Congratulations to the following winners of the ArcheryTalk blogs and articles writing contest.

We will be contacting the winners via E-mail shortly. If you do not hear from us within a week or two, please email us at [email protected]

We really appreciate how much work everyone put into their articles for this contest.

Every winner will receive an ArcheryTalk cap in addition to the other prizes.

• CLB Martin Firecat Bow
• MJKALLAL Martin Firecat Bow
• djohns13 Martin Bengal Bow
• Kelly Johnson Hoyt Montega Bow
• Robert Muncie Diamond Marquis Bow
• nijimasu PSE Diablo Bow

——————-

• spacetechy AT shirt, Binoculars
• Bow AT shirt, Firestar Bow Sight
• Gear Junky WildMan Quiver
• Bowhunter WildMan Quiver
• Mead WildMan Quiver
• Evans 21 Martin KnuckleHead Release, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• Keep Martin KnuckleHead Release, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• SEAL Archer Martin KnuckleHead Release, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• DuckBuck Goose Martin KnuckleHead Release, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• RightWing Martin KnuckleHead Release, AT Shirt
• Montalaar Martin KnuckleHead Release, AT Shirt
• Wildwestbows Martin KnuckleHead Release, AT Shirt
• poorman Martin KnuckleHead Release, AT Shirt
• Soularcher WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• HunterChick13 WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• Will.V WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• cape buffalo WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• Possum_Cop WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• George D. Stout WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• agruver WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• Peregrynne WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• Po man Jo WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• mark kennedy WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• gvdocholiday WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• mafriend03 WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• slbeasley WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• Fuzzy Hoyt Shooter WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• Hyunchback WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• tim9910 WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• rose-n-arrows WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• daver9 WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• Shaman WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• wyojon137 WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• littlenoz WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• ToughAntlerTees WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• Suttle1976 WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• csinclair WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard
• bigbearsarchery WildMan Stabilizer, WildMan Cordura Hunting Armguard

After years of trying to get my dad interested in archery hunting, it looks like he’s finally going to make the jump. He hasn’t had any success rifle hunting lately, and he’s tired of the short seasons and the severe hunting pressure. Hopefully he enjoys the experience, and this time next year he’ll purchase his own archery set-up (he’s content to borrow my back-up bow, of course!).

I’d like nothing more than to post a couple of successful hunting stories this fall, with photos attached. Fingers crossed…

Thanks everyone who submitted articles for the contest. A lot of you wrote some really excellent articles. We will announce the winners monday of next week (5/26).

No, this is not Dick Cheney’s chimpanzee. Yes, he’s safer to hunt with.

In the last installment, I recommended a few inexpensive gear upgrades that shouldn’t slip under the radar. Here are three more items that I think you’ll like.

Must-Have Base Layer: Rocky SIQ Atomic Zip Mock T

Lightweight/Compact:9

Durability: 9

Cost-Effectiveness: 7 ($38-45 online)

Usefulness: 10

Innovation: 8

It’s dead and gone. Like the Mariners’ playoff chances, like the social security that someone removes from our paychecks, like Hillary’s campaign – it’s dead and gone, never to be seen again. And I can’t say I’ll miss it. Sure, it’s comfy when you first put it on, and it smells nice out of the dryer, but after an hour or two the smell of dryer sheets is replaced with stinky little bacteria, like wearing a moist body-hugging petrie dish.

Goodbye cotton. You will not be missed.

Scent-blocking, moisture-wicking technology continues to improve year after year, and at this point there really is no excuse for wearing cotton into the field. This new stuff does the job that wool used to do, but without the weight, smell, or itchy texture. Most of us can afford just one or two improvements to our hunting clothes each year, and this is the best place to start. Rocky’s new shirts are outstanding in every regard. They are comfortable, quiet, and scent-free. They are designed with the bowhunter in mind: lightweight for those August and September days, but long-sleeved to keep the brush and bugs off. The half-zipper makes the shirt easy to take on and off, and it’s nice to have the ventilation whenever needed. These shirts are designed to fit snugly against your skin so that moisture is pulled away, so if you’re like me and fit between sizes (L to XL in my case), go with the smaller size. Two of these should get you through hunting season, and when combined with a good fleece and waterproof jacket, you’re ready for whatever weather pattern flies your way.

Rocky’s scent-removal technology is permanent, the micro-suede fabric is soft and tough without attracting burrs, and there’s even a convenient zippered pouch on the left arm for easy storage of your mouth call. With a great camo pattern to boot, this shirt will make you the best looking archer that anyone has never seen.

Must-Have Scent-Prevention System: Dead Down Wind’s ScentPrevent Personal Kit

Lightweight/Compact: 8

Durability: N/A

Cost-Effectiveness: 7 ($17-45 online depending on the kit)

Usefulness: 10

Innovation: 8

Question: What is the most common odor that you have to endure from your co-workers, spouse, or hunting dog? Nope, not that. While flatulence may be the worst odor, it certainly isn’t as common as halitosis. Since we exhale every few seconds, bad breath is public enemy number one for hunters. And at 5am, everyone of us have an odor factory attached to our tracheas (and don’t for a minute think that coffee improves anything).

Everyone has a favorite line of scent-prevention accessories, but does any manufacturer offer more options than Dead Down Wind? Their Personal Hygiene Kit provides deodorant, soap, and yes, breath spray. And with a myriad of other scent-eliminating products, they can neutralize any odor this side of New Jersey. Order their toothpaste for added anonymity.

Also, if (like me) you need a shower every couple of days in the field but don’t find elk wallows to your liking, you’ve probably discovered the value of moist towelettes. Unfortunately, buying scent-controlled towelettes gets spendy fast. So my method of choice is to buy the unscented, generic brand in bulk at any drug store, throw a few into a sealed plastic bag, and wipe away when I ripen in the sun. I use four or five to get cleaner than PETA’s steak knives, then spray down with scent remover afterward. It gets the job done at a fraction of the cost, and man, a towelette bath can hit the spot when your sleeping bag starts smelling like a junior high locker room.

Must-Have Reading Material: Mini-Bible, Appropriately Bookmarked

Lightweight/Compact: 8

Durability: 10

Cost-Effectiveness: 10

Usefulness: 10

Innovation: 10

When you get socked in to a one-man tent or bivy, there’s nothing like having some words of wisdom to make your down time up time. Here are a few of my favorite passages:

Discouraged? Flip to Job, Jeremiah or Lamentations. And realize that no matter how bad your trip is going, people have perservered through much worse. Feeling lonely? Look at the Psalms, and check out numbers 23 (awesome) or 51 (David’s prayer of repentance and restoration). Filled your tag, and feeling thankful? Read the story of Joshua or Psalm 100. Pondering the world’s problems, and wondering if answers actually exist? Try Matthew chapters 5-7…it’s the most comprehensive picture of peace and goodness that has ever been spoken, and teaches me something new every time I read it, which isn’t nearly often enough.

I also pack some hunting magazines and a journal. You never know when you’re going to need some extra motivation, and if you’re anything like me, your time in the mountains is your time for introspection. Reading successful stories from fellow hunters keeps me going on cold, miserable mornings, and I like to journal in the unlikely event that something deep and profound hits me. Three such thoughts from last season’s journal:

9/14/07 When chasing elk across canyon after canyon, bring release.

9/15/07 When chasing elk across canyon after canyon, bring bow.

9/24/07 Invent bow that shoots elk from across canyon.

 

 

 

I tugged at my collar to soften the bite of the cold fog that was rising from the moss-covered slope. Although the weather was mild, the cool November morning’s bite was evident on my bare neck as the sun began to rise along with the mist into a gray-blue heaven. The warmth of the fleece collar brought me back in focus and I once again began to peruse the horizon for the elusive whitetail.

 My longbow lay across my lap as I sit with my back against a fairly large red oak tree. My blind was a cluster of scrub maple and witch hazel bushes that grow in prolific quantity around the small creek that traverses this patch of deer woods. I’m watching a well-worn deer trail that comes from the ridge top above my stand and extends to several distant farm fields. Directly across the little creek a lesser-used path intersects and joins the main trail; this obscure side road is used by several bucks that call this area their home. I don’t really expect to see decent bucks on the main trail but you never know. Pennsylvania deer are always unpredictable.

 I once again drift into a semiconscious state but am quickly brought back to reality by a snapping twig across the creek. It’s a buck, probably eighteen months old and sporting a little four point rack. It is carelessly moseying along paying little attention to the surroundings, or so it seems, as it hits the main trail and heads on toward the fields a quarter mile distant. If it can make it through a season or two the little buck will surely not be so casual in its woods’ demeanor in the future. Like humans, a buck’s youth is a time of learning, however the consequences of failing are much more severe and final. I watch after the deer until it is gone from my sight. Again I’m alone with the creek and the rising mist.

 As I tinker with the rawhide wrapping on my longbow’s handle I am again drawn back to the trail. Another of the woods residents has decided to pass by my vantage point near the creek. It is a red fox and it seems to be noticing the trail of the buck that passed earlier. It could be that it simply is scenting the trail to see what other critters have left their odorous molecules about, kind of an airborne menu if you will from which an alert predator may select its dinner choices. Unlike the buck, the fox notices something in the air that does not suit its tastes. As our gazes meet, reality sets in and the canine swaps ends and bolts back through the brush at breakneck speed. Again I relax and stretch my legs while the woods are still. Nothing is moving except for the water in the small creek twenty yards or so below the brush patch that hides my presence. It’s a little after seven-thirty and the sunbeams are starting to breach the horizon on the east side of the ridge. The rays of the rising sun pull at the creek bank and draw the mist toward the sky.

 With a quiet zip I open up a pocket in my fleece fanny pack and withdraw my bottle of water. A quick drink as I look over my wooded realm sates my thirst for the time being. I slip the bottle back into the pack and again stretch my muscles, now tight from sitting in one position for about one and a half-hours. The air is starting to warm now and I loosen the collar that had to be tightened an hour earlier. Again, I settle in to see what happens next.

 The next two hours pass quickly but uneventfully and I rise from my hiding place and gingerly get my tingling feet back in usable condition. I pick up my longbow, strap my fanny pack onto my waist and walk down to the creek. I run my fingers in the water, back and forth, just to feel the temperature and take in another sense of the area. This creek has a spring feed up the mountain so it is never deplete of water, although many years it’s sparse at best. This year Mother Nature was gracious and it carries a quantity that is sufficient for the local critters to grab a drink and quench their thirst. It also changes the deer’s habits when it has ample flow, since it keeps them from having to travel another quarter mile or so to the main creek, one of the reasons why I chose to sit here this morning.

 I adjust my pack and make a right onto the path the buck followed earlier in the morning. Back-trailing through the brush I walk into a rub line that borders a small meadow. Actually, it’s kind of a staging area where the deer gather before moving on to the fields by the big creek. Perhaps the deer meet here to discuss the day’s ruminations and plan evening entertainment. More than likely they stop here to nibble and rest, to test the wind and listen to what the evening forest has to say to them before traveling on to evening supper. This is the time of the rut, however, so things can happen quickly and without much warning, so I pay particular attention to the sounds of the morning.

 I walk the trail for about forty yards or so, watching for those signs of the rut; fresh rubs, newly thrown dirt from boundary scrapes….any change in the status quo of the woods. As I approach the first field next to the woods I can see a deer near the middle of the pasture. It is a buck and is hastily making its way toward my position. I quickly formulate a plan, test the wind and back off about twenty yards from the trail. Quickly removing my fanny pack, I hunker down within shooting range of the trail. All I can do now is wait and watch.

 I can hear the buck as it approaches my position by the path. The whitetail is in in a bit of a hurry and ignores the red oak acorns that lay all about the leaf litter. I am hunched over onto my knees and have the longbow a quarter drawn as the buck steps into my first window. Still somewhat facing me it is too soon to attempt a shot…about ten more steps would be good. Patience may provide a broadside situation, much more desirable than quartering toward or away; anyway there is no hurry as the buck is unaware of my presence.

 Time seems to stand still as the buck momentarily stops, looking back over its body toward the field. Finally it moves forward several more steps and tests the air for any prevailing scent. As it takes another step my bowstring is at my cheek and I’m frantically trying to pick a spot, both on the deer and through the seam between the scrub. Suddenly the buck stops behind some brush and the hairs rise on the back of its neck. There’s no time for a shot as the buck turns and runs back through the hazel brush in the direction of the ridge top. As quickly as it began, it was over and the woods were again silent.

 I just sit there dumbfounded. There was no vagrant breeze on the back of my neck to warn the deer….no sound or movement to give away my hiding place. Apparently the old sixth sense kicked in and I just got busted. Plain and simple. My emotions at a time such as this run the gamut from exuberance to melancholy; knowing that I came so close to taking one of the most clever animals in the woods with a stick and string, yet feeling kind of a let-down that another chance has passed uneventfully. I’m sure this feeling is a natural one and is shared by many a hunter and I’m also equally sure it’s based solely on a deep respect and admiration for the quarry. When the reality of the situation becomes clear I allow myself a smile and an excuse or two; it was the buck’s day today, maybe tomorrow would be mine.

 As I look around, the last traces of the morning mist have risen above the canopy and the air is clear. There are no cheering crowds nor are there any castigating jeers from other forest critters. Everything that happened here this morning was simply a rerun of happenings of the past, natural occurrences between predator and prey. It is a scene that has been played out for millenniums within the confines of nature’s wild lands. Yet the morning is still young and there is no need to hurry. The longbow is not a burden and my legs are fresh. I loosen my collar and start up the ridge.

 

 

 

Liquor and Beer………………………………………………………….$10.00

Wife’s beer…………………………………………………………………$2.95

Groceries………………………………………………………………….Credit

Life Insurance (wife’s)………………………………………………………75

Cigarettes………………………………………………………………….$4.00

Bingo………………………………………………………………………..$2.00

Lotto Gambling…………………………………………………………..$3.50

Dog Food (Man’s Best Friend)………………………………………..$1.25

Darts…………………………………………………………………………$3.50

—————————————————

TOTAL;   $27.95

This mean gone n’ de hole,

Solution, Eliminate Wife’s Beer

I always thought this one was cute,,  have a good one and be safe out there..bode

 

“Shorty McGraw”

By George D. Stout

 

Just how tall was Shorty McGraw, I wanted so to know

It was said he was but five foot three, yet he shot a hundred pound bow

One day I happened by his house and knocked upon the door

I heard a rustle from inside, and footsteps crossed the floor

 

 

I was greeted by an older man, who asked, “How do you do?”

I said, “I’m fine, my name is George, and I’d like to talk to you.”

He said, “come in.” “What is it son that you would like to know?”

I asked if he would show me that quite famous, hunting bow

 

 

He crossed the floor and opened up a cupboard by the wall

And took from it, a straight-limbed bow, no more than five feet tall

He kept it in a canvas bag , hung from a curved, brass hook

Next to a bamboo fly rod, and a leather-bound, old book

 

 

He turned and came to where I sat, and opened up the bag

And pulled the longbow from inside, and wiped it with a rag

To clear the dust, and all that else that gathered on its limb

Then opened up himself, to say what this bow means to him

 

 

He told me how his bow has grown , with a twinkle in his eyes

And with each tale, it grows some more, in stature and in size

A single piece of wood, it was; backed with a hickory strip

With red oak, and a leather wrap, to make a fitting grip

 

 

I asked him of the hundred pounds, and how he pulled such weight

He laughed and said, “that too, has grown; ‘tis really fifty-eight!

But years ago, a big man asked, how much weight is your bow?

You seem quite small, I’ll bet it’s just a forty pound or so!”

 

 

“I offered him to pull it back, since he hand none of his own,

He grasped the string and gave a heave , and let out with a groan!”

“My God!” He yelled, “ That bow must be the heaviest around!”

“I looked at him and said, Oh no….it’s just a hundred pounds!

 

 

He walked away, and to this day, the legend has grown, and still

There’s talk the bow is really one that was made by Howard Hill

But that’s not so, I made it from an old cut locust rail

And backed it with a pignut strip, I found along the trail”

 

 

I sat all day, and listened to his stories from the past

Then it was time for me to go, and we had to part at last

He put the bow back in the bag and give my hand a pat

And said, “It’s been a pleasure…stop again, so we can chat.”

 

 

I never made it back again, and now it seems a shame

His passing merely brought a mention of his proper name

It brought no clue, for me and you, why Shorty was his call

The man I knew, had surely grew, to be nearly ten feet tall

 

 

A humble, unassuming man, he had led a quiet life

And left his mere possessions to his children and his wife

His bow now lay across the rack that hangs upon his wall

To remind us of a giant man, my friend Shorty McGraw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                         

 

  I walked down the gravel road in the pre-dawn stillness. The first frost of the year lay sparsely on the layer of leaves that littered the ground along my travel route. I could make out the shapes of feeding deer under an old Southern Pin Oak in a clearing just ahead of the point that the gravel road intersected a logging path that leads to my stand sight. I am certain that these deer saw me enter the woods, but it is early in the season and the hunting pressure had been light, besides it couldn’t be avoided.

  I finally reach my tree and attach my climber. Thoughts start to fill my head as I ascend to my elevated perch. Thoughts of past hunts and seasons gone by, some of which had seen long days spent in this very tree. I placed all my gear in its own location in the adjacent limbs. I caught movement of a fat young doe gracefully walking along the path that in moments will lead her merely twelve yards of my elevated seat. After several minutes the fat, two-year old deer made the final steps placing her squarely into my shooting lane. I placed my site pin tight behind her shoulder and touched the release. The doe bounded a few yards ahead then turned looking back at the noise, totally unaware of what had taken place. The doe steps forward a couple of more strides, then fell to her side almost underneath my tree.

  I spend the next several minutes watching two playful squirrels chase each other around and around a thick-barked limb of an old White Oak tree. Earlier the doe seemed to have been making her way toward that same tree. The doe now lay still on the damp forest floor as I descend from my natural overlook. Reaching the deer, I place my tag onto the sleek, clean, robust animal. Once again thoughts fill my mind about past hunts. I am also thinking about, and looking forward to, the future hunts to come.

  Sure, I have harvested bigger deer and have had more exciting adventures, but today I have provided my family with tender delicious venison. I thanked the good Lord and began the process of gathering my gear. I will be back another day.

 

Keep’em Sharp!

 

Written by Jason Wilborn    Monroe Tennessee

Did you ever wanted to have something of your bow with you although you could not shoot it? Something unique and self made? I will show you how to build your very own pen out of an old arrow. Nothing you can buy anywhere but a pen with your own quality. Something unique with your own fingerprint. Interested? You should read further.

So what do we need for our project?

At the beginning we need to get certain things straight. What kind of pen do we want to make? Do we want a ball-pen or do we want a pencil? Each thing needs the perfect shaft size for it. A pencil will not fit into a small diameter carbon shaft. Maybe you want to make your own filler. We will concentrate on two different basic types of pens as a ground level you can start developing your own way.

After deciding what pen you want to create we can get the needed materials together.

We require:

• an arrow in a diameter that fits to your purpose

• a pen of your choice

• nock

• a set of vanes

• some hot-melt adhesive

• a lighter

• something to underlay, a marker, a (hack)saw, sandpaper

If you not want to change the infilling of your arrow you can also choose any other adhesive but i recommend hot-melt adhesive because you can renew your pen if it is worn out. The choice of the shaft to use is defined by your supllies. Use what you have.

Layout One – The pencil

What do we do?

Before we start we need to get everything set up right and you should be in the possibility to obtain everything i mentioned above. If you use your older arrows you need at first to remove the point and i possible also the nock. In most cases the point is glued into the shaft with some hot-melt adhesive so you can heat up the point and remove it with a pliers.

Now you can decide how long your arrow will be. I do not think that your pen should have the length of your arrow. If we think about an 30“ arrow we have the possibility to make between three or four arrows out of it!

To get the right length of your shaft put the pencil right beside the shaft and mark the position of the end.

Now you can cut the shaft in the desired length. If you have access to a professional arrow cutter just use it. There is no better way to get this job done. Otherwise you can use any saw for this purpose. Be careful with alloy/carbon or full carbon shafts as they will fray out if you make any mistake and the whole thing needs to be discarded. The best way is to saw the outer surface and turn the shaft some degrees so you can remove the parts with the needed caution.

After cutting the arrow shaft you should sand paper the edges until everything feels plane and smooth. Take your pencil and sharpen it before putting it into the arrow shaft. Heat the hot-melt adhesive up until it becomes something fluid and make a drop around the middle of the pencil and push it into the shaft.

Maybe the adhesive cools down to fast so you need to heat it up again and push it even further until the perfect position is achieved. Let it cool down so that everything sits right in place.

Now you can put a nock on your arrowpen and put the vanes in your favorite design on it.

If you want to sharpen your pencil just heat up the shaft and pull out the pencil far enough to sharpen it. Let the adhesive cool down and you are fine with it.

Layout Two – The ball-pen

Maybe you want to make your own ball-pen rather than a pencil. Be advised that this will take much more time. Take a ball-pen of your choice – it should be as thin as the arrow shaft you use – and take it to pieces. You can choose between two options now. Option one is to glue the refill for the pen direct into the shaft. Option two is to reassemble the ball-pen into the shaft which will take loads of time.

Take a look at the pieces you got from disassembling the pen. You should have the refill, a spring, some plastics and the body of the pen. The front end of the pen contains the spring and prevents it from disappearing. Take a saw and remove this part from the rest of the body. We will take this and glue it onto our arrow shaft. We can match the design with some color.

Now take a look at the other end of the body. As on the other end you should have an area where the body is a bit thinner than the rest. Further you should find the ‘module’ that enables the filling to change its position. We need that in our shaft.

Remove it with a saw and sandpaper it until it will fit into the inside.

As you can see i removed the plastic and sandpaperd it. Out everything together to see how long your pen needs to be. Mark your arrow shaft and cut it into the right length.

After this you need to fuse everything together.Check everything for its position and glue it together. Then check again for correct positions. Take the point we took forom the original pen and glue it onto the one side of the shaft. Do not forget to add the refill, the spring and the little plastic parts to the pen before adding the point.

Now put the vanes in your favorite design on it. Finito!

There a hundreds of possibilities to make your individual and unique pen. Maybe you want to paint something onto it, maybe you like to engrave it. Just be creative with it!