2024 October Doe - Another of Ellis's Arrows

 

Had a few hours free on evening after work in mid-October.  Grabbing by Back quiver and not bothering to change out of my work clothes, I scrambled up the ladder stand in my back woods just in time to catch prime-time and maybe surprise a cruising buck. 

I relaxed and watched the woods and squirrels prepare for the night and was just about to give up and climb down, when a group of deer started across my front about 50 yards out.  Using the light gathering effectiveness of my ever-present binoculars I could see they were all does.  Again, they passed out of range I was about to give up as darkness reduced visibility to only a dozen yards or so.  Then another large doe came trotting in on a mission.  She was going to pass right under my stand.  Steep angle I drew back to 3/4 draw and things just didn't feel right, so I let down.  As she crossed the trail to my stand, I drew again, and my brain gave me the green light.  Cedar arrow and ace broadhead cleared the bow and I heard the clank of my lower limb against the stand...NO!

My fears were soon relieved as the doe immediately mule kicked, took about 3 big bounds in a semicircle ending in a crash of sliding rocks and breaking saplings just out of sight on the steep hillside.  Then all remained quiet except a cursing squirrel.  The time from the shot to silence was only about 6 seconds or so. Amazing.

Another one of Ellis's arrows did the trick.  These ancient old growth Port Orford cedars still do the job and then some.  The arrow gave its life when the doe kicked to run and the offside shoulder sheared below the fletching as the rest of the arrow was embedded several inches into the dirt.

Where she lay:

Love the close shots, this is my kind of range! 

Howard Hill Broadheads - General Discussion on "Is your Broadhead Tough Enough?"

What is tough enough to kill a deer, elk, or pig in North America?

Newer folks getting into traditional archery are often mislead by marketing into thinking that the latest and greatest broadhead is what you need.  The newest are the toughest, best steel, sharpest, most durable...yadda yadda. The big question is does it really matter if your broadhead can survive an impact with a cinderblock?  I'm not hunting cinderblocks.

Recently, there have even been some denial about what some of the past archery greats must have used on the ends of their arrows.  The marketing is working.  Let's take the Howard Hill broadhead for example.  I have heard some say that Bob Swinehart, did not kill his Rhino with a production Howard Hill Broadhead.  He had to have used the elephant broadhead because, 'no way that old-fashioned "weakly fabricated" broadhead could have done the job right'?  Nope!  Let's look at the facts. 

First of all, Bob Swinehart posed with the arrowhead.  Why on earth would he hold an arrow type he did not use to kill the Rhino.  Which is clearly a Howard Hill type.

Next, let's look at Bob's own words from the January1967 issue of Archery magazine Pg. 25, the following:

"Many people considered it impossible to kill the tough-hided monstrosity of nature with a mere bow and arrow, but his hide is not armor-plated by any means. It is tough, but not as tough as an elephant's. A 90-pound bow drove a Hill head in 20 inches through lungs of my rhino."

Also, in Bob's book Sagittarius page 196 while discussing his rhino equipment Bob wrote, "I decided on the 90-pound bamboo longbow, and 1200 grain conventional length arrows with metal nocks, with the largest Micro-Flite fiberglass shaft available, and two-bladed Howard Hill Broadhead."

Bob used a file to sharpen his heads, so the plain old Howard Hill broadhead brought down this incredible beast.  So, are they not similarly good enough today for a pig, elk, or deer?  

In my opinion arrow heads should not have to break the bank.  They are ammo.  I have enough insurance with my hunting gear (62 pound draw, reasonably heavy cedar or bamboo arrow) that I don't have to stress about the little things.  Dacron vs fastflite, one head vs another, file sharpened vs razor, it is all going to get the job done if I do my part.  After all, those that went before me did a lot more with similar gear.  I'm not hunting elephants or rhinos...or cinderblocks.  

Sharpening the Howard Hill Broadhead

 I see this question often.  I can't seem to sharpen these Howard Hill Heads.  Well, here is an old article penned by Craig Ekin from the old Longbow Shooters Digest.  

The first thing to consider is do you really need a razor?  Hill did not, and he killed a mighty lot of game.  The finely serrated edge like a soup can is deadly and holds an edge very well.  The other issue with the Hill head is the ferrule can get in the way of a good low bevel. 

A good way to set the initial bevel is with a round chainsaw file.  The round file can get that little convex dip area of the blade without gouging the sides of the ferrule as with a flat file.  

Once set though I use the flat file to create the serrations the same way Hill did as shown in this old photo: by pulling the corners of the file down, and across, the blade from back to tip.

Here is a photo of the last buck I killed using a serrated Hill head.  You can see the head all the way through passing through both shoulders and the chest cavity.  The deer was down for good in about 50 yards. 

Here is the entry hole:

Those old Hill Heads work if you do it the correct way.  If it is all too much trouble or not sharp "enough", feel free to send them my way.

2024 Annual Rut Deer Camp

This year's schedule had me planning the latest public rut camp in the season I had tried, but I knew I had the wall tent and woodstove and would be cozy.  There was a statewide burn ban on, but my woodstove was legal.  Would the deer be active?

DAY  1

I set up for 4 1/2 days of deer hunting in the mountains of Allegheny County.  Snow and wind expected but it has been unseasonably warm rut so far. Hoping for some luck. Most of the other hunters I invited bailed out except for my brother and Evan was supposed to be arriving tomorrow. Good to get away into the real world and out of the virtual one. The WX may get some bucks moving. 

Nothing at all this evening hunting around camp. Raining now gusts to 45 mph tonight. Calling for snow tomorrow evening.  We’ll see. Cold weather should get them moving. Tomorrow will calm and be a good shot. Cozy tonight in the wall tent with smoke dragon fired up! 

I did see this good yote.

DAY 2

Had a great morning in a nearby WMA. Saw 6 different bucks and one was a doozy. Unfortunately, the shots never presented themselves. Had a spike at 10 yards and a small 6 at 15 from me in the packseat. The terrain is open now and hunting from the ground is challenging, but the bucks were certainly moving.  Supposed to get up to an inch of snow tomorrow and I’ll be back there. Hope luck shines. Evan can't make it down now until tomorrow, so I am in this big wall tent solo.  I could have saved a lot of work and stayed in my brother's camper if I had known, but camp would not be the same.  

The good news was that the park office called to tell me the burn ban had been lifted so we had fire. 

Exhausted, tomorrow is another day.

Day 3

Morning on the mountain had some tracking snow. I found a great set up for the waldrop and there were some fresh beds nearby. 

You can see my fletches sticking up from inside the blind where I am sitting.

The

Three beds are just in front.  Hoping a buck cruises by to check on them. 

Dang doe came from behind me and caught my wind at bow length away! Later a spike showed up and didn’t have a clear shot through the vines until he was too close and picked me out. After a foot stomp and some feigned attempts to get me to move he moved downwind and that was that.

Evan showed up and then my brother left camp for social engagements. Small camp this year.

This afternoon we hit some clearcut around camp in the sleet. I kicked a 6 point that ran toward Evan, but alas it never showed for him.

Steady rain now but we had some good food and we’ll see how it is in the morning.

Day 4

Weather has been steady, windy and raw. This morning I was set up watching two converging trails on joining ridges in the clearcut by camp nearby where I saw the 6 in the rain yesterday. Then right at 7:20am here come another compound hunter with his bow strapped on his back as his girl walked behind him about 5 yards back. I waved and he looked confused and did a triple take probably wondering why I had a longbow, plaid, and white feathers. Anyway, no action after that.

In the evening, Evan had to return home unexpectedly, so we decided to go to the WMA and target squirrels which were plentiful there and I would push the ridge toward him stillhunting.  

I got close to a spike I worked up on sneaking along an edge. He had a bad limp. I couldn’t work closer to about 35 yards as he was walking away. The wind probably tipped him off after I last lost sight of him. I did manage to scare a few squirrels today though.  Tough hunting this public land in the wind and sporadic rain.

Evan left and I was left alone in camp.  I had enough wood cut for a blazer of a campfire.

As I sat there, this campfire stone looked to me that it had a fossil embedded into it?  I'll have to research that later.

Tomorrow, I pack up after breakfast.

Hill Style Longbow Balloon Shots

Having a bit of fun while practicing my drawing, nocking, and shooting with the back quiver.  Had a little bit of baby powder in the ballons a la Hill.

Squirrel season has now begun in my state and I am going to think up some moving shot practice next.  

Deer starts this weekend as well.  

Enjoy.

Slow-Motion Longbow Shot

I have been having a little fun making some videos.  I should have edited out the sounds so please mute for comfort.  The crickets and cicadas were causing a lot of background noise.  

I have been working on getting more fluid with my nocking, drawing, and shooting from the back quiver since switching to left hand shooting serval years ago and it is paying off.  

Considering a series of videos focused on the Back Quiver use in the future perhaps.  Have ideas for topics like quiver design, break in, use, practice techniques, challenges, advantages, customization, and techniques I have found useful in stalking and moving through the woods.  These may take some time to develop and hunting season is fast approaching so it may take some time.

I always enjoy watching a slow-motion sequence, so in the meantime.  Enjoy:

A little Spring Gobbler Practice with the Longbow - The Hill Style Swing Draw

 

Just having a little fun practicing for spring gobbler season.  Unfortunately, my best chance at a shot on public land was thwarted by other gun hunters who tried to shoot my gobbling bird out from under me once he started being vocal.  Watched him sail down the valley after I was surrounded by 3 other sets of callers despite being there and set up with decoys since before light.  Oh well, the joys of public land.  I will no longer be trying opening week on public.