HUNTING THE MICHIGAN WHITETAIL

[Kayak Jack]

Noted hunter, and designer and manufacturer of top end archery gear, Fred Bear, observed that, "No game animal in the world is more wily than the Michigan white tail deer." And this week, they sure out-wilied us.

Last year I bought a cross bow and gear. It puts them out at 300 fps, verified by a chronograph. And has a scope. I've bought very good Remington .30-06 rifles for less. Frankly, after a few days in the field, it just doesn't seem like a large step forward. For just one shot, with a rest, it does outperform a standard, wooden bow. But the entire experience of buying, sighting in, storing, carrying, trying to sneak it up to shooting position, etc. etc. it becomes a damned chore instead of a joy. I actually prefer the Bear Grizzley that I had 60 years ago.

But, in the evenings, we did enjoy cigars and scotch around a campfire, and we watched some nice sunsets, and the friendship is fulfilling. And, I didn't have to get all bloody while cleaning a deer.

 

[oldbuffpilot]

At Physical therapy last week some of the young folks were discussing questions on thee Hunter Safety Test. They were surprised to to find out there are Bows other than compound! They googled it and found out you buy a Bear Grizzly!

 

[Kayak Jack]

I loved that bow. I used it in one of mmy phys ed courses at Michigan State, coed archery.

Interesting sidenote. Many of the ckeds were shooting 25-30 pound bows with standard, cedar, target arrows. As I remember, targets were at first at about 20-25 yards? The field was roughly 100 yards long. Though the "NO PARKING" signs were pisted at the end of the field, there was a few student cars there.

Some of the girls, for one reason or another, eould raise the bow way too high, and let'er flicker. Wayyyyy up there, the arrow would slow, almost stop completely, then nose over and start down. A few actually hit the cars. Even with those weak bows, the arrows would penetrate right through car doors, and bury into the seats. One broke a car window. Another stuck into a tire. I was shocked.

A couple of years ago, I watched a documentary about medieval weapons. They said that a suit of plate armor would stop an arrow. Frankly, I find that very difficult to believe. Any chunk of steel that is thick enough to stop an arrow before it punctures the wearer, would be pretty heavy to carry around and still be able to fight.

 

[oldsparkey]

I'll stick with the full recurve ones. Old time bows but productive and what I'm use to. The ones I have here are the Shakespeare Wounder Bow and a Ben Pearson , both which I have used for game and birds.
Then there is the Herters recurve in the 50# weight. The Herters recurve is my fishing bow for both fresh and salt water.
Little known fact and legal back in the 50's and 60's. Spotted Leopard Rays ( salt water ) wing meat taste like scallops. Skin the wings and punch out the pieces of meat. Today , it is not legal anymore.

 

[Wannabe]

Noted hunter, and designer and manufacturer of top end archery gear, Fred Bear, observed that, "No game animal in the world is more wily than the Michigan white tail deer." And this week, they sure out-wilied us.

Last year I bought a cross bow and gear. It puts them out at 300 fps, verified by a chronograph. And has a scope. I've bought very good Remington .30-06 rifles for less. Frankly, after a few days in the field, it just doesn't seem like a large step forward. For just one shot, with a rest, it does outperform a standard, wooden bow. But the entire experience of buying, sighting in, storing, carrying, trying to sneak it up to shooting position, etc. etc. it becomes a damned chore instead of a joy. I actually prefer the Bear Grizzley that I had 60 years ago.

But, in the evenings, we did enjoy cigars and scotch around a campfire, and we watched some nice sunsets, and the friendship is fulfilling. And, I didn't have to get all bloody while cleaning a deer.

"I shot an arrow into the air
and where it fell I know just where
Though I aimed at a Buck who stood afar
I pierced the radiator of my car"

 

[Kayak Jack]

Poet, and don't know it.
Feet show it - Longfellow!

Thanks, Bob.

 

[oldsparkey]

Talk about bringing back memories from the 60's.
On archery hunts during the middle of the day we ( Myself , my Cousin and my Uncle ) would try for distance with the bows. It was a open field and we would have targets at different distances to shoot at. It was a fun way to spend a hour or two. By the way we knew we would never be shooting at a deer at any of those distances. Targets were fair game.
When we were done and walking down range to get the arrows my uncle would recite that poem. Especially when going to the furthest target since we had to put a good angle on the arrow to get there.

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

[ggraham]

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Boy, it has been awhile.

Times and education have changed.

George

 

[Kayak Jack]

First time I remember hearing (reading) the whole poem. Thanks.

I've always been fascinated with bows and arrows. When I was a kid, I'd "make" new ones every few days from just about any handy sticks. When my Dad's cousin came home from the war, he brought bows and arrows fromNew Guinea. The arrows were about 4 feet long. They shot monkeys and birds from the jungle canopy, and the long arrows would drag down the quarry. GIs tried to get the natives to use short arrows, but the short arrow would either miss and get lost out of sight. Or, if it hit the quarry, a short arrow would get carried away in the wounded animals. The natives wisely kept using long arrows.