What Did You Do Today?

[JW_Halverson]

Of course drawing a bow will be impossible for him so he doesn't need one but like an elderly friend told me one time "when you want something what does need have to do with it".

What do any of us "need" with primitive archery?  He's got just as much right as any of us and I defy anyone to say otherwise!  Way to go Eric, way to go, brother.

[JW_Halverson]

I spent the day holding a friend's hand while the buck he arrowed expired.  He's the guy that taught me to make bows, took me deer hunting for the first time, called in my very first gobbler, etc, etc.

Sixty-five years old and instantly turns into a wreck when he shoots a deer.  Second guessing himself, berating himself for a bad shot, saying he will never hunt again, ratcheda-ratcheda-ratcheda!  The shot, it turns out, wasn't that bad, but the little buck was tough as nails. 

When we got the buck home and hung in the garage, I showed him how to filet a heart and turn it into one long rectangular steak. We pan fried it in bacon grease and seasoned with a touch of salt and pepper. 

Ahhh, life IS good.  Even if I didn't get to even walk into the woods and load my flintlock.  Even if I lost a whole day of hunting at the end of rut when the bucks are running at anything that sounds like antlers rattling. 

[Eric Krewson]

I split the bark and most of the sapwood off a couple of osage staves I cut in the spring. Dang if I didn't find some wood wasp larva munching on my staves. I sprayed them regularly with diazanon strong enough to prompt the EPA to put my picture up in the wanted section of the post office and the little buggers still went to work. They had just started into the sapwood wood so no damage was done. The bad part is, I now have a huge pile of osage I have to work down or loose to bugs and I am not in an osage working mood, it's hunting season.

[Poggins]

Eric , there is a product that beekeepers use to kill moth larva in stored supers , it's in crisle form and evaporates , don't remember what it's called , I never used it ( a no chemical use policy I have ).
You use it in a room or put something under and on top to kinda seal it up , if you have a lot of wood and not enough time one may be able to cover the wood with plastic sheet and place some of it in with the wood for a few weeks and stop them , with the freezing weather we will have for the next week spreading them out in an un insulated barn where air could get around the staves would probably work also ( -2 for a low by around Monday ).

[Buckeye Guy]

I started a bow for a young man(26) with cerebral palsy. His mom asked if she could buy one of my bows for him, won't be any buying involved. His body is twisted, arms drawn up, he requires an electric wheelchair for mobility and has difficulty with his speech but asked for a bow so he can go "deer hunting". Of course drawing a bow will be impossible for him so he doesn't need one but like an elderly friend told me one time "when you want something what does need have to do with it".

I will make it just light enough so I can get a string on it a low brace and leave it strung. This way it will be about 100 pound pull and none of his brother's he-man friends, or anyone else who happens by can pull it back and break it.

A friend donated a bow quiver for the project so the bow, the quiver and few blunt tipped arrows for safety will have the young man cruising the gravel roads around his rural house looking for deer.

Sure are some good folks around here !
Thanks
Guy

[Don Case]

I split the bark and most of the sapwood off a couple of osage staves I cut in the spring. Dang if I didn't find some wood wasp larva munching on my staves. I sprayed them regularly with diazanon strong enough to prompt the EPA to put my picture up in the wanted section of the post office and the little buggers still went to work. They had just started into the sapwood wood so no damage was done. The bad part is, I now have a huge pile of osage I have to work down or loose to bugs and I am not in an osage working mood, it's hunting season.

I saw youtube video where the guy sprayed his staves with diesel. It's probably to late now, but for future use?
Don

[Eric Krewson]

Got the snake skins applied to the young man's bow. The skins were a little faded so I stained the bow's back dark  to match the skins color with the rest of the bows leather dye stain.

The copperhead skins were a gift from Charles Sinclair, a great guy to contact if you ever need top notch skins.

[osage outlaw]

I split the bark and most of the sapwood off a couple of osage staves I cut in the spring. Dang if I didn't find some wood wasp larva munching on my staves. I sprayed them regularly with diazanon strong enough to prompt the EPA to put my picture up in the wanted section of the post office and the little buggers still went to work. They had just started into the sapwood wood so no damage was done. The bad part is, I now have a huge pile of osage I have to work down or loose to bugs and I am not in an osage working mood, it's hunting season.

I'm in the same spot you are Eric.  I sprayed my pile multiple times and they still got to it.  I have a few half logs to finish up and I'm done fighting  borers and sapwood for the winter.

[Mohawk13]

I just moved into a new house, so I have spent part of the day unpacking all of My equipment and tools. Have a nice basemant that I am turning into a work shop. I make most of My own gear, and being very cold here in Northwest Minnesota, I will be spanding much time in My new workshop.   I hope everyone is having a great Holiday Season and is able to get out hunting late season, and is spending quality time with loved ones....Cheers, Rev. Pete

[Eric Krewson]

Finished the bow for the young man completely, I made it stout to keep others from trying to pull it back, 60#@20". Stained some arrow shafts to go with the bow and got them ready to crest.

Once out in the shop I have a hard time turning loose and going back to the house, love it out there. I pulled some hickory staves out of my hot box and turned them into really nice bow blanks, 6% MC when I checked them, just right.

Today I am going up to the land I hunt and bush hog some, need a little better access through the briar choked grown up fields.

[Badly Bent]

Great looking bow Eric, the young man will be very proud of that.

We spent yesterday at my oldest daughters celebrating xmas early. My four grown daughters, two son in laws, three grandkids, my wife and I had a great day. We cooked, ate to much, joked around, did some sledding with the grandkids and exchanged gifts. My daughters gave me some fantastic books for Christmas, very thoughtful gifts and
will be nice for cold winter days around the fireplace at home. Always nice when we can all get together in one place, doesn't happen often enough with everyone's busy lives. It was a great day.                                                              A few pics of the kids and the books...
The NA art book is full of pics of beautiful bead work, pottery, baskets and more.

[IdahoMatt]

That looks like you had a great time with lots of laughs.  Great gifts too.  Looks like you family knows you well.  The NA art book should sure bring some great color combos and and an authentic look to you future bows.  Can't wait to see them. 


Today I shot and skinned my first coyote.  It was in my neighbors cows.  Not harming them at the moment but I saw it was injured.  I took the shot.  Down she went In an instant.  Once I got to her I noticed her back leg was missing at the knee, bone and tenon exposed.  It looked as tough she had been caught in a snare.  It didn't seem that she had gnawed it off but it was gone.   Looked like it had been like it for a while not too much blood just some redish pink fir around the area.  In the end I am glad to have ended her life to ease her suffering.  Her hide will go to great use.  It is never easy for me to take life even though I love to hunt. 

[bubby]

looks like good times Greg, you got some cool stuff also, we've been thinking about doing Christmas the weekend before instead of Christmas eve, youngest is a postal carrier and is always running late which makes it tough on the young ones

[JW_Halverson]

  In the end I am glad to have ended her life to ease her suffering.  Her hide will go to great use.  It is never easy for me to take life even though I love to hunt.

For that, I thank you and my respect for you deepens.

[Eric Krewson]

Hunting today, buck chasing in the hollow behind me but never came up my way, two does walked by at about 12yards, would have been a perfect selfbow shot but I was flintlocking and didn't want to kill another doe.