It was an uneventful night, but I'm glad I got to go yesterday. With weather moving in this weekend, I hope to see some more movement.

Stick em good bud

Self bow?

I started hunting archery in the early 80's Until about 2004 I shot a compound bow instinctive ; no sights and I drew using three fingers under . I was told you can't shoot a compound like that but I did for about 20 years . It took a lot of practice to learn .A lot more to to be able to maintain .And I limited myself to under 35 yards on game For all of you that shoot traditional equipment I respect your dedication and I think I know a little about how much more of a challenge it is . Hope you get one and if you do post a pic

Traditionally I use a compound but tonight I am using crossbow.

I started withe a recurve back in the seventies. It's Great to see traditional gear. Our state now allows all hunters to used crossbows and scopes and there are more deer killed with them now than any kind of vertical bow.
I cheat and use a compound now, but I really respect the guys who still believe the challenge of the hunt is a big part of what they get from doing it. Hope you post pics of your kills.

I will be using a cross bow to start. Once I get meat then I will go back to my Bear Kodiak. There really is something special about hunting with it.

Good luck on your hunt !!!!!!!!!

So tell us about the bow!!! Cant wait to start on another stave.Want to do a bamboo backed osage .

So tell us about the bow!!! Cant wait to start on another stave.Want to do a bamboo backed osage .

Good luck to you. I shot longbow for a few years , but have been running a compound the past ten year. This is my first year back with the stick bow and running a recurve this time around. Good action but no shot last night but dead tonight. It's been kinda warm in my parts.

Very nice looking bow you have there Pintail. Keep us updated I love seeing traditional kills.

Any additional info on your arrowhead? I recall you posting some dam good stone points.

My selfbow that I'm hunting with isn't close to as good looking as yours but it functions well. Hoping to draw first blood with it soon.

I built the Bamboo Backed Osage about 10-12 years ago. Used Cocobola on the tips and riser. Made up a "floppy" leather arrow rest that was easy on the feather fletches. I made the arrow out of Port Orford cedar, and knapped the arrowhead out of Missouri creek Burlington. The osage has taken on a beautiful honey color now with a little age.

With archery, I’ve killed between 150 and 175 deer, and about the first 15 or so with compounds. I shot a recurve the summer of ‘85 and never went back to the “training wheels”. Now I’m using a David Miller longbow, because I got it for $20 at a garage sale and love bringing home nice bucks with that old beater. Heck, I lost count of deer I killed with flint points and Osage selfbow somewhere around 30 deer, but now I’m back to steel points just because they are easier to make arrows with, and they work almost as well as flint points and they last through more kills. Seriously - a well made and properly mounted stone point flys better than steel in wind, and kills them just as dead. Most people can shoot further accurately with a sight equipped compound, but traditional can shoot quieter, faster from “go” to arrow release, and shoot from partial draw and odd positions. Those make up for the loss of range to the point that I feel I am actually a more effective hunter with traditional equipment. Keep your shots under 20 yards and don’t even question the equipment’s ability to do the job. I’ve taken 5 deer with a 38 pound longbow and flint points, and every time I loosed an arrow at fur with that setup the deer went home with me.
I’m not a purist, when I can no longer draw a bow I will pick up a crossbow. I go traditional because it is more fun and in the end just as effective. And I can literally make the kit from scratch with sticks, stones, and a squirrel skin for the string. And I’m not saying that because I read it in a book once...