Need ideas for a bat-themed bow...

[Marks]

Oh snap I had a great idea. The scallops can be in the shape of the bat symbol. 
If you don't take this idea then I want someone who is more talented than myself to make me one.

I would

Also, if the charcoal doesnt get the wood dark enough, you can try the ebonizing method of steel wool in vinegar, after painting the bow with a tannin solution (boiled bark). If you use oak, no solution is needed due to the natural tannins

I would go with the dark coloring. A antiqued black coloring would look good.

[Thesquirrelslinger]

red oak can literally turn black- as in charcoal black. Seriously. I tried it. 1/2 pad of steel wool in a glass jar with 3 cups of vinegar for 3 days.

[huisme]

JW got that right, bats are cool. Bats make up a 1/4 of all mammals.  Not only did they master flight....they did it in the dark!  Also quite long-lived, with a record of 41 years, quite surprising for a small critter. 

The scalloped edges are a good idea.  Maybe you could flip the tip and use a horn overlay to resemble the pronounced thumb bats have.  Lots of people are intrigued by bats when they learn about echolocation, aka biosonar.  You could carve in a series of sound waves maybe radiating from the handle.  I used the sound wave concept in my company logo, do a search for Echo Archery
And maybe a strike plate shaped like a bat ear.  I have always wanted to back a bow with bat wings, but that might take it a little too far if she adores the little critters. 

So you have a friend, a female, who loves bats and can draw a 60# bow!  If I wasn't married....

That's perfect! I wouldn't have thought to shape knocks like that. Maybe if I can talk farmer Dave out of another horn I'll have the material to do whole miniature wings?
"Marc, that's overkill!"
"Overkill is underrated  "

She's a little young for you too. Them's the breaks I guess 

[Jodocus]

Yeah, when you got it done, go out in the night, emit loud cries, listen to the echoes and shoot those bugs in full flight! 

[autologus]

A properly designed and build bat bow will allow you to hunt at night. 

Grady

[huisme]

A properly designed and build bat bow will allow you to hunt at night. 

Grady

Yeah, could you gimme those specs for primitive sonar? I've never been able to figure it out from other people's pics on the internet

[Carson (CMB)]

I actually have some concept designs for a bat capturing arrow.  Basically a whistling point with a trailing net held open with centrifugal weights.  I need to build that one up one of these days. 

[dbb]

If you have carvingskills you could go for a stiffhandled bow and carve a bat /bats on the riser..

[Marks]

I actually have some concept designs for a bat capturing arrow.  Basically a whistling point with a trailing net held open with centrifugal weights.  I need to build that one up one of these days.

Do you intend to catch the bat or let the bat catch the net/arrow.

[Carson (CMB)]

I actually have some concept designs for a bat capturing arrow.  Basically a whistling point with a trailing net held open with centrifugal weights.  I need to build that one up one of these days.

Do you intend to catch the bat or let the bat catch the net/arrow.

Good question!  I just noticed that if I shot an arrow at a bat, it would break course and swoop past the arrow in flight, I am guessing out of curiosity, being drawn to the sound.  I thought if I had a whistling tip, the curiosity factor would be increased, and when a bat swoops past the arrow, the small parachute like net, trailing just several feet behind the arrow, would nab him.    This would be for catching those high-flying open space bats, such as the Molossids, which can be difficult to get in a mist net set at ground level or in the canopy. 

Sorry for the hi-jack.

[Marks]

When I was a kid I was told you could throw a new fuzzy tennis ball up and they would grab it and get their claws hung up and bring em down. I don't know if its true cause we never were successful with it. We used to throw rocks in the air near the security lights at church and watch the bats chase em down. I believe it is more of the echo location than the sound.

The reason I asked is if the bat was meant to catch the arrow I wouldn't think a bat could catch up to an arrow unless it was low poundage and real slow. Maybe a fluflu. Also if the arrow was meant to catch the bat then I would worry that at a high speed of the arrow and net might hurt the bat (assuming you want to catch it unharmed). Its a neat idea and would be entertaining to go bat hunting especially with a new batman bow 

[Carson (CMB)]

When I was a kid I was told you could throw a new fuzzy tennis ball up and they would grab it and get their claws hung up and bring em down. I don't know if its true cause we never were successful with it. We used to throw rocks in the air near the security lights at church and watch the bats chase em down. I believe it is more of the echo location than the sound.

The reason I asked is if the bat was meant to catch the arrow I wouldn't think a bat could catch up to an arrow unless it was low poundage and real slow. Maybe a fluflu. Also if the arrow was meant to catch the bat then I would worry that at a high speed of the arrow and net might hurt the bat (assuming you want to catch it unharmed). Its a neat idea and would be entertaining to go bat hunting especially with a new batman bow 

You would be surprised bats will que in to sounds at longer distances and then use echolocation to hone in as they get closer.  This is a generality as there are lots of varying hunting tactics among the 1,000 species of bats that echolocate.

I have found that even non- flu-flu arrows can get close to bats, or the bats can get close to them, if shot near enough to them in the first place.  I think a medium flu-flu would be best for the bat arrow. Yes, such a device would likely injure the bat.  It was originally thought up with collecting in mind.  I was working with a University that was collection oriented. 

[Hillbilly]

Yeah, could you gimme those specs for primitive sonar? I've never been able to figure it out from other people's pics on the internet

Just emit high-pitched squeaks, and then listen.

[Carson (CMB)]

Yeah, could you gimme those specs for primitive sonar? I've never been able to figure it out from other people's pics on the internet

Just emit high-pitched squeaks, and then listen.

This young blind kid has taught himself how to echolocate, it is worth a watch:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1QaCeosUmw

[Gus]

If she is of age, and not a Tee-Total-er, I might consider a Bacardi Bow...




-gus