Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Announcements => Topic started by: Chicknlady on May 29, 2012, 08:22:23 pm
-
Hello all, just thought I'd say "hi"! :) I've always been a closet archery-enthusiast, but never got really serious until recently. I started at the age of ten making arrows, and didn't realize dead goldenrod stems with cardboard feathers just wouldn't do it until I tried to shoot one... you can imagine! ;D On and off over the years I did a little shooting here and there, not much, still didn't know what I was doing. It took an 11-yo son with a passion to try archery after he read the series "Ranger's Apprentice" to get me back in the archery.
I still have a nice Martin 40# recurve from years back, but it was always just a few pounds too heavy and wasn't much fun to shoot. So early this spring, I got my son a Walmart Bear fiberglass bow, and made myself a survival self-bow after I read Douglas Spotted Eagle's book, and we were off! His Walmart bow ended up way too light, and so I caved and got him a nice little 30# Samick Shadow youth bow, which shoots great for him. My bow is about 30# also, and although kinda ugly and rough it actually can shoot pretty nice when I'm in the zone! It's 48", from a 2" black birch sapling, finished with just Lindseed oil, has a pretty good string-follow, and has just a shoe-lace for a string. I'm shooting old aluminum 55# Easton arrows that came from who-knows-where (I think they were an old boyfriends arrows) and although they should be too heavy they seem to shoot better than my son's lighter arrows. Attempting to work now on rose-arrows and an ash bow that's a little bit longer.
I'm glad to have found this forum, and hopefully you folks won't be too hysterical about my soon-to-be-coming crazy questions! Thanks in advance... :laugh:
-
Always glad to welcome new people to the group. Sounds like you have a good start. Of course you have to post pics of your bow. It's required. ::)
-
Welcome! Why don't you post pictures of both of you and your bows? Even though your son's bow isn't primitive we like to see kids shooting. Once he sees how much fun you're having building bows he'll be right in there with you building his next one.
George
-
Welcome, glad to see you here. Too many old guys here already. ::) Let's see some pictures of your suvivalist bow and start slinging the questions, none is silly.
-
Too many old guys here already.
Hey, I resemble that remark!! :'(
-
Awesome, welcome to the board. It so nice to see women involved! Gotta post some pictures, for sure!
-
Thanks for the welcome everyone! Here's some pictures of my survival bow... I took me about 2 hours over the course of a few weeks, mostly used a draw-knife to shape it. I think it took longer to find a semi-straight sapling than to actually make the bow!
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/ballen67_2008/IMAG0530.jpg)
strung bow
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/ballen67_2008/IMAG0531.jpg)
some of the knots and bark in little indentations on the back that I was afraid to mess with
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/ballen67_2008/IMAG0533.jpg)
unstrung bow, doesn't look much different with a string on it! But I cut and worked it green, so it is what it is...
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/ballen67_2008/IMAG0536.jpg)
Me, like the bow not quite a thing of beauty... ;D ;D ;D
-
Nice looking stick! I wish my first bow had only that much set. Well done!
-
good job the tiller looks good, the first bow i attempted was green wood and it broke in the handle i've been hooked ever since.
welcome to pa.
-
Looks pretty good to me. Nothing wrong with that bow at all.
Does the handle mean you raise fancy chickens? Years ago, back in Nebraska, I raised some interesting chickens.
George
-
The tiller looks real good, especially from green wood. You'd fit right in with all the Florida boys on here with those Flip-flops.
-
lol, Mullet, I live in flip-flops in the summer! As far as the bow, I think I got lucky with it, didn't really spend alot of time agonizing over it as I lopped it down to size. Now, I have an ash stave down close to start tillering, and it's going alot slower... trying to make a fancier bow this time... the wood is nearly seasoned and very hard to cut, it's going slow and I'm agonizing more! ::)
gstoneberg, my chickens aren't very fancy, but they're alot of fun and I could live on eggs. I have six older hens that don't lay much anymore, so I got 12 new chicks back in March. Couldn't resist some off-topic pictures, sorry!
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/ballen67_2008/IMAG0538250x150.jpg)
new birds
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/ballen67_2008/IMAG0541.jpg)
Aracauna
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/ballen67_2008/IMAG0542.jpg)
New Hampshire & 4 Blue Andalusians
-
Nice work on the bow!
I like those Samick bows, too. They have a pretty good reputation for being good shooters.
Welcome to the addiction!
-
Nice, does your aracauna lay blue or green eggs? It sure has a nice beard. Mine were hybrids and had tails. I also had turkens and silkies and played around for a few years trying to cross them. Good times. My egg layers were RIRs for the most part. Gathering eggs was always a treat with the different colors. Also raised turkeys.
My go-to glass bow is a Samick. Good shooter.
George
-
Welcome.. Nice bow ;) Seeing your pictures reminded me how much I miss having chickens. I live in "town" and we have had them, but Serena (my bride) doesn't like the flies they attract. Nothing like a roster crowing in the morning to get the nostalgia going.
I have some nice crepe myrtle staves if your ever clined to make your son a CM bow. Just PM me.
I think you will enjoy it here :)
Cipriano
-
That Samick of my son's really is a nice bow, from what I can tell. At least it seems to shoot alot smoother and quieter than my home-made bow. I'm sure the shoe-lace string doesn't help... I did break down from the "survival" archery idea, and just ordered a spool of bowstring. I'd like to try real sinew someday, maybe if we get a deer this fall I'll try it. I have been eying up road-kill, but am not sure if you can get arrested for removing "parts" like that!
Glad to see some chicken-enthusiasts here! Criveraville, too bad about no chickens... luckily we have lots of room here, and my husband just rolls his eyes at my chickens (as long as he doesn't have to take care of them!), and he does enjoy the eggs! gstoneberg, my other two Aracaunas (since passed on) laid green eggs, but this one lays pale cream-colored eggs. For a few years, I had brown, white, and green eggs. It was neat.
-
Hmm, there seems to be a love/hate chicken deal going on with spouses. My wife grew up on a farm and ended up hating chickens as tending them was her job. I always wanted them and while we lived on the acreage we always had some. She was OK with that as long as I took care of them. It was a fight to keep them alive around so many predators though since I liked free range chicken eggs. The last couple years I finally gave up on the layers and just did broilers and turkeys. Sure do miss that good meat, store bought chicken is not the same. OK, back to bow making.
George
-
;D
-
LOL, jackcrafty, that's awesome! Glad people here understand chicken humor... makes the world a better place!
Son and I did some shooting tonite. Anybody here ever hear of Japanese knotweed? It's an invasive species, looks like bamboo, and we have a huge patch of it up on the hill which we like to "wack down" with sticks... very therapeutic! Anyways, my son brought a big 1" stem down and leaned it up against the haybales and we had fun shooting it. We each actually shot it through several times, but we were at 30 feet or so... newbies!
Here's a pic of my son with his Samick Shadow. It's 48", 30 pounds.
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/ballen67_2008/IMAG0545132x220.jpg)
Mullet, yes, he has flip flops on too! ;D ;D
-
cool n fun stuff chicknlady....where abouts in general in pa are ya from? im just north of pittsburgh.....theres several other folks from this communist...eh hemm..i mean commonwealth state too ;D if your close by n need any help with making bows let me know n ill help ya out
-
Welcome chicknlady,you sound like you should fit right in,I also could live off eggs,no chickens myself but several friends that do and they keep me stocked with eggs.Good looking sapling bow,tiller looks very good for a quickie bow. :)
Pappy
-
Welcome to our addiction !!
Have fun !!
Guy
-
You guys are great! Thanks for the big welcome. Blackhawk, we're just outside of Bradford, which is sorta "north" of Pittsburgh... maybe we're neighbors ;D! It's a great town, not too big not too small, and people are really friendly. We have over 100 acres, mostly woods, beautiful country. Nothing is posted here, mostly oil & timber companies own the surface. As long as you don't run an ATV (game wardens actually ticket on private ground!) , you can do most whatever you want; hunt, hike, forage, whatever! I can't wait til I get "good enough" to try some stump shooting.
-
Losing your first batch of homemade arrows while stumpshooting is a great motivator for better shooting.
Don't ask how I know this!
-
Isn't that one of Murphy's laws? The odds of losing an arrow are directly proportional to how much you like it and how hard it was to make. ???
George
-
Chickenlady, I'm just south of Erie and we also have Japenese knotweed, it's an invasive species an also edible, I have ate some an it's okay :-\ but i prefer a good helping of stinging nettles with my eggs ;D Later Bob and Welcome.
-
Not to be out done let me say that I love chickens too because I can usually
get off 3-4 shots before they move.
Welcome.
-
lol, johnston, don't think that the thought hasn't crossed my mind! I had to move the hay-bales last night because the new birds were in the chicken "tractor" right behind ... good thing, son and I were both pretty shoddy last night... we got new tabs. He lost another arrow under the grass, and I had told him the next time he looses one that I'm painting his all hot pink, shaft and everything. But I'm afraid he won't want to shoot anymore! The neighbor girl might see it ;D.
Bob, didn't know that you can eat that knotweed. We could probably feed the world with the stuff we have around here. We don't eat it, but it fun as all get-out to smack it down with sticks this time of year when it's nice n tender.
-
Is Bradford anywhere close to Ford City? I have a buddy there that I go up and hunt turkeys with every now and then.
-
Not sure where Ford City is... we're in the northwest part of the state, right on the New York State line south of Buffalo. Alot of turkeys here. This is a pic I got with my game camera I leave set up behind the house all the time... I'm trying to catch Big Foot :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:!
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/ballen67_2008/gobbler.jpg)
looks like maybe a gobbler... I think I see the end of a beard??
-
That's no beard.. That's a Cuban cigar >:D
Cipriano
-
Very nice bow! Good job. Welcome, and this is the place to ask questions, and not to worry about being shy, as to whether the question is silly, believe me, whatever the problem, or question, someone on here has experienced it! ;) As for your chicken picture, it was not off subject, just miss worded. It is your Fletching source, or your combination mobile fletch /fertilizing, and insect control system....... like the news media, it is all in how you word it, and interpret it. Cool you have the Easter Egg chickens. I used to have Rhode Island Reds when I was a kid. Got two as an Easter gift, and then got more. I like chickens. Even though they are omnivorous cannibals . The first two I have were pets, and would sit on my shoulder. Till I figured it was better that they did not, since I had to wash my shirt, and sometime pants, after they felt right at home, and got processed food that was delivered through the alimentary canal, on my shirt. Mullet lives in those dang flip flops! I never did like them. I only have half of big toe on my right foot, so that might be part of the problem. My cousin sent me a helpful tips, on the internet, and one of them showed using a flat bread clip for marking your computer lines, and using one for when your flip flop has a blow out, when the thong plug, splits the flip flop, you just put the clip on the thong plug, and it keeps it from pulling through. But mullet told me how to make fishing bugs out of old flip flops, just cut a section out to shape, and slide a hook through it, and tie it off in the middle, and then one for a head, and some rubber bands, or mono, and wallah, a bream, perch or trout, lure etc. Thanks Eddie. But your bow looks good, and yeah, slow and steady are the by words on here, and it pays off. ;) Now you need some loud mouthed Pea Cocks! Good fletching, and meat. Just annoying as all get out. And don't have any shiny cars that they can see their reflection in! They will peck it, like crazy! Don't threaten your son with coloring his arrows an unmanly color, just go the other route, and tell him, you are going to tell the neighbor girl that you can out shoot him, and she probably could too. ;) That should put the practice mode in full swing. ;D The Japanese knotweed, do you have any pictures of it? Is it anything like the maiden cane we have down here in Fla. ? Eddie isn't exactly a spring "Chicken" himself! I am one of the old guys on here, just turned 64, Wednesday. Dang, I shouldn't have put that there, it makes me feel even older to look at it! :( :P Heck even if I turned it around, it still doesn't look good. :( But I can get the discounts...... like on life expectancy......etc. ;D ;D But again, welcome aboard, and we are all looking forward to seeing your new bow that you have in the work in progress line. Cipriano, if you think that turkey beard looks like a "Cuban Cigar", I don't think I would accept a cigar from from you! :o :P
Wayne
-
Hi Wayne! Loved your post! LOL
Here's a picture of the kids in the "bamboo" (Japanese knotweed), after doing some serious damage to it with their wood swords...
(http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp132/ballen67_2008/IMAG0163.jpg)
The knotweed dies back all the way to the ground in the fall, then sprouts new from the roots in the spring. Terrible stuff to eradicate. I've killed a few small clumps, but it takes so much Round-up that NOTHING grows for a few years on that spot.... not sure I like that at all. But, wacking it down with a stick is great therapy when you're in a bad mood... :laugh:
I'm having a ball with this archery thing... found out last night I kinda like shooting my ugly little survival bow better than the big fancy Martin... but I do know I nee to up the poundage. If I shot at a rabbit with that little bow, the arrow would probably bounce off of it! ;D
I'm waiting for my heat gun to arrive so I can start heating-treating bow #2... Plus trying to find time to even make a neat little arrow-straightener so's I can finish my rose-arrows... time, time time!!!
-
Ford City is about a half hour from Pittsburg. That is a gobbler, you can tell by the red head.