After reading Deno's recent post on participation ( see, https://www.traditionalarcherysociety.com/forum/main-campsite/commenters-likers-and-lookers), and Chuck's post of a gorgeous landscape (https://www.traditionalarcherysociety.com/forum/main-campsite/time-for-some-pictures), I decided to see if I could encourage a bit more participation.
As many here know, I consider Nate Steen a friend. He is a gentleman through and through, and in my opinion, he also happens to be one of the best string-follow ASL bowyers (Sunset Hill) on the planet - EVER!
And since the man has nothing but idle time on his hands (😁😂🤣 - he may be the busiest man I know), he also makes exquisite back quivers, arm guards and other leather goods, including some pretty cool coffee mugs made from the same leather as his quivers and arm guards (typically reserved for his bow customers). I asked Nate to make a dozen of these for me as Christmas giveaways this year, and told him that I'd like to give one away here. He agreed, and I have his endorsement to give one away, so here goes...
Here are the rules:
Post here. You can post a picture, a story, a link to a story, video, whatever. Pics of outdoor scenes, you, your bow, you shooting your bow, harvests, a point of view from one of your favorite hunting spots, a hunting story, a joke, a story of lessons learned, anything.
Readers will cast votes on the content. The post with the most likes at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday December 19th, will be the winner.
I will announce the winner at around 7:00 p.m. on the 19th, and will ship one mug of your choice (light, medium or dark leather) to you on Monday, assuming you have PM'd me with your shipping info by then.
In the event of a tie, a random drawing will serve as the tiebreaker.
VOTING: In order to vote for a posting, please click on the heart (JUST ONCE - as I've done here in one of Chuck's posts) beneath the post(s) you want to vote for.

Here's a sampling of the cups I have. No. You cannot have the one with my initial on it. Why would you want that one, lol?


So there you have it. Let the fun begin...
Good luck!
Congrats Jerry! And thanks to all who posted! It was fun!!!
Congrats Jerry! And thanks again Rick and Nate for the opportunity.
Congrats Orion, I’m sure you will love it nothing beats the smell of hot coffee and leather in the morning.
Congrats, Orion!
Guess I should have voted for myself!😬 I don’t drink coffee anyway.
Thanks Rick and Nate!
WOW. I sure didn't expect that. Will send a pm. Thanks much for your generosity.
Congrats Jerry!!!! Kudos to Rick and Nate!!!!!
Looks like Jerry (Orion) takes the prize with four likes! Congratulations, sir! Send me a PM with your shipping info and the shade you want (light, medium, dark), and I'll get a brand new Sunset Hill mug out to you.
Thanks to all who participated!
Happy Holidays!
Rick
As it turned out that day it was a uneventful afternoon and a long walk out with a headlamp on. I bet I do it again😂
When your hot, tired and taking a noon break. Then you realize the bull of your dreams could be the next drainage over.
Hoping to channel some Tom Parsons mojo in late season.
Body booting for goose with the sunrise.
Here is a fun video to watch. I heard of people making mock scrapes so I decided I would try it this year. To my surprise it worked I never hunted it I just set a camera on it and freshened it up once a week. Most deer came in like this one and never tore things up just a quick sniff and on there way. It was a lot of fun and great learning experience for me.
My first
and my last over 42 years apart.
But really this is one of my favorites. In the high country of central Idaho on a DIY bear bowhunt with two of my longtime friends, Rik Hinton and Nate Steen in 2017.
I've always rather liked this picture, primarily because of the conditions under which it was taken. Had a pretty good snow storm the day before and then it got cold. Four below zero Fahrenheit in the morning. I was considering not going out, but ultimately decided to put on about every ounce of warm clothes I had. Figured I could make it to noon or so.
Packed most of my clothes the half-mile to the stand. The marsh I had to cross, which was usually a tough slog, was frozen so it was easy walking. Because of my waffling earlier, I arrived at the stand about 15 minutes later than normal. Put on my extra clothes, climbed the ladder stand, hung my pack and bow and sat down.
Heard a grunt behind me immediately. He was coming through the brush fast. I didn't even have time to fish my tab out of my pocket, and when he went by at about 14 yards, I shot bare handed. He skipped ahead a few yards, then walked about 40 yards and dropped.
I sat in my stand a few minutes longer. Silently gave thanks for this gift, then had a cup of coffee and a cookie. Just doesn't get any bettert than that.
These 2 little sh!ts ate my coffee mug!!! Can I get a like so I can get a new one?
And I'd even take the one with the RG initials!!!
Ron Goodrum
The sounds of September. The video does not show anything just the sounds of myself challenging a herd bull. The bull was taken by my hunting partner about a hour after this was recorded with the help of my Sunset hill longbow.
Skipping a lot of the story to the end the bull hid his cows in the bottom of the drainage and came back to fight me off. He hung up at about 50 yards bugling and rubbing trees but never would fully commit to coming all the way in because he had not seen me yet. To keep him interested I would chuckle and rub my Sunset Hill longbow on trees and bush. Sorry Nate I know how hard you work to put a perfect finish on your bow. If you have never done it a longbow sounds a lot better the just grabbing a stick. After several minutes of cat and mouse I rubbed some brush with my self total hid from the bull and lifted the bow to give the illusion it was part of a elks horn. The white bamboo core must have gave the bull the illusion of a ivory tip and he made rapidly move towards me. I stopped him with a grunt in a shooting lane where my hunting partner made a great shot on him. After the excitement and nerves settled my hunting partner said that would have never happened without that longbow. That has to be the luckiest bow ever made. My hunting partner used a compound and that is why I didn’t post a photo of the bull. I didn’t want to offend anybody on this site. I just wanted to point out how affective a longbow is Elk hunting weather a arrow is fired or not.
So yesterday my daughter and her new husband bought a townhouse in Northern Virginia. Here's the first picture from her back deck. The buck is chowing down on a pumpkin one of her new neighbors tossed in the woods a few days ago. Since we helped them with the downpayment, I have already exercised my claim to hunting rights for the rest of this year's archery season. Now I just have to convince her town government to allow me to "discharge a weapon" within city limits.
Thanks for the offer. I'll start with just a picture of Kansas turkeys in the fog.
That’s a great gesture from you and Nate, Rick. Looking forward to seeing some more posts!