Well I just flipped the old school kitchen wall calendar from June to July. That mean's it's almost August, which is practically September, which is when the early archery deer season starts. Been shooting my lighter weight 3D target bows in local club competitions for the past few months, and will keep doing so until the local championship on July 31, but have started rotating in my hunting bows for practice once a week or so. Have 2-3 different bows I want to hunt with this fall, so I'm going to have to get serious about sorting out the bow/arrow/broadhead combinations pretty quick. Like to get several weeks of broadhead practice in before the season starts. I know this is less problematic for guys who shoot their hunting bow(s) all year long and only have to switch the point on their carbon arrow from a 145gr field point to a 145gr VPA 3-blade, but I'm not one of those guys.
So this fall, it looks like my 2 hunting bows will be a Northern Mist Sprague ASL, 66", 48#, and a Robertson Wolfer II TD recurve, 60", 50#. May also go with either a 60", 48# Java Man Assyrian recurve or a 62", 50# Bodnik Mohawk hybrid longbow on occassion as the spirit moves me. Finally, am hoping Gregg Coffey gets my 62", 48# Falcon TD longbow built in time for some late season hunting (hint, hint). In almost all cases, I will be shooting wood arrows with either 3-blade VPAs or 2-blade Grizzly Bruins. Will also put together sets of 28", 400 & 500 carbons that I can make fly well with my hunting bows by varying the broadhead point weight (2 or 3-blade, 145-200gr). I know I have way too much going on here, but it's all part of the fun in a strange and perverse way.
So that's me, what are you taking to the field? And is it a trusty, old proven combination or something new you're trying out this year?
Looking good chuck 👍
New edition camouflage.
Sam,
My wife had to go two back surgeries. Fortunately she followed direction, did the PT, and was back faster than anticipated.
Hopefully you will do the same.
Westrayer, I hope you have your gear sorted out and that your shoulder has healed enough to shoot comfortably again. Just don't try to progress too quickly, and you will be all right. Good luck and keep us informed. Those rigs you have described sound pretty good to me. I started back with a 40# bow, and all went well.
Just got a javaman Elkhart at etar . Shot it for four days straight and got it zeroed in . Ambidextrous 40 at 27 shooting Easton traditional with either a 180 meathead or ace Express. Going back up to Maine for a bear chuck 🐻👍
He also has a set of 50# Hex 9h limbs as well. Just a little leary on going too heavy. Given the performance of the Hex 9, they generate the performance of a 61# conventional limbs. I just don't want to admit that the 47# is in my best interest.
Pix when you've got it together.
I got a heck of a deal on a set of demo 47# Hex 9h limbs for a Covert Hunter. So now looking at the CH instead of the metal ILF. It will mean that I have to tune for these limbs, but what the heck? They are a bit more efficient than the Max 6 so likely go from XX75 2117 to a XX75 2216 or XX75 2219 with a heavier head
SO far, I don't know. Just started shooting after shoulder surgery done the end of April. Using a loaner of a 35# Sage. My 47# Morrison Max 6 ILF rigs are still a bit tough regardless of 15" or 17" Phoenix riser. The draw curve makes them a bit tougher, but also gives them the performance.
Shoulder has needed attention for some time so I am hoping to get back over 50#.
Three seasons ago I shot a 55# Covert Hunter but still required shooting three days a week in order to stay profecient with it.
I have the itch for new bow or limbs. As so many do...
Got it. 50 or 60 yards.
Ok....really 12 yards, but who is counting ? Like the butter substitute, " i can't believe " i hit the danged thing.
ChuckC, I hope you are correct. Some years a go, I had shoulder surgery and bounced back very quickly, just 3 weeks. If lucky, I may get a little time in the late season if I am able to recover as fast as the shoulder did. With back surgery, who knows?
Get well soon Sam. Hate to hear you are missing a season. Maybe this is just keeping you till rut time and then you will be good to go.
Well, my back surgery has been scheduled for August 19, so I guess this year will be a washout, as was last year due to my wife's hip replacement. I'm getting too old for all these setbacks.
I got two deer tags and a bear tag in my pocket season starts third weekend in Aug here in California got New bow this year Yellowstone Longbow (Penny) made some new Surewood shaft full dipped in yellow with wild Turkey fletching and 160gr Grizzly broadhead and I got some 160gr Wolverine broadheads I will be hunting with also.
Wisconsin has been nurturing two elk herds for quite some time now. There is the appearance that licensed hunters in the state have paid for this long term issue. A total of ten tags per year have bern allotted for "the hunt". Four went to state hunters that pay a fee to apply, five go to the local indigenous group, and one more is available via RMEF, as a raffle. They keep talking about " the herd should approach X number" by changing dates, but we never seem to get there. Confusing, exasperating. Seems as though we are wasting time, money and energy on a project that is not working.
Chuck,
Here's a link to the VA DWR elk page: https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/elk/hunting/#:~:text=Elk%20hunting%20is%20currently%20prohibited,Virginia%20is%20permitted%20as%20follows%3A&text=Elk%20of%20either%20sex%2C%20antlered,for%20deer%20during%20that%20season.
The elk are migrating over from neighboring states. In the past, VA didn't want any elk in the state for fear of CWA so it was open season on elk. About 20 elk a year are killed, and none of them have ever had CWA. So now VA is allowing the herd to grow. That's why the season is closed in the listed counties. The season is open in the rest of the state because well, you've got about as much chance of seeing an elk as seeing a naked wood nymph.
Bob. Virginia is advertising an elk hunt. Any idea how many tags are available ? Curious, cause Wisconsin's elk herd is pretty pitiful.
I haven’t decided on my fall set up, but I’m going to Hawaii next month and plan to get a couple of hunts in while I’m there. Toelke Whip with some GT arrows that my buddy Smokey made, tipped with Bear Greenies, Hills, and Ribteks.
Bob, You are a man that has exquisite taste in bows!
Just finished fletching a dozen woodies for the season. They will carry 155 grizzlies weighted up to 160. I have not picked bows yet and expect to build a couple for this season. So "ready" is a ways off with only 58 days to opener.