[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Memorial Day #57837

A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all vets, and a particular shout out to Papa Smithhammer, who served in Korea. Our thoughts are with you this Memorial Day.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: using test weights #56624

drycreekarchery wrote: I am working on building a foc arrow with G/T 5575 trad & 225 Tuffheads with 100 gr. threaded inserts. 🙂

Can you tell me what length your shafts are cut to, and what your shelf cut is?

Only asking because I’m shooting 5575’s with a 250gr. head and 100gr. inserts cut to 28.5″ and getting consistent nock left when I bareshaft them, but I’m having a hard time believing that my spine is too weak, which is making me wonder if something else is going on.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Pack for elk #55928

Likewise. Love to see a review after you’ve used it for a while.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: New Limbs #55678

Steve Graf wrote: I agree with Mongo. Big bow good.

But I think bow’s are like women. Is there such a thing as a bad woman, big or small? No way. You just have to remember that if you pluck their string, they will slap you in a hurry, no matter their size.

Ha! 😀

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: using test weights #55673

skinner biscuit wrote: …Plan to go with 225gr broadhead , 100 gr. brass insert and 100gr.steel screw in adapters. I have a 315gr. grizzly stick test point and by adding two 5 gr.brass washers can duplicate weight.

I’m a little confused – wouldn’t the point weight you plan to go with add up to 425gr, as described above?

But it sounds like the test point you have and two washers adds up to 325.

Just curious.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: using test weights #55240

skinner biscuit wrote:

What do you clean the inside of the shafts with before gluing the inserts?

I like to take a .22 cal wire bore brush and use it to ‘rough up’ the inside of the shaft. Then dip a q-tip in alcohol and wipe out any grit before gluing my inserts. I find I get noticeably better adhesion over time when I do that.

Out of curiosity – what spine rating of shafts are you using? Cut to what length?

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Close encounters and backup #54170

wildschwein wrote:

Now I am not saying everyone should be packing “heat” when they go into the woods. But everyone should be carrying something. Axe, Bear spray, Bowie knife etc. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Agreed. For me, bear spray and a knife are basic items whenever I head out.

I used to work in a fly shop just outside of Grand Teton National Park. We also sold a few sundry items for tourists visiting the park, and bear spray was one of those items. I was always boggled by the number of people who would ask,

“Do I really need to carry bear spray?” 🙄

But my favorite was the lady who brought a can of bear spray up to the counter and asked, “how much do I need to put on?”

I kept a straight face and said, “All of it, ma’am.” 8)

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: New Limbs #53379

David Petersen wrote: …Now, if only we could break you of the Big Handle and Long Bow syndrome! 😆

Ugh. Mongo like big bow.

8)

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Close encounters and backup #53374

AlexBugnon wrote: All your posts reinforce my personal choice: My only plan as far as grizzlies are concerned is to leave grizzly country alone, period! I have absolutely no desire to hike or hunt where they live. I will keep turning to Discovery channel to get my fixes! 😀

Geez, Alex – there goes my invitation! 🙄

If it’s any comfort, I bet you can run faster than I can (6 screws in my left ankle…), and that’s all that matters! 😀

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Close encounters and backup #53292

WyoStillhunter wrote:

I figure my brain is my best defense in SE Wyoming — being fully aware of my surroundings, considering my options, and making good choices.

Well said, and true just about anywhere, imo. I think that developing ‘situational awareness’ as a continual good habit goes a long way toward avoiding unwelcome encounters (and that also means learning to trust your “6th sense” sometimes…). Especially when bowhunting, since you’re basically doing everything the exact opposite of what is recommended in bear country – moving quietly, working the wind, etc.

I know a guy here in the valley who unintentionally called in a lion with a calf call a couple seasons ago. The cat suddenly appeared about 15 feet away from him, and just crouched there staring at him, but not really giving any indication that it planned to leave, until the guy’s buddy showed up, and then it turned and walked away. But not in a hurry.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Close encounters and backup #52415

I would completely concur with Dave re: moose. You never know what the hell they’re going to do. One will give you the most benign, goofy look and wander away, and the next will lower its massive rack and want to steamroll you. Cows w/calves and bulls in rut are right up there with grizz for being the top things in this environment that I try to keep my distance from.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Pack for elk #52366

Hey Dave –

There are four pins/split rings along each side of the frame that you remove, and the bag comes off.

I bought the whole rig – frame and bag, but I believe you can also just buy the frame (with shelf, straps, etc) without the bag for even cheaper if that’s all your interested in.

Here’s a little vid that gives more views and info (excuse the Sportsman’s Warehouse plug…):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP3C4vGAagE

If you do a search, you’ll find a number of retailers online that carry it. Seems like $110 is the going rate for the whole package these days.

I just grabbed those images off the interwebs, but I can take a few pics of my actual pack if that helps.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Pack for elk #52315

When it comes to multi-day load-humping packs (and hopefully multiple loads hiking out…), and I’m mostly going to be traveling on trail to where I plan to camp, I like a good external frame. I just find that they’re hard to beat for big loads. I also really like external frames for early season hunts, as they don’t sit directly on your back and make you sweat like crazy, as most internal frames do. I have this one, made by Alps:

The pack removes pretty easily, and then you just have the frame, three fat compression straps and a drop-down shelf for packing game:

It’s very adjustable and I’ve found it to be very comfortable (but that’s always subjective). And the bonus is that since external frames aren’t very popular anymore, you can often get great prices on them – you can find this one for around $120 bucks or so, and I’ve been impressed with the quality for that price. That’s a lot of cabbage leftover for the “pint workout” fund…

That said, if the plan is to do a lot of off-trail travel, it’s hard to beat the lower center of gravity and narrower profile of an internal frame. But as Jim said, they’re a lot more expensive.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Close encounters and backup #52271

I’ve had numerous close encounters with black bears as well. They most certainly can be dangerous under the wrong circumstances, but I have never had an aggressive encounter with one. They almost always turn and run upon getting the first whiff of me (as does the fairer sex…), and if they don’t, a little yelling and they take off.

All of my on-the-ground encounters with grizz have been at a distance, and I hope to keep it that way.

Who knows how many cats I’ve walked right past and never knew it.

Had some quite close encounters with wolves as well, but they always seemed to be wary, and/or interested in something else, like the moose they were chasing when they ran right by me.

The hills behind my house are the western slope of the Tetons, which connects to the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, and there is no shortage of healthy and abundant black and grizzly populations. A grizz killed a pig on the farm behind us last year. I own numerous firearms, and practice with them regularly, and I still only carry bear spray in the backcountry (for bears, that is…). The growing body of evidence pretty strongly suggests that in real-world encounters, spray is far more effective in deterring bears. The number of seriously harmful encounters (for both parties) is also dramatically reduced in encounters where bear spray is used vs. firearms. Personally, I’d rather be able to spray a cloud in the general direction of a pissed-off, 600lb. animal coming at me at 35mph, than to try and hit it between the eyes with a high-caliber pistol under those high-adrenaline circumstances. Carrying and using effectively are two very different things when it comes to firearms and grizzlies.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: FOC Evolution… #51859

Whoops – typo above. I was getting consistent nock left.

This is what happens when I post at night after a pint of the strong local grog…:D

I am right-handed, btw.

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