2017 traditional bow kills

osage outlaw · January 18, 2018, 05:58:05 PM

I make and hunt with osage long bows. This past season I wanted to try to kill a deer with a vintage Fred Bear recurve. I used a 1962 Kodiak Magnum. Opening day of archery season I had a 1.5 year old doe walk within 10 yards of my stand. I put a Cliff Zwickey point through both lungs and she dropped 40 yards later. She had a light spot on her forehead and was easily recognizable.

I'm a big DIY guy so I made my own camo last season. I know it looks funny but I've killed 7 deer over the last 2 seasons while wearing it. The farthest shot was 40 yards.

I took a week off of hunting and my next trip out I shot an older doe at 15 yards. The shot was a little low but hit the heart. She dropped a very short distance away.

I used modern weapons to put 2 more deer in the freezer. It was a very successful season.

osage outlaw · January 18, 2018, 06:05:15 PM

I got some great looking bucks on camera but didn't get any shot opportunities.

Chuck White · January 18, 2018, 08:20:46 PM

Nice shot, and nice buck pics!

DelawhereJoe · January 18, 2018, 09:03:30 PM

Do you have any pics of the bows you make, are they long bows or recurve or laminated bows ? I have an old Howatt Corando recurve that has been on my list to use it on some deer, I just need to get some arrows with real feathers first.

thecfarm · January 18, 2018, 09:07:14 PM

Don't know much about bows,but DanG,you got some bucks there!!!!

osage outlaw · January 18, 2018, 09:40:25 PM

Quote from: DelawhereJoe on January 18, 2018, 09:03:30 PM
Do you have any pics of the bows you make, are they long bows or recurve or laminated bows ? I have an old Howatt Corando recurve that has been on my list to use it on some deer, I just need to get some arrows with real feathers first.

I make all wood longbows. I cut osage trees and use those most of the time. I make sinew backed bows every now and then. Here are some pictures of a few of my bows. I like to use natural flaws in the wood when possible.

This one is made from Pacific Yew

DelawhereJoe · January 18, 2018, 09:54:53 PM

You make some very beautiful and interesting bows, I was at the PA ren fair year before last and a guy there was making long bows out of white oak with draw weights up to 100lbs. Its something I've always wanted to get into making bows and smithing things but currently can't even find time to hunt. A few years ago I picked up a 70# Fred Bear compound bow with a 32" draw it shoots well and has only had the chance to take 1 deer with it.

DelawhereJoe · January 18, 2018, 09:59:53 PM

And welcome to the forum, like many have said long before me, pull up a stump and enjoy.

osage outlaw · January 18, 2018, 10:11:29 PM

Thanks Joe. Making wood longbows is a great stress reliever. Forging is another hobby I'm starting to get into. I made a coffee can forge for heat treating knives and a larger one out of a semi brake drum. I do some leather work and starting to tan hides.

LaneC · January 19, 2018, 03:16:29 PM

Those are some very nice bows. Great to see you actually use them too.

osage outlaw · January 19, 2018, 05:22:07 PM

Quote from: LaneC on January 19, 2018, 03:16:29 PM
Those are some very nice bows. Great to see you actually use them too.

Thanks. I've killed 2 deer with one of my osage bows. One was with a stone arrow head.

WV Sawmiller · January 19, 2018, 05:51:00 PM

Thanks for sharing. Nice deer pictures and I like the bows. (Well, I'm not sure about the snakeskin coverings - I'm afraid I have chopped up my bow before I remembered. :D)

I love to bow hunt with my compound but sure respect you guys with the old style. I don't think I could ever hold one long enough now to be accurate enough to actually hunt with one.

What is typical draw weight on your Osage bows?

osage outlaw · January 19, 2018, 06:21:01 PM

I like a bow between 45 and 50 lbs. That's plenty to hunt with. I limit my shots to 15 yards with them.

LaneC · January 19, 2018, 10:05:00 PM

Do you make your own arrows also? if so what kind of wood do you use, or does it matter as long as it is straight?

osage outlaw · January 19, 2018, 11:15:49 PM

I make hill cane and bamboo arrows for the osage bows. I recently got some wood arrow shafts to try out. I bought a set of carbon arrows for the Bear recurve. I tried to learn how to flint knapp but I didn't have the time or the right type of rock available so I gave that up. I have some friends who are really good at it. They make hunting points for me when I need some. I make metal broad heads out of used band saw blades. My second primitive bow kill was with a band saw blade point.

osage outlaw · January 19, 2018, 11:30:59 PM

This was my first deer with a primitive weapon. When the arrow hit, the buck looked around and continued walking like nothing had happend. The stone point went through 1 lung and lodged in the heart. After a few steps it started to get wobbly and tried to run but it was too late. It was pretty cool to kill a deer with a wood bow and a stone point. I wondered how many years it had been since that was done on our property. I have found a hand full of Native American arrow heads in our creek beds. This buck was killed just a short distance away from where I have found a couple of points.

The stone point wasn't damaged at all. The arrow is hill cane from South Carolina.

Here is the point made from the band saw blade. It's not a very good design even though I killed one with it. The side notches catch the skin and meat which hurts the penetration. The arrow is bamboo that came in a pack of tomato stakes from a walmart garden center

DelawhereJoe · January 20, 2018, 09:21:11 AM

Do you sell the bows you make ? Have you looked into making traditional Native American bows out of that osage and working with your friends to put out complete traditional bow and arrow sets. With the internet a point and click away you could have yourself a market and start teaching others on weekend workshops to make some side money.

sandhills · January 20, 2018, 10:04:31 AM

Very nice bows and I love the stone point. A buddy of my stepson has made a few, he gave one to my stepson and one to me for 40th birthday, I've never hunted with it but would like to some day.

My stepson with his.

And mine, I can't remember what he made the arrows out of.

LaneC · January 20, 2018, 04:58:13 PM

Awesome job. who would have thought a piece of cane from Wal mart could have taken down a nice deer like that? I see what you are saying about the band saw blade but it sure worked. I was going to try knapping 1 time, then I went and napped :D. That is surely a lost art. I have seen them do it on you tube with glass. I do not have that kind of talent nor patients. Glad to see you carrying on things like that. I am sure you have seen why, but maybe you could just take a little more metal off of the back end of the band saw blade. The front 3/4 of that head will do the trick. Again, great job and thanks for sharing that.

DelawhereJoe · January 20, 2018, 05:34:25 PM

You could always try a smaller rear shank after the tie notch, I'm sure if you use a sawsall blade it may be cheaper and easier to try all the different designs you can come up with.

osage outlaw · January 20, 2018, 07:39:54 PM

Nice looking bow Sandhills

osage outlaw · January 20, 2018, 07:43:48 PM

Quote from: DelawhereJoe on January 20, 2018, 09:21:11 AM
Do you sell the bows you make ? Have you looked into making traditional Native American bows out of that osage and working with your friends to put out complete traditional bow and arrow sets. With the internet a point and click away you could have yourself a market and start teaching others on weekend workshops to make some side money.

I have sold a few custom order bows. I sell a lot of osage staves at traditional archery events. My hobby is fully funded by selling wood. It pays for my trips, tools, supplies, etc. It even funded the build of a rustic teardrop shaped camper. I wanted something that looked like an old tool shed but could hold a bunch of bow staves and give me a dry place to sleep.

ToddsPoint · January 21, 2018, 05:50:14 AM

Beautiful bows. I made one out of osage but could never get it tillered correctly. Now it's a wall hanger. I was a flint knapper for many years. Don't do it anymore due to repetitive motion injuries. I made matched sets of points for primitive hunters like yourself. This is a set I sent to a hunter in Bad Ischl, Austria many years ago. My points have killed deer, coyotes, and a turkey. Gary

osage outlaw · January 21, 2018, 09:04:24 AM

Those are some very impressive points Todd. Making a matched set of points isn't easy. That is a skill that I wish I had.

Crossroads · February 23, 2018, 06:13:40 AM

Cool bows! I hunted elk with compound bows for a long time and always said after I get a 6 point I was going to switch to traditional gear. I hung up the bow due to time restraints about 10 years ago without the 6 point. In 2016 I finally got a 6 point, but it was with the boom stick.