Primitive Archer

Here's your contestants! And I thank everyone who joined in, without you, there would be no contest

Burnsie
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,73361.0.html

Robert
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,73376.0.html

Mo_coon-catcher
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,73368.0.html


Bentstick54
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,73385.0.html

Tuomo
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,73394.0.html

Seeing as how we have a M/L forum perhaps this is acceptable; I used a .54 Isaac Haines rifle I built for this hunt, I love flintlocks!

I decided to brave the cold this morning and sit in my ground blind. What I thought was doe came around my ground blind and was only 10 feet from the blind when I shot her. I have a good bit of deer meat in the freezer, not enough to make it until next year so I wanted a young tender deer to add to my stock pile.

She turned out to be a year and half old he with almost no antler development. When I field dressed him I found out why, he had the normal male equipment but didn't have any testicles. He was steer.

This makes the third buck I have shot with B/P in exactly the same spot over the last 3 years; they come in downhill from my blind and downwind of my plot looking for does, they pass between my blind and the plot on the uphill side and head off toward my neighbors orchard. So far every buck that took that path while I was in the blind went to the freezer.

The buck was very close to my blind, I actually shot it in front of that little maple tree to the right of my rifle.

I was way out in the wilderness he says tongue in cheek. This is how close my blind is to my house, this shot is off the deck, I am at the end of a dead end road in the county, this is a subdivision where everyone has a few acres. I have 4 acres of beautiful hardwoods that the deer pass through and hundreds of acres of woods behind my place.

It’s been way too long since I have been able to work on my own projects.

I haven’t worked on a bow since my trip to visit Arvin last February.

On my trip I stopped by DVS Hunters for a quick visit. I really like Dave. He is definitely one of the good guys in the primitive archery world. I always enjoy seeing him.

He wouldn’t let me leave without taking several gifts home. I told him I didn’t have much extra room so anything I took had to be pretty compact.

One of the things he gave me was a short but very nice Osage stave.

I thought it looked like a good candidate for a belly split. It was. Split really nice and I chased the ring I was aiming for on the belly split.

Not done yet but I have a plan for both of the staves now. I call them my “brother staves”. Most people would probably call them sister staves but Dave feels more like a brother.

I was thinking that the belly split might make a nice short hunting bow for me.

Even though it is only 47” ntn I wanted to make it a stiff handle with a shelf that was close to center shot.

Still need to finish it up but I have it to 55 lbs at 20” draw. Shoots nice and I can seem to hit what I’m looking at. I probably will still take a few lbs off, but it’s coming along. I can still draw 55 lbs but not very comfortably.

Figured I’d post a few pictures.

Unbraced is right after shooting

It’s been awhile

Bjrogg

What Pappy said! 
looking good.
Del

Be nice if we can all ship ready for the hohohoho, what do you all feel about shipping with one bow not finished, potentially?