This post will be a continually updated list of tips and tricks that I have found valuable in my quest for Longbow hunting proficiency consisting of simple nuggets of information that I have found to really work.
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I met an older gentleman that hunted and even had Bob Swinehart stay at his house and eat dinner with him. He was a Howard Hill fan and had a friend who was close to the Hill family and visited with him in Alabama. Anyway, he was old school and pinned his Hill heads to the shaft. He would also take a knife and do this to his nock index to make it easier to feel when grabbing it from the back quiver. Great tip! Also note the feather profile.
- Besides ensuring your glove is well fitted.....Rub a little soft string wax inside of your shooting glove. Moisten your finger with saliva before putting it on and your stalls will not slide off easily when shooting.
- Speaking of gloves, to adjust a loose fitting glove, simply add a stitch to the top of each finger stall
- A rubber band, looped over your arrow stuck in the ground, then over your cell phone, and back over the arrow is an easy way to take a selfie of your game success.
- File or grind the back of your broadhead file to a chisel point. You can use a stick in the woods to baton the flat top of the file and use it as a chisel to free a stuck broadhead. You may want to put a wood cap on the sharp end to protect yourself during normal use.
- Carry your TP or baby wipes in a ziplock sandwich bag. This can be used to keep clean and carry home the heart once your field dressing chores are completed.
- Coat your feet with antiperspirant when it is really cold out and use wool socks.
- Unwaxed dental floss from your upper limb tip is the best wind indicator
- Oil Based Rustoleum is a great arrow sealer and can be brushed on with a foam brush, or thinned and dipped. Duco sticks well to it also.
- Get a little potpourri crock pot from the craft store. This is great for melting beeswax and soaking your bowstring in after construction. You can easily dip your loops in it from time to time as these are the hardest part of the string to wax once the string is built.
- The side edge (short edge) of a file is great for removing the burr when sharpening. Use it like a steel.
- Turn the slick side of your back quiver in (suede side out) so that it slides around your body easier when going through brush.
- Tie a dental floss nock by making a loop on the serving and wrapping a hump of floss over it. When done put the tag end through the loop and pull that loop under the mound to lock it in place (it may break but that is fine). Use some superglue to make sure it doesn't move when back at home. This tip was from Swinehart's Sagittarius.
- Dust your string with baby powder after waxing and it will not transfer wax to your bow limbs. Also your shooting glove to make it slick and protect it.
- A small set of pliers with a 5/16th inch hole drilled out centered in the jaws is great for removing broadheads from trees without mangling the ferrule. The ferrule goes in the hole to protect it. You can use your pocket knife as a fulcrum also to get leverage on the head (Howard Hill Tip)
- A sharp old Barlow knife is about the easiest thing to dress out a deer with and carry.
- Shower curtain rings work great for hanging lanterns and gear in your wall tent with frame.
- Use the same type of battery in all your electronics - headlamp, flashlight, GPS, and camera etc. If one set goes bad in an emergency you can always swap and it allows you to carry less.
- A KBAR fighting knife can be used with a log baton to split fire wood. The flat pommel can be used to bang in tent pegs.
- Light grey wool is about the best winter camo out in the hardwoods.
- Vaseline soaked cotton balls are about the best fire starting (tinder) in the field I have come across.
- When ground hunting move when there are other noises to mask your sound. Crows or bluejays calling, airplane or traffic noises, the wind rustling leaves, whatever. Sounds works both ways.
- LL Bean Maine hunting Shoes. The best stalking footwear available. The soft sole really lets you feel the ground.
- Bear grease is great for your steel knives and broadheads. Is a great water-proofer for leather goods and wood.
- A "rough" file sharpened and / or lightly serrated broadhead will hold a effective cutting edge better than a smooth razor edge, and cut through various mediums like hide, hair, bone, and sinew without dulling as easily.
- Chisel the tip slightly on your broadheads. This will reduce the chances of curling the tip on a solid impact. Once curl begins it can keep curling. This is a little bit of prevention.
