Outdoorsman Thread

[Quick Steel]

Scott, I do believe those boys are growing. And I smiled at the hammock as it reminded me of my year sleeping in one.

[sunknife]

Those bows are outstanding. Very impressive indeed.

thanks for the compliment Colonel, much appreciated.

Sunknife, those bows are awesome. And they are not just for looks. A talented bow maker and hunter. I have heard that the plains Indians used bois d'arc for their bows. I always figured that it would be difficult to work with. Yours sure are beautiful, and that quiver is pretty awesome as well. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much doglegg for the kind words.

Beautiful bows, Greg.

Beautiful bows, Greg.
What a skill.
Could we see some of your arrows?
Thanks.

Thanks Joe for your interest, I'll get some arrow pics taken later today.

Beautiful bows!. That's a skill that is a art in its self. I have never attempted to make a selfbow but I like to hunt and shoot recurves and longbows. And now collect pocket knives

Thanks Doug, very kind of you. Sounds like you and I have a lot in common with our archery interest and recent knife collecting.

[sunknife]

Beautiful bows, Greg.
What a skill.
Could we see some of your arrows?
Thanks.

Here's an assortment of arrows made from shoots of dogwood, arrow wood viburnum, honeysuckle and bamboo. Wild and domestic turkey feather fletching glued and sinew wrapped at ends with self nocks cut in to fit on bow string. Some are split feather two fletch, one is a two feather Cherokee fletch and one is three whole feather fletched.
The last pic shows three flint knapped hunting points made by a couple of friends and a blunt tip stump shooter I made by reducing a thick shoot shaft down and leaving the end thick. The stumper is a replica of a eastern woodland Indian arrow from a museum pic.
Thanks again for taking a look fellas.

[FRJ]

Thank you, Greg. I'm glad I asked.
These are so beautiful and so are the beautiful bows beneath them.
In the close up of the six arrows, is the three whole feather fletched arrow on the right?
How do you cut the noch in the end? The sinew must be very fine. What kind of glue do you use?
I can't tell what tips you use on the arrows that aren't tipped with the beautiful flint knapped tips.
The flint knapped tips are jaw dropping. To me, all of this is jaw dropping. Just beautiful work.
Do you know many folks who do work like this?
I have a book: Mystic Warriors of the Plains. By Thomas E. Mails. It has a great chapter on bows arrows and quivers.
He shows a blunt arrow that was used on birds and small game.
Thanks Greg. Fabulous stuff.

[doglegg]

Everything Joe said and more. Is the one bow wrapped in snake skin? The bow's are perfect, the decorations is fabulous, everything screams time and attention. Wow great stuff.

[sunknife]

Thank you, Greg. I'm glad I asked.
These are so beautiful and so are the beautiful bows beneath them.
In the close up of the six arrows, is the three whole feather fletched arrow on the right?
How do you cut the noch in the end? The sinew must be very fine. What kind of glue do you use?
I can't tell what tips you use on the arrows that aren't tipped with the beautiful flint knapped tips.
The flint knapped tips are jaw dropping. To me, all of this is jaw dropping. Just beautiful work.
Do you know many folks who do work like this?
I have a book: Mystic Warriors of the Plains. By Thomas E. Mails. It has a great chapter on bows arrows and quivers.
He shows a blunt arrow that was used on birds and small game.
Thanks Greg. Fabulous stuff.

Thanks again Joe.
Yes the far right arrow is the 3 whole feather one.
The nock end I cut with two hack saw blades taped together, followed by some folded sandpaper to smooth it out. Glue is either hide glue or titebond wood glue depending on my mood.
The other tips that don't show well in the pics are glue on tapered steel field/target points.
There is a fairly large community of bow makers from all over doing this. My wife, grandson and I hit 3 rendezvous a year, one in TN. + two in MI. Camping, shooting and bow making at each for 3 to 7 days and I've made several very close friends from all over the country at these. Lots of trading also happens at these events which is not just fun but allows me to collect some beautiful work from some very skilled and talented individuals.

[sunknife]

Thanks again doglegg.
Yep thats rattle snake skin from a big old diamondback I traded with another bowyer friend for.

[FRJ]

There is a fairly large community of bow makers from all over doing this. My wife, grandson and I hit 3 rendezvous a year, one in TN. + two in MI. Camping, shooting and bow making at each for 3 to 7 days and I've made several very close friends from all over the country at these. Lots of trading also happens at these events which is not just fun but allows me to collect some beautiful work from some very skilled and talented individuals.

You are a very fortunate man.

[sunknife]

Here's just a few more pics of the real archers in the family.
1) My wife showing her form practicing in the backyard.
2) The backyard practice paid off as she knocked the head off of this deer at a rendezvous shoot on the course.
3) Our 9 year old grandson Nathan,a natural crack shot who will soon be showing me how its done.
4) Nate and his buddy Brody on the course at a Michigan rendezvous this past June.

[doglegg]

Greg thanks for sharing you bow making skills, and your family with us. Does my heart good to see family enjoying each other and enjoying being together.

[doglegg]

We took this old fellows picture, I think he was posing, back in 2015 just outside of Jackson, Wy. one Miller Butte road. They come down and winter on the butte. We love the animals and the area and even the cold.

[Dinadan]

Had the boys on a mission today......I made some impressive curls (if I say so myself) with my rehandled Colonial.

Scott- that is a great photo of the boys on that fallen tree. That is just the kind of stuff I and my friends used to do back about 1960. Just loafing (that was my Dad's term) in the woods so no one would come up with any chores for us!

Greg - nice photos of the archers in the family! Those bows and arrows are very cool.

Yesterday I did a bit of loafing on a backwater lake in Mississippi. I did some fly fishing for bream, but did not keep any. It is dog days now: the time to take the outdoors slow and contemplate things. Stuff like reflections in a lake; the ripple a paddle makes in still water: the way Spanish moss drapes a cypress tree while a gator lolls beneath; the way sand and gravel grate when you slide a kayak onto a bar.

[doglegg]

Dinadan, you make me want to go. Great word pictures and picture pictures.

[jmh58]

Kool sheep shot there Floyd!!! John

[Quick Steel]

Dinadan, lots of serenity in that post.

[treefarmer]

Mel, good pictures and a great description of what you were enjoying!
Treefarmer

[ScoutKnives]

This big ol 5’ Cuban iguana hanging out on under my mango tree . Normally I can’t get within a 100’ of him but when I’m on the tractor I can just about run him over before he will move lol .

[TripleF]

Here's just a few more pics of the real archers in the family.
1) My wife showing her form practicing in the backyard.
2) The backyard practice paid off as she knocked the head off of this deer at a rendezvous shoot on the course.
3) Our 9 year old grandson Nathan,a natural crack shot who will soon be showing me how its done.
4) Nate and his buddy Brody on the course at a Michigan rendezvous this past June.

Greg.......That's what I'm talkin' about bro!! Good job!!

[doglegg]

Thanks, jmh.

[sunknife]

Great photo doglegg, that pic enlarged and it feels I'm standing out in the sage with the ram. You must been in the right place at the right time to be that close to such a majestic animal.
Dinadan, that river looks like a perfect place for a slow paced and serene day. Thanks for sharing those pics and descriptions, I feel more relaxed from having viewed it.
ScoutKnives, that's a big lizard. We got nothing like that here in the midwest.

Greg.......That's what I'm talkin' about bro!! Good job!!

Thanks Scott.

[TripleF]

Thanks Mel! ANd good on you!

[royal0014]

Such wonderful times being had out of doors!
Mel, your time spent looks so peaceful. Thank you for sharing .

Makes me ashamed that I spent the last two days camped in the house,
venturing no farther than the screen door to watch the rain .. .. ..

[jmh58]

As I scroll thru these pics I know each one is Kool and special in its own way!! Keep them coming!!! I am enjoying all posted!!! John

[Dinadan]

I appreciate the comments, fellows!

That iguana is pretty cool, Scoutknives. I guess I am a bit too far north for those to naturalize here.

Doglegg - I agree with the other folks that: that sheep photo is really good. When my wife and I see a perfectly positioned bird or animal I often joke that I will make it leave by raising my camera. Too often that really happens!

[bighomer]

This big ol 5’ Cuban iguana hanging out on under my mango tree . Normally I can’t get within a 100’ of him but when I’m on the tractor I can just about run him over before he will move lol .

It's funny how you can ride up on wildlife on you mower or tractor etc.but as soon as you step off they are gone.