on the market ASAT is excellent as ‘M’ says.

Duncan, capes or veils are good and flexible and have been used for thousands of years, for a base just use the printed camo mesh, it does not run when cut and is easy to add material to, might be worth washing beforehand to fix the dye.

I’ve got some time off in about a week if I get my lazy self into gear I’ll build a smock and possibly a cape,its not difficult at all but time consuming.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Ghilli suit #13681

MattyC, Scissors get trimming, forearms and chest area leave hanging material but remove the ‘bulk’. I’m not a fan of commercial Ghillie’s but think of it as something to build on.

Some of the commercial suits look just like a big pile of grass cuttings if this is the case with yours get some colour into it, spot spray it first to make sure the material does not react to the paint.

Watch out for the brambles, Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: elk #63317

That’s some shot congratulations, your a more confident archer than me but as ever often when your at full draw you know if the shot is on or not before you even consider lossing.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Multitool Suggestions #63296

Thanks for the contributions folks, looks like I’m off to buy a Wave.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Multitool Suggestions #62483

Hi Curtis, I’ve been told how good Leatherman’s no quibble guarantee is it’s good to have that confirmed, its just one more thing that makes me think its the way to go. I’ll check out the Super Tool 300, not sure I’ve seen one.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Ok Guys & Gals Fess Up! Let's hear them! #62478

Mud and water seem to be my downfall, I was walking down a tidal creek that I know well a few years ago, at this point the sides are very steep, the banks at eye level and the bottom is narrow. It’s just before first light and I’m thinking that the mud had changed consistency, just as I was thinking this I started to sink but never mind I’ve encountered plenty of soft stuff.
I sank up to my knees pretty quick, but it did not stop I just kept going, fortunately I was carrying a bag of decoys this came off quickly and I dropped it down to sit on before things got any worse. I was barely able to sit on the bag as I had sunk a bit to far but squirming about I managed to get on.
The old spaniel is now doing the wall of death running down one bank and up the other mud going everywhere and the trickle of water flowing down the creek is starting to build up behind me and then stars to flow past on either side, fortunately I was carrying a very stout wadding pole that I managed to wedge into the sides of the bank and using a combination of pull ups and pushing on the bag I started to free myself but was unable to climb the muddy bank or get any grip on it.
Alternating lying flat and pulling myself onto the bag I managed to crawl back the way I’d come probably about 20 yards before I felt confident enough to try and stand up.
It was not until I sat on the edge of the bank that I realised just how much effort it had taken to crawl out of the mud I was shaking.
Been a lot more respectful of mud since then, Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Ethics and hunting public land #56573

In hunting as in so many things in life we throw technology at it to make life easier, ATV’s, trail-cams, compound bows, telescopic sights these and a hundred other things make life easier because we no longer have to do it the hard way or learn the basics.

Perhaps the greatest legacy Traditional Bowhunting can have is teaching and practicing the basics, how to set a camp, scouting, tracking, woodcraft, butchering, meat preservation and respect for the nature and people we meet in it. Without them those that come after us will have to rediscover these things or rely on technology.

It’s not what we know it’s what we share that makes a difference.

Gone a bit off topic but that’s where the earlier posts have taken me, Mark.

[Author]

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