If you can handle it, it is all you need.






Pat is a BR Hall of Fame shooter, but he loves his bows.

If you can spend a lot of time year around
practicing that might work.

Most people are not dedicated enough,
including me.

I have taken animals with a longbow and recurve

now I use a compound. Kenny

Kenny,
Pat shot a compound in the old days, went to a recurve, and the last several years has shot the traditional bow. As far as practice Pat walks his ranch almost daily in the evenings for health purposes. He takes his bow and shoots at tree stumps and whatever while he is walking. That is his practice.
Some of his stories.

I probably shouldn't post this picture, if it is inappropriate please remove ..

Then I considered that this is a bowhunting we are involved in and blood is involved so here it is.

I was able to sneak into a promising stand this evening. There was still good daylight when a small group of pigs came through. This nice sow made the mistake of showing me her flank. I really like this angling shot, seem to have very positive results with it.

I heard a crack at the shot, I knew the arrow had hit bone on the offside. She ran and it was very evident she was in trouble. I suspect she made 50 or 60 yards and went down in a heap. This is the way a broadhead kills. Let the air out of 'em !

This is a Northern Mist longbow, it is 66" long and right on 60 pounds at my draw. The Zwickey NM was file sharpened then stropped.

Went out this evening just because I had some time... It was warm, muggy and breezy, not great hunting conditions.. No more than I got away from the truck the mosquitos got hungry. I doused myself in deet and kept going..
After a 3/4 mile stroll I got to the oak I was going to sit it. Acron had been falling and so had the leaves, not much cover in the tree now.

I really didn't expect to see anything but right at dusk I heard some critters comging through the woods. They wound up under my tree, bad mistake!! I had a sharp 2 bladed Delta on my arrow. The sow I had eyes on finally gave the slight quartering shot I was looking for. I drew and focused in on my spot and slipped the string.
The arrow hit exactly were I was looking..

A few minutes later several of them came back and I was able to connect on a second sow.. Two shots, two short blood trails.. Moon must have been right !

Seems like when I hunt this red Northern Mist good things happen !!

I have a few of what I consider the best bows available. One of those great bowyers is Steve Turay of Northern Mist.

A couple of months back I received a Classic from Steve that has yew cores and an ebony riser.
I draw it to 59 pounds.. Man, is it sweet! Shoots a fast clean arrow right where you're looking..

This evening I sat a stand on the bank of the river and right at dark nice boar came waltzing by. He was quartering away when I sunk a Zwickey Delta just behind his short ribs.. He ran and I heard him go down a short distance away then a couple of gurgles.. No need to wait on this one!

I'm proud to say that I have a new friend of many talents.. One of those talents is he is a fine bowyer of the oldest tradition... You see, he makes selfbows. With handtools he transforms a piece of osage into a powerful hunting bow, a museum piece, at least in my eyes..

With just a modicum of arm twisting he agreed to make one of these fine bows for me. Again it is all osage, no laminations, nothing but the wood.. Just to top this fine piece off he did glue snakeskins on the back, not only for their natural beauty but to subdue the yellow wood. This is a hunting bow !!!

I walked away from the truck this evening and shot one arrow at a clump.. As I was walking to retrieve that arrow I saw a jackrabbit sitting by a patch of weeds.. Now I really like jack's and almost never bother them but this bow was just begging to be bloodied.. I picked up the arrow and brought the bow to full draw. The bow had that wonderful whisper on release that only a wood bow can have. In an eyeblink the arrow pinwheeled the unsuspecting rabbit in the neck, it exited behind his shoulder on the off side.. He flopped a time or two and lay still.. I walked 38 long steps to him.. A fitting way to break in a fine hunting bow. Why yes, there may have been a bit of luck involved!

Thanks Chris....

Sure is hot But I slipped off to the woods again this evening..

I started a few feeders running a couple of weeks ago and was pretty sure a pig or two was eating all the corn.. The deer don't like pigs at their table so I thought I'd try to "uninvite" them..

I got to the tree and climbed up and tied in.. Ten minutes before the feeder went off two pigs came in sniffing for some freebies, must be democrats. This one gave me a nice slightly quartering away shot. I thanked her with an arrow right in the "pocket"..

She didn't go far..

I have several more stories and they are very entertaining to me.

great stories. The issue with most of us, is that hour or two three or four days a week.

That and having a ranch to walk/hunt on.

Still, it is good to read about somebody who can make the time.

congratulations on some fine traditional hunting...

Rich

Ive been shooting recurves off/on for several years and this year I am getting serious about it. I'm trying to shoot 30-arrows/day at least 5-days/week. I'm comfortable out to 15-years and know that I need to bump that out to 25. The thing is, it's enjoyable shooting without a release and sights. It doesn't get monotonous, some days are better than other but it's just fun - reminds me of when I was a kid. I recommend it highly.

Only way to go, Butch. Never owned a compound in my life nor will I.

9,3;

two rotator cuff surgeries on the right shoulder will change your perspective.

That said, I do admire both of you's dedication.

Rich

It's actually my left shoulder that's a problem (bow arm). Over-bowed for too many years. Had a recurve built for me by Sky Archery, 43# @ 29". Nice, easy draw with no stacking and perfect for whitetails in the Midwest. Virtually silent and extremely fast.

Very nice Butch. Tip of the hat to your friend Pat. That first photo, with the jack rabbit -- the bow looks like it might be a selfbow of osage.