[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Whatcha Got Going 2023? #165565

There was a data study done a few years ago.  A “study of studies” that was able to look at the outcomes of all the different therapies for back problems tested over the years.  The one thing that showed better results than anything else was…  Walking.  We hairless apes need to move and move a lot.  It’s an unfortunate design flaw.

I have a back exercise routine that takes 10 minutes in the morning.  Between that and a daily brisk walk on a nature trail I  haven’t had any flair-ups for several years.  Back pain is the worst.

Getting old ain’t for sissy’s that for sure.

Best therapy for back pain is dragging a deer out.  I got a doe early in the season, but since then I haven’t seen a thing.  It’s like they all got the memo this year and beat feet for parts unknown.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Ashby Bowhunting Foundation Updated Web Page #165377

🤣

 

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by Stephen Graf.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Ashby Bowhunting Foundation Updated Web Page #165362

The website looks great!  Can’t wait to read the additional studies.

One small comment on the FAC page…  In the question “Who is Dr. Ed Ashby?” There is a sentence that says the natal study was not based on the scientific method.  It reads: “The research was based not on the scientific method but outcome driven experimentation. Arrow penetration tests were conducted on hundreds of freshly culled animals and results were meticulously recorded and documented.”  That sounds like the scientific method to me. The scientific method is a good thing, imo.  Without it we would all still be howling at the moon.

I love my narrow, single bevel, tanto-tipped deer pokers.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by Stephen Graf.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Whatcha Got Going 2023? #165090

Just got back from some grouse hunting in Colorado.  They are too proud of their out-of-state tags for me to bother with deer or elk anymore.  I would attach a pic but I can’t reduce the size of the file on this chromebook and the tradbow site won’t let me upload it as is.

Chasing grouse is fun.  Maybe more fun than those elk, imo.  I’m starting to learn their behavior and ways to get them to show themselves.  Them that live in grouse country sure are lucky.  If I lived there I might not get anything useful done.

 

 

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Big Game Recovery Products #164625

I use tissue (TP) for tracking too, for the many reason Richard mentions.   And sometimes for the purpose it was made for.  Survey tape doesn’t work for that💩

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Big Game Recovery Products #164624

Thanks Richard, I had a good chuckle when I read your question😁

Firstly, I have lost at least one shirt tail in the manner you describe.  The one that comes to mind most quickly was lost in Newfoundland.  What a magical place.  I was hunting caribou and flubbed an easy shot.  I did finally kill a bull and am looking at him as I write this post.  But he is not the monster big bull that made me choke and shoot like a two year old with a suction cup arrow.  That shirt lived on as my lucky hunting shirt and was responsible (I am sure) for the many deer I killed while wearing it.  It has long since fallen apart with age and use and mysteriously disappeared from my drawer.  I guess my wife does have some minimal standards for what she will allow in the house, myself excluded.

Secondly, you are almost right about the “souls of competitors who have shot against me”.  They are crimson not because they were skewered by my fierce competition, but instead are so red from laughing at my ridiculous attempts to keep up on the score card.

And finally, I believe the leaf is from a red oak tree.  Red oaks stubbornly hold on to their leaves long into winter after the rest have shed their leaves and gone to sleep with the bears.  Occasionally you can find one of their shiny red leafs in late winter freshly dropped to the ground.  The one I found had a strong stem that stuck easily into the thick bark of the tree.

 

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Big Game Recovery Products #164584

That’s a good idea Richard!

It’s important to mark the 1st and last place you saw the deer as well as where you were standing.  I remember the closest tree or object to each spot.  But shooting a blunt is more reliable (was it this tree or that one?)  As for where I am standing, I normally hang my hat on a branch or something.  Easy to see from a distance.  But using an arrow instead will keep my head under roof, which I like.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Whatcha Got Going 2023? #164436

A cork? Bottle Cap?  Short shots can be fun and hilarious to watch 👍

Not to change the subject, but I saw a most interesting thing and thought I would share before I forgot…  Went for a walk on a local trail after a good rain.  When I turned a bend, I noticed a black rat snake resting on a tree.

I’ve seen plenty of snakes climbing trees.  This was not that.  It was coiled up and obviously just relaxing in a sunbeam on the side of a tree.  I thought to take a picture of this creature defying the laws of physics and so I dug in my pocket and took out my phone.  This was too much for the creature.

As I was bringing the camera to bare, the snake jumped to the next tree and crawled off through the branches.  It executed this maneuver with all the natural grace of a squirrel.  I would never believe such a thing possible had I not seen it with my own eyes.  I’ve always held myself in high esteem because I not only have legs, but I have thumbs.  This 4-foot snake showed me that, yet again, I have overestimated my understanding of things.  It is possible to jump without legs, and grasp without thumbs.  What else is possible?

Thank-you snake.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by Stephen Graf.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Stephen Graf question #164304

Thanks for the kind words Ray, and your welcome!

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Stephen Graf question #164298

Hi Richard,

 

It is true that anything added to the limb tip will reduce the efficiency of the bow.  That said, adding the extra lamination at the tip contributes just a few grains to the weight.  So the effect could be  measurable, but it isn’t noticeable.

As I understand it, the limb tip inserts were traditionally added to compensate for the tendency of the glass to crack.  This was back in the days when fiberglass was made with polyester resins instead of epoxy resins.  Since Gordon Glass and others have switched to epoxy resins, the fiberglass is much tougher and doesn’t tend to crack.  So in my opinion the use of limb tip inserts is no longer required.

I am a fan of fastflight string because of its durability.  It’s the only string I use because I don’t like making bowstrings and when I do, I want them to last.  In the book I talked about using limbtip inserts (as most all bow makers do), but since then I have left them out without negative consequence.  The fiberglass can take it.

As for hand-shock from lack of string elasticity…  I have found that a tuned bow and arrow to be comfortable to shoot.  If something is out of wack, then there can be hand-shock for sure.  And an elastic string can help reduce the hand shock.  But it also robs the arrow of energy and speed.  If I find that I am getting too much hand-shock, its usually because I am using an arrow that is too light.

Im glad you are enjoying the book!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by Stephen Graf.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Very Short Draw Length and Form??? #164223

I think your draw length is about right.  The guy in the store should have told you to relax and drop your elbows a bit.  Had you done that and not overextended, you would have seen the 24-25 inch draw length I think.

A comfortable draw length is important to consistent accuracy.  Trying to overextend to get that last inch is where trouble starts.  The deer don’t care.

Think about your draw length within the context of your whole shot.  Are you shooting well?  Is the bow quiet? Are you suffering pain from shooting? Are you having fun?  If you get the answers you want from these questions, then your draw length is what it needs to be.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Grass carp / White Amur ??? #164020

In our area the grass carp are usually protected.  You might want to see if they are in your neck of the woods.

It can be tough on the old brain to make sure you don’t drop an arrow into one around here.  Our common carp (shootable) usually top out about 25 lbs, and so it isn’t uncommon to see grass carp in that size  too.  But when one of those monsters comes lolling by, its easy to salute.

If the grass carp are in a private pond, they are open season.  But in large bodies managed by the state, the carp are protected in NC.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Hot new way to hurt myself #163954

I don’t know…  A good thump on the chest lets you know you are still in the fight 👍

Good luck with those deadheads.  That’s some good mojo!

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: ? Crazy string #163589

Hey Ralph!

You posted this back in ’15 and if I remember correctly, there were other pictures of the same effect posted.  I think it is the result of camera limitations, not how the string actually looks.

I use the same argument with my wife when she say’s I look like I need a shower and a haircut and I should clean up my act.  I say “No honey, I’m just fine.  Maybe your glasses are dirty”.  O’course that never works out for me neither. 🤪

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: More Hobbies–A Bow of a Different Kind #163295

The next question is…  Do you play?  Or maybe a grandkid somewhere?

Thanks for sharing!

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