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horse culture native bows

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uwe:
I didn`t read something on your quests, but my experience with longer feathers on low braced bows is, thats while I`m drawing the bow I always have in mind to draw the the arrow without touching the bow as long as the feathers are. This seems to compare with the words of Dr. Pope, who wrote in his Ishi book that Ishi was always took great care with the feathers before shooting.
@ Pat B: it seems to be correct that the Natives used longer bows in precolumbian times, when you see the pics in the 2. issue of Hamm/ Allely`s book of "Native American Bows, Arrows and Quivers". But at the same time even shorter bows exited. These are even printed in the book, too.

D. Tiller:
I've seen a few of the plains arrows and they spent a good ammount of time making them. So, I don't think they were just one shot deals. Then again maybe they just sat arround making arrows all day?!?! Sounds like fun to me!

Papa Matt:
I agree! I would love to go back in time and just sit around making equipment for a while. I once read where a sioux account of barter went like this: A good arrow took roughly a day to make (assuming the shafts were already cut and dry), a good horse was worth 10 good arrows, and a good woman was worth 10 good horses. Sounds like my kind of tradin', how about you?  8)

~~Papa Matt

JackCrafty:
Hmmmmm...the math aint addin' up there.  Let's say 10 good horses sells for $60K.  If the woman has good job...she can make that every year. ;)  Of course, you probably won't get yer hands on that money either way....

And I think the saying goes that a good bow is worth as much a good horse?

stickbender:

     A lot of the earlier Archaeologist mistook the short bow for a child's bow.  It was not very powerful.  It was probably around the 35-40 range.  It didn't have to be very powerful.  Just powerful enough to sink into a buffaloe's lungs.  They would ride up close enough to shoot the buffaloe's lungs full of arrows, and then go shoot another one, and in short order, the buffaloe would colapse, and there is dinner, hides,glue, tools, etc.

                                                                   Stick Bender

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