Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: davidneils on June 18, 2007, 07:37:08 pm
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I've finally made a bow I feel comfortable taking an elk with. It's a simple D bow made of Ipe with a Bamboo back. It's 64 inches NTN with 1 1/8" at the fadeouts and 1/2" tips. It pulls 56# at 28" and shoots a 550 grain arrow very well out to 25 yards. I'm confident that it will down an elk at 20 yards if I have that opportunity come September.
Thanks to Pat B. for all the help he provided a few months ago regarding tillering. It helped tremendously.
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/elk_bow.jpg
Now I'm working on a reflex/deflex bow using the same materials and nearly the same measurements. It will be fun to compare the two bows.
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Sweet bow there! That'll take out an elk ;D!
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Hey David, by the looks of it - I'd be comfortable too ;D. Hope you get your elk. Can't wait till fall, I'm thinking their's going to be lots of huntin pictures.
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Thanks guys. 2006 was a fun but humbling season. I helped a friend on a moose hunt and then the plan was for him to help me with a elk hunt by calling and packing. Well, at the last few seconds I made the mistake of moving uphill to adjust a cow elk decoy and I left my recurve on the ground. The bull came rambling back in and I had no choice but to call from the prone position right underneath the decoy. I have to admit it was fun when the bull poked his head out from behind a juniper tree at 50 yards to hear my call. At that moment I moved the decoy and he was completely convinced it was a cow. In he came to within 5 feet of my friend. The bull didn't see what he wanted and started headed back to the draw to check on his cows. As he turned to leave my friend stood up, came to full draw and sliced the aorta off the top of the heart. The bull piled up within seconds of being shot.
My bow will be with me the entire season this year! :D
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/David_2006elk.jpg
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Awesome animals! Wish I was in elk country. Have only been once - spent a week trying but the critters weren't cooperating.
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There's nothing like hunting elk in the high country. I feeds my soul like few things do. I'm fortunate to have great hunting within 2 hours of my home. Here's a picture of the area where I spend most of my time in the fall.
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/elkcountry_small.jpg
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Good God! Absolutely beautiful!!!!!!! Where are you?
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Looks like an awesome bow and the pic of big sky country is breathtakin.
Any chance of some close up pics of yer fine bow?
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I live in Fort Collins, Colorado. I'll post some photos of the bow tomorrow. I'm trying to decide on a finish for the bamboo that will blend in to the background in that sagebrush photo. Any ideas?
The snowcapped peaks photo was taken a few hours West of Fort Collins at about 11,000 feet. I've hunted this area every year since 1993.
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David, Your bow looks great. Worthy of a monarch ;). Last year was my first elk hunt in the San Juan Mts of S W Colorado. Kenneth(Little John) invited me out and we hunted between 9000' and 10000'. We were there in late Aug and early Sept and the elk weren't but the trip was amazing. To take an elk, especially with my own equipment, is still a dream of mine. Pat
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Cool pictures. I can't wait to see more shots of your bow.
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What Gordon said ;D
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I have been waiting patiently. Can we see more pictures. We don't just come here for the articles. :o ;D Justin
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This has got to be a fine bow. Any chance of more pictures? You're pictures show a lot of sagebrush. Are hunting in Wyoming or Montana?
BTW - this 6/19/07 link to our local newspaper is a story about the 2nd largest grizzly ever trapped in Montana this last week.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/06/19/news/mtregional/news06.txt
If you are bow hunting elk in MT or WY or the Yellowstone NP areas of eastern ID, you might carry along your .44 or bear spray.
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Sorry guys. I was out this morning setting up a trail camera for mountain lions. It's another hobby of mine during the off season. My wife tells me there is already plenty to love and she doesn't need bigger love handles. So I plan a few difficult hikes every week. You can see some of my photo slideshows since September at:
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/Fox_Sequence.gif
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/TrailCamPhotos.gif
Using trail cameras is a fantastic way to learn more about wildlife and it's something you can do all year. I use the products from http://www.pixcontroller.com with help from a master trail camera builder, Bob Scriver:
Contact: Bob Scriver
Phone: 517.887.2520
Email: scriverb@comcast.net
I'll get those bow photos posted soon.
Thanks,
David
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Awesome slide shows david, to cool :)
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Okay, these aren't the best but they give you a better idea (hopefully) of the bow. I now realize the tiller could be a LOT better! Funny how it looked like it was bending closer to the handle when I had it on the tillering tree. Now it looks real stiff. I'll use it and hopefully improve on the next one!
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/elk_bow_braced.jpg
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/elk_bow_handle.jpg
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/elk_bow_fulldraw1.jpg
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/elk_bow_fulldraw2.jpg
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/elk_bow_tip.jpg
http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/elk_bow_handle_back.jpg
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Got your fine boo backed Ipe bow all set up for June Backed Bow of the Month. Thanks for the info about the camera.
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OldBow,
I'm shocked that you'd even consider this bow as an entry. I barely feel qualified to string the BOM bows! Maybe it's my Lutheran upbringing that's holding me back. ;D
I'll do this. I'll finish up this bow as well as the r/d version and enter one of them in August. Okay?
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Good job on the bow. I've gotta get some IPE. Love the trail cam pics too. Thanks
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jpitts,
If you use Ipe, be sure and use a high quality dust mask. I pick mine up at Home Depot and they cost about $3.00 apiece.
Let me know what you'd like to build. I'm looking to trade a blank for some custom arrows. You'll see one of them in the Trading Post forum.
Thanks,
David
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Oh, you're just crazy- that is an awsome bow. Tiller looks really good to me. I especially like how you laminated the boo onto the bow leaving a "dip" at the grip. I'd vote for it :)!
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Nice looking weapon, and awesome trail camera pics, too.
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For a killer natural camo finish, how about some wild cherry bark w/o removing the moss/lichen layer? I have a VM stave w/ tons of reflex that I want to build a compact hunting bow out of, and I guarantee it will have the natural cherry bark for backing!
The only kicker would be "how to best protect the backing?" I think a satin polyurethane finish (exterior) with a few coats would do just the trick.
Any other thoughts by anyone?
Joe
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Joe use satin spar varnish, not poly.
Sapr varnish is UV proof and weather proof.
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Does anyone have photos of using cherry bark as a backing? I like a dull matte finish and I'm worried the poly would be shiny. I know you can dull it down with steel wool but dragging it through the brush brings back the luster in a hurry. I've noticed this on arrows too when I used the gasket lacquer in the past. Now I soak the shafts in Danish Watco Oil for several days. It's not a fancy finish but it's not shiny and it goes all the way through the shaft. I don't have to put anything else on the shaft.
For this bow I'm thinking about using a combination of leather dyes. I love the black tips on Gordon's recent bow. That is really cool. Maybe I'll try for a sagebrush look with black tips.
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Your trail photos are very entertaining, and your bow looks good too.
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David, I use Tru-Oil on all my bows. For hunting bows I add a quick spray of satin poly, over the Tru-Oil, to cut the shine. It works great. Pat
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Rich, ever since I had a lion wake me up while sleeping on a ridge during the bowhunting season, I've always been fascinated by these powerful predators. That day the lion must have run behind me when I sat up. There were fresh tracks in the mud leading right to the spot where I was sleeping and within a few minutes the toe marks dried.
My first lion pictures this year occurred in February. This was a lion that was captured near Boulder, Colorado and transported up near Woods Landing near Wyoming. It made its way back about 75 miles to an area just North of Fort Collins. I was extremely lucky to get such a great photo of the ear tag and another while the lion walked away.
(http://www.telementor.org/images/davidn/LionPhotos.jpg)
Pat, thanks again for your help with the tillering! I really appreciate your phone call a few months ago. Something clicked in my frontal lobe and I was fortunate to leverage your wisdom and experience. Regarding the satin poly, I'm surprised that it would stick to the Tru-Oil. That's wonderful. Do you prefer any particular brand of satin-poly?
Thanks again,
David