G'day All,
Well, way back in February, I was casually doing some online window shopping at sponsor Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear, just to pass the time, when a battered, old 1956 Bear Kodiak Special caught my eye. It was 68", which would be perfect for my 29+" draw, and it was 61#, a suitable weight for my part of the world, and a pretty rare weight, too, it seems. I didn't intend to buy it, but it looked at me with those puppy dog eyes, saying, "Take me to Australia!" Well, I asked TradGanger Don Ward if he would be able to check it over and do a restoration job on it, and he kindly agreed. The kind people at RMSG sent it over to Don, who worked his magic on this vintage bow, restoring it to its former glory.
Here is the advertisement from the 1956 Bear catalogue:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/pg07.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/pg07c.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/pg07b.jpg)
So, she now resides in Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia; today, she hunted termite mounds with Gabby and I.
Here's the range:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2149.jpg)
You can see that it is pretty overcast, and although we didn't get rained-on, and it was very pleasant indeed out there, our wet season has started early, which has put a dampener on serious bowhunting endeavour, having already begun to scatter the feral game "hell-west and crooked".
Here she is:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2167.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2168.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2169.jpg)
You can see the green pick coming through the dead grass, from the rains we've already had, to the delight of all creatures great and small.
Sounds like fun. I'm looking forward to pictures of the new gal. Gary
Nice bow.
We shot the first decent termite mound we came to, and Gabby and I posed triumphantly with our trophy:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2142.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2145.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2147.jpg)
Whenever a termite mound saw this view, it had good reason to be afraid, or good reason to have a laugh at my expense:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2159.jpg)
But mostly the joke was on the termite mounds, much to our delight:
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2155.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2152.jpg)
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2163.jpg)
Beautiful Bow Ben! Thanks for sharing with us...
Wonderful!!
As always, I am quite pleased with the durability of these Douglas fir arrows from Surewood Shafts; they seem to take an absolute beating without giving-up. Shooting termite mounds is still a bit of pot-luck at the moment (they'll soften as the wet season progresses), as some can be penetrated nicely, whilst others are rock hard, and the arrows bounce off them.
(http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l164/b_kleinig/Archery%20Practice/IMG_2164.jpg)
It sure was a fun, relaxing morning.
Thanks for reading!
Ben
Great bow! Thanks for sharing Ben! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nice bow and good shooting.
How cool is this? Way!! I'm saying...
I guess it's a chance one has to take, sort of like stump shooting.
Not all rotten looking stumps are as rotten as they look..lol
Nice job on the bow and some awesome shooting.
Thanks for sharing ben.
God bless,Mudd
They look like fantastic targets. What kind of distances were you shooting at?
Thanks, fellows; I'm glad you got a kick out of it. Looper, nothing spectacular distance-wise, just shots from five to twenty-five metres today. Termite mounds are pretty docile, and allow me to get pretty close! Seriously, though, we do sometimes try for eighty or ninety metre termite mounds, but usually only real monsters.
way cool Bro! :clapper:
Ben,congrats for your vintage bow.Doc refinished my Kodiak 56 as well.What do you think of that old bow?
Felix, it is a lot of fun, and shoots really well. It is pure class. I really like it.
Good stuff Ben . Always enjoy your pics.RC
Ben,
Nice shooting! I have a 60" 56' Kodiak Special that's one of my favorites. I have a 64" on the way that I can't wait to try out.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper:
Outstanding pics, Ben! Love the old Bear bows.
Very cool bow and some great pics!
Just wondering........How come termites don't make those mounds over here in the states?? Lord knows we already have plenty of the wood wasting bugs here! Never saw one of their mounds though.
Beautiful bow Ben and great pictures as usual! Looks like you and Gabby had a great time!
Beautiful bow, and it hates termite mounds! Is it going to get a chance to shoot some furry animals down the road?
I hope so, Centaur!
Douglas, I really don't know why it is that only arid areas in the tropics seem to have termite mounds.
Nice bow , and targets Ben!!There are termite mounds like that in our country but I can't dare make them into targets, its a common belief here that they are the dwellings of small unseen creatures a lot like us but with powers beyond ours.it is not uncommon to hear that someone had a leg swollen and painful when he accidentally stepped on one of those,worst if its their ba_ls that get swollen and painful!! :D :banghead: :D
With those at stake, I guess you wouldn't want to take a poke at them, Gil. Ben, it looks like Gabby and your bow are living the good life. "Hell west and crooked" is now part of my vocabulary. Thanks!
Killdeer :wavey:
A great find from a great past. :cool: Not only is it a great recurve, but finding a recurve in a 68" length is quite remarkable. :) Like the old saying, "They don't make them like they use to". :D
:thumbsup: Great pics!
That's great shooting, too. Now, where are the water buffalo and hog pics?
great find on the bow
nothing i like better than roving with my do.
Nice Ben!
Very cool :thumbsup:
That simply looks like *great* fun!
Thanks for sharin' the experience, the pictures, and the nice lookin' Bear bow!
Shoot straight, Shinken
In Trad, you definately reap the benefits of what you put into it.
Great story and thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the story and pics from down under mate.
Great bow :thumbsup:
Real nice bow and cute puppy. Termite monds looks fun.
Ben,That is one fine looking bow,the way your shooting those termite mounds don't stand a chance!