I've now been out twice with my home made bow and primitive stone tip ped arrows. I'm not finished with my experiment but I've learned a few things so far.
Follow the build and testing here and here.
Day one was uneventful. Lots of walking in a good area, but *edit* no shots at game. I did two squirrels, one red and one grey but neither presented a shot.
Today was day two. I headed to the same area which I know contains rabbit, hare, squirrel, grouse and put & take (ie, stocked) pheasant. I had a great walk and about 45 minutes in found a gray squirrel. No sooner than I started the stalk, I jumped a buck! I watched him run off. I couldn't legally shoot anyway and I'm sure any hit wouldn't be fatal. Then I got back to the squirrel. He was sitting up in a cluster of pine and oaks, working the bark off of an old pine limb. I got to within 20 feet and surprisingly, He gave me one good shot. I nocked an arrow, raised the bow, aimed and fired.
Lesson #1 was that I made my nocks too small for my bowstring. I kind of knew this as I'd test nocked these arrows before. What happened is the arrow slipped off the string mid-release and flopped. I caught it, re-nocked and prepared again.
The arrow flew straight but missed the animal by a good foot. It bounced off of the tree trunk and landed about 10 yards from me in some brush.
I now had the squirrel's undevided attention. He moved but only a few feet into deeper cover.
I had a decision to make. I brought two arrows. Should I focus on the game or on retrieving my arrow. I followed the squirrel. I raised for the second shot and he bolted across the limbs of various trees with a speed that only squirrels have. I stalked-chased him another 50 yards at a good pace. He caught the attention of some red squirrels and they started chattering. He must've entered their turf, or they noticed me.
I lost him in the thicker hemlocks. I waited about 10 minutes, but no go so I headed back to find the arrow. Mistake... Lesson #2 is something I should've known. Chasing the squirrel cost me the arrow. Had this been for real, I'd have stopped and recovered a survival tool.
So if I'd have needed the food, I'd be dead :grumpy: Or, I'd rely on the plants around that I recognize that don't require chasing. Or build traps.
But for now, I need to make more arrows. After the missed shot I took a practice shot or two of the second one and snapped the point on it. Another lesson...
Oh, I also had coyotes yipping within 100 yards or so. It's tought to gauge through the brush.
Follow the build and testing here and here.
Day one was uneventful. Lots of walking in a good area, but *edit* no shots at game. I did two squirrels, one red and one grey but neither presented a shot.
Today was day two. I headed to the same area which I know contains rabbit, hare, squirrel, grouse and put & take (ie, stocked) pheasant. I had a great walk and about 45 minutes in found a gray squirrel. No sooner than I started the stalk, I jumped a buck! I watched him run off. I couldn't legally shoot anyway and I'm sure any hit wouldn't be fatal. Then I got back to the squirrel. He was sitting up in a cluster of pine and oaks, working the bark off of an old pine limb. I got to within 20 feet and surprisingly, He gave me one good shot. I nocked an arrow, raised the bow, aimed and fired.
Lesson #1 was that I made my nocks too small for my bowstring. I kind of knew this as I'd test nocked these arrows before. What happened is the arrow slipped off the string mid-release and flopped. I caught it, re-nocked and prepared again.
The arrow flew straight but missed the animal by a good foot. It bounced off of the tree trunk and landed about 10 yards from me in some brush.
I now had the squirrel's undevided attention. He moved but only a few feet into deeper cover.
I had a decision to make. I brought two arrows. Should I focus on the game or on retrieving my arrow. I followed the squirrel. I raised for the second shot and he bolted across the limbs of various trees with a speed that only squirrels have. I stalked-chased him another 50 yards at a good pace. He caught the attention of some red squirrels and they started chattering. He must've entered their turf, or they noticed me.
I lost him in the thicker hemlocks. I waited about 10 minutes, but no go so I headed back to find the arrow. Mistake... Lesson #2 is something I should've known. Chasing the squirrel cost me the arrow. Had this been for real, I'd have stopped and recovered a survival tool.
So if I'd have needed the food, I'd be dead :grumpy: Or, I'd rely on the plants around that I recognize that don't require chasing. Or build traps.
But for now, I need to make more arrows. After the missed shot I took a practice shot or two of the second one and snapped the point on it. Another lesson...
Oh, I also had coyotes yipping within 100 yards or so. It's tought to gauge through the brush.
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