Hunting for a Bow design ..

[Bert]

Heya fella's,

As some might have read my previous thread (http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,32694.0.html) i'm looking to make me a new bow from an Osage stave.

Altough hunting with bow and arrow is prohibited in my country (can you imagine that ?!)  i'd like to make myself a reliable, 55-60 pounder hunting bow.
I'm inspired by reading Dean Torges article : http://www.bowyersedge.com/dimensions.html

A bow that balances all the tradeoffs that exist, a bow like one described in "Hunting the Osage Bow," a straight-forward flatbow showing either very little reflex or very little string follow after it relaxes, offers the best compromises for durability, sweetness and stability while maintaining an ability to deliver a heavy arrow quietly and accurately. I like it for the kind of hunting that I do - close quarter work on jittery critters.

This sounds like the bow i'm looking for, nothing to fancy, but accurate and reliable. A bow that could last me a few seasons.
I'm planning to hunt European Wild boar wich is in my humble opinion still not the same as a feral hog ..

and the most common deer around these parts, the (small) roebuck (reebok)

The fallow deer are becoming quite rare around these parts..


Anyhow, i'd by very happy to hear your 2cents on, after all this, what bow design you'd suggest a rusty bowyer to use !

Cheers
Bert

[Gordon]

Those are great photos - did you take them?

Are you really planning on hunting with a bow even though it is illegal? If so, I'm not sure how I feel about helping you with that. I think perhaps your time is better spent working on getting such laws in your country changed.

[dragonman]

Hi Bert, what country are you in? sorry Gordon but I dont agree, laws are mostly made to control and enslave the comon man, whats important is to respect the earth , her creatures and our fellow man, better to hunt with a bow than a gun, whats important is to respect the spirit of the animal you're killing and not be greedy.....in my humble opinion... theres enough policemen in the world, without policeing each other aswell...

[bubby]

Those are great photos - did you take them?

Are you really planning on hunting with a bow even though it is illegal? If so, I'm not sure how I feel about helping you with that. I think perhaps your time is better spent working on getting such laws in your country changed.

i would hope that he is planning to travel out of country on these hunt's, if not he probablly shouldn't have posted that he would be hunting illegally, Bub

[Gordon]

Dragonman, I have no interest in policing Bert. But I have no interest in helping him break his country's laws either (if that's what he is actually planning). But if you want to help him that's your business and I have no objection.

[dragonman]

no offence to you Gordon, I respect your opinion and maybe you're right???, thats just the way I feel, its only Berts responsibility what he does with his bow ,.... lets hope he doesnt get into any trouble.....

[Bert]

Whoa calm down lads ! I wasn't planning on making a ruckus on the forums

Just the facts straight, for those who feel they should know ..
I'm a good man, father of 2 and a hard worker.I'm a truely law abiding Belgian citizen, a rather densely populated country.
Me and my family live in a quiet town, but my father in law lives in a cabin, in the woods.
Around where I live there is an abundance of hares,rabbits and pheasants.

The 'bigger game' I spoke of I can stalk around where the cabin is at.
It is not allowed (yet!) to hunt with bow in arrow in my country, altough it has been for ages !
From the dawn of the bow, trough medieval times up till 150 years ago. At one point, law & order decided that hunting on my homeland was for the aristocrats only, the wealthy.
Only gun-hunting was allowed. Still, uptill 10 years ago, it was only judges, lawyers and doctors who formed the 'hunters-class'.
There is a growing movement of archers in Belgium that are actively lobbying for the law to take up archery hunting.
In France (15min drive from the cabin, as its close to the borders) its allowed to Hunt with a bow.

The game warden of the area is heavely inclined to bow hunting even when he (officially) cannot permit it.

After hundreds of thousands of gunshots, these woods yearn for a fair hunt ..

Thanks for hearing me out,
Bert

*PS : No sorry, these pictures are not mine, not taking credit for'm*

[bubby]

you can't beat a pyramid bow or a bendy handle d bow, both are good designs and will easilly make a hunting weight bow, Bub

[dragonman]

Bert..cant help you with your question because I've never been fortunate enough to get my hands on any osage ...yet, being from the UK its hard to get here. Good luck with your bow though, Bubbys got the expertise...his advice is sound

[Gordon]

You could do a lot worse than an osage flatbow. Do you have access to osage where you live?