Hunting & Fishing Primitive Archers?

Never really was interested in shooting bows.

But that there, is pretty bad ass!

Well done!

I had a Martin recurve I started with...I nicknamed it "the maimer". I had to become realistic about my effective range with it when hunting and retired it after I managed to kill one tiny whitetail buck with it in about 1998. Since then I have racked up around 15 or so bull elk with my compound bow, so I have thought about bringing the maimer out of retirement and see how I do. I do manage to get a lot of satellite bulls in pretty close (10-20 yards) and I feel like I could be pretty effective with it at that range if I practice consistently. I do have a lot of respect for the guys who consistently get it done with trad bows, definitely need to be a good hunter to get that close...

Badguybuster said:

Ive been in the prayer list for a Pennsylvania elk tag for 6 or 7 years. im not well cpnnected or rich enough to draw one apparently.

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Sounds about like my quest for a Bighorn Sheep tag...or any tag for that matter. I have been applying for Moose, Sheep, or Mountain Goat for over 22 years and haven't drawn a single species. I know folks who are younger than I am that have drawn 2 moose tags. Even know a couple people who have drawn 2 sheep tags, despite the fact you can't even put in for 7 years after you draw one...go figure.

I did for 20 years or so. Made bows from hickory, yew, and actually went to Texas and learned to make osage bows from Jim Hamm. LIke you I backed some with snakeskin (rawhide on yew) first with hide glue but eventually went to Titebond (hide glue isn't waterpoof, LOL! I used mostly cedar for arrows and some chokecherry, never tried bamboo. Weaved my own flemish strings, mostly synthetic but tried hemp fiber and even rawhide (but couldn't make it work.) Mostly obsidian points but heat treated some churt and blue flint. As you know, it's a lot of work and takes time/practice to stay sharp shooting instinctively so maybe when I get old(er) I'll migrate back to it.

shields shtr: Wow, 22 years and no tag? Which state are you applying in? That's messed up.

i used to...my shoulders shit the bed. so no more. i have a. dwyer custom 62# at29”....hunted with it for years. never connected. but i enjoyed it a lot. had a bunch of really big bucks in close, that woulda been dead if i were compound hunting. as it worked out, they didnt present a shot i could make with the longbow...and i am fine with all of that.

i was just htinking the other day i should probably make a deal with someone who is interested in it.

to the OP....awesome stuff there, bud!

Ankeny said:

shields shtr: Wow, 22 years and no tag? Which state are you applying in? That's messed up.

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MT. Yeah, every summer the results come out and the disappointment sets in again. I understand the Bighorn Sheep, I put in for the hardest to draw region in the state...Moose and Goat, don't get it. Montana doesn't have system like some of the other western states where you will eventually draw if you put in long enough. They instituted a bonus point system years ago that was worthless because almost everyone started getting points at the same time. Then they made it even easier because they got rid of the 240 dollar refundable application fee because people complained they couldn't afford to put in. Now it is a nominal 3 dollars per species. MT has adopted more of a "hunter opportunity" management strategy as of late that I am not sure I agree with. Our elk season is stupid long for cow elk (you can shoot cows in August before archery season, and well into February this year) and we are one of the only states that has a general season mule deer rut hunt. I am all about opportunity, but at some time I think the resource will dry up. Just my opinion and got a little off topic there. I can say that if a miracle ever happens and I do draw a tag I don't know if I will be using my recurve!

I "dabble', every once in awhile...

Pure hunting, for sure....

That's a pretty decent bull.
You sure did pick the ideal thread to insert that bad boy in there

I shot a 12” bushbuck in Africa last month with my BigJim Thunderchild. We stalked to within 13 yards of the bedded down buck and he never made it to his feet. I was one of the most exciting hunts I’ve ever experienced.

Leatherwall forum has some really good information on it. Also some really nice used bows for sale. Basically never shoot my Matthews halon anymore.

I've been shooting a longbow for about a year now. I took a bull elk with a compound last year, hoping to take a mule deer with my longbow this year. I picked up a barely used Thunderhorn 3 piece, 52#. Love this thing.

This is the Thunderchild 2- piece take down.

LH Osage Orange Rattlesnake 60 lbs 30" pull.

While certainly not as primitive as some here, I’ve only ever archery hunted with a trad bow. Currently shooting a border covert hunter (hex 7.5 limbs)

It’s accounted for a couple pigs, whitetail does and a cow elk.

psinclair said:

I "dabble', every once in awhile...

Pure hunting, for sure....

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That’s an unbelievable bull- “Dabble” ha! Nice work!