Primitive Archery

[Boerrancher]

Here is a pic of the Doe I took this morning with a hand crafted bow, made by another member of this forum, and three of the arrows I made with stone broadheads. Two of the arrows are broken as I put two of them in the kill zone. The first was a still shot at 30 yds and the second was a running shot at 25 yds.

I am going to have to rethink the size of my points. 3/4 of an inch at the widest part of the point does way too much damage. As soon as I get more time I will post pics of the shafts and points I used to take her with.

I want to give a shout out to Tom who made my bow for me. That is one fine shooter. Every time I shoot it I am more and more impressed with it. Had it not been for hitting a rib bone going in and out I would have shot completely through her, as it was I could feel both points under the hide on the opposite side.http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/Image053.jpg

[RayinNH]

Well done Boerrancher.:drinks: Old technology is still highly effective when used properly...Ray

[docone31]

That bow is a work of art!
Beautiful.
Those points are amazing also.
Another art.
Bravo!!!!

[Greg in Malad]

That's some fine shooting, but didn't anybody tell you that stone points and cast boolits wont kill deer;-)

[home in oz]

A neat story, and good job!

[Just Duke]

I had that same bow as a kit from Bingham Archery in the early "70's".

[Boerrancher]

That's some fine shooting, but didn't anybody tell you that stone points and cast boolits wont kill deer;-)

I have been told that time and time again. The deer just keep dropping dead every time I shoot one, must be just gettin' lucky.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch

Joe

[beemer]

That bow reminds me of a bow I reworked about 20 years ago. A friend had a left hand recurve and needed one that was right handed. I made some measurements and tracings and then cut the limbs off. We found a nice piece of curly maple and turned it into a fancy right hand take down. I made some brackets and he turned out some nice brass nuts to hold the limbs on. It shot and looked really well, he killed a deer with it the first time out.

You have a nice bow! Although I don't shoot anymore the only bows that I find interesting are the recurves and long bows.

Good Hunting!
Beemer

[Marvin S]

Where you hunting from a tree stand, ground blind? Tell us a little more. That's a good accomplishment. I hunted with a hand made stick bow but it was stolen.

[Boerrancher]

As soon as I figure out where my 5 y/o hid my camera I will post some pics of the two broadheads that I hit her with.

I was well hidden in some brush and tall saplings near the edge of my neighbors recently picked corn field when I saw her about 40 yds away heading towards the field. I waited until she was about 30 yds and stopped, nearly perfectly broadside to me and I let the first arrow fly. I hit her a bit further back and a bit higher than I liked in the ribs. I later found out that I took out both lungs. She took off like a bat out of you know where back the way she came. I noticed that she was starting to turn, so I yanked another arrow out of my quiver and knocked it. She ran about a 50 yard circle and ran past me about 25 yds away. I picked out an open spot and waited for her to run in it. The second arrow was a perfect low behind the front shoulder hit, and she crashed in to the near by brush like a sack of potatoes.

When I walked up to her I noticed my first arrow was gone. I back tracked her circle she ran, and found it laying on the ground unbroken but minus the broadhead. I assume it caught on some brush and was pulled out. The second arrow was broken when she fell. When I field dressed her, I removed the broken shaft from the second shot and noticed it had broken 2 ribs going in and 2 going out, but did not break the hide on the opposite side. The shaft was passing through both the left and right ventricles of the heart. After I got her cleaned out I found the first broad head wedged between the ribs and the hide opposite of the entry wound. I had to wait until I skinned her before I could retrieve it. I don't get how I can semi mess up a standing broad side shot , and perfectly nail a running shot.

I am going to have to rethink my broadhead design. I try to keep my points between 100 and 125 grains, and 3/4 of an inch wide. I wish I would have taken pics of her after she was skinned, because the ribs were a bloodshot mess. I have done less damage with a 300 win mag, than I did with these broadheads. The entry and exit holes in the ribs were nearly 2 inches across and left a nasty bloodshot area the size of a soft ball. I was impressed that despite breaking 4 ribs each, both points were still razor sharp, and could be rehafted and used again with no worries. I am thinking that I will go down to longer but narrower points in order to keep the wt. the same. I will try a few at 1/2 inch wide.

Another interesting thing is that I dressed, skinned and boned her out with a stone bladed knife that I made. My friend and neighbor who I was hunting with also stuck a nice doe with his compound and carbon arrows. He skinned his with a regular buck hunting knife, and had more meat and holes in his hide than I did mine. I never once cut my hide and it will be an easy clean up when I get ready to tan it. His is going to take some work. It didn't take me any longer than it did him to skin one out either. Overall, my buddy was quite impressed with my primitive technology and the efficiency in which it works. I will also post a pic of the knife when I do the points.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[357maximum]

That is just totally wonderful all around......well done.:mrgreen: Looking forward to the pics.:mrgreen:

I hope to do the same next year. Homemade selfbow, wild rose shafts, and home knapped cahokia style heads so this really has my interest.

Do you truly think your head was too wide? Some states require 3/4 to 7/8 inch widths on knapped heads, so I am really curious.

[Boerrancher]

Here is the pics I promised.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/100_1653.jpg
These are the two arrows I used. The broadhead came off the first one while she was running, and the second one broke when she fell.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/100_1654.jpg
Here is a closer picture of the broadheads.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/Boerrancher/Hunting%20and%20Fishing/100_1655.jpg

Here is the knife I used to dress, skin, and bone out the deer. It has a 4 inch knapped blade that is secured to a bone handle with rawhide string and hide glue. Once the rawhide dried I coated the handle with hide glue and wrapped it with suede leather string. I thought maybe the blood and wetness associated with all of the work would soften the glue and rawhide allowing the blade to come loose but this was not the case. I have sold a few of these knives for decoration but this proves that they are useful for practical applications as well.

Best wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[Marvin S]

Well done on all parts, thanks for posting. Maybe I'll have to get another stick bow someday.

[Multigunner]

There was a pioneer themed window display at an old department store that handled all local boyscout uniforms and equipments.
The centerpiece was a skull, whether white or indian was impossible to say, that had been found with a arrow head inside the brain case and a huge honking hole in the skull.
A bullet big enough to make such a hole would have shattered the skull so the arrow head was presumed to be cause of death.
They had the arrow head mounted on a replic arrow of the general type used around here and inserted in the skull.

The Cherokee Long Bow was noted to be a very powerful weapon, at least a match for the English Longbow. Most other south eastern Indian hunting bows were much less powerful, relying on accuracy rather than power.

[uncle joe]

It's great to see you posting again Joe. I had a bow made by a local hero from nearby my home. He was the first guy in the state to kill a deer with a bow, excluding natives I guess. He made some of the best looking bows I've ever seen, he also made recurves with overdraws before I had ever heard of an overdraw. Sadly he has passed, and his son did not take up his talent of building bows. I wish I had mine back, I had one without the overdraw and my cousin had one with it. He may still have his, if he does I will see if I can get a pic and post it.