The Aspirinbuster visits Ted Nugent’s Camp for Kids by Frank Addington, jr.

“Hanging out with Theo…”

When Dick Mauch, Bruce Cull, and Ted Nugent want you to do a gig, you do it. I was already coming to Ponca, Nebraska the weekend of September 18, 2010 anyway when Dick asked for my show schedule at Ponca. He was communicating with Bruce and made arrangements for us to leave Ponca in time Saturday afternoon to drive to Yankton, South Dakota for the Ted Nugent Camp for Kids event Ted was hosting that day.

The NFAA headquarters was the location for the event and the Eastons have supported this endeavor with the “Easton Sports Development Foundation Center for Archery Excellence”. Bruce Call and his staff run a first class operation. It’s a beautiful facility that easily handled the huge crowd of young people and their parents. I heard somewhere they had around 450 kids at this event. We got there as the closing ceremonies started and Bruce Cull was on stage. I was told we had a few minutes to set up. We were back stage and I quickly began putting together and tuning my Hoyt Formula RX recurve bow and getting my gear unpacked when I heard, “What’s up Aspirinbuster” and looked up to see my pal Theo standing there. He hugged Dick and Carol Mauch and the I went over to greet Ted. When Ted hugs you you can feel the energy and enthusiasm he has for life and those around him. We visited and then he left to go on stage and give the closing remarks. As usual he gave a teditorial talk and hit on major points about being drug free, living the good life, and hunting and freedom. I saw Greg Easton on the podium and a few other dignitaries.

Bruce had a net already in place so all I had to do was add my Hoyt banner and quickly get some balloons blown up, and find out who they were having toss targets for me. A volunteer stepped forward and we quickly reviewed what would go on. I heard Ted tell the audience something about a “mesmerizing” archery exhibition and I grinned. Only Ted Nugent could give an intro like that. Ted was presented with a custom built gun and then it was time for Bruce Cull to give my show intro. Ted had someone film my shooting and it should be on his show sometime down the road. I ignored the camera and went to work.

It was showtime! The audience gathered around my net and as kids held up cell phones to video and take photos of the show I did what I do. It was a great time and after the baby aspirin shot I invited the audience by a table to get an autographed photo. I ended up signing more than a few hundred photos that evening. Greg Easton had to leave early so I did not get to visit with him.

After the show, we said Adios to Bruce Cull and Ted Nugent and headed to the Black Steer for a fine dinner. Dick and Carol are fine supper companions. Then we made the hour long drive back to Ponca for a party at Tom and Bonnie Ferry’s home. That day I’d did set up the show at Ponca and did two shows, packed the gear and drove an hour or so to Yankton, set up again and did another show, and then packed the gear and drove back. By the time we were at the Ferry’s home, I was exhausted but enjoyed seeing everyone and catching part of the Longhorn’s football game on TV. Dick was still going strong! At his age (83) we should all his health and energy! He and Carol admired Tom’s trophy mounts and shared hunting stories with everyone. It was a fine day.

The Ted Nugent Camp for Kids was a huge success and the NFAA headquarters is a great place! If your travels take you near Yankton, please stop by and see the building. Have Bruce or his staff show you around, there are many vintage photos and other items of interest. It’s a great facility and a real showplace. I think that many youngsters were introduced to the lifetime sport of archery that day by the staff, Ted, Greg Easton and myself! By the way, if your travels do take you to Yankton, try dinner at the Black Steer. Nothing beats Midwestern corn fed beef!

Until Next time, Adios and God Bless.

Shoot Straight,

Frank

www.frankaddingtonjr.com

To learn more about the NFAA, visit: http://www.nfaa-archery.org/

For info on all things Nugent, visit: http://www.tednugent.com/

For more info on Easton, visit: http://www.eastonarchery.com/

I have hunted with a compound bow for many years and recently took up the challenge of using a Longbow. After finding the proper arrow, spine and weight, decided to see what my combination was producing in kinetic energy. The combination is very accurate yet only produces 32 lbs of energy at best. I shoot a 57lb Tomahawk @28″. I use 568 grains total arrow weight, with a speed of 158 or so. Is this enough for Whitetail ? Is there a better combination ? I realize shot placement is ” almost everything ” . I guess I was expecting more KE. Any advice would be greatly excepted. Thanks, Tim

If you wound an animal and do absolutely everything possible to recover your game but just cant find it should you consider yourself tagged out or keep on hunting?

Hi folks! We’re a new company out of central PA. We have been working hard preparing for this hunting season, and will be out there in just a few days. There are a few videos up that I think you may enjoy, so check them out. Kill shots coming (hopefully) and we hunt on all public land. Check out the site, www.StorminTheOutdoors.com and let us know what you think. Look forward to hearing some comments.

Deerassic Classic like the Woodstock of Deer Hunting…

August 6 & 7, 2010 I was in Cambridge, Ohio to attend my first appearance at the National Whitetail Deer Education Foundation’s annual “Deerassic Classic”. This event has it all, from good food to musical entertainment like country singers Daryl Singletary, Andy Griggs, and Rhet Akins. It also features celebrities from tv hunting shows and the hunting industry such as Joella Bates, Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo, Pat Reeves and Nicole Jones, Chris Brackett, and many more. Oh, then there’s the crowd. More than 15,000 attend the event and many camp and stay the whole weekend.

Just imagine a “Woodstock” for deer hunters you have a pretty accurate photo of what this event is like. There’s good food, lots of exhibits to see, and lots of celebrities to meet. When Jerry Snapp asked me to attend, I felt like we could entertain the folks, even 15,000 of them. The main stage is broadcast on big jumbotrons on the grounds so that people can see the shows on stage. When you stand on the main stage you can see a wave of chairs and people across the grounds. It’s cool.

Jon Petz is the master of ceremonies and keeps the event rolling for the two days. He does the intros, hosts games and skits with audience members, and basically is the face of the event for the weekend. He is excellent at his job. There’s another John, John Page, that is behind the scenes keeping the stage clear, set up, lit and ready for each act and he also does a fine job. This team kept things rolling all weekend. This is a big event with lots of stuff going on and I was impressed that it went so smoothly and without a hitch. Irlene Mandrell is the spokesperson for the event and is also around.

The purpose of the foundation is to educate people about the whitetail deer and also help reconnect today’s youth with the outdoors. They have a facility where the event takes place which is called the Deerassic Park Education Center. Besides the once a year Deerassic Classic, they also host activities such as Ray Howell’s “Kicking Bear One-on-One Archery Shoot and Campout”, a Fall Festival and Trail of Treats, and a new fishing event held in conjunction with a free youth fishing day. It’s good to see that those attending the Deerassic Classic are helping to support events like these that are helping generate an interest in the outdoors for the next generation! This one event generates much of the money that runs programs like these all year long.

There were booths by manufacturers, sales reps, and retailers, as well as tv hunting personalities. This gives attendees the chance to meet these folks face to face and take advantage of it by asking questions, getting autographs and photos.

For my shows I used a young man from the Ten Point crossbow booth named Conner. He threw for me and did a good job, especially given the size crowds the three shows had. I did three mini shows, five to ten minutes each which meant I had to pull the top shots from my exhibition and do those. I did a 12:30, 3:30 and 7:30 show on Saturday. The 7:30 show had the largest crowd of the day— just before the big fifty fifty drawing and just before country singer Daryl Singletary went on stage. The crowd was estimated at more than 15,000 people and all three shows were broadcast on the big jumbotron screens on the grounds. It was awesome seeing a sea of people as far as I could see. John Page had the net ready each time and Jon Petz kept the atmosphere relaxed and fun. I was pretty laid back considering the size of the audience and the time restrictions we had. It was actually a lot of fun.

My shots included two arrows at once, three arrows at once, and even six arrows at once, shooting clothes pins from the net, multiple targets, and the grand finale was shooting three baby aspirin from mid air with three arrows— all behind the back! After one of the shows I held the Hoyt bow up high and Joella Bates snapped a picture from stage left. I laughed when I saw it. I am pretty proud of the Formula RX bow and the way it shoots!

I also took time to tell the audience about being the protege’ of the late Rev. Stacy Groscup, who tossed a Pepsi can into mid air and challenged me to hit it— and that was 25 years ago. It’s hard to believe that 25 years later I stood on stage with 15,000 people looking on. That is the single largest LIVE audience I’ve performed for in one setting. It was cool and I wasn’t one bit nervous. I enjoyed it. Conner did a fine job and we split one of the three baby aspirin and nicked the other two. I’d like to take the time now to thank my bow company Hoyt for the great equipment and their support, all the folks at Deerassic— from the top to the bottom they all worked so very hard to make this event go smoothly. I was asked multiple times each day by more than one person if I was comfortable and needed anything. They are a class act and I enjoyed working with them. Hats off to a great event and great folks. They do so much good for so many I was glad that this event went so well. These folks gave it their all.

After my show I kicked back and relaxed and listened to some good country music and visited with some of the show staff and other entertainers. It was a good time all the way around and I hope to get back there. If you get a chance to attend, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Just be ready to show up early and stay late.

That’s the latest. Until next time, Adios and God Bless.

Visit our updated website at www.frankaddingtonjr.com

Shoot Straight,
Frank Addington, Jr.
The Aspirin Buster

Email Frank @ [email protected]

Bow & Arrow October 1980
Mount It With Pride By Cheri Elliott

For the bowhunter who has bagged
a quality animal, mounting it is a natural tendency.
But who to trust with the mounting? Will the task be done
well? Will it hold up well? Why does it take so long to get the mount back
home and on the wall? These and many more questions plague the bow-
hunter who has his first animal mounted. To find some practical, realistic
answers we went to one of the nations top taxidermists, Bob Snow.
Snow offers a complete line of taxidermy services to both individuals and
other taxidermists.

How long does it normally take from the time a hunter brings in his animal,
until he receives it back, completed? Well, it runs about eight to ten months.
The biggest chunk of that time period is spent at the tannery. One good,
reputable tannery for taxidermy purposes is New Method Fur Dressing in
San Francisco, California.

Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of excellent fur dressers in the New
York area, for instance, that cater to the fur industry, but for taxidermy
purposes New Method is really good. There are also some bad tanneries
around. And the problem here is that if a taxidermist uses them, and he gets
skins back from then that are not tanned or not properly taken care of, then the
life expectancy of the mount is much shorter. It won’t last as long.
In some cases I might hold on to a tanned skin for as long as a couple of
years before I use it on a mount. At the tannery they use a lot of acids in the tanning solutions,
and they must get them well neutralized.

When we get the skin back we have to soak it in water before we can
mount it. lf we put that skin in the water and the acid is still working on
it, the skin will just deteriorate. It will fall apart — just as would happen to
your clothes if you should get battery acid on them.
The skins we get back from New Method are clean, and it’s obviously a
really professional tanning, but they run six to seven months behind in
their tanning orders. So once we skin a mount, salt it and dry it we ship it to
the tannery. Then it’s a six month or so delay while we wait to get it back.
Once it’s back, l have to give myself a month to get the thing mounted. It
has to be mounted onto a form, and must be wet at this stage. Then it has
to hang and dry for a week or two. Then the pins and so forth are pulled
out of it, and it’s filled in and finished up.

Keep in mind that all good taxidermists are backlogged. lf you go to one
and he tells you he can have it out in a couple of weeks, it’s time to question
his skills. There are cases where we will send skins in on a rush tanning order, but
then it costs fifty percent extra in tanning fees. And even at that it takes
three to four months to get it back.

What is the “tanning process”? There are different methods used in doing it,
but generally the skins arrive at the tannery salted and dry. They then are put in a vat of a specific chemical formula and soaked for a specific period of time, When pulled out
of the vats, they are put over a fleshing beam, and are fleshed down by hand
to get the meat or tat particles off of them. They are placed on machines
that thin the leather down, Then they are put into a big tumbler and tumbled
until almost dry, oiled with a tanning oil, and put back in the tumbler until thoroughly dried.

lt’s a good process, but it’s also expensive. For a person who wants to do tanning at home,
it is often too time consuming. That’s the reason most of us use a commercial tannery
instead of doing it ourselves. My costs from a tannery on a deer skin might be only $10.
But if I did it myself, I’d probably have to work on it a day and a half, and the cost would
have to go way up. Why does the hair of one animal fall out, but not so on another animal?

Generally there are several things that might have caused hair to fall out.
It could be because the skin was an unprimed skin, or because it was improperly taken care of somewhere along the line. It’s possible that the tannery did it, but the biggest possibility is that somebody before the tannery didn’t properly take care of the skin.

What does “unprimed” mean? The skin of an animal that is not primed has new hair growing out of it. If you skin an animal and you look at it on the inside you might see an unprimed area, Bears, for instance, are the easiest. to recognize. The hair Comes all the way through the skin,
and the roots of it are on the back side of the leather. When the tannery begins to flesh it down, they’ll knock the ends of that hair off. Then there’s nothing to hold the hairs into the skin.

When an animal’s hair grows out to full coat the hair roots are closer to the outside of the skin, and when it is fleshed down it will not bother the roots. What about the other possibilities you
mentioned? It’s possible that the skin was close to spoiling when it got to the tannery, or when it was salted or taken care of and has already started to rot or deteriorate. That skin will be weak. and hair slippage is likely, There is no way to stop it once the hair starts slipping, especially if the skin is already tanned.

Ninety percent of the time if it’s a problem of neglect, it’s on the part of the person who originally got the skin, the hunter. He’s inexperienced and doesn’t know how to take care of it.
He thinks he’s done the right thing, but he really hasn’t. That’s where they go bad, and that’s where you’re apt to have the most problems with them. If a hunter lets the skin lie in the
camp for a day or two, or a few hours even in the hot sun, it starts to deteriorate. He puts salt on it to dry it up, and it looks good to him. But it’s already started to deteriorate, When the tannery starts to process it, they put it through their chemical solution and they wet it, Because it’s already started to deteriorate, in that half-hour or so that it sits there wet, without any
chemicals on it, the hair begins slipping. It’s hard to say exactly, but it could
be caused by sunlight, or if it was not properly neutralized in tanning it also will deteriorate slowly.

Why would a skin crack? Generally this is caused by older methods of tanning. Rather than
having them actually tanned, a lot of people used to pickle their skins in a salt brine solution. When these skins are exposed to temperature changes, they have a tendency to dry out and .
shrink, They may shrink a little bit at a time over a ten year period. As the skin shrinks, it cracks. That`s why tanning is such an important part of the process, and well worth waiting for.
If it`s done properly, then the life of the mount, will be longer.

What is the “life” of a mount? Well, it depends on the care taken
of it and everything, but they should last longer than we do, I’ve seen a lot
of mounts around that have been here fifty years, and they still look good.
Dirt and sunlight are the two biggest enemies of the mount that there is.
So if you can keep your mount halfway clean, and away from grease or whatever,
and dust them off once in a while, perhaps vacuum them or brush them, they
should last a long time.

The ultraviolet light of the sun will actually deteriorate the leather, and fade it as well. A lot of heat is not really good for a mount either. That’s why they store fur coats in cold storage. Mounted animals are essentially the same. You can brighten a mount up and make it look fresh again by allowing your taxidermist to touch up the paint and eyes. It’s a good idea to ask him
how to care for your mount when you go to pick it up.

An even better idea is to go into that taxidermist’s shop before you go hunting. Let him tell you how to care for the animal when you get it, and how to prepare it. lf you do that, you’re certain to make his job a lot easier, and the mount you receive will be one in which you can take deserving pride for years to come!

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BOW & ARROW – OCTOBER 1980

BEARS – A REFERENCE

INTRODUCTION
Bears — Black, Kodiak, Grizzly or Polar — can
be found throughout the United States, and are
often sought out as a prized trophy. By
definition the bear is any of a family of large
heavy mammals with long shaggy hair, a
rudimentary tail and flat-walking feet. When it
walks, the entire surface of a bear’s foot will
touch the ground, making a large, wide—spread
print, perhaps four inches across. Regardless of
the type, bears do not generally seek out
human beings, and are most adept at avoiding
us. The majority of bears killed are chance
encounters.
Although the various types of bear will differ
in color and specific physical characteristics,
there are some generalities about each of them.
All will have muzzle-shaped heads, their jaws
and nose projecting outward. All have
extremely small eyes in comparison to their
overall size, small ears and large claws.
A/though normally slow in gait, they can
display sudden bursts of speed. All tend to be
nocturnal in nature.
The male bear is called a boar, the female a
sow

SENSORY AND PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES

Black Bear —
While most
sources indicate that the black bear has poor
vision, others state they have good eye- sight. All seem to agree
that their hearing and
sense of smell are excellent. They are also highly intelligent.
Smaller than the brown bear, the black bear is also more widespread.
They come in a variety of colors. Highly agile, they can scurry up a tree with
little effort. Top weight of a black bear is around 600 pounds. Their head is
smaller and narrower than that of their relatives, the grizzlies, and there is no
prominent shoulder hump. Their claws are shorter, more curved, and razor-sharp
for tree climbing. Although generally considered as not dangerous to man, a
black bear can easily kill a hunter, especially if cornered, wounded or threatened.

Grizzly Bear —
Termed grizzly because of the white—tipped hairs which give it
a streaked or grizzled appearance, the grizzly may reach weights of perhaps 1000
pounds. Eyesight is believed to be fairly poor, particularly when viewing stationary
objects, but its sense of smell and hearing are excellent. The grizzly is intelligent,
bold, cautious and self confident, and is considered one of the two most
dangerous animals in North America, sharing that position with the polar bear.
Normally avoiding humans, a female bear can charge suddenly if her cubs are
threatened, and is said to be able to out-run a horse for brief distances.

Kodiak Bear —
Largest of all the brown bears the Kodiak or Big Brown of Alaskan
coasts may stand over ten feet tall when on its hind legs, and can
weigh as much as 1500 pounds. Despite its bulk, the Kodiak generally
shies away from man, preferring to escape rather than fight. lt has poor
vision, but excellent hearing and scent capabilities.

Polar Bear —
Although there is currently a moratorium on hunting polar bears, the
animal is still one to consider. The largest meat eating hunter on earth, it is an
excellent swimmer. Front paws, webbed to perhaps half the length of the toes, are
capable of propelling the polar bear through one hundred yards of water in
thirty-three seconds. A mature polar bear may weigh as much as 1000 pounds or
more, and may offer a paw span of twelve to fourteen inches. Its ivory-white coat
gives it a nearly perfect camouflage. Covering its eyes and nose with its forepaw
it becomes totally camouflaged, resembling another ridge or snowdrift. The
polar bears’ greatest enemy is the walrus, which, in a one-on-one fight would
generally win out by goring the bear with its lengthy tusks.

HABITAT

Black Bear — Can be found throughout the United States, but the greatest
concentration are in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Saskatchewan and
British Columbia. Prime areas within the United States are Alaska,
Washington, Colorado and Michigan, Preferred terrain is forested, with
dense bedding and hiding thickets, adequate watering areas and occasional
open spaces containing fruits and grasses.

Grizzly Bear –Found chiefly in Alaska and Canada, although there are still
some in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

Kodiak Bear — Also known as the Alaskan brown bear, is found along the
lower Alaskan coasts, where food supply is more varied and abundant than
that available to the inland grizzly.

Polar Bear —— Found throughout the northern Arctic regions.

FOOD SOURCES
General — Bear diet may include mice, bird eggs and insects. Classed as carnivores they also eat a substantial amount of
vegetation. Berries and nuts are a favorite, as is honey. Bears consume ten to twelve quarts of water daily.
Black Bear — More than three quarters of their diet is vegetation, augmented by fruits and grasses. Frequently the cause of frantic
moments in hunting camps, black bears enjoy raiding garbage dumps and campsites. If necessary, they will even eat the bark off
trees.
Grizzly — The Northwestern salmon streams and the high berry patches near them are prime spots for grizzly. They also prefer
grapes, acorns, nuts, aspen leaves and twigs, pine seeds. They will kill small game, and occasionally big-game animals, eat their fill
and then bury the remainder of the animal to feed on at a later time.
Kodiak -— Said to eat anything from blueberries to beached whale carcasses, the Kodiak is especially fond of salmon.
Polar Bears — A polar bear may consume as much as fifteen to fifty pounds of meat in one sitting.It’s favorite foodstuff is seal
meat, but also feeds on fish, berries, carrion and some plant life.

MATING AND HIBERNATION
Facts You May Not Have Known:
1. Spring is the normal mating season for bears.
2. Browns, American black bears and polar bears possess a unique
capability termed “delayed implantation” — a mechanism which
allows them to actually turn-off their reproduction cycle until
the sow has fattened herself sufficiently to allow for proper
growth of the fertilized eggs. At that point the eggs will begin to
grow, normally some time during the Fall.
3. Bear cubs normally number two or three, rarely four or a single
cub. The cubs are born during the hibernation period, sometime
during late January or February.
4. Bear cubs will stay with their mother for one to two years, or
until such time as she decides to mate once again.
5. Bear cubs are born blind.
6. Perhaps one of the greatest threats to a cub comes from the male
bear, or boar, which has been known to kill an interfering
youngster.
7. Substitute mothering is not uncommon for cubs who have
temporarily lost their true mother. If the mother does not
return, the foster parent may simply keep the cub with her as a
part of her family.
8. Normally inclined to avoid humans, the surest way to incur the
devastating wrath of a sow bear is to threaten her young.

DID YOU KNOW?
The early-style igloos of the Eskimos were probably fashioned
after the dens of the polar bear. During October the sow will seek a
den for giving birth and sleeping out the winter storms. Generally
the den is fashioned by carving and packing an entrance passage and
rounded inner chamber in the side of a slope, resulting in the
igloo-shaped sanctuary. Through the top of the chamber the sow
will punch a small hole to allow for ventilation. Dependent on
outside weather conditions she will either enlarge or reduce the size
of the hole to control the den is inside temperature.

HUNTING TlPS
General — There are three basic methods of hunting bear: stalking, with bait and with dogs.
Of the three stalking is the least successful. Most encounters with bear are chance
encounters, however a bear that is being pursued will almost always return to the
original site of the chase. A pair of quality binoculars, seven-power or eight-power, is
essential, to allow for a successful approach. Opportunities for a second shot are very rare.

Black Bear — Baiting is the most successful form of black bear hunting. Although they can
be stalked, it requires a highly skillful bowhunter to do so. Their hearing and scent
capabilities are extremely good. While garbage dumps and trash deposits are a good place to
look for black bear, so are berry patches during late Summer. A bowhunter who chooses to
hunt bears by baiting must be prepared to accept and withstand the hazards of such a
system — mosquitos and flies in overwhelming numbers. Look for bear signs. A black bear will
tear stumps apart in its search for beetles and bugs. Streams are another area to concentrate
on.

Grizzly Bear — The best time to hunt grizzly is during the salmon spawning runs. Look for
fresh droppings and partially eaten salmon. Tree stand bowhunting is especially effective
for the grizzly. They can also be hunted from a canoe. Never shoot uphill at a bear. lf hit, it
will invariably run downhill. September is an excellent month to hunt grizzly, as their coats
are at their finest. lf you hear sounds that would indicate a grizzly is near — grunting,
coughing, low woofing — be prepared for attack. Look to a nearby tree.

Kodiak Bear — Either baiting or stalking can prove fruitful, provided you know where to look. Concentrate on beaches and river banks. Springtime is the best time of year to hunt the
Kodiak, when its pelt is in prime condition. A good guide can be your greatest asset.

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BOW AND ARROW HUNTING – JUNE 1985
HOW TO BUILD A BOW WEIGHING SCALE – By C.R. Learn
An Easy and Inexpensive Gadget to Determine What Your Real Bow Draw Weight Is!

WHAT IS THE REAL draw weight of you
and your friend’s bows? You can find out for a
few dollars and time invested, constructing your own
bow weighing scale. It is a bow weighing system, most
of which can be made from cast-off wood and other
parts.

The first item needed tor making a bow weighing system is a good adjustable scale.
There are many models and types and the costs vary. The scale I finally
bought was a Texas Cotton Scale made by Hanson. I opted tor one that had one-pound graduations up to and including one hundred- sixty pounds. Now not many bowhunters or other archers reach this poundage —- perhaps a few elephant hunters — but most of us are happy with seventy or eighty, tops. Now I never want to even try to
pull a 160-pound bow, but I am interested in crossbows and they even go beyond that
range.

You need a vertical or horizontal support tor the scale. l used a piece of two-by-tour
from the scrap pile — actually, l have no scrap pile. It is a kulch pile and will all be
used someday sooner or later for something such as this— cut six-feet long. The
length will vary with the type bows you will test and the pulley system you use.

The two-by-four looked rather ratty but with the aid of a propane torch to burn off
the old latex paint, and a heavy scrubbing with a wire brush, I ended up with a good
looking piece ot wood that had a raised grain. A few coats of polyurethane gloss
finish and I had a stick that looked good.

There are several ways you can rig your system tor drawing the bows. It you have help
and are a weight lifter, you could probably get by using a single pulley to wrap a line
going from the bowstring to the scale and merely pull the rope to weigh the bow. That
doesn’t work tor me.

One system that works well is a simple boat winch. This has a crank handle and
a winch to wrap a rope or nylon line into. Tie off to the scale and merely crank the
weight up on the bow as it draws on the board. Most of these winches have a ratchet

The hoist was another problem, simply solved. It has two long strands of nylon cord
from top and bottom, These would normally be used to tie oft on a limb and to the
legs of a deer or other game while skinning. l drilled a hole in the upper section of
the board about seven inches from the top. The nylon cord was passed through the hole
and over the top, back around and tied oft behind. This allows the hoist tree movement and maximum length for pulling.

The bottom cords of the hoist were tied off around the top hanger bracket oi the
scale. This allows the scale to be moved up or down with ease. The line slips out of the
pulleys with just the weight of the scale and you stop it where you want. The pulling
line, on one side ot the pulley from the top, was tied off on the side by using a roofing
nail to wrap it around to keep the scale a constant distance from the pipe.
That completes the bow- scale weighing system. l added two pieces of angle
iron to the back, one on the board. A section of oak was cut to give me clearance between the board and clamp the other piece of iron into the vise. I now have a solid, vertical support for my weighing system.

To operate, all you need do is to position a bow on the bottom pipe section so it rests
on the grip area. Most bows today have the pistol grip style and the groove at that
point tits nicely on the covered pipe. Pull the bowstring up and over the hook at the
bottom of the scale. You may have to put a bit of tension on the scale by pulling the draw
cord to center the bowstring on the scale hook.

Pull on the lifting cord of the hoist, and the bowstring moves up the board as the
scale shows the weight ofthe bow. If you follow the AMO specifications, you can
measure from the pivot point of the grip area (the point where the grip is positioned
on the pipe) and you will have the draw weight at different draw lengths.

You will find some variations between what other bowhunters tell you they are
shooting at for draw weight and what they actually shoot. I first built a unit like this
many years ago and once took it to a shoot. Most bowhunters were happy to weigh
their bows to see what they were actually pulling. Some of the “big guys” wouldn’t
come near me. We sneaked a heavy bow while one character was sidetracked and
found he wasn’t shooting eighty pounds at all; only fifty-five!

This bow weighing system won’t cost you much cash. The wood and pipe we all
have laying around or know someone who does, so that cost is nothing. The Cotton
Scale will run about twenty dollars, give or take a few bucks, and is offered by
many dealers or in catalogs.

This scale can be calibrated with a set screw so you can get accurate readings.
The hoist system can be found in many sporting goods stores, Better yet, browse
through garage sales and swap meets until you find a hoist or winch that will cost
you almost nothing. <—-<<<

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ARCHERY WORLD – SEPT 1985
BOWHUNTING THE EXTENDED RUT – By Glen Vondra

This lowa author has been
bowhunting whitetails for 15
Fars. He waited five years
before he was able to harvest
his first buck and since then he
has become more selective of
targets. “lt has only been in
the last three or four years that
the behavior patterns of trophy
whitetail bucks really started to
fall into place,” he wrote
Archery World. “The concepts
I dwell on in this article are my
own and have been borne out
by many hours in the deep
woods. l keep a daily diary
while on my stand, recording
many things including all deer
sightings and unusual
behavior.” So, here’s how they
do it in lowa. . .

Webster defines “rut” as a period of
sexual excitement of many male
animals. Deer biologists classify
the peak of the rut into a few days of active
breeding activity. Whitetail hunters see those
few days as their best chance of harvesting a
trophy buck. Although the peak provides an
excellent hunting oppornrnity, a buck’s sexual
excitement begins long before and lasts far
beyond those few precious days. Understanding
how a whitetail buck relates to these before
and after periods can extend your trophy
hunting prime time by many weeks.

I believe this time period, or extended rut,
can be divided into five semi-distinct time
periods stretching out to approximately 60
days. The beginning and ending of these
periods will vary of course, depending on your
geographic location. The following periods
relate to dates across the mid-section of the
country. Knowing when each occurs can give
the hunter a good indication of successful
hunting strategy.

Early Rut Starts in early to mid October.
During this period, the most vulnerable bucks
are those in the l-1/2 or 2-1/2 year old range.

Pre-primary Rut Starts toward the end of
October and extends through the first week of
November. Mature whitetail trophies may be
taken although generally not the area’s dominant buck.
Scrape hunting and antler rattling
are excellent hunting methods during this period.

Primary Rut Last about l0 days with the
peak occurring just prior to the middle of November.
Prime time to take the real buster.

Post Primary Rut Occurs about 10 to 15 days
immediately following the primary rut.
A good time to take a trophy buck.

Late Rut Begins after the Post Primary
and lasts until mid-December. Hard to locate
prime areas but can be an excellent time for
taking bucks during brief flurries of activity
in various isolated locations.

Early Rut

Most adult male whitetails are beginning
to “feel their oats” as ever decreasing daylight
causes changes in the deer’s hormonal
glands. Antlers have hardened and are being
put to the test on young saplings. Scrapes are
beginning to appear along held edges and major
woodland trails. This scraping tends to be
of two basic varieties. By far the majority are
made by immature bucks. Many are made after
dark at or near nighttime feeding areas and
often consist of only a few drag marks. Walking
the edge of a corn, soybean or alfalfa field
usually reveals many of these small scrapes.
Although seldom revisited during daylight
hours, the hunter can take advantage of their
location by setting on stand between the
nighttime feeding areas and the daytime bedding
areas. Look for heavily traveled trails with
tracks heading in the direction of thickets or
brushy areas within the timber.
The second variety of scrapes beginning to
be seen now are being made by mature deer in
the2-1/2to 4-1/2 year age group. These are
nearly always made at night and usually in
heavy cover or in secluded corners of field
openings. They always have an overhanging
branch that is scent marked with saliva. This
type of scrape is made up to and occasionally
through the primary rut with the express purpose of acting as a “calling card” for does
entering their estrus period.
Any trophy deer is difficult to lay claim to
now as most activity is nocturnal. Locate a faint trail paralleling
a major trail with some good size tracks and you have the makings of
a trophy buck stand. Care needs to be taken in
setting up a stand close to his bedding area
without alarming him and causing the buck to
change his habits. Extreme attention also
needs to be given to entering and exiting the
stand undetected. Well washed rubber boots
should always be worn to avoid leaving a human scent trail.

Some does will enter estrus during this
period, although few are actually capable of
being bred. Fawns born too early in the spring
have less chance for survival. An early estrus
is probably nature’s way of warming up the
doe’s inner workings for conception at a later
date. Scrapes that are visited by receptive
does during the early rut often are the hottest
scrapes during the primary rut. Although
generally futile to hunt over now, mental note
should be taken to recheck in about two or
three weeks.

Pre-primary Rut

The days are getting even shorter, the evenings crisper and the leaves are taking on an
earthy hue. The bucks are feeding less and in
different places. The trails hunted during the
early rut may be less productive now except
for a few immature bucks not into the “big
picture” yet. Actually, this is the best time to
take a mature 2-1/2 to 4-1/2 year old trophy.
These deer are making scrape lines in earnest
now. Their previous year’s experience has not
been in vain and anticipation of the upcoming
rut is running at a fever pitch. Daytime
scrape-making and wanderings are becoming
more prevalant as each day passes. The does
that came into estrus a few days earlier merely
kindled a deeper desire for what every mature
whitetail buck knows is in the offing. He
doesn’t want to be left out.
Stand hunting active scrapes during morning. and late evenings is an excellent hunting
technique now as both mature and immature
bucks will visit them during daylight hours.
Care should be taken to remain downwind
even if it means more than one stand at a
scrape. Set up as far away from the scrape as is
practical .considering your shooting ability
and existing branch cover. you are in the
whitetail’s living room and he knows the terra
firma and, flora well so shooting lane manicuring should be kept to a minimum. In several
instances, I have had bucks come to a nervous
halt, then turn and walk away when they approached a lane cleared several days before. I
now do most of my scouting during winter
and early spring before the woodland foliage
blots out the previous fall’s rut signs and finish my trimming by the end of summer.

Another hunting method that has a considerable chance for success now is horn rattling.
The pecking order for herd dominance is being established now and the hunter should use
this to his advantage. Smaller bucks generally
approach rattling out of curiosity, while larger
bucks are looking for a confrontation and can
be equated to a barroom brawler with a few
beers under his belt. There is no real secret to
rattling, as some people claim. Just imagine
two bucks fighting as you clash and grind”the
horns together. and stay downwind of the likeliest approach routes. I’ve found antler rattling most productive on clear, cold and still
mornings just prior to the primary rut.

The moon phase seems to have an affect on
deer activity during this period. A clear sky
and a full moon keep the bucks moving at
night and they disengage activity earlier in the
morning. However, mid-day is a good time to
be on stand now as they tend to-get up and
roam after a good morning’s rest.

Primary Rut

An occasional flurry of light snow marks
the most eventful period of the dedicated
whitetail hunter’s life. Ice has formed along
the banks ofa bottomland bayou as the hunter
makes his familiar pre-dawn trek to his stand.
Does are coming into estrus now and activity
is elevating to a peak. A third class of buck is
getting heavily involved in the act now. Joining the immature and mature 2-1/2 to 4-1/2

year old bucks is the area’s true trophy – the
dominant buck. Depending upon hunting
pressure, this may be anywhere from 3-1/2
years to as old as a deer can get in the wild. I
once laid claim to a grizzled gray beard that
was aged by jaw/tooth method at 6-1/2 years
old but have heard of bucks that were much
older. At some point in the old fellow’s life,
antler growth and symmetry take a regressive
turn, but until that happens, the dominant
buck generally sports some pretty impressive
headgear.

Most scraping is now being done by lesser
bucks who could be compared to teenage boys
visiting the local hangouts in search of
friendly girls. The big boys don’t have time to
mess around with such frivolous endeavors
when the does are receptive.
Active scrapes are still productive, al-
though the bigger bucks will generally scent
check them from a distance. Locate a faint
trail with large tracks downwind of an active
scrape (50 to 100 yards) and you should have a
trophy stand. Now is the time to take note of
the most used scrapes you found during the
early rut but which failed to see activity dur-
ing the daylight hours. You can bet your best
broadhead that the bucks haven’t forgotten
them.

Does tend to move into traditional breeding areas as the rut approaches. Bucks travel
even farther distances to be with the does. At
this time of year, hunting an area with a large
concentration of females can be more productive than traditional trail watching or even
scrape hunting, as many scrapes are abandoned now. Bucks will tend to mosey around
with their nose to the wind, generally following no trail at all. They do move a lot during
the day and only past experience will clue the
hunter in as to where these traditional breeding areas are. I’ve hunted areas with very few
scrapes, and certainly no “hub scrapes”, although bucks could be seen chasing does
throughout the day.

If scrape activity is fairly hot, and then
tapers off to nothing during the primary rut,
it’s a good indication that the area has been
heavily cropped of bucks and the buck/doe
ratio is low. This presents a situation where
bucks do not require scrapes to locate receptive does and competition from other bucks is
minimal.

Horn rattling is less effective now, especially for trying to entice the dominant buck.
It is virtually impossible to rattle in a buck
who is tending a doe. Rattling will, however,
still be effective in ringing the bell of the
lesser bucks of the herd.
The primary demise of trophy bucks at
this time is not necessarily because they lose
any of their innate caution, but they do tend to
make themselves vulnerable by moving
around more during daylight hours and often
their attention is focused on a nearby doe.

This is especially important to bowhunters,
who have to wait for a 20 or 30 yard shot.
Outdoor temperatures seem to play a bigger role than moon phase now. Although
bucks will move night and day with little rest
because of their sexual obsession, if the
weather is unseasonably warm, the balance of
breeding takes place during the cool of the
night. I recall one year with a warm November in which visual sightings were few but
fresh tracks had appeared around my tree
stand each morning. This is still the time to be
spending as much time as possible on stand,
no matter what the weather conditions are.

Post-primary Rut

Most does have completed their estrus cycle and have conceived. Only the bucks with a
number of years experience under their belts
realize that the fun is over and retreat again to
their impregnable lairs. Most deer, however,
will still be on the prowl looking for willing
does. It won’t dawn on them until a couple of
weeks after the peak that they’re wasting time
and energy. With the odors of the rut still
fresh in their nostrils, the post-primary rut
may be the time a good estrus doe urine lure
will work to the hunter’s greatest advantage.
Leave scent trails to your stand and also
freshen previously active scrapes with the
urine. Antler rattling will again work well to
entice a trophy whitetail within range, although not as well as during the pre-primary
rut.
Most bucks will still be traveling the normal rut routes, but activity will steadily decline as this period progresses. Activity will
diminish to rhe point that it seems all the
bucks have disappeared. Then, the late rut
will begin.

Late Rut

Stand hunting during the frigid temperatures at this time of year can be unbearable,
but with a little luck and a lot of fortitude,
trophies can be had. A few does did not conceive during the previous peak plus some
yearlings are experiencing their first estrus.
These deer again activate the area bucks into
another brief flurry of action. This can occur
anytime between the first of December until
the middle of the month. It will occur in small
isolated areas and last only a couple of days in
each area. It is easy to miss completely unless
one is very familiar with traditional breeding
areas and checks them on a regular basis. Occasionally the areas with the good early rut
scraping activity will get hot again.

Whitetails in the northern tier of states
may be heading to their winter yarding areas
at this time of year. A concentration of deer as
it occurs during yarding will surely result in
some breeding activity, perhaps even into January. Hunters familiar with such an area
should get some good results by setting up on
the downwind periphery of a yard. Most of the
bucks in the area will be chasing any doe that
comes into heat. As was the case in the early
rut, don’t expect to take a real buster as these
fellows are loners and generally won’t join a
yard until later, if at all.

Hormonal changes associated with the
early dropping of antlers in older whitetail
bucks have an affect on their sexual desires.
This could be nature’s way of preserving winter fat reserves in her prime breeding stock.

The late rut can still provide some good hunting for the hardy and persistent bowman.

There you have it – the extended rut. Bear
in mind that this is only a simplified evaluation and will do a hunter little good unless one
can apply the concepts to his or her own hunting areas. The best advice I can provide a budding whitetail trophy hunter is this: be in the
whitetail’s habitat as much as possible before,
during and after the rut. Blow the urban cobwebs out of your brain and try to progress into
a natural rhythmic flow. Little by little, the
pieces of the puzzle will all come together and
you’ll be one step up on putting a beauty on
the den wall this coming year >>—->

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Archery World – May 1968

Bowhunting with the Dutchman

By H.R. “Dutch” Wambold

During the first days of May as the waters of the

streams warm under the rays of the spring sunshine,

the spawning run of the carp makes its appearance

in the backwaters.

This is the time of the year when many archers

tape their.bowfishing reels on their bow, round up a

few solid glass fishing shafts and points and hit the

waters for some fast shooting fun.

Bowfishing for carp finds many variations by which

to enjoy the sport. Shooting can be done from a

canoe as it is guided into productive waters, or from

any boat for that matter. The method that apPeals

to most bowhunters is the sream bank stalking, or

getting right into the water to work onto the carp.

The large doe carp bursting with eggs keep work-

ing the muddy bottoms of the backwaters making

their nests. The smaller buck carp keep bunting the

doe to force the eggs out of her. In hunting waters

where this takes place, the large doe will rise to the

surface of the water, roll, showing her large dorsal

fin, give a flip of her broad tail and head for the

bottom again.

<

By the time you spot the doe rolling, or hear the

splash of her tail, the carp has usually disappeared

beneath the surface. If you can get into a shooting

position in jig time, all you have to aim for is a slight

swirl in the surface to indicate where the carp had

been. Using some “Mississippi Dippage” you hold

for where you think the carp might be and let go.

The shooting is fast, and the misses are numerous

while the action is tremendous. This type of blind

shooting averages about one hit out of three shots.

If you get into the middle of things and spot a

large doe being bunted around by several smaller

buck carp, you can usually work within range for a

shot while the large doe is still rolling to elude the

males. Nlany times you may wind up with two small-

er buck carp being skel.ered lvhen you miss the old

gal!

Early morning, just before sunrise, seems to be the

ideal time for top action when the spawn is at its

height. The waters are calm, a mist hangs or.er the

surface, and the splash of working carp are the only

sounds. Stalking along the stream banks during this

early morning bowfishing finds many of the carp

hugging the shorelines, and working along the under-

cuts in the banks. If you move slowly, and do not

teveal your profile you can shoot quite a few sleepers.

If you get too close to the edge of the water the carp

will spot you and spook.

Another good opportunity for some fast shooting

can be had if a shallow section of riffles or gravel

bar happens to be in the course towards the back-

waters where the carp are headed for. By working

your way into an advantageous position and playing

the waiting game you may find yourself in for some

fast and furious shooting if carp are working their

way past at the time. When this is the case you can

see your target in the shallows as the carp splash

their way across into deeper waters beyond.

Stingrays

When May ends and the carp start slowing down,

one can find plenty of action in salt water bow-

fishing. June finds the stingrays coming into the

coves and bays for the long summer months that lay

ahead.

The feeding grounds of the rays are where the

clam and oyster beds are located. The rays feed

mainly on mollusks. The early days of June find

the larger rays working into the coves as the mating

season is at its peak. Large numbers are seen during

the first couple weeks after which the numbers seem

to taper off until late August.

This type of bowfishing requires a boat and out-

board. Although .any boat can be used, the ideal

model should have a small quarter-deck so that the

bowfisherman can stand high and up next to the

bow as the coves are trolled, slowly looking for the

sign of a ray. This position also gives the shooter

the advantage of left and right as well as dead ahead

shots on the scooting rays.

Cruising at trolling speed, a sharp lookout is kept

for the darker holes or nests of the rays on the

bottom. Many times a ray may be lying in these

nests and either spook as the boat approaches, or

play possum as the boat passes overhead. An

experienced eye can many times spot the end of the long

tail protruding out of the nest and get a guzzy shot.

At other times when the ray spooks before the boat

reaches his nest, the powerful wings will leave a mud

trail of churned sand along the bottom. The boat is

quickly turned to follow this trail with motor gunned

wide open. When the ray is spotted the shooter on

the bow signals the operator into position for a shot

at the fast moving ray from a moving boat. This

type of shooting takes a few misses to get the hang

of proper lead and compensation for light refraction.

Only a short length of line is placed on the bow

reel, about 30 feet, and the end opposite the arrow is

tied to a small float which is taped to the upper limb

of the bow on the belly side. When the ray is hit,

you hold onto the bow with both hands until the

line has all played off the reel. The float is torn

from the bow as the ray flees. Now you follow with

the boat until the ray stops to sulk on the bottom.

The float is now picked from the surface and

quickly attached to the end of a line of a game fish

rod and reel rig.

Now the bowfisherman becomes the

worker as you start pumping and trying to horse

the big ray in alongside the boat. When the ray on

the end of your fishing arow is a 100 pounder with

a four to five foot span on those powerful wings, you

have your work cut out for you!

Fishing waters should be from three to five feet

in depth and as calm as weather will permit to see

to the bottom. \Vatching the incoming and outgoing

tides will clue you as to when the right time will

permit ideal conditions. Polaroid sun glasses are a

must and help greatly in reducing the light refraction

which will mislead placing the shot in the right place.

Sharks

Most salt waters find some sharks around. The

bigger species are usually found miles offshore in

deeper waters that average from 40 to 90 feet. This

of course does not apply to the tropical waters of the

Florida Keys or similar areas.

When trying for sharks in the northeastern waters,

late surnmer seems to be the most ideal time. Although

small boats can be used and will get results in many cases,

the big sharks are out in deep waters

and require a boat that can ride the open sea.

Chumming must be done to attract the sharks.

When a shark bowfishing trip is planned, a regular

fishing boat seems to be the best bet. Several years

ago I did some shark bowfishing with Captain Munsen

who specializes in this type of sortee. He calls

himself the “Monster Fisherman” and brings in many

good sized sharks.

Operating from Montauk Point on Long Island,

Munsen works his broad-beamed power boat 40 miles

offshore to where the continental shelf lies. Here

the waters drop off to 90 feet or better. This is shark alley.

A chum slick is now spread for several miles.

As the boat drifts along over the shark waters, the

oily slick of the chum winds into the distance behind.

When the chum atracts the sharks up from below,

and the fins are spotted, a teaser bait is thrown out

on a hand line to lure the shark in close to the

boat.

The bowfisherman has rigged himself with about

20 feet of line, one end of Which is attached to the

end of his fishing arrow, and the other is tied to an

innertube on the deck alongside his feet. The line is

carefully coiled so that it will play out freely when

the arrow is put into the shark.

The tube follows overboard, and the shark takes off.

Later, when the shark has played itself out fighting the

inflated innertube, which is painted a bright

yellow, you check the waters with binoculars to spot

the float. The shark is now worked in to the boat

and killed.

Our day’s shark bowfishing found me shooting a

nine-foot blue shark and missing a leviathan that

must have gone at least l2 foot or better!

Care must be taken to attach the line only to the

nock end of the glass shaft. This will keep the line

clear of rubbing on the shark’s hide which is like

sandpaper and will cut the line. About a six foot

length of flexible and light wire cable leader is good

insurance against the shark cutting the line while it

fights the innertube float.

Light Refraction

The nemesis all bowfishing faces is light ray refraction

on the surface of the water. The position

of the sun overhead in comparison to the location

of the bowfisherman, and the target’s direction of

movement presents some optical illusions.

For example: With the sun shining down from

behind the bowfisherman and the fish swimming

away, requires that you shoot behind the fish to make

a hit. Should that same fish be swimming in towards

you, you shoot ahead of the fish to make your hit!

Should the fish be swimming from left to right

in front of the bowfisherman’s position you again

shoot below to make a hit. If the fish is swimming

from right to left you again aim below to hit. This

of course is taking for granted that the sun is still

behind the bowfisherman.

Should the sun be in front of the bowfisherman,

and shining into his face, cross-swimming fish from

either side will appear to be closer to you and will

require shooting over them to make a hit.

Polaroid glasses eliminate most of this refraction

problem as well as enabling the wearer to see into

the depths to spot the fish. Surface glare is eliminated

by the polaroid lens.

Whatever your bow shooting activities might be

during the summer months, don’t pass up the chance

for some bowfishing action in your locality. The

change of pace is a welcome one, and the recreational

pastime is a satisfying experience.

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