Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Shooting and Hunting => Topic started by: Lost Arra on February 19, 2008, 05:11:27 pm
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Has anyone here taken an elk with a selfbow?
Could you describe your bow/arrow setup?
Thanks
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Not yet. I am going to in the next couple of years though. If you are wondering what will do the job, I plan to use a 60#@29" bow with 500 grain arrows. I think an efficient 50# bow would do the job plenty fine. Shot placement is most important. Justin
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64 " bow, 58 lbs @26 ".650 grain cane arra with foreshaft. Obsidian point 2 1/2 "x1 ". However like Justin said, 50 lbs would do the job with a 500+ grain arra put in the "boiler room". ;)...bob
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I have taken several elk with a self bow, 58 # at 28 and 58 inches long osage ... cedar arrows and magnus heads.. Stone points aren't legal in Wyoming >:( shot placement is extremely critical when it comes to killing elk ... a lung shot will do it every time.. Good luck and happy hunting MikeA/ho
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get in close. and like said a good sharp broadhead and strong bow. Good luck with the great wapiti ;)
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Has anyone here taken an elk with a selfbow?
Could you describe your bow/arrow setup?
Thanks
Hey Huntertrapper..............did ya READ the post ?
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OK. No i have never taken an elk with a selfbow.
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The bow I built for my elk hunt with Kenneth(Elkie) is a 60" sinew(elk) backed osage bow, 56#@26" (when I was shooting her). The arrows were bambusa cane arrows by Art Butner and they between 500gr-600gr, with Art's own trade points. Unfortunately the outcome of the hunt was unsuccessful but the adventure was priceless. 8) Pat
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Thanks guys.
I hunted with a selfbow (60# osage, 62") last elk season and I've been planning for next fall.
I had a 5x5 completely unaware at 32 yards.
I passed on the shot and he walked off but it was the ultimate bowhunting thrill without a shot. After a summer of intense practice I had set 25 yards as my accurate limit.
It took some restraint to not shoot because he looked as big as a bus standing there slightly uphill from me.
One side of my brain was saying: "SHOOT!! you could hit this in your sleep!!"
Fortunately for all involved common sense won out.
I just needed to hear that someone has actually done it.
I'm confident in my bow and arrow setup but I was concerned about moisture. We backpacked in for a week and every day for at least 30 minutes to an hour, sometimes longer, it would rain. I was probably more concerned about my bow finish than my shooting accuracy.
I use multiple coats of spar urethane and heavily waxed the bow. I will probably take some paste wax with me next year.
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Pat, Elkie has held her weight well. I just weighed her in at 65# @ 26" and about 75# @ 28". It was almost scary pulling her on the tillering stick. The bow I made for that trip has faithfully held her weight also 64# @ 28". Both are anxious for another try here in about a little over six months. Elkie almost had her chance last season but busted by the swirling breeze again. Sure was a good trip, hope you can make it out again. How is the medicine bowholding up? Kenneth
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Lost Arra, We had daily rains in Colorado and heavy dews every morning. We carried a 6' length of 4" PVC tube with end caps and kept uncooked rice in it to store our bows in at night. I didn't notice any change in weight while we hunted that week. A self bow will be less effected by moisture than a sinew backed bow.
Kenneth, I think Steve Parker has the Medicine Bow. ??? Glad to hear Elkie is holding her own. She has at least one elk in her future...especially since she is being shot by a REAL elk hunter ;). I would love to come try again this fall but unless the Millionaire comes to visit, I don't see it happening. One can always wish. That's how I got there the first time. Sorry I missed your call the other evening. I was wallowing in the tub when you called. ;D Pat
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Pat , I hope that rich guy drops by and you can sell him half the state.I don't know about being a real elk hunter, been humbled a lot the last few years, hopefully it will all come together this time. Kenneth
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Yep, Pat, I've got it. Hopin' to get some pig blood on it in a couple months.
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REally cool bow Steve I hope you have a good and sucessful hunt with her. Kenneth
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Keep her as long as you need her, Steve. She needs more medicine. 8) Pat
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Yep,
60" Osage 58#@29"
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ok stupid question i always hear people talk about "medicine".
what is it?
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Good "medicine" can be added to a bow for instance by applying sinew, rawhide, antler overlays, etc. that was given to you by a buddy who harvested the animal it came from. I have some deer sinew ( a buddy gave me from deer killed this past fall) that I'll use on a future bow that'll have Good Medicine.
Jay Massey created his Medicine Bow from a hickory sapling cut on his older brother's land, in hopes that the bow would contain some of his brother's powerful spirit....certainly Good Medicine.
I think non-Native Americans likely think about Good Medicine (or mojo) differently than Native Americans. Hopefully Bob will see this and add his opinion as to what constitutes Good Medicine.
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I think of good medicine as luck. Or something special. Something that really matters most. "Medicine" is a big part of hunting and trapping for me, medicine is also my respect for the animals i hunt and kill.
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My particular Medicine Bow is a copy of Jay Massey's. Every component of the bow came from someone else and all I did was built it. Probably 8 or 10 folks contributed. It is a 60" sinew backed hickory bow with rawhide cover on the back. This bow won BOM a few years back. I don't have pics handy but you can probably look it up. Pat
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Ah thank you. Medicine takes apart in my hunting too i just didnt know that was the term
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it isnt really the term so much as the feeling you get. i feel close to the native americans of my heritage so i always use "medicine" ;)
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Years ago I lived on a big cattle ranch just outside of Yellowstone. I had a recurve I made. It pulled 65#s at 28". I used mostly jasper and obsedian points. There was no Wyoming law about stone points and most of my points were around 2" by 3/4". with any arrow I could find. I managed to surround both elk and mule deer and one moose with that old bow. It was a real dog by today's standard, but did the job. The secret for me was to have the points really sharp and get really close!! I sure wish I had a good selfbow back then!! Wolf Watcher
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that sounds cool wolf watcher. see wheel bow people think you need all the high tech "crap" to kill an animal humanely.
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Well not to rub it in but...I plan on taking a bow elk hunting this fall that John Strunk gave, yes I said GAVE to me. I've become good friends with John lately and for some reason he just handed me this bow and told me "here's one for your collection." I practically cried. :'(
It's a Vine Maple Flatbow, ~58" ntn, and about 65-70# @ 26". It has +1" of natural reflex and is by far the most efficient bow I have ever shot. It shoots a 660 grain hickory arrow about 150 fps; plenty good for an elk even out to 30 yards.
So...although I have never attempted to use a selfbow on elk, I will certainly try this fall.
Best of luck to everyone!
Joe
Ps. John made that bow with a hatchet & pocket knife and stained it with charcoal.
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330bull can you post some picks of your free bow. Joel
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Here you go. Enjoy!
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lol, i havent ever taken anything other than deer and small game. i recomend being REALY close and REALY good shot placement.