Re: DEER HUNTERS !!! Got buck fever yet? Maybe we should post pics ?
That's definitely doing things the hard way!
I too had become bored with hunting and sought a more challenging method. First I bought a muzzle loader and hunted with that a while. Next I went to a flint lock and all the assorted goodies that go with. Finally I bought a longbow and began practicing.
It really does make you feel like a kid again. And here I am 10 years later still hunting with nothing but longbow, and enjoying every outing as though it were my first season as a boy. I didn't go to the extremes I spoke of above, I sue store bought equipment, but I know people who have gone to such extremes and they enjoy themselves immensely. My dad was one of those.
He and a friend of his hunted with homemade archery tackle back in the mid 50's. They didn't have internet or any other information, jsut decided one day it'd be fun. Nebraska had just introduced the archery-deer season so they made up their minds they were going to give it a go. Neither had the money, being young kids in latter high school, to go purchase a Fred Bear or Ben Pearson so they started experiementing. Bows made from willow limbs, 6 to 7 feet long. Arrows made from some kind of weed, I'll have to ask dad because I don't remember what species. Points made from pieces of tin, sharpened with a file. They drove around in the hills and shot great horned owls for the feathers. (Relax, it wasn't illegal back then) Once they figured out how to get arrows to fly right and practiced up for accuracy they were ready. They had to figure out everything on their own via trial and error. No mentors or instruction data or anything, not even any books from our little local libraries out here in the sticks. Sighting a deer in these parts was extremely rare in those days so when they bought deer tags that fall, they took off for points west and north to hunt. Valentine area if I recall correct, along the Niobrara River.
Long story short, they both succeeded and filled their tags. It was no easy task, either, they hunted hard and wore themselves out but stuck with it going on sheer determination and brought home the prizes! The rack from dad's now hangs on my trophy wall and it'll be passed on to my boy when the time comes. Dad's buddy still has his rack on his wall.
These are the kinds of stories that one could brag about.... but they never did. Heard them both tell of the hunt but never once did they come across as the proud and haughty jerks that seems so common among today's "hunters".... if ya know what I mean...
