Oneida Eagle–by Norb Mullaney
February 1983

It may not feature pleasing lines, but it sure is one sweetheart of a bow

Long before anyone gave any thought to a compound bow, the principle of the recurved limb was used to increase the tension in the bow string in the early stages of the draw. This was possible
because the recurve effectively shortened the limb moment arm thus requiring a higher draw force to bend the limb in the initial draw.

Many bow designs employed non-working recurves in the limbs – recurves that did not bend to any significant degree when the bow was drawn. Subsequently, modern recurve design went almost entirely to the working recurve. By permitting the recurve to flex along with the rest of the limb it is possible to obtain a smoother drawing bow and greatly reduce stacking in the later stages of the draw.

John Islas’ Eagle, manufactured by Oneida Labs of Canastota, NY, employs non-working recurve limb sections of composite laminated construction, in conjunction with short, solid, tapered F.R.P. power limbs, programmed cams, and a synchronizing system. All of these power and control elements are blended together to produce one of the smoothest shooting, high performance bows that we have tested to date.

In establishing the geometry for a bow it is common practice to locate the center of pressure of the grip on the horizontal centerline of the handle-riser. The Eagle has the center of pressure about two inches below the centerline so that the centerline is actually slightly above the shelf and closer to the point of arrow passage. It can be argued that this arrangement offers a more balanced distribution of push and pull forces along the vertical axis of the bow.

The handle-riser is a magnesium alloy casting with a decided reflexed geometry. The structure has a full length vertical groove on the string-hand side to accept the synchronizing or timing cables. This arrangement relocates the usual crossed cables of most compound bows so that there is no chance of interference with arrow shaft or fletching and, obviously, no need for a cable
guard. The shooting string is located in the plane of the vertical centerline of the bow just as for a straight or recurved bow.

A molded slip-on grip is provided. This grip bridges the cable groove where the hand contacts the handle. The usual AMO standard mounting provisions are provided for bow sight, quiver and stabilizer. The riser is drilled and tapped for a cushion plunger. Very early Eagle bows had this hole positioned too close to the shelf, causing some interference with vane fletching. This has subsequently been raised and is no longer a problem.

At each end of the handle riser a pair of aluminum alloy sheet brackets extend from the face of the bow angling toward the center. These pylon brackets carry the programmed cams and synchronizing pulleys which are tied together and mounted on the same axle. In this manner, the programmed cams are forced to synchronize and thus cause the limb systems to operate in unison. An adjustment slot is provided on the upper synchronizing wheel for exact timing between upper and lower limb systems. The short, solid power or working limbs are fitted with half-cylindrical bearings that rest in receptacles in the ends of the handle riser. Socket-type flat-head limb adjustment bolts are used with countersunk washers to retain the limbs. These power limbs are set at an angle close to thirty degrees to the horizontal, so that most of the flexing action is
vertical rather than forward. This is one of the reasons that this bow has little or no recoil action.

The recurved limbs feature conventional laminated composite construction with significant double taper. Hinge mechanisms with the hinge pins located three inches from the butts of the recurved limbs, attach these limb elements to the tips of the power limbs. In this manner the two limb elements actually overlap for three inches, with a lever arrangement established that can vary from from about 1 to 1 to close to 3 to 1 as the bow is drawn and the recurved limb pivots. Review of the accompanying photographs will clarify this verbal description. The rigging arrangement is also unique. A double, uncoated 3/32 inch diameter power cable runs from the hinge bracket assembly at the tip of the power limb to the two center grooves on the four groove programmed cam. It is retained in the cam by a transverse roll pin. A second double cable assembly (1/16
inch diameter-coated) is anchored in a transverse hole in the cam and threaded in the two outer cam grooves or tracks. It is spread by a special yoke clamp to clear the power limb and is then looped over a molded fitting that is bolted to the extreme butt end of the recurved limb.

The limb and cam action works as follows:

1. Force is exerted on the tip of the re-
curved limb by the act of drawing the bowstring.

2. The recurved limb pushes against the
power limb at the pivot axle and also pulls
on the yoke cable. This combined action starts
the cam to rotate toward the handle-riser.

3. As the cam rotates, the cam lever ratio changes,
requiring more force from the yoke cable to bend the
power limb.  However the lever ratio of the recurved
limb has been increasing at the same time.  This
counteracts some of the  effect of the change in cam ratio.

4. The net result is a rapid rise to peak draw force.  At
this position the oblong cam is centered angularly between
the power cable and is just about ready to roll over.

5. Further draw on the string moves the cam past center
and let-off begins.

6. Let-off continues until the cam rotates to the point
where the power cables lie in the flat sections of the
grooves at the inner ends of the cams.  At this point the
bowstring is perpendicular to the tip section of the recurved
limb and a bottoming condition is established.

Other bows carrying the cams on the handle-riser have employed a simple figure eight cable loop connecting the synchronizing pulleys.  This leaves the cable exposed close to the riser and generally necessitates offsetting the pulleys to provide cable clearance.  On the Eagle, John Islas has provided for routing the synchronizing cables through the  handle-riser using a pair of idler pulleys located between the pylon plates.  These idlers  are mounted on axles set in lugs which are integral with the risers. The idlers are located tangent to the cable groove. The cables run
from the synchronizing pulleys, over the idlers, and through the groove to establish the
timing loop.

It should be understood from the foregoing that the recurved limbs are just as much a part of the force-draw characteristics as the programmed cams and the normal limb-string geometry of the bow as it is drawn. The recurves shorten the moment or lever arms of the secondary limbs, assisting in obtaining greater string tension at brace height and a steep initial slope for the force-draw curve.  However, this desirable trait is also a function of the cam design. At brace height position, the cams have lever ratios also designed to promote high string tension.

It is important to recognize that the recurved limbs are very rigid and essentially non-working. Measurements taken across the distance from tip to butt varied only about one-eighth inch between brace height and full draw.

For the Eagle, the force-draw characteristic is a very complex function of string angle, recurved limb angle, instantaneous cam ratio and power limb angle and spring factor. All of these elements work together to provide the highly effective and very smooth force-draw curve.

The Eagle uses a straight forward shooting string much like a recurve bow, except that it must be strong enough to withstand the stress imposed by the high level of energy generated.

At the present time this bow is available in a single adjustable draw weight range of 45 to 65 pounds. Draw length can be obtained in four nominal ranges; 28 to29,29 to 30, 30 to 31 and 31 to 32 inches. At the factory, draw length variation is effected by modifying the recurved limb bolt hole pattern and changing string length. For short draw lengths a change of cam is required.

The spreader yoke can function as a positive draw check or stop if desired. It is a simple operation to set it and this does not affect the geometry of the yoke cable. The socket-head cap screw that clamps the yoke is loosened and the yoke is repositioned to bottom against the face of the power limb at the desired maximum draw length. A strip of pressure sensitive tape can be applied to the limb at the line of contact to prevent marring. Care should be exercised to bottom both yokes at the same draw position. A left-hand model is planned but is not yet available.

Admittedly an unusual looking bow, the Eagle is cleverly designed and well-built with
evidence of thoughtful engineering throughout.

The Tests

The Eagle we have had for test was rated 45 to 65 pounds draw weight with a draw length
of 29-30 inches. It was equipped with a cushion plunger and a flipper rest which were used for all test shooting. Preliminary hand shooting revealed several surprising characteristics that would require thorough investigation during the test program. First, at 60 pounds this bow seemed as easy and pleasant to draw as any compound we have tested.  Second, it was remarkably smooth during the power stroke with almost imperceptible recoil action. Third, even without the aid of chronograph verification a high level of performance was obvious.

Our test program was established for three levels of peak draw force; 50, 55 and 60 pounds, with a common draw length of 30 inches (AMO). The static tests always give a good indication of what we can expect in the way of performance – the Eagle was no exception. Fig. I displays the force-draw curves we obtained for each of the test conditions. In a number of ways these curves differ from both the conventional (eccentric type) and the programmed cam characteristics. Like the programmed cam they reach peak draw force early in the draw cycle (about 12 inches) but they do not have a lengthy dwell. The longest dwell is two inches at the 50 pounds P.D.F. level. Beyond the peak, the let-off is similar to a conventional eccentric with a very precise and consistent bottom between 30 and 31 inches draw (AMO).

The let-off varied between 39 and 41.7 percent, increasing slightly with increase in
draw weight.

The design of these force-draw curves is such that the draw seems exceptionally smooth and unstraining, so that it leaves one somewhat unaware of the amount of stored energy that is being generated. However, note the tabulated values of stored energy and the S.E./P.D.F. ratio. They are noticeably higher than for conventional compounds and rival the values we associate with programmed cams. This is a forecast of the performance we cited previously.

Static hysteresis is a measurement of the friction in the compounding system. The Eagle shows about two percent higher than a typical two-wheeler in this characteristic. It isn’t difficult to pinpoint the cause. Running the synchronizing cables through two ninety degree bends (idler pulleys) and also through the handle-riser will account for more than two percent. The basic cable system must be quite efficient.

Table 2 is a tabulation of values of bow or dynamic efficiency and arrow velocity for a wide range of arrow weight for each of the three test conditions. Curves of the arrow velocity given in Table 2 are plotted in Fig. 2.

Bow efficiency is the initial kinetic energy of the launched arrow expressed as a percentage of the stored energy of the bow. It is a measure of just how well a given bow transfers to the launched arrow the energy required to draw it to the specified draw length. We have generally found that the very high performance programmed cam bows have lower efficiency than we find for the better class of two-wheel compounds using circular eccentrics.

We do not attribute this general trend (which ranges from minus three to minus ten percent) entirely to characteristics inherent in the bow. There is significant evidence to argue that some of it is caused by losses involved in transferring the higher level of energy to the arrow and to increased reaction forces on the arrow. The Eagle demonstrates minimum efficiency loss when compared to the better two-wheelers with eccentrics. This is also obvious in the arrow velocity levels obtained in the machine shot and chronographed tests. Despite its easy-drawing feel it achieved a Rating Velocity (60 lbs.-30 inches-54O grains) of 219.89 feet per second.  Using mathematical synthesis we also calculated relative Rating Velocities at the 50 and 55 pound levels. These showed slight improvement when compared to the 60 pound peak draw force. This can be attributed to slightly improved bow efficiency and energy storage ratio as draw weight was reduced.

For those readers familiar with our prior Rating Velocity standard of 50 pounds-28 inches-500 grains, we also computed that rating at the 50 pound test level. At 198.25 feet per second it is nearly 10 feet per second higher than the best eccentric two-wheelers we have tested.

Without question the Eagle merits placement in our “super performance” category. But beyond that, we must also salute it as exceptionally smooth and pleasant shooting.

General Commentary

As with other programmed cam type high performance bows, we found that the Eagle favors heavier and stiffer arrows. At 60 pounds P.D.F. we obtained good launch and flight from Graphlex Yellow and 2216 aluminum shafts up to 30 inches draw length. This included field points as well as broadheads of various types. We liked 2117 shafts at 55 pounds and 2117 and 2018 shafts at 50 pounds. Release shooters may be able to stretch these poundages somewhat but we could not obtain consistently clean launch and flight with lighter shafts than those cited.

We have already commented on the remarkable smoothness of the Eagle in both draw and release. It is also a relatively quiet bow.

Because of its unusual limb action. the string angle at full draw is more acute than on other 48 inch bows. This means that there is more finger-pinch present. We didn’t find it objectionable at 30 inches draw; however, it is inherent in the bow design. Also inherent in the limb design and action is unusual stability and tiller control. We felt that it seemed quite resistant to bow hand torque.

Perhaps the Oneida Eagle is an odd looking bow. Its only claim to grace and beauty may be the recurved limbs, unless you’re an engineering type who perceives beauty in function and mechanism. But we suggest that you reserve comment until you have an opportunity to shoot this bow. We believe it has a combination of fine shooting qualities that are rare indeed.

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Gila Miracle – By Eddie Claypool

September 2005

http://www.bowandarrowhunting.com

Every twist and turn haunts this bowhunter as he makes his way through the New Mexico wilderness.

Bow & Arrow Hunting September 2005

For the past twenty years I’ve been an impassioned, do-it-yourself elk bowhunter. Over this time, I’ve been involved in about every kind of situation imaginable – both good and bad. It seems that the bad memories stick in my mind indefinitely, while the good memories migrate to the back recesses of my mind. I think this is only a natural process since it’s the bad experiences that leave big scars, while the good memories are constantly being shuffled to the back of our memory by new, good times afield.

A few seasons ago, I went on a solo bowhunt for elk in the Gila country of southwestern New Mexico and made memories from both ends of the spectrum – incredible misfortune, followed by seemingly impossible. In the end, simple perseverance was the key to pulling something out of nothing. Let’s take a look at an outing that was one of the most bittersweet elk hunts I’ve ever been on.

High Hopes

I’d been coming to the Gila for a lot of years; I knew the resource and how to take advantage of it. I’d come alone for a reason – to hunt long, hard and effectively. Since I was on a mission to harvest an exceptional bull, I was willing to sacrifice the benefits of companionship in order to better focus on my self-centered goal…sometimes a guy has just gotta do what a guy has just gotta do.

Two days before the bow opener found me at a remote trailhead packing my mule(Runt) for a trip deep into the wilderness. Past Experience in the area had shown me a couple of remote ridges where groups of “bachelor” bulls liked to spend their summer while growing their massive crowns. I knew that if I could get into an area where such a situation existed, I could very possibly get a bull to respond to my calling. The element of surprise, coupled with the “virginity” of such unbothered bulls, could put a big bull in my lap fast – it had happened before.

As I headed down the trail, I was excited and my hopes were high. A long six hours later – with 14 miles behind me and almost 4,000 feet below me – I was dragging. Picking a spot for my camp, I began to get situated. After unsaddling Runt, I led my long-eared helper to a nearby creek so that he could get a drink. Hurrying along, in a split-second, I somehow manged to let a tree limb rake across my left eye. Knowing that I’d scratched my eye rather badly, I figured that I’d simply have to put up with some serious discomfort for a day or two…little did I know.

Sometime during the early morning hours, I awoke to a burning pain in my eye – I knew that something was seriously wrong. Now what? It was the day before the season opened, I was 14 miles from the truck (90 more to the nearest town of any size) and I couldn’t function! There was a battle going on inside me – the hunter side of me wanted to tough it out and go hunting, while the common sense side said that my eye needed immediate medical attention. By the time that day-light had finally arrived, I’d rolled around in my sleeping bag for long enough to know that I had to get to town and find out what the problem was- what a nightmare!

Deciding to leave my camp where it was at, I snapped a lead rope onto Runt as a new day dawned around me and began the long walk out. Seriously unhappy about the mess that I’d gotten myself into, I mulled the situation around in my mind. My eye was swelled so much that I could hardly see from it; it was six hours to the truck and another three hours to town! The question was, could even I get to town in time to get in to see a doctor today? Man, oh man, I sure needed too.

The Twilight Zone
Rolling into Silver City, New Mexico, at 3:30 p.m., one of the first places I saw was an optometrist’s office. It was open! Wheeling into a parking space, I jumped out and ran inside. Yes, they’d see me. The prognosis was this: I had an eye ulcer, probably caused by some type of bacteria that had gotten into the cut on my eye, and the condition was serious. I would be treated with antibiotic drops and pills, and if the condition hadn’t shown signs of improvement within 24 hours, I’d be sent to an ophthalmologist for further treatment. I would have to get a motel for the night, then come back for another check-up the following evening. This was more than I’d planned for. After all, I had a mule unattended, elk that needed to be hunted and a hunting trip budget that hadn’t allowed for all this extra expense. Could it get any better than this? Oh, yeah.
The following evening (the second day of bow season) I plodded back to the doc, praying for a release-it wasn’t to be. Things weren’t worse, but they weren’t noticeably better either. Doc said, “You need to come back the next day.” My head was spinning…could I leave Runt unattended another day? What if he’d knocked his water tub over the first day? Almost certainly, he had. I couldn’t believe it-what a nightmare! Finally-on my third day in town-the Doc finally saw what he was looking for-improvement in the eye. He would release me for three days, then I had to be checked again. Unbelievable, what a nightmare! How was I ever going to hunt elk under these circumstances? There was no way I had time to get back to my wilderness camp and get any hunting done! Well, maybe I could at least get back to my camp and pack it out to the truck. Maybe I could at least hunt from the road somewhere? So much for my original high hopes and dreams. What a nightmare.

And The Beat Goes On
Dashing back to the trailhead, I arrived at sunset on the third day of my “hunt.” Heading to the spot where I’d left Runt staked out, what should I find? No mule-only a rope, one end tied to a tree, the other end loose. Could it get any better than this? Oh, yeah.

After a mostly sleepless night, I set about searching for Runt the next day. I wanted to be mad at the mule, but the truth was, if one jackass had tied the other one up better, neither jackass would be in the situation that they were now in. After a full day of fruitless searching, I was in a mood, fit to be tied.

Late afternoon of the next day (the fifth of my hunt), I finally found Runt at an outfitters’ camp, about 5 miles down a trail into the wilderness. He seemed to be perfectly content socializing with his newfound horse friends. As a matter of fact, he didn’t seem very glad to see me at all- guess I was giving out bad vibes. I rounded him up and we headed back down the trail. Getting back to the truck at sunset. I picketed Runt, whipped up a meal on my Coleman stove then fell into the sack. Tomorrow was my doctor’s appointment-in that town 100 miles away-oh, joy! What a nightmare!
Noon of the sixth day of my hunt found me reading about elk hunting while sitting in the waiting room of the doctor’s office-man, was I ever praying. I needed a permanent release from civilization so that I could get into the woods-my shorts were getting in a permanent wad. Luckily, a short hour later, I was out of the doctor’s care for good. I headed back for the trailhead, Runt, and some wilderness elk hunting as fast as my old Ford could go-sadly, that wasn’t very fast.

When It Rains, It Pours
On the way back to camp that evening, I had two flats on my truck-simultaneously-and I only had one spare. I was starting to think that this elk hunting thing just wasn’t meant to be. Never had I been involved in such a non-ending nightmare-would this endless procession of pit-falls ever come to an end? And if it did, what kind of an end was that going to be? Feeling cursed, I wondered if I should just load up and head for home? Having never been a quitter, I reached deep inside for the perseverance to keep up the fight. If
nothing else, I’d go down while screaming defiance at the demons of defeat.

The following day, I finally got back on the road again, headed for camp and and Runt (I hoped). I’d long since forgotten what day of the season it was, but I knew one thing for sure – I didn’t have many more days left to work with. What should I do? Did I have the time to pack into the wilderness and start over, or should I simply day hunt into much more accessible areas? I felt the tug of my original dreams pulling at my inner being, so the matter was settled.

Going For Broke
Bright and early the next morning, Runt and I were to be found plodding submissively down an old, familiar trail.
This would be the third time that we’d hiked back and forth on this trail in the past 10 days. As of yet, the only positive to have come from all this hiking was that I was becoming much more mentally and physically tough. Now, if I could just combine this with some actual time spent hunting, maybe something good would come from all the fuss. After all, things had to go my way soon, didn’t they? Right….

Reaching my old campsite, things fell into place quickly. Grabbing my Mathews bow, I headed for the hills. Ah, it sure felt good to finally have the monkey off my back for a while. As I hiked for a distant ridge, I was finally at peace-things seemed to finally be going my way. Huh, those dark clouds coming in from the west surely weren’t a threat, were they? Wow, that one cloud sure looks like a monkey….

By the time I reached the 2-mile-from-camp point, I knew I was in for trouble. Boiling, black clouds were pouring in and distant thunder was starting to roll down the valley toward me. It just so happened that I’d forgotten to throw my rain suit in my daypack and I knew that my Scent-Lok camo would provide little protection from the rain. Since it was clear what was about to happen, I turned around and hurried back to camp. I’d no more than dove into my dome tent when the downpour and wind hit. For
the rest of the night-and well on into the morning-the storm of the century raged. I’ve never seen it rain harder or
longer-it was a genuine life-threatening flood. Everything was running water, including the higher flatter ground that I was camped on. Water in my tent, in my bag, water down the crack of my…well, you know what. I never thought the next morning was going to come. The next day was spent recuperating from the storm-everything I had was wet. Luckily, the sun came out midday and I was able to get almost everything dried out by sundown. To top it all off, it was a fact that I wasn’t going to be able to hunt the next day either because all the valleys and ravines were raging torrents’–I wouldn’t be able to get across any of them.

Going Out In Style
After another day spent doing nothing-with only two days of the season left-I was about to go blind-staggering wild. I was nearly two weeks into this trip, and as of yet, hadn’t spent a single day hunting! Loading up my backpack
on the morning of the next-to-last day of season, I finally headed out to do some hunting…I hoped.

By evening, I was in a vast trailless area that I knew for certain held elk. Toward sunset, a distant bugle drifted to my ears; Hurrying that direction, I closed the distance-but not before dark caught up with me. Throwing up my spike camp, I hit the sack, drifting off to the sound of near-by bugles. I hoped that tomorrow would be a good day.

At first light, I was within 200 yards of the belligerent bull-he’d sounded off all night, never getting out of earshot. Pulling our my bugle, I sent a challenge toward the hot-to-trot. A piercing scream came back immediately, shortly followed by the sound of breaking brush. Clipping my release on my bowstring, I slowly slid an arrow across the prongs of my rest. As my hand touched my face, big antlers came bobbing into view. As the big bull stepped briskly into an opening at 40 yards, I stopped him with a cow mew from the diaphragm
in my mouth. He’d do just fine-thump…the arrow left my bow. Center-punched, the big bull darted out of sight.

Later, as I knelt over the trophy, I had to marvel-this trip had been unbelievable! I’d endured everything that the
anti-hunting demons could throw at me, yet, after having hunted for less than 24 hours, I was tagged-out with a whopper 7×6 bull-I’ll take luck anytime! —

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Do-It-Yourself Arrow Storage Box – by Glenn Helgeland
Archery World July 1982

ARHERY WORLD JULY 1982

Storing arrows can be a pain, but here’s an efficient, neat way to store
a bunch of them attractively and safely.

All it involves is a wooden box with the key to the unit being one or two pieces of eggcrate-style covering units intended for recessed lighting. Most any lumberyard should have everything you need.

The photos with this story show the construction and finished product.

Don’t be put off by the size of the arrow box shown. I need one that size because I use a lot of different types of arrows for photographic purposes, and over the years. I’ve accumulated a lot of different types.

Now that my kids are starting to shoot, we need arrow storage for me, my wife and the kids. You want to know how fast a few kids can go through a supply of arrows? Fast enough that I make certain they’re going to shoot only wooden ones for a while; I can’t afford anything else for them.

Materials include ll4″ and/or 3/8″ plywood, 1″ x 1/2″ furring strips, wood glue, piano hinge, a handful of 4- or 6-penny box nails, about three feet of nylon webbing, two locking hooks with eyes, four stove bolts with appropriate nuts and washers, and the eggcrate units.

The best thing about this box is that the only blueprints you’ll need are in your head, and it doesn’t cost much to produce. Just figure out how many arrows you need to store and plan accordingly. One tip: Arrows can be stored in every square of the eggcrate, but you’ll do less ruflling of fletching if you store them in alternating squares. The amount of storage space you have available will help you make that decision.

Once you determine the outside dimensions of the box, cut the plywood to fit, cut four furring strip pieces to fit the full width and cut four small blocks from the furring strips to glue in place as support midway underneath the length of the upper and lower eggcrate units.

Furring strips and blocks to support the lower eggcrate unit are glued on the floor piece and to the end pieces, then nailed.  This gives good strength. Furring strips and blocks to support the upper unit are glued far enough down from the top to at least allow the eggcrate to be positioned flush with the top of the plywood.

You can recess it in as far as you like. I left a 2-l /2 inch slot on the front of the box to lighten it a bit and to make it easy to check the arrow tips to see if they were dropping in position. Trying to peer down through one eggcrate unit at another eggcrate unit and line up arrows at the same time will make you crosseyed in a hurry.

The upper front panel could be much narrower. All you really need is a strip wide enough to serve as a stiffener and to keep the eggcrate unit from sliding out. (The two eggcrate units are simply dropped in position on the furring strips. There’s no need to fasten them in.)

I used a piano hinge to fasten the box hinge on the wall. This keeps it out of my kids’ reach, yet I can drop the unit forward to make it easier for arrow placement. The webbing is simply bolted to the box with stove bolts, washers and nuts.I ran the bolts through the furring strips to gain
maximum support. The straps are fastened to my garage wall with through-the-wall collapsible nuts on stove bolts fitted with large washers.

I used locking hooks with the eyes so my kids wouldn’t accidentally knock the hooks loose and have the box crash down on their heads.

What do I do with arrows which have a fixed broadhead? I remove the insert and replace it with a screw-in insert. I have a box of field points on a nearby shelf and the broadheads are stored where my kids can’t get into them.

Cost? Depends upon the size arrow box you build. Should be less than $25, even if
you need  to buy plywood. the eggcrate units I bought cost $6.50 each.

Someday I may even get around to staining or painting the plywood. That probably
will be the same day I clean out my garage. I will have aged by then.

Just how many arrows will this huge box store? Subtracting the squares under the furring strip blocks and end pieces. I came up with 1,914 Storing them every other square means 957 arrows.

I don’t believe I’ll ever need to build a second one. I can store a pile of arrows in a small space with these eggcrate units, keeping them safe from damage. <–<<

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Quick Kills On Big Game – by Russell Tinsley
November 1971 ARCHERY WORLD

BOWHUNTING IS a sport of inches. Sometimes just a couple inches will be the difference between a hit or miss, and even a fraction of an inch might determine a quick kill or just a
crippled animal. Yet shooting a bow and-arrow is such a tough procedure that error usually is measured in inches rather than fractions thereof. So the bowhunter “hedges” on his return by reducing this mistake factor to its lowest possible denominator.

This is accomplished in several ways. Having the proper equipment which is prepared correctly is perhaps the foremost consideration. Being a skilled hunter and getting the very best shot with the least margin of error is another. And of course knowing where to place the arrow for optimum results.

A fast-propelled arrow striking an animal’s vital organs should accomplish two rudimentary assignments: create intense hemorrhaging or bring quick and humane death, and encourage sufficient external bleeding to have an easily followed blood trail.

Simple mathematics tells us that a heavy object traveling at a rapid rate of speed will create the most damage upon impact, and this is true even of an arrow which kills by hemorrhage rather than shock. The more Penetration an arrow gets, the better are the chances of getting massive damage to internal organs. And the farther a sharp broadhead- tunnels through the animal’s body cavity, the more opportunity it has to come in contact with organs and disrupt their functioning.

Bob Lee, veteran bowhunter and president of Wing Archery Company, says the draw-weight of a hunting bow “should be as heavy as a person can adequately handle-and I mean handle and not merely shoot.”

The basic theory behind this, of course, is that the heavier bow will cast heavier arrows at a faster velocity, and this results in better penetration.

“But be sure the bow and arrows are matched,” Lee adds. “This is a common mistake among many bowhunters, having mismatched tackle, and a person can’t get the needed accuracy with such equipment.”

By proper conditioning and training of the muscles, the hunter can learn to handle – there’s that key word again-a bow of heavier draw than he is now using.

But even driving an arrow completely through an animal is of questionable value unless the broadhead severs organs to induce bleeding. The bowhunter can greatly improve his odds for success simply by having his broadheads honed sharp. A dull head tends to roll flesh and organs aside while the razor like head cuts cleanly.

As a person practices with his equipment he becomes aware of his limitations and capabilities. If you, for example, find that at ranges beyond 25 yards your aim is erratic and arrows scatter, then work for shots at less than this distance. Whether you shoot instinctively or use a sight isn’t important; what is imperative is that you can put the arrow where you want to.

Now we come to that moment of truth when you are drawing on a big-game animal. Where should you aim to get the quickest kill?

If the critter had a bull’s-eye painted on it, this would be a simple matter. But the hunter usually has just a brief time to size up the situation and determine where his point of aim should be. No two shots are exactly alike.

Maybe the animal is standing broadside, quartering away or facing you.  The arrow kills a critter by disrupting either of its most vital life-sustaining functions: the nervous system or the movement of blood. The most surefire is to stop all or part of its nervous system. One deer I killed was trotting by my tree stand and I led the animal too much and instead of hitting behind the shoulder, where I
intended it to go, the arrow struck the buck’s neck and completely severed the spinal cord. The deer fell there.

But trying for a spine hit is too much of a gamble unless maybe you are in a tree stand and the animal is walking directly beneath you. Even if you are off just an inch or so to either side, the broadhead still will bury into the body and find blood-carrying vessels.

An animal’s body is a network of arteries and veins which all originate at the heart. Hit the heart or any major artery and you will get profuse bleeding; smaller vessels will give progressively less. I once shot at a buck which ‘jumped the string”. The arrow caught him in the ham, striking the
femoral artery. The resulting blood trail appeared as if it had been poured from a bucket. The deer traveled less than 35 yards before going down.

The ideal spot to induce the most bleeding, it would seem, would be the heart. It would. But the heart of any animal lies very low in the throat between the front legs when the animal is viewed from the side. Here the forelegs, brisket bone and muscle give the heart quite a bit of protection.

If the arrow is forward too much, just an inch or so, it likely will strike the foreleg and perhaps just ricochet. A couple inches low and the projectile will pass beneath the animal a miss. Too far back and it is in the body cavity where it must hit an artery or vein leading to and from the heart to get the desired results. About the only margin for error is above the heart, where there is a cluster of organs,

All big-game animals are basically the same. You’ll find the same vital organs in the same places. But the overall picture is different. A white-tailed deer, for instance, has long legs, while the javelina is squatty, built close to the ground. An elk is a much larger animal with tougher skin and bones, and although its heart is correspondingly larger, it is much better protected against even I sharp arrow.  The archer shooting from above-a tree stand Perhaps- stands a much better chance of angling an arrow into the heart region than does the hunter aiming from the ground, on the same level as his target.

To reach this area some bowhunters refer the flat two-bladed broadhead, reasoning  that with the less resistance it will knife completely through the animal, severing everything in its path.
Bill Clemets, perhaps Arkansas most successful bowhunters, is a great believer in this type head. Me, I Prefer the multi-blade head, either three or four cutting edges, preferably four.

This type of head leaves a jagged hole which really pours blood.  Also, should the head remain buried inside the animal, it will jiggle back and forth, continuing to cut, as the critter runs. But neither type is of much value unless it is sharp.

The bowhunter’s best shot, I’m convinced, is in the so-called- high lung area, just behind the shoulder.  A hit here might not give as much blood as a heart shot, but it will be sufficient and in this area there is a bit more leeway for human error.   lf your shot sails slightly high, you are apt to hit the spinal column; should it be low, you’ll be probing the heart and large artery region.  The arrow even can be too far back by an inch or two and you will have a pretty solid hit.  But let too far forward and the shoulder bone is in the way.  If this bone is hit just right the arrow might penetrate;  but usually it simply slides to the side or bounces back.  I hit a mule deer in the shoulder while on a hunt in Colorado and the arrow bounced back almost to my feet.  The broadhead tip was curled back. I doubt if the arrow created enough damage to even give
the buck a sore shoulder.

As the bowhunter becomes more experienced he will learn to aim to compensate for his own personal tendencies. With me, shots less than 25 yards tend to rise, while on out there
the arrow more likely will drop. So if an animal is close, I am low on the body. Should the arrow be on target I’m in the heart region, and even should it rise slightly I’ve got a fatal hit. On longer shots just the reverse is true: I am high, for the lungs, and even if the arrow does drop it will
connect with vital organs.

Most bowhunters think of the classic broadside as the ideal position for a shot. Since one-dimensional drawings are usually sketched this way, the hunter has a vivid mental picture of where all the animal’s organs are placed. This position comes closest to simulating target shooting. But if the animal senses something wrong and moves before the arrow arrives, then the projectile likely will hit the critter’s midsection. A high shot will pass through the body without causing any extensive damage; a low shot will find the gut region, and that is one you want
to avoid. While this might indeed be a fatal hit, there usually isn’t much external bleeding, making the animal difficult to trail, and a gut-shot creature is apt to travel for long distances before going down.

Much better than the broadside is the quartering shot. The rear quartering shot is preferred. Although the silhouette is not as large, more of what you see is vulnerable tissue. There is
less chance of a bone deflecting the arrow, and it furrows more lengthwise through the body. Common sense tells us that the farther an arrow moves through an animal, the better are its
chances of hitting vital organs. Should the arrow pass through the chest cavity there is a possibility that it might come in contact with all three vital organs – heart, liver and lungs.

From the rear, blind-side, of the animal like this, the hunter stands to put his arrow into a vital area without being detected. The head-on and front quartering shots are less desirable, one reason being that the alert animal is more apt to detect danger, and from the front body bones are a
greater obstacle.

But if you do get a head-on shot, aim for the so-called “sticking spot” just below the neck. Place an arrow solidly here and you have a dead animal. The broadhead carves directly into the body between the forelegs.

A temptation is to aim for the head. But most big-game animals have small and well-protected brains. You are more likely to get just a glancing lick than you are a kill.  For the front-quartering shot, aim just behind the shoulder. While the heart, liver and lungs are fairly well protected from this angle, the network of arteries and veins just beyond are vulnerable. If the arrow angles across
the animal, you probably will find a blood-carrying vessel. I once watched my hunting buddy Winston Burnham shoot a javelina that was trotting down a trail toward his stand, and while the
arrow hit a mite too far back, it traveled almost the entire length of the body, exiting just forward of a ham.

An autopsy revealed that the broadhead hit a rib, forcing the arrow upwards where it traveled just beneath the spine, severing several arteries and veins. The javelina wheeled around wildly once or twice, then made just two or three jumps before falling.

Now assuming you understand and know the vital areas and how to hit them and you’ve made what you consider a solid hit, then what do you do?

The consensus of most experienced bowhunters is to wait at least an hour if you think your . arrow hit the liver area or the rear half of the animal. Unless spooked, the critter usually will
journey just a short way before lying down. It becomes weak rather quickly and probably won’t have the strength to ever regain its feet.

But if the arrow hits the chest cavity and results in plenty of blood, it doesn’t make any difference whether you wait or not. The animal – be it an immense specimen like the elk, a
medium-sized one such as a mountain goat, or even the diminutive javelina -won’t travel far away. If you merely sever a large artery-you can tell if the hit results in an unbelievable amount of bleeding – then you will have no problem trailing and finding the critter.

Should the hit be in a non-vital section of the fore body, you probably will be wise to keep pushing the animal. An embedded broadhead will continue to cut and damage organs.

Even if the arrow completely passed through, don’t give the animal the opportunity to lie down and allow the broken blood vessels to clot.  No matter where you hit an animal, don’t give up on it until you are absolutely satisfied that the carcass or some telltale sign can’t be found.

Sometimes the animal might flee along way before commencing to bleed. It isn’t unusual for one to go down without leaving a blood trail of more than just a few scattered drops. Watch which direction the critter runs and pinpoint your search in that direction.  Try to find tracks, if nothing else, and search the trail meticulously for any sign which might reveal where the animal was hit. Perhaps you will soon locate the discarded arrow, broken or pulled out, or a pool of blood when
the animal stopped briefly. It is amazing the number of animals that can be found which at first were thought to be lost.

There is no satisfaction quite like that of staying doggedly on a trail and ultimately realizing success. That’s the mark of a true and dedicated bowhunter.

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Spring Turkey Tactics – By Randy Templeton

MAY 2005

Fool Your Trophy Tom Using These Proven Methods

http://www.bowandarrowhunting.com

MAY 2005

Coming over the rise, he bellowed an eardrum-rattling gobble and strutted
for the decoy. It wasn’t long after two younger toms brought up the rear,
and it was soon perfectly clear which of the three was the boss gobbler on the ridge.

When the dust and feathers settled the big tom headed straight for the decoy but stopped
mid-stride and made a beeline for higher ground. At the time I couldn’t figure out what had gone
wrong, but I was soon enlightened when a mangy coyote came running over the ridge. I feared the jig was up and the hunt was over.

I continued to call and much to my surprise it wasn’t long after another tom answered my calls. It
sounded like the sarne tom that had been chased off. Evidently my assembly call was working.

Only minutes later I spotted the old gobbler’s head craning over the brush. The second he hit
the clearing he let out a double gobble and headed for the decoy on a dead run. At 20 paces
a Muzzy broadhead sliced through his vitals, putting the 25-pound bird in my game vest.

Most turkey-hunting gurus are sure to tell you hunting turkeys with archery gear is tough, but it also offers the ultimate challenge. Let’s take a look at several ways to improve your chances of tagging a trophy longbeard with your bow this year.

USE THE RIGHT GEAR
To be a successful turkey hunter it helps to have the right gear. Turkeys have excellent eyesight, so good camouflage is essential. Try to match your camo pattern with the surrounding
terrain and vegetation.

Likewise, the same can be said about concealment. The toughest part of killing a sharp-spurred
tom with a bow is getting drawn without getting picked off first. When I first started hunting these wary birds, popup blinds hadn’t been invented yet, my blinds then consisted primarily of brush
and burlap. Although I killed a few birds, it was nothing like today using blinds made by Double Bull Archery and Cabela’s.

A turkey’s vital area is not much bigger than a baseball, so it’s more important to be accurate than to shoot heary bow poundage. You don’t need to shoot more than 50 or 55 pounds to get adequate penetration.

Hit a turkey in the vitals or spine with a good, sharp broadhead and there’s a good chance they’ll go down immediately. I believe any broadhead will get the job done. I’ve killed birds with mechanical heads like the NAP Gobbler Getter and Spitfire, but also with fixed-blade heads like the Thunderhead and Muzzy 125.

LEARN TO READ THE SIGN
A good turkey hunter scouts heavily and knows where his quarry roosts and struts. A
week or two before the season opens, spend time glassing suspect roosting areas from a
distance during the last hour of daylight. Once you’ve located a roosting sight, then spend time glassing at first light and find out where the turkeys go when leaving the roost. On opening day, set up an ambush and waylay your bird.

You might also consider scouting the property on foot. The late Ben Lee (the well-known turkey call maker) once told me that a gobbler likes to roost close enough to water to hear his droppings splat. I’ve since realized there’s a fair amount of truth to that and I now look for roosting sights near waterways. If you find droppings and feathers beneath large, mature trees you can be sure turkeys are roosting overhead.

Differentiating between gobbler and hen droppings is fairly easy. A gobbler’s droppings
are elongated and often shaped like the letter ‘J,” whereas a hen drops compact piles or
wads. Droppings with a chalky appearance are generally very old.

Keep an eye open for scratch marks in the timber too. Turkeys scratch up cow pies and
turn over leafs and bark from trees searching for their daily intake of insects like crickets,
ants, grasshoppers and caterpillars.

One way to determine whether or not the scratch mark are old or new is to know when
it last rained. If it hasn’t rained recently and the scratch marks are sharply defined, chances
are the sign is fairly new. Likewise, if scratch marks appear washed out then they occurred before the last rain.

Also, look for tracks after a rain. You’ll find tracks near crop-field edges, creek/river- banks, dirt roads and other areas void of vegetation. If the tracks you find in a given area
are few, chances are you won’t find many turkeys either. Continue scouting until you find an area with more abundant sign.

Turkeys also like to dust in dry and powdery soil almost daily. They use the same
locations year after year, much like whitetails do with annual scrapes. Dusting sights are
typically shaped like a bowl and you’ll often find them near field edges, dirt roads and
sandy spots. While scouting, keep a keen eye open for a dusting bowl and you’re likely to
catch a tom frequenting it during midday.

CALL SPARINGLY
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a world champion caller, but I’ve learned enough to get the job done. For me, there’s nothing more exciting at the crack of dawn than to have turkeys gobbling their fool heads off from a nearby roost. In the early years, when a turkey gobbled, I called back.

The longer the conversation would drag on, the louder my calling became. On some occasions it
worked, but other instances the tom would shut up and move away silently. The point to be made here is that beginning hunters often make the mistake of calling too much or too loud. Either one could chase a wary gobbler off!

If you’ve got a few years under your belt, then you know an old longbeard has the knack for taking a fancy to one hen at a time. A wise old tom wont always come to any one call so learn to “talk the talk” on several types. It might be a mouth, slate or box call that coaxes in the tom, so be sure to carry a wide variety of calls.

THE RIGHT SETUP
Killing a turkey on any given day is a matter of being in the right place at the right time and using the right call. If you can’t set up in the right location you surely wont kill a turkey. Turkeys
like to strut in open lanes or green meadows, so avoid thick, gnarly timber ridges or tall grass fields.

Two seasons back I had trouble closing the distance on three old birds that liked strutting the edge of a plowed cornfield that was surrounded by a CRP field. I had scouted the area the week before and watched the toms work the edge of the field. The closest spot to set up was some 60 yards away.

For two days in a row I called the gobblers to the field’s edge, but they stopped short of my effective range.  On the third morning I moved the blind to a narrow green strip 10 yards away.
As the first hint of light gave way I let out a couple of soft clucks, and all three gobblers responded from their roost in unison. A few minutes later it was a fly-down cackle, several yelps,
clucks and purrs that brought the old sultan strutting into range.

PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING
All gobblers have distinct personalities and some are pretty moody, so success could hinge on your call presentation. Take for example a turkey that continues to answer your call with a gobble versus one that gobbles every five or 10 minutes without any rhyme or reason. The tom that continually answers is the one that’s probably “hot to trot” and offers the best odds of shooting. There could be several reasons why the other tom is less talkative. For instance, he might be
call shy or he is with a hen.  Regardless, you’ll need to assess the situation and weigh out the odds.

The afternoon of opening day this past spring I had an o1′ gobbler hang up for nearly an hour before I was able to serve up the right combination of calling and persuade him into committing.
I set up my blind 20 yards from the edge  of a green strip bordering an untilled soybean field. To test the temperature of the birds in the area, I began with a few yelps and cutts.
Almost immediately a gobbler sounded off and within minutes he appeared along the edge of the field some 100 yards away. As I continued using the same series of calls, the tom moved
closer. Unfortunately, for every two steps forward he took one back the opposite direction. When I limited the calls to just yelps and purrs he began shaving off the distance.

At 25 yards I drew my bow and let the string slip free. The instant the broadhead hit the tom he flew straight into the air and then slammed to the ground in a heap.

IT CAN TAKE TWO
Every year the majority of hunters take to the woods alone. As the season grows long it’s not unusual for turkeys to become wary of anything that sounds like a single hen. In this scenario a call-shy tom is more apt to come into what sounds like more than one hen. Therefore, you might consider “doubling up” on a gobbler if you’ve failed alone.

Another twosome tactic is for the shooter to stay put while the caller continues to move away. This sounds like a hen moving away and has a tendency to give the gobbler the idea a hot hen is slipping from his reach.  When a bird consistently “hangs up” and you’ve made several fruitless attempts, you should pair up with a friend. This tactic positions the shooter in the general location where the tom has been hanging up.

BE PATIENT
One of the biggest dilemmas in turkey hunting is knowing what to do when a tom hangs up just out of range. More often than not there’s usually a barrier that prevents him from progressing all the way. In most cases it’s a barbed-wire fence or deep ditch.

Regardless of whether the turkey stops answering or continues to answer but won’t come in, the first thing I usually do is stop calling and wait 15 minutes or so. If the turkey doesn’t show, then I’ll move in the direction where he was last heard and call again. If the turkey continues to answer then there’s a good chance of killing him. If he wont answer after making a couple of moves then it’s probably a lost cause.

The odds of calling a tom away from a hen are slim but not impossible. I’ve done it a couple of times. I’ve actually had better luck scattering the flock and then calling the gobbler
back a few minutes later.  Like whitetail hunters, turkey hunters have a tendency to leave the
woods too early. Experience has proven that restless gobblers begin roaming the woods looking for hens or strut on hilltops in exhibition during the midday hours.

If you know or suspect a gobbler is “henned up,” you might consider waiting until late morning or early afternoon (in states that allow late hunting) to try calling. A tom will sometimes leave his hen midday to search for others, at which time he’s vulnerable to calling. On a couple of occasions I’ve called in the same tom later in the day that was non-responsive in the morning.

USE A BLIND
Although I’ve bagged turkeys with my bow by spot and stalking or ambushing them in various ways, erecting a blind is the best way to go. The type of terrain often dictates the best method for ambushing a gobbler. Let’s take for example gnarly dense cover. It’s nearly impossible to spot and stalk through it without alerting a bird. A better approach might be building a blind from the
natural surroundings or using a popup blind.

This reminds me of a big gobbler my brother Mark was hunting back in the 1980s. The old tom liked strutting along a fence line on top of a hill where he could see all around. There was a big pile of old wooden fence posts in the corner that Mark used to build a four-sided blind along the
fence line. The following day he killed the old bird at 20 paces.

Big toms aren’t pushovers and they don’t come running to everything that sounds like a yelping hen. To consistently tag a mature gobbler each spring you need to stay on top of your game. No single tactic will guarantee success, but a combination of the tactics mentioned in this article is sure to up your odds. <–<<

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My name is sarah kirk, if you have read any of my previous post’s you may know me. But if you dont, i’m fifteen years old and from southwestern VA, i absolutely love bow hunting and have since, well, forever and i have my mind set on having a hunting show! now to the point….

This fall i have the opportunity to go elk hunting in colorado. this year i will be able to get my license to hunt there for just around three hundred dollars! but, this is the last year for that to be availible to me. i have a summer job and i will plan to save the money so i can go. I will miss the first week and a half of sophmore year. (uhh who cares! ill be hunting!) but ill update if im going or not(: please comment with stories, advice, etc.

thanks(:

Lore Of Elk Hunting – By Randy Templeton  May 2005

http://www.bowandarrowhunting.com

MAY 2005

I was some distance from my friend C.J., but even so I was sharing the excitement he was experiencing when the red-eyed bull came in silently to my calls. It was the second bull I’d called within range in just under an hour. The first didn’t show enough of itself to determine whether it was a legal bull or not. It was now just a matter of closing the deal with a well-placed arrow.

I’ll be the first to admit that I like shooting elk, but I also enjoy calling one in for a friend, especially for those that haven’t shot one. My first priority on this hunt was to call a bull for C.J. Davis, the PR director for Nikon. The season before he nearly had a solid shot at a fine elk but was betrayed in the final seconds by fickle winds.

I’ve been asked many times over the years what’s the magnet that draws me toward the mountains during the month of September each year? I’ve answered that question by simply saying that elk hunting is the ultimate high- altitude experience. Once you’ve spent a week in the pristine wilderness you’ll come back with an entirely different outlook on life. Let’s take a look at our exciting hunt and perhaps you’ll understand why so many hunters head for the mountains in pursuit of the mighty wapiti.

Saturday-Day 1
Our camp was tucked in the lower end of a canyon along a crystal clear stream rich with native brook trout. Once again we were using the outfitting services of Karl and Mona Maser of Ute Lodge. I’ve hunted the general area for 15 years and have killed an elk at least half of those years.

By 9 a.m. the packhorses and mules were loaded and we were at the trail-head. Arriving at our camp before noon, we unpacked our gear and rustled up some lunch. By 2 p.m. we were hoofing up the nearby mountain that I’d nicknamed “Hamburger Hill” after a movie I once watched. The canyon and surrounding mountainsides had fallen victim to a wildfire 10 years ago.

At first glance it doesn’t appear to be a place anyone would want to hunt, much less expect to see elk. However, it’s exactly why I’m drawn to the area. Hunting pressure is relatively low and the plush new growth attracts elk in numbers.

Arriving on the mountaintop by 3 p.m., we set up on the fringe of the firebreak where the first stand of green timber began. Fresh elk sign was plentiful, but week-old boot prints told the story that hunters had already been in the area. Not good.

My biggest concern was that the elk would be call shy, so I kept calling to a minimum. I’d gotten one bull to respond, but by the time I climbed to the bull’s general location he had
hushed. The remainder of the afternoon/evening was uneventful. As we descended in the dark, a bull (not big) bugled from the vicinity of where I’d just been.

Sunday–Day 2
The first morning we awoke to the ring of the annoying alarm clock ar 3:45 a.m. The skies were clear and the temperature was hovering around 40 degrees. By 5 a.m. we were climbing up the face of “Hamburger Hill” and 45 minutes later we arrived at the top.
I pulled out my Primos Terminator bugle tube and let out a couple of immature bull bugles. Almost instantly the deep-growling grunts of a herd bull echoed off from the mountain on the opposite side of the canyon. Even from that distance the raspy bugles of the king pin made the
short hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

My friend’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store. There wasn’t any chance of persuading him to stay put. I had been in a similar situation some years before and was quite confident the elk would
be long gone before C.J. could arrive. The sun was just beginning to peak over the eastern horizon when he took off down the mountain. I
elected to stay put.

Shortly after working my way around to the north face of the mountain, a bull responded to my calls. After 45 minutes of playing cat and mouse I had closed the distance to maybe 100 yards, but I still hadn’t laid eyes on the bull. It wasn’t long after the wind betrayed me ‘for the first time. The bull slipped off into the dark timber without making another peep.

A muzzleloader shot echoed through the canyon and the bull C.J. was chasing had gone silent. When arriving at camp I wasn’t all that surprised to learn that a muzzleloader hunter had slipped between C.J. and the bull. As it turned out, all C.J.’s efforts that morning were fruitless.

That evening, about an hour before dark I thought it was all going to come together when a mediocre sounding bull blasted out a bugle in close proximity.  We quickly set up and began calling. The bull responded and started shaving off the distance.

I caught a mere glimpse of a tan rump circling downwind.  We tried to make a quick move to avoid detection, but when the elk let out a screeching bark we knew the jig was up and
the hunt over.  We tucked tail and headed back to camp.

Monday – Day 3
The second morning brought on a heavy frost and temperatures approaching the 30-degree mark. By 5:45 a.m. we had reached the mountaintop and split up.  We both had bulls answering our calls that morning, but by 10 a.m. they had shut up.

The evening didn’t bring much excitement  Although two bulls were answering our calls, we were bitten again by the unpredictable winds.

Tuesday – Day 4

On Tuesday morning C.J. and I split up in order to cover more area. I had no more than made my first setup when a small 4×4 bull came running to the Primos Hoochie Mama call. Although he stopped perfectly broadside at 18 yards, I opted to pass on the opportunity with hopes of tagging something a bit bigger. My friend had a bull working his way, but it failed to show itself.

That afternoon we hunted the same area as the first day.  I had three different bulls answering my calls plus what was almost certainly another hunter. In all my years of elk hunting, I,ve only been called in once and found it somewhat embarrassing. I’ve since been a bit more reserved about rushing to everything that sounds like an elk.  We opted to stay put and saw no elk that evening.

About an hour after dark we heard splashing in the stream outside the cook tent and rushed outside with a flashlight,  I spotted movement in the bushes and not long after Karl appeared. Evidently, he had used a log to cross the stream, lost his balance and fell in. He was soaked from head to toe. As it turned out, Karl was our mystery elk hunter. Having hunted up the opposite side of the mountain range in the afternoon, he had two close encounters with 5×5 bulls. On one instance he stopped in a small meadow and not long after he began calling and a bull suddenly
appeared from behind. As Karl tried to get turned around to shoot, the bull spotted him and vacated the area. The second encounter was nearly the same scenario, but again
Karl was unable to get the shot off.

Based on the number of elk seen and the amount of fresh sign Karl found on the way up, we made a decision to hike over the mountain the next morning. Karl had recorded the coordinates of several park meadows on his GPS, including where he had the encounters with bulls.

Wednesday -Day 5
For the week we had a couple of close encounters and one shot opportunity. Our skimpy luck wasn’t due to our lack of effort nor because the elk weren’t there. There were plenty of elk, but the cards just weren’t falling in our favor.

The temperatures dropped into the low 20s that night, Leaving a thick layer of frost on everything. We took a different route up the mountain. After reaching the top we quickly moved toward a meadow where Karl had called in one of the two bulls. Moving from meadow to meadow, fresh calf-size rubs, wallows and droppings littered the landscape. Unfortunately, even though there was plenty of evidence of elk in the area, we failed to get a response.

Around noon Karl decided to begin hunting his way back down the mounrain. C.J. and I split up and hunted two meadows that were about a half-mile apart that afternoon.

About an hour before sunset two cows walked across the meadow and began feeding. I brought out the Lead Cow and Hoochie Mama calls and made a few chirps and mews. A raspy sounding bull answered almost immediately from the fringes of the far side. I continued using chirps and
mews, but threw out an occasional spike squeal to hopefully tick him off. I couldn’t see the bull, but heard him ripping up a tree with his antlers. The bull wouldn’t commit, so I decided to make the first move.

As I began skirting the edge to close the distance the wind shifted ever so slightly and the bull stopped calling.  Suddenly one of the cows let out a bark and elk took off running every which way.

A few minutes later I heard C.J. calling, then three distinctly different bulls answering him. This went on for nearly a half hour before they suddenly quit. At that point I was almost certain C.J. had connected. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

When meeting at dark, I was surprised to learn that he hadn’t seen or heard anything. As it turned our, he was set up too close to the edge of a fast-moving stream and the noise had drowned out all the elk bugles. The best I can figure is, the bulls had circled around and caught his scent.

Considering all the activity that evening, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where we’d be hunting the following afternoon.

Thursday-Day 6
I was up early with renewed enthusiasm. We decided to hunt the north face of the mountain in the morning and the south side that afternoon. Just before sunrise the growling bugle and chuckles of a herd bull echoed off the canyon walls. I was almost certain it was the same bull we
had nicknamed “the chuckler” and C.J. had chased the first morning. Other than that, the morning was a bust.

Wanting to arrive early to our newly found honey hole, we made record time climbing to the top that afternoon. We quickly hoofed up the steep ridge where I heard the three bulls answering C.J. the evening before.

Shortly after setting up, a bull answered further up the mountain. To confirm the location, I bugled once and got a response back.  We hustled up the mountain to cut the distance in half. Alternating between spike squeals, cow mews and chirps, the bull answered almost immediately.
I moved back 30 yards from C.J. and called again. A stick cracked and suddenly a bull appeared
from behind a cluster of stubby cedar trees, maybe 25 yards from C.J. I listened for the shot but
heard nothing.

Within a couple of seconds, the bull swapped ends and split the scene. As he headed for higher ground I could see four points on both sides. Although most first-time elk hunters dream of shooting a record-book bull, C.J. was just hoping to connect on something legal. Unfortunately, in this instance he couldn’t tell if the bull was legal or not until it charged off.
No problem, I thought, we’ll just see if we can’t call up
another.

Continuing to work the mountainside, we had three other bulls respond. In one instance I thought the bull was going to commit, but for unknown reasons he shut up. About a half-hour before sunset we began working our way down and came upon a relatively flat shelf. There was
a lot of fresh sign and it looked like a great location to call up a bull. I moved back 30 yards from C.J. and put out a few drops of Mrs. Doe Pee’s Fresh Cow Elk Lure in two locations, both upwind and downwind.

Alternating between the Primos Lead Cow and Hoochie Mama, I made several cow calls and bugled once.  A couple of minutes later I heard a stick crack and then heavy foot
steps from above. I looked up just in time to see the antler tips and ran rump of a bull prodding down the mountain. Suddenly the bull stopped 30 yards from C.J. I felt the wind at the back of my neck blowing toward the bull, so I quickly pulled out my wind checker containing elk scent
and gave it a couple of squeezes.

I watched C.J. draw, but he didn’t shoot. Something told me that he didn’t have a clear shot,
so I made a few soft mews. About the same time the bull made one step forward, I heard a thump. Instantly the bull whirled around and charged back in the same direction.

Although C.J. felt the shot looked good, the results of a quick search of the area for blood didn’t paint a very promising picture. Blood was sparse and we didn’t find the arrow, which meant it might not have passed completely through. Like any other suspect hit, rather than make matters worse we decided to return in the morning. Temperatures had been hovering near freezing so we were confident the meat wouldn’t spoil.

Friday-Day 7
It was a restless night for both of us, but more so for C.J. I reassured him that we’d find his bull.

By 8 a.m. we had climbed the mountain and began our search. Starting where we left off it wasn’t long before the blood trail petered out. Rather than wander around aimlessly looking for blood, I flagged the last location and we started a grid search looking for blood. After an hour of fruitless searching, we split up. It was maybe 10 minutes later when I heard C.J. hollering, “I found him!”

I found C.J. sitting proudly over his first elk, a 5×5 Colorado bull.
Unfortunately our decision to leave the bull overnight had cost us part of, the hindquarters to the coyotes.
It took nearly three hours to skin, quarter and pack the meat to a location where Karl could get to it with the packhorses.

As mentioned earlier, my first priority on this hunt was to call in an elk for my friend. I was able to
accomplish that, plus I had an opportunity to shoot a 4×4, but I chose to pass. I’ll be the first to
admit that every hunt hasn’t ended with filling my tag, but for me elk hunting is more than that. The lore of elk hunting is spending time with good friends each fall chasing one of
the most elusive big-game animals of all. If I take home an elk, that’s just
icing on the cake. <–<<

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Early Bucks – By Steve Bartylla  September 2005

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Don’t let non-rutting bucks intimidate you. Here’s the key to successfully ambushing these seemingly wary deer.

This is too good to be true. That was my first thought when one of the owners of the hunting outfit I was with confidently stated that I would leave Alberta with the opportunity at a 150-inch or better buck. Now, I could see that he hadn’t been exaggerating. There, 20 yards away, stood a clean 10-point that would measure somewhere in the 160s. Because I was shooting expandable heads, I was unable to cover the windows of my Double Bull blind with shoot through mesh. To safely conceal my movement, I would have to wait until the buck dropped his head.

As the buck pawed to reach the snow-covered alfalfa, seconds seemed to drag on for minutes. finally he dropped his head to feed and gave me the chance I was waiting for. However, what happened next is not nearly as important as the events that lead to this point.

An unexpected family matter had trimmed my scheduled eight-day hunt to merely three days. To complicate matters more was scouting land I’d never stepped foot on and a fresh snow that had erased the deer trails. The final kicker was that the rut cycle in Northern Alberta lags significantly behind the upper Midwest. The result was that despite the snow and cold temperatures, I’d be hunting non-rutting bucks still in their early-season patterns.

The first day of the hunt was interesting, to say the least. Because of my unfamiliarity with the area, I set a stand that provided the best view of a large alfalfa field. I reasoned the odds of a monster naturally traveling within bow range were slim, but I hoped this placement would allow me to spot and pattern a mature buck.

I also had an ace up my sleeve. With timber wolves being the greatest threat these deer would face, I was told that the deer found safety in numbers. To create this illusion, I set two Montana doe and a Custom Robotic Wildlife buck decoys out in front of my stand. To my amazement, this approach produced 21 different buck sightings in a single afternoon!

Though this group included several good bucks and one true slammer, the mission was not accomplished. As things so often go when hunting, the big boy entered the field from one of my stands blind spots. I was unable to narrow down his trail, and an overnight snowfall eliminated any chance of backtracking. However, I was closer than when I began. I knew it was very possible to take a mature buck off the field. With having already hung a low-impact morning stand in the woods with my scouting efforts.

The next afternoon was the true key. With no one location along the woods providing a view of the entire field, I did what I should have the first afternoon: I pulled the truck into some cover that provided a full view of the large field and strictly observed. As luck would have it, the mid-160s buck entered the field again just before dark. I was in business.

The next and final day, I did what I believe is one of the keys to consistent success on early-season bucks. I set up where my observations had dictated. I positioned myself where I observed the slammer entering the field.

With the morning hunt out of the way, I was ready to make my move. Having mentally marked a strategically positioned round bale the afternoon before, I made a bee-line across the field. After clearing the snow from the floor area, I positioned the Double Bull blind behind the bale and covered it with excess snow. Retracing my path across the field, I had managed to keep my disturbances to a minimum.

Later that afternoon, I followed the entrance path through the field back in. Thirty yards before reaching the blind, still 50 yards from the wood line I placed the RoboCoy buck decoy. It was my hope that any nearby deer would focus their attention on the decoy, pulling their eyes away from the blind. With some buck urine placed between it’s back legs, I entered the blind and settled in for the hunt.

Several close encounters with does and young bucks later, we return to big boy entering the scene. As I slowly raised my bow to shoot, tragedy hit. The inability to cover the windows in mesh and a perfect sun angle allowed for light to reflect off my bow. Just that quick, the buck’s head snapped up and he began staring a hole into the previously unnoticed blind. Freezing, not quite in position to draw and unable to move undetected, I knew the gig was up. Two explosions of snow from his hooves and he was gone.

As light began to fade, an eight-point in the mid120s strolled by the blind at 10 yards. i spent the closing minutes of my brief 2004 Alberta hunt watching his interaction with the RoboCoy. Though the hunt ended with an unfilled tag, I feel it beautifully illustrates the key to taking mature bucks that are exhibiting early-season behavior.

Find the Food Source

To begin with, consistently taking early-season bucks starts with identifying the best food and/or water sources. This is typically the foundation from which early-season tactics are built upon. The first of this groundwork can be laid in summer. One step in accomplishing this is glassing oaks. Doing so allows you to gauge the coming fall’s acorn crops. An oak tree doesn’t produce acorn crops each year. For one thing, it takes the acorns of most members of the red oak family two years to mature. Therefore if an individual tree produced last year, it isn’t capable of producing again this season. White oaks are able to produce fruit every year , but that doesn’t guarantee production. Droughts, untimely high winds, late frosts and insect infestations are just some of the things that can cause crop failure or low rates of production. Glassing oaks during summer can go a long way toward pointing you to which ones should be hunted in the fall.

As with the oaks, various factors can affect farm crops as well. For example, late-planted soybeans are more likely to still be in the highly desirable green state when season opens. Lack of fertilizing, heavy weed infestations, too much rain or too little all have adverse affects on crop production. A late summer inspection shows the health and maturity state of the crop. Simply put, each plant species has a maturity state at which it’s most desirable, and thriving crops have a lot more drawing power than ones struggling to produce. Summer inspection can go a long way toward showing the hunter where the big boys will be feeding when summer begins.

That proved helpful in taking my 2004 Wisconsin buck. A long east-west ridge paralleled valleys filled with corn and alfalfa. With the area yielding a nonexistent acorn crop, it was easy to determine that alfalfa, would be the best draw. After that, it was a simple matter of observing the buck and following his previous year’s rubline to a good ambush point. The third day of season the mid 146 4/8-inch 10-point was mine.

Find The Buck

As was the case with both the Alberta and Wisconsin bucks, finding them is incredibly important. The vast majority of off-season buck movement occurs between bedding and water and food sources. Without knowing a specific buck’s patterns, we must rely on blind luck. Furthermore, because bucks are moving so much less than when the desire to breed begins kicking in, placing our faith in luck is most often an endeavor wraught with disappointment.

Seeing a mature buck removes any doubt if there is one in the area to harvest. As obvious as that sounds, it’s amazing how many hunters don’t take the simple steps to determine if a buck meeting their standard is present. The easiest way to accomplish this is to observe the food source. In many situations, this can be done without having to leave the truck. In the case of both bucks, all it took was arriving before dark, pulling the truck into some cover and watching what came out where.

When the setting isn’t suited for vehicle observation it’s often impossible to perform in-field observations. When doing this, it’s important to keep the odds of being busted by deer to a minimum. Playing the wind, calculating the best route and observing from a distance are all helpful. Infrared trail cameras can also be helpful tools for finding mature bucks. Determining if a shooter is present can be as easy as placing it over a water hole or hopping the units around around the food source.

When covering food sources, I begin by placing infrared units in the areas that show the heaviest signs of feeding. If the food source is too large for one setup to do it justice, after a week or two, it can be relocated to cover another section. Commonly, a month is more than enough time to determine if and where a mature buck is entering the food source.

Nail His Trail

The “where” component is nearly as critical as the “if.” As already mentioned, early-season buck movement is rather limited. Because bucks aren’t roaming all over the woods it becomes more important to be sure that your stand is covering one of his primary trails. Obviously, both trail camera and observations can answer what trail(s) he uses most often. When relying on observations, be sure to mentally note a landmark that will later lead you to the trail. In the excitement of seeing a shooter on your hunting ground it becomes remarkably easy to not notice the exact trail he uses. Disciplining yourself to note a landmark before drooling over his rack increases the chances of of finding that trail later.

Another means of identifying a mature buck’s trail is by looking for fresh rubs. Rubbing activity is inspired by two factors. The first is to aid in the velvet shedding process. Next is the gradual rise in testosterone levels. During velvet shedding, young bucks don’t commonly exert the energy to truly rip up a tree. Shredded trees are more often the result of testosterone levels. Furthermore, the blood levels of testosterone in mature bucks rises higher and faster then their little brothers. Because of all that, well-worked September and early October rubs are good indications of a mature buck.

Though there are fewer rubs in early season, there are often enough to determine a mature buck’s trail. Doing so can be accomplished by circling the food source and following each trail a short way into the woods. Because many early rubs occur as the buck stages up just before entering the food source, following each trail no more than 100 yards is typically enough and also keeps our disturbances down.

Minimize Disturbances

Minimizing our disturbances is important. Ideally preparing our stands should be done during midday hours without leaving leaving tell-tale odors or signs of our stand preparations behind. The setting for the Alberta buck was ideal. With the buck trail located from a distance, I slipped in and prepped the blind with out stepping in the woods. With the wind blowing out into the field and the round bale hiding the blind, no deer could pick up on my intrusion until after they were already within bow range.

More commonly, some intrusion into the woods is often necessary. Taking odor control steps, proper timing and and keeping trimming low all will help. Another way to minimize disturbances is planning the best route in and out of the stand. Hunting in and near food sources is a productive early-season tactic. If pressure is kept low, it’s possible to intercept mature buck feeding activity before dark. Still the bucks don’t always cooperate and can certainly show up after dark. It goes without saying that it often takes more than one hunt to fill a buck tag. One of the primary reasons that a stands odds of producing go down with each hunt is because of sloppy entrance and exits.

When selecting routes, be sure to take the most low-impact choice, regardless of the extra effort it may require. Irrigation ditches, erosion cuts or any other feature that limits the chances of crossing deer trails and keeps our profiles low should be explored.

When a good route out doesn’t exist, having someone drive to the stand to extract the hunter is an option. In most settings, deer will be much more tolerant of a vehicle than a hunter walking through the field. Minimizing disturbances also includes simply hunting smart. Mature bucks are rarely tolerant of hunting pressure. This is particularly true early in the season. During this period food sources are commonly abundant. When safer alternatives are available, the incentive for a buck to subject itself to danger is minimal.

It therefore becomes important to employ sound-hunting tactics. It can be hard to stay away from a stand you know covers a mature buck’s trail. However, playing the wind and refraining from over-hunting stands is well worth it. The alternative is driving the buck from the area.

Early season can be a great time to fill a buck tag. Keying in on food and water is a great way to do it. After sighting a mature buck and determining his trail, it really comes down to keeping disturbances low and a bit of luck. The funny thing about most lucky hunters is that they do what they can to make their own luck. Following these guidelines may just help you become a luckier hunter and fill out early as well.

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Javelina Country – By  Dennis Sturgis, Jr.  September 2005

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The van’s headlights stabbed into the darkness as we turned off the blacktop. A gravel lane led to the  west Texas ranch house that would be our home for the next few days.   Numerous cholla cacti loomed up in the headlights along the lane.  The Cholla Cacti have a stick man appearance and they seemed to be waving hello as they flashed by.

My hunting partners were Rich Niblock and Darryl Quidort from Michigan, and Dale Karch from Indiana. Earlier in the day we flew from South Bend to El Paso. After renting a van we drove on to Marfa. The drive was uneventful other than Dale getting a friendly warning on speed from a state trooper. Dale and his wife, Sandie, own 3Rivers archery. Dale sent the trooper back to his cruiser with a new catalog. In Marfa, we picked up our groceries and continued to the ranch.

I’d hunted this area before and really enjoyed it. The mountainous desert terrain made for great spot-and-stalk hunting. The land is desolate yet beautiful and full of mystery. the town of Marfa is known for it’s ghost lights. These lights first appeared reported by one of the early settlers in 1883. Apparently they existed before as they were spoken about by the local Apache. The lights can be viewed at night and have been described in several ways. Generally they are viewed at a distance, but there have been isolated reports of tiny fireballs of light just outside and inside vehicles. More than one scientific study has been conducted with different theories presented. In the end, the source of the ghost lights remains a mystery. Good friends, miles of remote country, a healthy population of  javelina and a little mystery all added up to the recipe for a bowhunting adventure.

At the ranch house we met up with the other members of our hunting party. Eric Radcliffe. also from Indiana, had driven down since he wanted to see the country. Dale’s longtime friend, Dick boss from Colorado, was the final member of our hunting party. Eric and Dick had already been into javelina. They stalked a group that afternoon and Dick shot a nice boar. After unpacking and putting away the groceries, we hit the sack for an early start in the morning.

We rose early and dressed in hunting clothes. The typical cheerful pre-hunt chatter took place as bows were strung and quivers loaded. I listened to the bragging, teasing and equipment comparisons with a smile. It felt good to be in hunting camp.

Wayne Weimers, our guide, pulled in before daylight. Over breakfast, we discussed our plans for the day…and Dick’s snoring. One of the neighboring ranchers, Dave Williams, also drove up to help get everyone into javelina on the 116,000 acres we had available to hunt. At sunrise we shot a few practice arrows and prepared to head out. Dale, Eric and I jumped in Wayne’s Suburban to check out some brushy canyons to the south. Dale had hunted this ranch for javelins the previous winter and wanted to video the action this year for an upcoming 3Rivers DVD production. Today was my day to be cameraman.

On the way to a vantage point where we planned to glass, Wayne spotted some javies in the distance. They milled around, feeding in some prickly pear. We checked the wind and planned our approach. After making a wide circle to get the wind in our favor, we split up. Eric stalked to one side of the small group while Dale and I snuck to the other side. I tried to stay practically in Dale’s hip pocket as he edged nearer to the javelina. The warm sun felt good on our shoulders as we slipped through the cactus, and in several minutes, we sandwiched our quarry. The wind held steady, and we slowly closed the gap. Javelina backs appeared occasionally above the cactus. I pushed the record button when Eric Pulled his longbow to full draw and released an arrow. A fatally-hit boar flashed between the cacti and disappeared into a thick tangle of cat claw. Eric used a pair of hand pruners to wade in and claim his trophy.

We rode back to the ranch house to care for the javelina and grab some sandwiches for lunch. In the afternoon, Rich and I went out with Wayne. Although we had several stalks, a good video shot never came together. Arriving back at camp, we learned both Dale and Darryl had collected javelina. Eric set a nice stand for feral hogs and collected a nice meat hog.

On day two of our hunt, I videoed Rich take his first-ever javelina. Later Eric punched his second javelina tag. Eric also found a an arrowhead. Dave, the rancher, said it was made by the “old ones.” He said the last time it was touched by a human was 1,000 to 2,000 years ago.

Rich and I started day three out with a double on two huge javies. We skinned them out for full-body mounts. Wayne took us to a big rock overhang with an aqua-colored pool in front of it. The rock walls were covered with pictographs made by people who had hunted here long ago. We enjoyed setting around a campfire that evening, and Wayne prepared a delicious wild-game supper.

Our hunt passed quickly: each day was full of excitement. On our final day, we had to leave at noon to catch our flight out of El Paso. I was the only hunter not to shoot my second javelina. Wayne was insistent that we get my second javy. I told him I was perfectly happy, but I wouldn’t mind taking some photos of javelina sign. He agreed, commenting that we could hunt along the way. We jumped in the Suburban and drove to a part of the ranch that had good sign to photograph.

Wayne is a retired patrolman as well as hunting guide. I enjoyed listening to his stories. Between photo sessions, Wayne spotted a javelina. “Let’s go get him,” he blurted. After giving Wayne a quick video camera lesson, we stalked into the wind after the boar. The stalk was classic. Using cactus clumps for cover, we ended up 10 yards from the javelina. Wayne was right over my shoulder: I rose up and shot and arrow right over its back. I quickly nocked another arrow. The javelina stood about 20 yards distant now. I glanced at Wayne. He said “I’m on him.”

I shot again and groaned when my arrow bounced off a rock. I nocked another arrow. The javy was out there now but in the open. “I’m on him, I’m on him,” Wayne spewed. Feeling obliged to shoot: I took my time and shot again. The arrow arched out and centered the kill area. The boar ran 15 yards and fell over. “that was a hell of a shot!” Wayne exclaimed. “Well, it was a lot harder than the first two,” I answered, shaking my head.

At noon we drove back down the gravel lane toward the highway. I glanced at the cholla cacti again. They seemed to be waving good-bye, and I hoped it wouldn’t be too long before I could return.

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