[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Spot and stalk black bear? #16662

Dave / Don

Thanks for the information and photographs, from looking again at your first picture I can see that she is not carrying any weight two cubs must take a lot out of her when they have to put on enough weight to take them through the winter.

In your area when do they den up and do they hibernate right through the winter. How much weight must she put on before the winter, and when does your hunting season start and end.

I had not considered colouration and altitude being related and thought that it might be either dietary or local variations such as you might see in deer.

Sorry about all the questions, just curious, best regards, Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: String keeps breaking? #13388

Greatreearcher

You won’t effect the tiller by cleaning up the groves in the nocks, try a leather lace coated in polish the kind used for polishing chrome on cars. Put the lace into the grove and use a sawing action, just a little at a time you don’t want to cut through the varnish.

Although speaking the manufacturer is a sensible thing to do especially if it’s still under warranty.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: trad vs. compound #13375

Hi all, I’ve been following this discussion not knowing which side of the fence to come down on (not really traditional all the way)

The question was Trad vs. Compound but no context.

We have all assumed that the context is hunting because amongst other things that’s what we are about, however consider accuracy, range, consistency, reliability, noise etc. all these things can be measured.

But if you use those criteria you miss the essence of hunting, the pursuit of wild game in their environment close up, smelling what they smell or even them and taking them in the same way our forefathers did, all with a bit of fancy wood and string. It’s almost magic closest I’ve got to a religious experience and addictive.

Rifle, compound and crossbow users will never have that experience so I just feel sorry for them.

There speaks a rifle and ex compound shooter, Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Perseid meteor shower #10955

Cloud…cloud and more cloud! may see something tonight.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Spot and stalk black bear? #10951

Hi Dave

Nice bear, for the uninitiated is that a brown phase black bear and can you give an indication to size.

You are so right about finding quarry animals fieldcraft and an understanding of their habits is so important and very important to try and teach youngsters.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: String keeps breaking? #59621

Hi Greatreearcher

Well nobody else has waded in so I’ll make a few suggestions, although you may already have considered these.

Are these factory or homemade strings, were they made from the same batch of material.

Where did the break occur, are there any sharp edges on the nocks.

If the string is homemade check that the individual strands are under the same tension to ensure that the load is being evenly distributed over the whole string.

If the original string is still available check to see if it shows any sign of abrasion relative to the bow.

Just might be worth asking your friend if he has any rodent’s lurking amongst his archery gear, found one at home amongst my loading equipment.

Good luck and let us know how you get on, Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: TBM 20th Anniversary Issue #59428

To all at Traditional Bowhunter Magazine

I would like to say congratulations on achieving such a milestone and I look forward to receiving my anniversary issue.

And thank you for all your efforts over the years in creating such a wonderful magazine, I have not been a subscriber for all that time but I plan to be for a long time to come.

One thing I would like to add that you probably don’t appreciate and that is the contribution you make to traditional bowhunters outside the USA. In Europe we have nothing like this publication and the magazine and website make a huge contribution to the enjoyment of our sport.

Here’s to the next twenty years, Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: The anatomy of a broadhead's edge #49535

Hi StandingBear

Thank you for a very interesting thread and a lot of useful info. I think that I know where I can lay my hands on a hardness tester so later this week I’m off to make some dimples.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Favorite meal while out hunting #46371

Cold mornings, malt loaf and real butter, the kind where you can taste the salt. If the dogs with me it makes me smile when it sticks to his teeth and he sucks it off. Oh and fresh coffee early in the morning sat outside waiting for the world to wake up.

Mild weather, lunch, dried fruit and apple.

Cold weather, lunch, Polish smoked sausage rolled in crushed black pepper, and chocolate, not together.

Evening meal, rice and dried fruit and a good helping from the pot.

THE POT, might begin with a simple rabbit stew with plenty of vegetables, then start adding pheasant, squirrel, dove, partridge pretty well anything over a few days. When it gets a bit thick and gammy its CURRY NIGHT.

Fish I like on its own, brook trout spitted and cooked slowly over the edge of the fire and just pick the flesh off.

Hanover Germany the evening after a driven bore shoot, whole bore roasted over the world’s biggest barbeque, German beer, schnapps a late night and a very sore head.

The Camargue, south of France opening day of the season teal casserole with a light red wine, sat overlooking a lake watching flamingos coming into roost.

The very best, red deer stakes over a peat fire on the Isle of Jura looking out onto the Atlantic sharing a bottle of Jura whisky bought from the back door of the distillery. White sand, blue sea with a gentle swell the taste of salt in the air, but so cold.

But even better I’ve got so much lost time to make up for I’m already planning trip number three for this coming season and who knows what that will bring.

Oh nearly forgot about Coypu……well that’s all there is to say about that.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: arrows? #46315

Hi Crittergitter

I have met three guys that can pick up any bow and arrow combination and shoot well with it, within reason, so I guess you belong to a very unique group.

Myself when everything is going well I can mix and match a little but never to the point of being confident enough to hunt.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: The anatomy of a broadhead's edge #46300

Hi StandingBear

I also look forward to this thread developing, my knives all have convex grinds. I am interested to see how a convex grind might work in a broadhead.

Also interested in picking up any sharpening tips.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Donating meat? #41662

Hi Don

My observations were not an attempt to start a confrontation only to give my view that there is room for all and that it is the perception of the non-hunter that is more important than the facts.

I’ve now failed miserably to answer you repost coherently and suggest that this small thread alone might have sufficient subject matter for a book, broadly we have between us raised three points:

Donating meat
Trophy hunting
Commercialism

In trying to answer the above I have to say yes to all of the above in moderation and only the individual can be judge as to how much he should donate or spend.

My conclusion is that traditional hunters hold the moral high ground but that commercialism of hunting will overshadow us and we will be judged by the miss deeds of others.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Idea – already tried?? #33926

Hi All

I hope that Steve Sr has no objection to me posting this but he’s been speaking to me about using Tungsten Carbide for adding additional weight, one suggestion was to use ‘horseshoe pins’ these are small tapering cylinders of TC (maximum diameter 4.3 mm.) that weigh in at about 25.4 grains if memory serves.
I haven’t tried these but if anyone would like to give them a go drop me a line and I’ll put some in the post.

Best regards, Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: Reminder: Pigs can hurt you! #33891

Hi Hogtamer

I hope your friend is making a good recovery although his injuries sound as though they will be with him for life. I like to hunt alone but this story does make me consider the consequences of an accident.

When your friend is feeling better it would be interesting to have his firsthand account of the event.

Like Dennis I also have a boar hunt planned for November, I have been considering taking a spear but that might just be a daft idea.

Mark.

[Mark Turton]

in reply to: HUNTING FROM THE GROUND #32762

Hi IronCreekArcher

I’ve been using a ghillie for a few years and find them to be excellent, if you buy a commercial one they are mostly made for use with a rifle and have either a skid plate for crawling or the front is covered in scrim. Skid plate is of no advantage for an archer and scrim requires a lot of trimming across the front and along the bow arm. If you can find one that has the bare amount of scrim so you can add local and seasonal colour to it.
Light weight material is severely affected by wind causing a fluttering effect and anything longer than 4″ will magnify you movements dramatically.
If you are waiting in ambush putting a scrim net behind helps to make your silhouette difficult to distinguish.
I am just about to start making a new suit for this coming season and will use a long leafscreen jacket as the base adding died scrim and burlap. I favour a good mix of dark and light material to create as much depth as possible.
I have the jacket and will get some pictures as I go along if you think it might help with your choice.
Mark.

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