Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: Justin Snyder on April 06, 2007, 03:24:32 pm

Title: Snakebow help
Post by: Justin Snyder on April 06, 2007, 03:24:32 pm
I'm trying to build a snakebow and I am struggling. I keep on straightening it, but the more I mess with it the more twisty and curvy it gets. You can see from the first picture that I had it almost straight. Then I tried to pick it up and it got all twisty without me even touching it.  This snake bow BITES.   Maybe I should quit getting it warm to straighten it and try cold.  Any ideas on how to make a bow out of this. Justin

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Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Pat B on April 06, 2007, 03:28:01 pm
Boy! A pair of those would look good on a bow. What kind is it? Doesn't look like the poisonous variety.  Pat
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Coo-wah-chobee on April 06, 2007, 03:34:06 pm
 Justin ...You HAVE TO MUCH TIME ON YOUR HANDS. Whats wifes phone # ?.......... :D :D :D.bob
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Keenan on April 06, 2007, 04:38:48 pm
Justin,  I had some luck with one very similar. Cold tillering is the only way to go. Freeze to -175% and you will find that the mollucles will hold much more of thier ridgidity.  LOL nice post!
  Nice snake, is it a pet?    Keenan
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Justin Snyder on April 06, 2007, 05:36:34 pm
He is just a gopher snake. I picked him up out of the road this morning while I was out running my dogs.  He will probably get his sentence commuted. I will let the boy keep him as a pet for a while.  Justin
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Justin Snyder on April 06, 2007, 08:58:24 pm
The boy came home from school and the snake was loose in the garage. I couldn't find it, but my boy kept looking. 2 hour later he came in the house with it.  I don't think he has ever stayed on task that long in his life.  Here are a couple more pictures.  The kids are holding a yard stick.  That is Cody 10, and Alex 12. Yes he is really almost 3 years younger and bigger than her.  Justin
PS Cody said it is going on a bow.  ;)

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Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Agbowyer on April 06, 2007, 09:33:44 pm
I don't know about the commuted sentence Justin. Would look awfully good on a bow. Plus I don't keep any live snakes at my house. My oldest boy got in a lot of trouble this afternoon. He killed a water snake and brought it home for me. Then he thought it'd be funny to put by his mom's car door :o Sometimes I worry about that boy ;D Now the snake has a big gash in his hide. Still usable though. It was a big snake.
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Hillbilly on April 06, 2007, 10:50:55 pm
Cool pics, Justin. That's wild, I also have a son named Cody who's 11. He's gonna be a big 'un too- already about 5' 7" and wearing size ten shoes lol.
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Justin Snyder on April 07, 2007, 12:37:40 am
Yea Steve, he started tackle football last year. The coaches started calling him the Refrigerator at weighins. He was the tallest kid in the league and was double the weight of most.  At 10 he is 5' 5" and 145#.  Justin
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: DanaM on April 07, 2007, 06:14:48 am
Thanks fer the laugh Justin ;D
Looks like ya have fine family do yer kids hunt with ya?

DanaM
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Justin Snyder on April 07, 2007, 11:09:46 am
Thanks Dana,  Yes the kids hunt with me. They like to go out to shoot with me and think they are cute when they try to shoot my arrows with theirs.  We get a contest going on who can hit the others arrows.  I had to replace 2 nocks on MY arrows last night.  ;D  Justin
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: GregB on April 09, 2007, 02:46:31 pm
Justin, does look like you got the makin's for a great character snake bow! ;D

Did you ever get out and hunt the rattled variety yet?
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Justin Snyder on April 10, 2007, 02:06:35 am
Greg, that is kind of what I was doing when I found this one.  Tonight I got his little brother. Just big enough for arrows. Justin
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: GregB on April 10, 2007, 02:31:33 pm

What kind of rattlers do you usually come across in Utah?
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Justin Snyder on April 30, 2007, 03:47:48 pm
Hey Pat, I have the question of the day for you. 
Q. How many gopher snakes does it take to back a 6 foot bow? 
A. 1
I picked up the big brother of this little snake today.  He is 6 feet long.

Sorry Greg, I missed the question.  We have Mojave, a few Western Diamondback, Prairie and Sidewinder. And of course gila monsters, the only poison lizard in North America.
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Pat B on April 30, 2007, 04:27:52 pm
Justin We have black and king snakes here that would eat your little gopher snakes as snacks. ;D  Had one around our house a few years back that was at least 7' and maybe 8". Years ago when I had a custom leather shop I tanned an Eastern Diamond Back that I mounted on a piece of plywood that was 18" wide and 8' long. That skin went over all 4 sides with a quite bit left over.  :o Pat   
Title: Re: Snakebow help
Post by: Justin Snyder on April 30, 2007, 05:10:05 pm
These can get to 9', but I haven't seen one that length for 20 years. To many cars and people.  My brother had rattle snakes in a big pen when we were young.  I threw one of those 6 foot king snakes in and it ate a 4 foot rattler. I was kind of in trouble.  The difference between these and the big rattlers is that the scales on this one are still small and the skin is still thin.  Ill bet Eddie has some snakes that would eat them all. Justin