The Traditional Bowyers Encyclopedia by Dan Bertalan

Author:Dan Bertalan
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (Perseus)
Published: 2011-02-17T16:00:00+00:00

BOWHUNTING GEAR

To put bulls on the wall or stop coyotes in their tracks, Keith uses one of his custom sixty pound recurves or longbows equipped with a Wapiti bow quiver manufactured by Delta. He is an instinctive shot who uses self-made cedar arrows fletched with three 5½” feathers exhibiting a strong helical twist. “I haven’t bought or shot an aluminum arrow in twenty-six years. Aluminum arrows are noisy. Every time you hit a little twig they rattle, and they’re noisy to shoot. Animals hear that. I’m convinced they do. So I shoot wooden arrows.”

On his cedar shafts Keith mounts broadheads that he can sharpen himself. “I’m a three-blade broadhead fan. I like Snuffers, MA-3’s, Hill’s Hornets, or Bodkins. The best are Snuffers and MA-3’s because they can be easily sharpened and they cut a superb hole.”

Although Keith cuts his hunting arrows to his draw length, he practices with full length shafts. “I shoot with about three inches sticking out in front of the bow, which is not the norm, and I wouldn’t recommend that for other people. But I guess I’m too cheap — if I break off the tip I can install another one and use the arrow again.”

Keith fletches his arrows with bright yellow and white fletching because he is partially color-blind and these colors stand out in nature. “Camouflage arrows are absolutely ridiculous. Guys find that out after they shoot one out in the brush and can’t find it. Yellow and white feathers may be one of the worst combinations to hunt with, but I use them because I can see them. I want to know where I hit an animal or where I missed. I don’t like not knowing where you hit an animal with camouflaged arrows.”

Like the rest of his bowhunting equipment, Keith keeps his garb simple. “I usually hunt in blue jeans and a camo shirt, but that’s it. I also wear my old gray cowboy hat. There’s no doubt that you can conceal yourself more with camo, but if those animals know you’re there or they have already spotted you, they have spotted you no matter what you’ve got on. I don’t have any trouble with elk just staring at me at fifteen yards, if they haven’t smelled me or if I haven’t moved.”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.