[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Silencers (or the lack thereof) #13097

Steve – I never said I don’t continue tuning after adding silencers, just that I find that getting the bow as tuned (quiet) before adding them is a good idea, imo, and helps minimize the variables. It’s not that there still isn’t work to be done after adding them. I could be completely off in that opinion however. Thanks for the info!

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Silencers (or the lack thereof) #12475

My longbows are so slow, I always just figured that animals may hear the noise, but forget about it again by the time the arrow reaches them… 😆

But I put little wool thingies on for the same reasons Cameron notes. That said, I never put silencers on a new string until I’ve gotten it as quite as possible through tuning first.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Silencers (or the lack thereof) #12426

Been meaning to ask you about that, Patrick – I know you shoot a Norther Mist, but what other longbows do you shoot, and do you not use silencers on any of them? Also, what string material are you using?

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Wolves #12350

Do you typically carry bear spray?

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Wolves #12246

Took a walk up in the foothills behind the house this morning, and I was only 20 min. up the trail before I heard this coming up out of the trees nearby (excuse the crappy quality – I barely had enough time to pull out my iPhone):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RXyCFSh38M

I generally don’t seem to have to go far to find them, or at least recent evidence of them, these days. Right I after I recorded that, a moose busted out of the aspen grove at the top of the frame, going full-speed across the hillside and down the next drainage…

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Note of appreciation #12053

What everyone else said. I’ve really come to appreciate that just about every time I log in here I can find something thought-provoking, not to mention something to make me chuckle (often at the same time :D). I love how much we talk about natural history and our observations in the woods year-round, and how even when we disagree on things here, it’s always kept civil and intelligent, rather than the bickering and name-calling I’ve seen other places.

And Robin, you may be mostly in the background, with a ‘light touch,’ but this place wouldn’t be what it is without you. And it’s a testament to that skill that you’re able to keep this place positive and on-track without the heavy-handed moderation I’ve seen all too often elsewhere.

We got a good thing going….

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Emergency Gear #12010

dwcphoto wrote: Dave and Smith, I appreciate your tangents, if you want to call them that. The philosophy of all this is the part that makes it interesting. If we all just did it one way just because that’s the way it always worked, and thought one way just because that’s the way we always thought, it sure would be less interesting. Don’t think for a minute that these ramblings go off into thin are, unless that’s the air between my ears! Keep the challenges coming. Smithy, thanks cor starting this thread. You’ve shown some neat tools and neat ways to use them. Best, dwc

Thanks, David. This topic has certainly generated more interesting discussion than I anticipated.

Honestly, my only goal for this thread is not to talk about ‘gear’ per se (though I see nothing wrong with that, nor with exchanging ideas about gear that works), but to encourage conscious thought of the situations we put ourselves in as backcountry hunters, the possibilities of what can happen and how to be intelligently prepared. Obviously, those things will vary for all of us depending on our respective situations, experience levels, etc but ultimately, I see this is a pretty pragmatic topic, and I’m still wondering – what are we ‘philosophizing’ about? At the end of the day, I think philosophy is good fun from the comfort of the armchair, but it won’t keep you from getting hypothermic on an un-planned, sub-freezing night out.

😉

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Emergency Gear #11991

This was posted on the forum last year, but I thought it would be appropriate to add here as well. I honestly hadn’t watched this video since it first came out, so it was interesting to compare with the kit I’ve put together more recently, and in light of this discussion.

Clay’s perspective on emergency gear:

http://youtu.be/76Krs_uDFQY

“It doesn’t matter what you have in your pack, if you don’t have the knowledge to use it…” – CH

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Winter Rove #11350

wojo14 wrote: Smith, that wool plaid looks familiar8)

It’s serving me well – thanks!

Steve and Mike – the direction this thread is taking is one I couldn’t possibly have predicted when I started it, but I’m so glad it has. Information like this only spurs so many other questions, and just makes me want to head back into the hills at the next opportunity. What a knowledgeable, high quality gang of folks we have here.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: mushrooms and elk..i think.. #11296

Morels are a source of Vitamin D and Iron, and well as B-6:

https://www.google.com/search?q=nutiritional+information+morel+mushrooms&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Even the plain old white mushrooms (and chanterelles) found at the grocery store have Potassium and Vitamin D:

https://www.google.com/search?q=nutiritional+information+morel+mushrooms&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=nutiritional+information+mushrooms

Oyster and Portobello mushrooms – good sources of phosphorous, potassium, niacin, riboflavin, etc:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/3050/2

Funnily enough, Shitake mushrooms, which command such a high price at the store, have very little nutritional value at all. But damn, they sure is tasty….:wink:

And from “Medical News Today:”

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/278858.php

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Two Tracks String Scallops #11288

Weird – I ordered mine on 3/4.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Arrow Weight for Hunting #10337

The Trad Bow Forum:

“We’re all here ‘cuz we’re not all there.”

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Arrow Weight for Hunting #10294

grumpy wrote:

The funny cast of characters is R2, right?

Precisely. And maybe that “Doc” guy, but the jury’s still out…

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Wolves #10258

Whether or not to carry a firearm is a personal choice, and there are many factors to consider beyond others’ advice, but I respect the fact that you are soliciting opinions.

That said, they are quite prolific in my area. I’ve had a wolf just a few feet from me, and as soon as I stood up, it was out of there, never to be seen again. They are quite shy, elusive critters for the most part in my experience.

[Bruce Smithhammer]

in reply to: Two Tracks String Scallops #10256

Just taking a quick look at several different retailers of trad gear, a single pair of Wooly Whispers (or most fur strip options) run from $5 – $6, and that’s before you’ve paid for shipping.

So, getting two pairs of Scallops for $12 (and free shipping) doesn’t seem any more “ridiculously expensive” than the other commercially-available options. And, when you factor in that they are easily re-usable (which most wool/yarn puffs aren’t after using them for a while) I would say they’re actually pretty cost-effective compared to the competition.

Of course, making your own silencers from scratch will always be cheapest, but you could probably buy a pair of felted wool soles and cut out enough scallops to last a lifetime (or go through the time-intensive process of felting your own wool…). Personally, I’m ok with kicking a couple extra $$ to a homegrown trad company of really nice folks who make good stuff.

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