[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: What motivates us to do what we do? #44958

Just walking through the woods with an ASL and a back quiver full of arrows is joy enough to fill the whole day.

By the time this time of year rolls around, I’d really rather the squirrels and deer just keep their distance.

Finished turning the last deer into 35 packages of burger, 4 packages of backstraps, and one tasty package of tenderloin for a special occasion not including the kids 8)

Whew!

And leave those deer alone! Five deer in a season with a longbow is a crazy good memory. Savor it! I, for one, an jealous. My best year was four with the bow. Predictably followed up by my worst season of one with the bow.

Happy Birthday and Many More!

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: New member from NJ #44870

Ah, the sixth sense 👿

He was alarmed I’d wager. But too cool to show it 8)

I wish I could be that cool 🙄

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: How do you keep warm? #44776

Live in the South 🙄

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Re-Thinking old Thoughts on Woodies #38537

Welcome Long John!

I scrolled through this thread back a bit and cannot figure out to what you are responding.

But I’ll throw my two scents in anyway 😀 One of the cool things about feathers is that one side is smoother than the other. Natures way of getting every little advantage, lift wise. The difference in surface texture causes one side to have more turbulent flow, and thus induces lift. On an arrow, this affect will spin the arrow.

Thus, even straight feathers induce rotation.

While I don’t think it makes a hill of beans difference one way or the other (as far as killing a deer or hitting a bulls eye) I have to respectfully disagree with your analysis of what happens when an arrow flies with helical feathers. In my experience, they do slow down at a faster rate than straight fletched arrows.

In fact, many years ago I shot straight fletch and helical fletch through a crono and measured their speeds every yard out to 30 yards (compound bow with sights, archer with beer). The helical fletch curve dropped below the straight fletch curve and kept on dropping (made a pretty excel graph). I lost the data in a hardrive failure a few years back. But I seem to remember that at 30 yards, the velocity was at least 15 fps slower for the helical fletched arrows.

I have found other advantages to using straight fletching too: Since the feather is not being stressed by bending around the shaft, it tends to last longer and it flies more quietly since the feathers are not causing so much turbulence. Not to mention being easier to put on the shaft in the first place…

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Making sure they are sharp #38108

Well said Greg!

I like a fellow that doesn’t get too ruffled up when he’s put to task 8)

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Where the Bucks Go!? #32221

By my own experience, I can say that what Preston and you note is true. The only piece of advice I can give you if you are truly interested in shooting a big buck is to get into the most dense cover you can.

I did that for a few years, but found it didn’t really satisfy me. In the end, the better meat of younger bucks and does goes farther to feed my family and my joy in hunting.

The danger in trophy hunting is that we enable our egocentric nature to rise to even greater heights of self-centeredness. At it’s core, Hunting is a community activity. The community, the family, survives by the success of its hunters. Now, with survival not reliant on a good hunter, hunting has been perverted into yet another opportunity to strut our stuff.

It really turns me off to see guys get all “emotional” about killing a big deer and thanking it for its sacrifice. Chances are they won’t eat any of the deer, or even see the meat. What a hollow gesture. Anyone who has eaten a randy old buck knows its meat is about as gawd-awful as it gets. Why hold your nose and force it down when you can eat a tasty doe or four pointer?

Trophy hunting gives the anti’s their best ammunition.

I like to kill a big buck, same as everybody else. But I don’t hunt them anymore. But if one happens by….

Sorry for the off-topic rant.

Back to matters at hand. I have found that there is a lull in the rut. Some folks call it first rut and second rut. After the first active phase of the rut, there is a lull until the younger does, or those missed in the first phase come into estrus again. Then the activity picks up again.

In the south, this cycle goes on at least three times. I think your rut starts earlier than our’s does. So maybe the last week in October represents the peak of your first rut. In NC, the average peak of the rut is about Nov 8th. So that seems right that your’s would be a week or two earlier.

When the leaves come off down here, the deer go nocturnal. Really tough to get a shot. Sneak in really close to thick stuff and hope for the best.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Making sure they are sharp #10520

two4hooking wrote: …The shaving sharp vs file sharpened debate has been going around for a while. Everyone has their own definition of what is sharp enough…

I am not sure what you refer to when you say “debate”. I think it is pretty well known that a sharper instrument causes more bleeding. It has something to do with the cells being cut open vs. torn apart. The torn cells cause faster clotting and provide better sites for the clotting to occur.

Maybe what you mean by “debate” is that some folks may think that super sharp is overkill and isn’t necessary, while other folks think it is necessary.

I’ve never needed to resharpen a broadhead in the field. But my adventures are pretty close to home for the most part. That said, I have killed moose in Quebec, Elk in Idaho and Colorado, and caribou in Newfoundland. None of these adventures went off without a hitch, but I always had an extra arrow ready to go 😀

I like the grinding and polishing wheel setup. Fast, easy, and effective.

two4hooking wrote: …Put them where they need to go and they will kill effectively if they are “sharp” enough…

A field point would fit that definition… just saying, not arguing. 🙄

I will call your old timer quote, and raise you another. Fred Bear said: “We deluded ourselves by thinking that our file sharpened broadheads were sharp.”

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Happy Thanksgiving #10426

Just got back from my sisters place. Had the big feed there this year. Now I have to think about those two deer I have hanging in my cooler that need to be turned into burger and backstraps 😀

I am VERY thankful those two deer saw fit to walk in front of me…

And that I have a couple kids that still depend on me to feed them…

Beautiful morning here today.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Re-Thinking old Thoughts on Woodies #24872

I think you fellows might be splitting hairs…. And I don’t mean with your bow 😯

It’s like arguing about which is better; bud or bud light? The important thing is they are both beer. And while you can argue about what beer is better, as long as you have one in your hand, it doesn’t really matter.

Pope argued in his book that birch was best. He’s an old timer too I think.

Anyway, I have found the merits of a wood arrow, whatever its flavor, make me a happier hunter 😀

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: What ya got goin? #24793

We use the bones for stew too. I don’t worry much about the fat. I cut the bones into sections with a hacksaw and freeze them in batches. Basically two leg bones cut into 1 or 2 inch sections. I found that lets the marrow out better. A bit-o-meat left on the bones keeps the locals happy too 😀

When it comes time to make stew, I cook the bones in a crockpot for 24 hours to get everything out of them. When done, bones fall apart. When cooled stew gels like jello from all the gelatin.

Fish bones out, add veggies and whatever. Best stew there is.

You are on the right road David.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Strings #20515

You might want to shoot a bare shaft after moving your silencers. Sometimes moving silencers can affect the tune a fair amount.

In fact, I let the tune of the arrow tell me where the silencers belong… Stiff arrow, silencers towards tips. Weak arrow, silencers towards handle.

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: What ya got goin? #20471

Are you making Bone Stock David? If not, what did you boil down to make the stock?

I’d like a cookie please… 😀

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Re-Thinking old Thoughts on Woodies #9170

I think you have to be tuned in to use woodies 8)

Good luck Patrick. Too hot around here for much loving. Squirrels are rutting around here though. May have to give them a go.

Squirrel stew? The best!

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Blood Trails #58450

Ptaylor wrote: …I’m wondering why the deer you guys shot with pass throughs did not leave a blood trail?

Fred Bear once observed, and I have seen it too and wondered about it, that the skin of deer moves a lot over the body. the wound in the skin can be several inches from the wound in the body. The result is that the wound is essentially sealed.

That was the reason Fred said he got away from 2 blade broadheads. He said 3 blades, or 2 blades with bleeders, opened the wound enough so that it wouldn’t get sealed by skin movement.

From what I’ve seen of simmons shark holes, they are so long that the hole in the hide and the body have to overlap some.

Google simmons shark and look at the pictures. Some nasty holes….

[Stephen Graf]

in reply to: Blood Trails #54410

I don’t want to get into a broadhead debate. They never solve anything. So I’ll describe what I know of the pig hunts, and leave it at that.

As Greg said, most any sharp broadhead will do the trick. Sharpness means less clotting of the wound. I can attest to that. My dang back quiver lets the arrows cut through the bottom (not bottom proper, but edge where sides meet bottom). When I adjust my quiver with my left hand to withdraw an arrow with the right hand, I have poked my hand a few times. Bleeds for a long time. Takes longer to heal. Dang quiver.

Ashby’s work is the best most complete work to date. If I had to criticize it, it would be that it doesn’t include data from deer sized critters (please correct me if I am mistaken). The assumption that the best broadhead for a water buffalo will also be the best broadhead for a deer may need evaluation. I make no judgements beyond that.

Back to the pigs… He killed a 90 pounder and 240 something pounder with the simmons. Both pass throughs. No help needed to find pigs. Shot low and tight to front leg.

The other two were “bigger than the 90 pounder” and shot behind the shoulder, maybe back a little. No pass through. No shoulder hit. Needed dog to track pigs. Blood petered out and pigs not found. Maybe they needed a better dog?

That’s all I know of the story except to add that the fellow he went with was using simmons and shot 4 pigs and recovered them all.

I wish I hadn’t mentioned the pig story as it wasn’t first person. Pure here say. For myself, I would still use the abowyers on pigs. They tough.

I have shot only one pig myself (with abowyer). Low and tight quartering away shot. Arrow stuck in off shoulder, no pass through. Pig went 20 yards. No blood trial…

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