Homemade Longbow Build along

I thought it only fitting to close this build along with the hunt story. Jush's fall sports schedule (cross Country and then Wresting) Kept him out of the woods so I asked him if I could use the bow. He said, yes. Here is the result

Sat. Nov. 8

I moved one of my ladder stands last week and sat in it for the first time on Saturday afternoon. I got to the stand at 2:30 pm and hung 4 small sponges soaked in Tinks 69 upwind of my location and then climbed into the stand. It was COLD with a slight rain snow mix and hard Northwest winds. The soggy river bottom and the rain made it almost impossible to hear anything approaching so I sat tight with my hood pulled up to keep me dry.

At 3:30 I heard a noise to my left (down wind side) and turned to see a buck at 10 yards. He didn't smell me but I think he was focused on the Tinks sponges. I was busted sitting. I have never harvested a deer from a seated position but there was no chance in standing up with the buck so close. He took a few more steps towards the sponges and stopped with his head and part of his front shoulder blocked by a big cedar tree. I took the longbow that was resting on my lap and moved it to the vertical position. and got ready for him to step forward but he just stood there. I leaned back and could see the hair line on the back edge of the front leg so I figured I would take the shot.

I took the below picture the next morning to show where he was standing and made a poor attempt at sketching where he stood.



I had plenty of time to tell myself to pick a spot and to take a good aim and then release. The arrow hit a bit high and the deer lurched forward and turned to run back on the trail he came from. About half of my 29 inch arrows was still visible as he ran off. I gave 3 loud blows on my grunt tube and he stopped for a moment and then walked off.

I knew I had hit him high but I was not too far back so I was sure I had hit him in the lungs. I desided to sit for 20 minutes but waited 45 instead since he took off with my arrow. At 4:15 I got down and collected my sponges and went to where he stood to take up the trail. There was no blood to be found but the black muddy kicked up tracks made the trail easy to follow.

After tracking about 40 yards, I spotted a shed antler in the wet leaves.



A few feet further I found my broken arrow. the first 6 inches were missing





After going another 20 yards I found the only blood that I would find while tracking this deer.



It was getting dark as I kept following the muddy trail along the river. It took me all the way to my other ladder stand so I desided to walk out to my truck to drop off the bow and quiver and take up a path that would lead me back to the stand but would parrallel the trail that I had just followed about 40 yards closer to the field edge. As I approached my truck, I jumped a deer and my heart sank. I never got a good look at the deer because it was too dark but I still took up the trail back to my stand and if I came up empty I would come back in the morning and take up the trail again.

As I re-entered the river bottom to walk through the tall grass, I stumbled upon my buck. It was just dumb luck to walk into the woods where I did but I will take a bit of good fortune anywhere I can find it.



I learend the next morning that the trail I was following branched off and he died about 30 yards past the branch on the other trail. I looked him over and realized that he had died only a few yards from the spot my Uncle Stan used to hunt. Uncle Stan died a few weeks ago and when I put everything together in my mind, I just took a moment to sit in the grass and reflect on Uncle Stan and the fact that I had just realized my goal of harvesting a deer with all homemage gear and to do it in the same woods that Stan and I hunted so many years ago made it a pretty emotional event. Your never too old to shed a tear. I sat there pondering things and giving thanks for my good fortune.

Then it was time to get to work. I dragged the deer out to the field and backed my truck into position to take a few pics with the self timer.



I then drove into Rosholt to regester him and then back to the farm to gut and hang him. It was great to be back home and share the story of the event with my 73 year old Father.



After gutting I examined the deer to find that I had gone through both sides even though the arrow stayed with the deer. I expected to find the front half of the arrow and my homemade broadhead inside the deer but it no resides somewhere along the trail of his final steps. I had hit the top of the near lung and the upper third of the far side lung. He traveled less than 100 yards brfore it expired.

Exit side hole







My goal was to partake in a hunt like the founder of the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association (Roy Case) did back in 1930. Roy was the first person in WI to harvest a deer with a bow during a recognized archery deer season. He did it with a homemade longbow and arrows and his own homemade broadheads. I couldn't be more pleased with my good fortune. My goal was to take a deer with a homemade gear and I was able to realize that goal in the same woods that I was brought up in. It doesn't get any better than this. I feel very fortunate to have achieved this goal. Thanks for tagging along.

 

Great Thread RC! My Christmas list just got more expensive for my lovely wife. I am the computer type so I dont think I could pull this off. As for Roy I had thought I read he coined the name bowhunter?

 

WOW! This is one of the first threads I read on this forum, and I'm amazed!

 

Yes, Roy coined the term bowhunter back in the 1930's.

 

Glad to see that... I was already thinking that a hundred times WAY before I ever got to that part of your thread...

Incredible job, Rancid... simply incredible. My only hope for you is that one day your son will really appreciate what it means that you've done for him.

 

He undestands. I explained it all to him while we were making everything.

 

my, my...I just find this very interesting...would love to incorporate a piece of wood from my timber into a longbow or recurve someday...thanks for sharing!

 

Very nice work!

 

Yeah, Good Job Rancid, using all homebrew stuff.