Any traditional archers here?

[Clayton]

Any of you guess into longbows or recurves? Flinging a few sticks?

Clay

[This message has been edited by Clayton (edited December 25, 2003).]

[Mark Carden]

Hey Clayton,

I used to be traditionalist, but lack of time and laziness has culminated in me going to a compound (plus a great deal on a great compound bow). I have a friend at work that builds his own bows. He has also developed a new arrow head. He has dropped a 141 B&C with his long bow and his new style of broad head. I've been trying to convince him to sell them online. What do you hunt with yours?

Mark

[Michael Bush]

I like long bows. I have a couple of light ones, but would like a serious hunting one. I used to hunt with a compound with sights and was pretty good at that, but am not that good at instinctive shooting because I never seem to find time to shoot anymore. I bought the compound because at the time you couldn't find a serious long bow anywhere. Now there are quite a few to choose from.

[Clayton]

I hunt deer. I would really like to hunt bear or birds in the future. I also love to target shoot too. I ain't that great a shot cause a spend too much time with my bees :>

Here is a link for buying good taditional (used) bows: http://www.women-outdoors.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi

Here is a link to the bowyers site that built my longbow. His bows are really excellent!
http://www.7lakeslongbow.com/

Jeff makes mean bows too:
http://www.stickbow.com/massie/

[Mark Carden]

Clayton,

Please practice more BEFORE you decide to hunt bear. I would recommend hunting beer first. I find it is easier to track. We need you to moderate this site too much. I have heard horror stories about archers not getting a clean kill and living to regret it. Carry a .44 just in case.

Mark

[Michael Bush]

>I would recommend hunting beer first.

I assume this is a typo. But beer is probably easier to hunt. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

>We need you to moderate this site too much.

Kinda selfish huh? http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

>I have heard horror stories about archers not getting a clean kill and living to regret it. Carry a .44 just in case.

And I've heard horror stories about archers not getting a clean kill and NOT living to rregret it. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

[denise_ky]

Is beer hunting a combination of bear + deer hunting? You shoot whatever you see first?
Or that's what you tell your wife it is and really you are going after the beverage?
Just make sure you have a designated shooter!
D.

[Clayton]

I love archery probably more than rifles. But I have a personal rule with the bow, I won't hunt unless I have put in the proper practice.


Did I mention that I like old winchesters speifically model 1892's and 1894's (old ones).

I have at this time:

model 1892 38-40 (it dates at 1897)
model 1892 32-20
model 1894 32-40
model 1894 30-30 (from the 50's no big deal)

I sold my 1894 32 special with octagon barrel (dumb move on my part)

I have a few marlins too
A few remmintons.

Almost all my guns date before 1925.

[Mark Carden]

Hunting beer wasn't a typo. I find they congregate in schools that are multiples of six and they don't run too fast. Actually if you ask very nicely they will come to you after a really long day at work. But they too can be dangerous.

Merry Christmas

Mark

[dragonfly]

I'm not, but my husband is, and he has his bows built by Mark Horne of Horne's Archery. Mark makes custom bows, (long bows and recurves) that are a dream to shoot. My husband has been shooting for about forty years, and highly recommends him. He has a large variety of exotic woods to choose from and will make it to your specs for your needs. If you need his number, let me know. He also has an ad in Traditional Bowhunter magazine, usually inside the front cover.

[hoosierhiver]

beer hunting is popular here too,you can tell by all the emptys at the bottom of the tree stands.

[dickm]

Another compound guy here. I hunt elk in New Mex every year. (Have taken 2) Other than beekeeping it gives my retired life a focus. I practice a lot before and during the season. I consider I'm ready when they all stay on a pie plate at 40 yds. I wrote a story for "Bugle" magazine 4-5 years ago titled "Is there elk hunting after 60", about me and my hunting buddies. I hit 70 this year so I may have to rewrite it. I find beer hunting to be better after the sun goes down. I lower the bag limit if I have to drive.

Dick Marron

[dickm]

Coyote,
Thanks for the invite. I usually come through Shiprock and south on what used to be 666. I hunt out of Grants. Send some directions and #s to my private e-mail.

Dick Marron

[Brandon Shaw]

This was (is for a few more days) my fourth season with the longbow. No world records yet, but they are a very effective hunting weapon.
I started with a Dave Paxton Talon longbow, 63# @ 28 very light bow with very little handshock smooth shooter. My current bow is a Thunderstick 62# @ 28. This is in the top two or three bows I've shot out of about 30 or so.

I enjoy deer hunting and 3d shoots in the summer. My latest find was carp shooting. Wow, lot's of fun I highly reccomend it.

[loggermike]

I have seen bears killed cleanly by archers,and I have seen the other.Keep a back-up gun handy,a bear with an arrow in his a.. is NOT a happy camper.

[WeaverBro]

Yup, I also shoot the wood bow. I prefer longbows and currently shoot a nice 54 lb 'flatbow' style made by the Kentuckian. I killed my first deer with it last fall, a nice 8 point around 190 lbs. If your not into archery and shooting arrows, I wouldn't recommend anyone picking it up for hunting purposes. Definitely takes mucho practice to stay lethal, but is a blast if you're into it!

[MountainCamp]

I also shoot traditional. My favorite bow is a Robertson Stykbow - Prairie Falcon, 65# @ 28". This bow is ultra-light and smooth shooting.
I bought this bow in '87 and it has been great. http://www.robertsonstykbow.com/

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I haven't shot the longbow since my Howard Hill delaminated. My rotator will not let me pull one anymore so I am down to knife and spear. Planning on another hog hunt this spring down south in ya'll land.

[Michael Bush]

Wow! Howard Hill is my hero. For those who have never seen his archery, watch the old Robin Hood movie with Eryl Flynn. Every arrow that flies in that movie was shot by Howard.

[mark williams]

Hey Michael http://www.beesource.com/ubb/biggrin.gifidn't Howard Hill also play in some of the old Tarzan show's?
He had a nephew that was in to long bow shooting & making years back,I've meet him ,But can't think of his first name,>>>>Mark

[BULLSEYE BILL]

>He had a nephew that was in to long bow shooting & making years back,I've meet him ,But can't think of his first name,>>>>Mark


That would be Jerry Hill.

[mark williams]

Thank's Bill:that was his name Jerry,been a long time,I suffer from CRS,haha,
What ever happened to him do you know??>>>>Mark

[BULLSEYE BILL]

>What ever happened to him do you know??>>>>Mark

No, I haven't kept up, sorry.

[Queenannsrevenge]

I enjoy shooting too - don't do it as much as when I was younger. My favorite is a custom English Long Bow - Yew & Cherry, with traditional horn nocks. I also make my own arrows.

Martin

[sugar bandit #2]

I use a re-curve to bowfish for carp. An old neighboor of mine used to take all I could get him. Also a few pond owners have asked me to remove their old (& very large) chinese grass carp as they can't metabolise the extra vegitation (weeds)as well as the younger ones. I personally dont't hunt anything but fish (carp, bowfin, gar)but my other bowhunter freinds enjoy bowfishing because it helps keep them sharp in the off season.

[wayacoyote]

What is the "stalking" technique for carp hunting? My Grandfather has ponds and too many carp. We were hunting with .22, but you have to worry about riquoche off of water. Uncle usually tosses in some feed, but that also attracts the catfish which he doesn't want shot.

Also, how do you practice? Put a target in the water to experience the refraction?

[Brandon Shaw]

There really isn't much stalking involved. Just don't start yelling and throwing rocks in the water, that might hurt the cause. You want to get them in the summer when they are laid up in the shallow where you can see them easily, it helps to get polarized glasses. When you shoot tehy will all take off really quick, and either come back to the same place or a little ways away. I like to find a rock or log sticking out of the water to stand on. I've spent many hours in the same spot shooting carp, you just have to wait for one to swim by.

As for shooting carp kyou don't need to have a "water target" if you can shoot well otherwise you're fine. It will take probably 5-10 missed shots to get the hang of it. All you need to do is shoot lower than what you would shoot typically. Also, I would reccommend buying two good fiberglass arrows with a cable slide, not a plastic slide on the arrow. The plastic slides will work, but will get fine particles of sand and you will notice some difference.

[Oxankle]

Recurve and Compound here. About quit hunting as my wife does not eat game and I will not shoot what we cannot eat. \

I still use the recurve to shoot flu-flus over tree limbs so that I can pull rope or cable around a tree when I have to put the tractor on it to make it fall a certain way. (Such as when it is leaning over the house!)

[sagittarius]

Still deer hunting with a compound, but have an interest in making my own osage self bow.

Just bought 7 acres, and planning to put in about 2 acres of clover for the deer and turkeys this spring. Would like to get into beekeeping and put some hives next to the clover and buckwheat plots.

------------------
SE Wisconsin

[sugar bandit #2]

"What is the "stalking" technique for carp hunting? My Grandfather has ponds and too many carp."

It depends on the type of water your bowfishing, i.e. creeks, lakes, rivers & ponds. It also depends on the technique your using to match the water conditions i.e water temp, clarity, and structure in the water such as logs, large rocks etc.
Around here (Indiana) I like bowfishing ponds when the dandelions start to bloom,
water temp is about 67 (that induces the carp to spawn in the shallow water) and when the sun is low in the sky so I don't cast shadows that spook the fish. I think bowfishing is easiest when the carp are in spawning mode and with their splashing up next to the bank (it's easier to stalk them while their thinking of other things). I also agree that polarised glasses and a ball cap are a must to reduce glare when the sun is higher.
When bowfishing privately owned ponds after spawning season, I will bait an area dumping a couple large cans of corn under an overhanging tree in about 1'-2' of water the night before and wait for targets in the shade of the tree the next morning. If there are no trees, get your polarized glasses and a ball cap stay low and slowly stand and draw back when you see the target.
I use a "stalking technique" when bowfishing in smaller creeks or tributaries during the summer months. The fish seem to spook easier here than in spillways and other busy parts of the water. I like to see where the target is heading then make a wide path from the creekside edge and wait in the shade of an overhanging tree (mulberry trees are the best).
Aiming is easiest when carp are in the shallows (spawning or feeding) and you can aim just below and a little forward of a tailfin exposed above the water. Bowfishing deeper water takes a little more practice and I then prefer using a compound. The deeper the target is in the water the more you need to compensate for the refraction of the target. It just takes a little more practice. I use to practice by tying a piece of foam on a string and rock and sinking it at different target zones.
Bowfishing tackle is a another can of worms but I think simpler is better.

[sugar bandit #2]

"What is the "stalking" technique for carp hunting? My Grandfather has ponds and too many carp."

It depends on the type of water your bowfishing, i.e. creeks, lakes, rivers & ponds. It also depends on the technique your using to match the water conditions i.e water temp, clarity, and structure in the water such as logs, large rocks etc.
Around here (Indiana) I like bowfishing ponds when the dandelions start to bloom,
water temp is about 67 (that induces the carp to spawn in the shallow water) and when the sun is low in the sky so I don't cast shadows that spook the fish. I think bowfishing is easiest when the carp are in spawning mode and with their splashing up next to the bank (it's easier to stalk them while their thinking of other things). I also agree that polarised glasses and a ball cap are a must to reduce glare when the sun is higher.
When bowfishing privately owned ponds after spawning season, I will bait an area dumping a couple large cans of corn under an overhanging tree in about 1'-2' of water the night before and wait for targets in the shade of the tree the next morning. If there are no trees, get your polarized glasses and a ball cap stay low and slowly stand and draw back when you see the target.
I use a "stalking technique" when bowfishing in smaller creeks or tributaries during the summer months. The fish seem to spook easier here than in spillways and other busy parts of the water. I like to see where the target is heading then make a wide path from the creekside edge and wait in the shade of an overhanging tree (mulberry trees are the best).
Aiming is easiest when carp are in the shallows (spawning or feeding) and you can aim just below and a little forward of a tailfin exposed above the water. Bowfishing deeper water takes a little more practice and I then prefer using a compound. The deeper the target is in the water the more you need to compensate for the refraction of the target. It just takes a little more practice. I use to practice by tying a piece of foam on a string and rock and sinking it at different target zones.
Bowfishing tackle is a another can of worms but I think simpler is better.

[sugar bandit #2]

Didn't mean to repeat this post,
sorry about that.

[This message has been edited by sugar bandit #2 (edited February 23, 2004).]

[limulus]

I hunt deer with a longbow, and have also tried for rabbits and grouse but haven't gotten any of them yet. Fun to try though. I make my own bows and arows, and have even made a couple that worked. I traded my best bow, a little osage longbow with a bamboo backing that I made, and had gotten 2 deer with for a bamboo fly rod. Haven't caught any trout yet. It seems that there is less time every year. Are the days, years, weekends getting shorter?

[limulus]

LOL coyote ,
I prefer electricity though, it is quieter.

[Rogerio]

I was way into it for a while, not only making my own bows but arrows (good arrows are much tougher to make than bows)and stone heads as well, but I kind of burned out on it. It's kind of like falconry in that it becomes all consuming, and I get more out of falconry. Falconry works pretty well with beekeeping because the time to put the bird up for the season pretty well coincides with beginning the bee season, late February to early March, and time to put the bees up for the winter pretty much coincides with the end of the molt and trapping season. With the bows I need to be practicing all summer, and if I get into bees the way I hope to, I just don't see where I'm going to have the time to do that.

Roger

[Michael Bush]

I always wanted to get into falconry, but it's just so time consuming and such a commitment. So, foolish me, I got horses instead.

[Rogerio]

That's too bad Michael, because you live in great falconry country. Of course, it's probably not bad for horses either.

Roger

[Michael Bush]

There are at least three pairs of Redtails living a stones throw from my house, a pair of Great Horned Owls, and a pair Merlins. It must be nice for the raptors. There are sure a lot of them around. But still no shortage of mice. Someday when I retire, I think I will get a licence and a Redtailed hawk.



[This message has been edited by Michael Bush (edited March 16, 2004).]

[Rogerio]

Michael,

Are you sure the small falcons are merlins and not kestrels? Is the nest in a cavity or is it an abandonded crows' or magoies' nest?

Roger

[Rogerio]

Michael,

Are you sure the small falcons are merlins and not kestrels? Is the nest in a cavity or is it an abandonded crows' or magoies' nest?

Roger

[Michael Bush]

Well I THINK they are Merlins. The one I usually see is blue and brown and some other colors. I'm not sure where they nest, I just see them whenever I pass a certain stretch of the road about 200 yards from my house. I looked up pictures of Kestrels and Merlins and I think they look more like the Merlin. I also see what looks more like the Kestrels down the road south of here.

[Clayton]

Well I just got a new to me, 70" 40@ 28 flatbow. The bow has a "Bloodwood" grip, Osage belly, Chatke-Kok lamination then a Hickory back. Its a real nice reflex/ deflex all wood laminated bow and really slings an an arrow quick for such a low weight bow. I'm using the bow to perfect my form as I seemed to have developed a bit of bad habits cause I started with heavier bows.

falconry???? I'll have to look into that. What is the licensing for that like?

[Michael Bush]

>Well I THINK they are Merlins. The one I usually see is blue and brown and some other colors. I'm not sure where they nest, I just see them whenever I pass a certain stretch of the road about 200 yards from my house. I looked up pictures of Kestrels and Merlins and I think they look more like the Merlin. I also see what looks more like the Kestrels down the road south of here.

Found a falconer with a Kestrel (and a Perigrine and a Red tail). The ones down the road are way too big for a Kestrel. I'm sure they are Merlins.

[Brandon Shaw]

Check out Gene's site if your interested in making your own bows!
www.winterbowshoppe.com (http://www.winterbowshoppe.com)

[beeman7467]

Who wudda thunk it. I thought I was the only traditional bowhunter who liked to keep bees! I have been hunting with a recurve (first a Browning one piece, then a Bighorn takedown, then a Bruin Takedown and currently a one piece Bighorn) since 1983. I enjoy hunting whitetails with it, but my current passion is to use it to take a wild turkey (Eastern where I'm from). I'm playing around with a selfbow I made from red elm, but I'm not sure I trust it enough to take it hunting.