I don't know what happened to winter this year. The bottom line is I don't care. Spring just kind of oozed right up on me and like a wiser man once told me,"it can stay this way for a month and then get better". Amen!
Back in the winter I had decided to revisit longbows. I'd had a pretty long run with my recurves, but the longbow mentality is always just below the surface.
As a matter of fact I have to purposely stay away from any books or videos and most discussion about Hill style longbows. Hill style bows are what really turn my crank.
I've shot radical RD longbows as short as 60" and mild RD styles of 64" lengths. They just don't do it for me. At least not like a long limbed, deep cored, straight handled Hill style bow.
My first Hill style bow was a real Howard Hill Archery beauty. A 70", 75#@28", Big Five built by John Shulz.
I still have that bow, but it mostly gathers dust these days. It seems to not have aged a wit, while my old muscles have't fared quite as well.
Here she is at work...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/squatdraw1.jpg)
Not only am I not able to make those limbs bend like that, I can't make my knees bend like that either.
There have been many longbows of the Hill style since that Big Five. "Yellow Girl" a solid shooting all Osage bow, "Honey", the sweet shooting Yew bow made with Yew from Earl Ulrich, "Grover" a self Osage shooter, "Dirty Girl", of naturally marked bamboo and Yew and "Crow Wing", the all Bamboo hammer. All of my own crafting.
I could have chosen any of those, but I longed for a new bow. One of special design and material. I placed an order to Howard Hill Archery and purchased a Bamboo backing strip and ground bamboo core strips.
Nothing else would do but to work with the preferred materials of the master.
Late in the winter I sprayed the final coats of Fullerplast on the bow I'd named "Blondie". (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/Blondie1.jpg)
Horn overlays.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/Blondie2.jpg)
68", 58#@28".
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/Blondie6.jpg)
Very, Very Sweet!!! Love the horn nocks :thumbsup:
No matter how many really nice recurves i have owned i keep coming back to the longbow
But wheres the turkey???
Nice looking bow ..... :campfire:
Nice bow my friend, love that Hunter's Head broadhead.
Nice bow!!! I love it when you post photos of the past!!! Thanks
Great short story and beautiful long bow, Charlie! I always find your posts interesting.
I'm the same way you are, except I'm not ready to hang up the recurves. Just something special about an Osage selfbow. :campfire:
Lance... I called it a "SHORT story", not a "QUICK story".
;) :readit:
Even Charlie's short story's are the best :coffee: :goldtooth:
Tracy
Nice bow
Very few professional lifelong bowhunters share their lives with us via picts and stories as our Mr Lamb does. I know I really appreciate your posts Charlie as we all do. Another great benefit to being a TradGanger. Now lets see the demise of this turkey...
OK my day is made...A Charlie Lamb story :campfire:
Super looking bow Charlie.
What makes up that dark stripe between the bamboo back and your Bamboo lams?
I'm looking for to the "Paul Harvey".
Thanks for sharing Charlie!
God bless,Mudd
Beautiful bow Charlie!
Thats a beautiful bow Charlie!
Thats carbon Mudd :)
Tracy
:campfire: :archer:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Nice bow. Eager to hear the rest of the story. I have the same problem with my knees, though I got a new one last year, which helps.
I wish I knew half as much as you Charlie. Thanks for the story.
Beautiful bow--Well Done! :thumbsup:
Charlie, did I miss the turkey part of the story?
:dunno:
That is a sweet looking bow yu've built there Sir.
QuoteOriginally posted by CJ Pearson:
Charlie, did I miss the turkey part of the story?
:dunno:
That is a sweet looking bow yu've built there Sir.
Just hang on for a bit, he'll get to it. ;)
It
is a nice looking tooth-rattler though....
Charlie's stories are always fit for a book. This will be good.
Those Hunter's Heads look familiar, Charlie.
:campfire:
A beauty of a bow!
Really appreciate the story telling via the pictures Charlie uses too. Love the first pic.
What a beautiful bow sir thanks for the story.I have the Hill sickness also.Got rid of my reflex-deflex longbows.Now starting my Hill collection.
Been waiting to hear this story since I got that text a week or so back :campfire:
:campfire:
Charlie you are a treasure. Waiting for more. TD.
Welcome back Charlie! What a beaut!!
Taken to timing your stories with a calendar. All worth the wait.
A few years ago I started my Kansas love affair. What a great place to hunt. My fall hunting for deer started with Tracy inviting me over and I was hooked from the start. There were big bucks everywhere it seemed.
Then an old buddy from Wyoming bought a place in kansas an hour west of Tracy and it is loaded with turkeys.... deer too, but I'm working on that part.
So now each year as the Ide's of March come and go
I find myself preparing for the early April opener of the special kansas archery turkey season.
How cool is that? A special season for bow and arrow turkey.
One thing it seems I can usually count on, besides the warm welcome from Rusty and his lovely wife Rosemary, is some kind of impending weather.
My first year had shown everything from heat wave conditions that found me stripped to my shorts in the pop up blind to killing my second bird of the week in a blowing snow while my little heater glowed red in a corner of my dark nook.
The weather man had told me I could expect the unexpected this time around and he didn't lie.
The first morning started with a routine I will never get use to. I'd screwed up setting my alarm and had just happened to check the time on my watch. Crikies!!! Dawn was damn near breaking and there I lay.
With moves that would have made Superman proud I whirled around into my hunting stuff and out the door I went.
I had a little bit of a walk to make after I parked the truck (Rusty's place is pretty big) and I could here Tom's gobbling from their roosts.
I was racing daylight to be in my blind before the birds started their cackling fly downs.
There was no reason they shouldn't fly down in normal time. Though certainly not a clear morning, it wasn't blustery or wet. I picked up my pace.
I'd set up my blind the afternoon before and as I topped a small rise I spotted 4 two legged figures running into the gray woodline. POOP!!
Why is it when you blow a situation for just a moment you feel like that's the last chance you'll get. I just knew I'd really messed up this time.
As I pulled up the zipper on the blind and entered I felt the camoflaged cloak of invisibility embrace me. I knew the day to come would bring adventure and experiences to put a smile back on my face.
Hush, das comin mon! What kind of seat you using in your blind Charlie?
:campfire:
I didn't have long to wait either. Over the past several years I'd picked out a few habits of the resident birds.
They tend to congregate in a huge roost in the bend of the small creek that bisects the property. Since this is high ground, some would fly off into the bottoms while the rest would make there way in different directions following the myriad of tree lines created by food plots and prairie grass fields.
My blind was situated along one of those corridors and would show me birds whether they responded to my calls or not. It wasn't long before more wandering birds happened by.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/2012ks2hens.jpg)
It all seemed a little slow to my anxious mind but I guess that was just a figment of a greedy imagination. Soon I had more company.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/2012ksstrut.jpg)
I use a seat I got at Sam's Club. Kind of a director's chair with a pretty solid seat, arms and a little table top attached... with a cup holder.
I spend all day in the blind when I'm hunting Rusty's place and portability is not a problem as I don't "run and gun".
Great Start Charlie :thumbsup: :coffee:
:thumbsup:
Now I'm here to tell you that I'm no whiz when it comes to turkey calling. Even though I come from a turkey hunting family and my experience goes back to a time when you might only hear one gobble in a weeks hunting, I can confidently state that I suck.
When my old uncle Truman would here me practicing, he'd just shake his head slowly and say, "boy you need to keep your calls real quiet and not very often. They'll figure out you're a fake too fast as it is".
Not much has changed, so I give an occasional soft yelp or two every half hour or so. When a bird comes it ain't because I charmed him in.
The morning was interesting as they always are in the turkey woods. Cardinals, Blueays and even a crow or two filled in the minutes and hours between birds, but all morning not a gobbler came closer than 50 yards.
Great start Charlie, looking forward to the rest of the story.
I have a plan Charlie, next year I'm going to give you a wake up call maybe that will work better! :bigsmyl:
The new camera is taking great pics buddy.
Tracy
Things are lookin good buddy! :bigsmyl:
What camera didja get?
Great pics and hunt so far :campfire: :coffee:
I love a good longbow story :archer:
:campfire:
QuoteOriginally posted by jonsimoneau:
Charlie's stories are always fit for a book.
:readit:
QuoteOriginally posted by Guru:
Been waiting to hear this story since I got that text a week or so back :campfire:
What?....Charlie has a phone that will text now???
COOL!
love your work charlie keep it coming Thanks Shane
Always stories worth waiting for.
Turkeys and Longbows via a Mr Lamb story .......
Cool ..... slowly told obviously but way cool !
I really hadn't intended this much delay in the telling guys. The day didn't start out all that well.
With a busy schedule I had allotted an hour early this morning. Forty five minutes into it and my computer went into update mode and ate what I had written.
You can imagine that I was quite upset but I had to take the wifey to the Dr. for what should have been an hour procedure. That little foray lasted 4 hours... it was a routine thing so Billie is just fine.
Demands of the shop took up the rest of the afternoon. So here I am and will get on with it.
Kenny... the new camera is a Nikon L120. Pretty nice little point and shoot type camera with a 14 mega pixel ability and limited but simple adjustments.
The day turned out to be a rainy one. Intermittently clear skys with periods of cow whizzin on a flat rock down pours.
Each time I'd let my guard down and relax a little another bird would show up. The rainy spells would bring a nice drop in temperature that would make me pull down into my jacket for added warmth and when I got all cozy warm, I'd catch myself dozing and as soon as I'd nod a little a bird would come strolling by.
Sometimes they'd be clear across the clearing where they seemed to show up the most, but on occasion I'd suddenly have one appear from my blind side.
My first clue might be some small sound but it was just as likely that there'd be a blue head bobbing along withing a few yards of the blind.
Of course I'd instantly be on high alert in case a gobbler was trailing along but it just wasn't turning out that way.
I still had a lot of fun just watching the hens at such close range.
I'd consider shot angles while focusing on particular feathers or pondering timing as they strolled by. Good stuff.
Along about 2 P.M. as I once more sat with jacket pulled over my head dozing a subdued "putt" brought me to attention.
It had come from behind the blind. Behind being the direction I least expected action and the side that of the blind I had buttoned up tight.
Looking all around I could see nothing in front or to the sides of the blind and since I needed to stretch a little anyway, I stood up and turned around.
Pulling the nylon window open just a smidge at the top I peeked out to see two hens standing straight and tall fifteen yards away.
In seconds they turned and ambled away.
I really like the blind I was using and it has become my favorite. It's a Barronet 350 and it's a BIG hub style blind. The center height is a full 80 inches. It's tall enough that a big ole boy like me can stand up and stretch real good.
So after the hens moved off I arched my back and threw my shoulders back working out a couple of kinks as I turned casually around. To my horror what I saw was no less than six jakes at 15 yards and closing.
This was no time for finesse. I plunked my butt down in my chair and grabbed my bow. Sure they weren't big old braggin sized gobblers with paint brush size beards, but they were legal birds and given the chance I was going to get all Fred Eichler on one of them.
There was one in the bunch that seemed a little taller than the others and a little more aggressive. He moved around more in the group than any of the others. I focused on him.
I'd have never gotten away with any of what I'd done to this point if I didn't have the screens up. I haven't gotten totally confident leaving the windows wide open and have become pretty proficient shooting through the screens,so I leave them up
With only a short swing of the bow into position I hit anchor and a split second later the arrow was away.
At the short distance of 10 yards I drove the Simmon's Tree Shark w/bleeder into the wing butt of the broadside bird.
As a group the the young birds raced about 15 yards directly away from the blind and then in unison they made an abrupt left turn and ran into the strip of trees to my left.
In the confusion I lost track of which bird was mine as they trotted through the trees. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of him going down. I wanted it worse than anything, but it didn't happen. I sat alone listening.
It may have been a minute later or it could have been longer or shorter. I don't know for sure. What I did know was that I faintly heard wings flopping.
It was about then that the sky opened up and it got seriously wet out. The rain made a terrific din pelting down on the nylon blind.
I settled in to wait out the deluge. There was no hurry. The strip of trees was less than 30 yards wide and beyond was wide open prairie that had been recently burned off. There was nothing out there taller than 3 inches. If he was dead I'd find him and if not.... well I'd face that outcome when the time came.
It must have rained hard and steady for almost an hour and a half but finally it let up. In a light drizzle I unzipped the blind and set off in the direction the birds had gone.
There was a defined trail where they'd entered the trees. I wasn't aware of it previously, but made note of it now. There had been several birds appear right there and that was the key to that question and another piece of puzzle to add to the memory bank.
As I left the sheltering trees and stepped into the prairie grass stubble I could see a dark object laying in a small swale fifty yards distant.
I knew what it had to be, but I wasn't going to get ahead of myself until I was close enough to make out details.
I was not dissappointed! There in the cold and wet was my jake. Stiff as a board and soaking wet he still looked pretty good to me.
I have to admit that I rushed through the picture taking to spare my camera a wetting. The rain was coming back.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/2012ksjake3.jpg)
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/2012ksjake1.jpg)
(cont.)
Excellent rendition, Charlie. Nice pix as well. Thanks for taking us along.
As always, a great read! Yeah, I'd buy the book :)
Congrats on the bird Charlie!!!!!! Any turkey with a stick is a trophy for sure......it don't matter how long or thick his paint brush is!
Bisch
Sweet! So good to be carried off into your hunting prose again. Good shootin' too Charlie!
Charlie, I always enjoy the mental images from your stories. Congratulations on the hunt and bird!
Congrats Charlie! :campfire:
Nice Bird and story...thanks for sharing your adventure..!...... :thumbsup:
Charlie, Great story and a fine bird. Congrats
With a second permit in my pocket I climbed back in the blind with my prize. There with the rain beating a tune on the roof I took care of the cleaning process and soon had him reduced to various parts.
What was left of the afternoon went by quickly and when the rain finally gave me a break I headed for the truck. Back at the house a hot meal and warm shower brought my aching bones back to reasonable levels.
Rusty and I spent the evening sharing stories and news since last we'd been together.
I was also able to ferret out the alarm clock problem and fix that. Hopefully morning would find me making a more leisurely start to the days hunt.
But I seem to be cursed by alarm clock issues and though the alarm sounded right on time, I didn't hear it. It's electronic "sound" is apparently in a pitch that my impaired hearing doesn't pick up well.
Fortunately I woke on my own. As I picked up the clock to check the time I could hear the pitiful excuse of an alarm. I turned it off in disgust and got ready for another day.
:campfire:
God bless,Mudd :archer:
This morning and the rest of the week I'd be on time. Sitting in the dark I waited for the morning serenade to start.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/2012ksinsideblind.jpg)
Soon the sound of soft clucks came from a distant hen gently waking the flock and not long after that a gobble, discordant and challenging cut through the dark morning air. A full bright moon eased slowly toward the western horizon it's nights work done.
With lots of birds on the farm I had decided I would answer for myself a question I had seen posed on Trad Gang for at least the last couple of seasons.
In my kit I had a pack of Magnus Bullheads. I'd try for a head/neck shot. They should work. After all they flew well and were razor sharp.
I expected a banner day. The sky was clear and a bright sun warmed the blind with it's first rays.
It was well up in the morning before I'd get my chance.
As it turned out this perfect day would show me very few birds but I kept my vigil confidently. Around 10 A.M. a group of hens hove into view from the same the direction as the jakes of the previous day.
In their midst was a lone gobbler. I was ready as they approached my position, slowly feeding along as they came.
The Bullhead is a 3 bladed head and I'd mounted it so that one blade pointed straight down leaving a nice wide "V" which wouldn't interfere with my vision.
At 10 yards the gobbler suddenly broke clear of the surrounding hens. I had the windows open wide. There could be no screen for a shot with this head.
I drew the string to it's familiar anchor, held for just an instant and loosed the deadly shaft at the birds outstretched neck.
I wasn't expecting more! I'll wait impatiently again today :bigsmyl: :notworthy: :campfire:
QuoteOriginally posted by Charlie Lamb:
I drew the string to it's familiar anchor, held for just an instant and loosed the deadly shaft at the birds outstretched neck.
I luv it!! Nobody better :notworthy:
Wow! There's more. You fox.
That sir is an awesome story.. You make me feel like I'm there
:thumbsup:
"At 10 yards the gobbler suddenly broke clear of the surrounding hens. I had the windows open wide. There could be no screen for a shot with this head.
I drew the string to it's familiar anchor, held for just an instant and loosed the deadly shaft at the birds outstretched neck".........
Sometimes I think Charlie sits in his blind thinking up how he's going to "cliff hanger" the Tradgang reader. Charlie sir, you're in a storytelling class by yourself. :thumbsup:
Charlie
You just made my sitting in the airport much more enjoyable. Great story as usual...tippit
Great Story Mr. Lamb. Always enjoy them.RC
For a few min. I wasnt at work any more..........
I was there, in the blind, watching it all unfold!!!!
:thumbsup:
Great stuff Charlie! Congrats on the jake. Looking forward to more. :thumbsup: :clapper:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats and thank you, Charlie! :thumbsup:
Congratulations on the one - or is it two - bird(s). :) Looking forward to the rest of the story.
You seriously should consider writing a book. Something like "Campfire Hunting Stories with....".
Thanks for sharing.
:campfire: :coffee:
:campfire:
:coffee: :cool:
Drats, I was hoping for the conclusion.
Good stuff Charlie.
Congrats on the jake! :campfire: :coffee:
Congrats!
There was a moment of razor clarity as the arrow made contact and then everything was instantly a blur of motion.
Instead of a flopping mortally stricken bird I watched as he raced away with the rest. In just a few steps he and two others were airborne making for tree top height. And then he was gone.
While the last of the hens strode quickly toward the trees, putting in alarm every step of the way, I settled down to try and resolve the confusing events that now filled my head.
Knowing that often what we think we saw and what we actually witnessed are two different things I still felt positive that the arrow had been well shot and had contacted the bird.
I needed the arrow. Perhaps I'd glean some clue from it.
Can't wait to find how this turns out.
I scanned the ground in front of the blind but could not see the wayward arrow. I thought it should be close. I certainly hadn't seen it hanging from the bird as it flew away.
Soon I was scouring the ground inch by inch walking farther from the sight of the hit with each step.
Finally near 30 yards from the blind I came upon the arrow laying behind a burnt cedar which had been left in the field.
One blade was bent back at a 45 degree angle from the others. It was obviously the impact blade. There was no trace of blood or feather on the arrow anywhere.
The blade itself was still razor sharp and showed no dings or dulling as it might from a glancing blow along the ground.
I searched the ground along the path of the departing bird through the open field and into the wood beyond to no avail.
It had been a costly experiment which left a lot of unanswered questions in my mind. Of one thing I was sure. I'd not do that again and would stay with solid body shots.
Though I continued to hunt the remaining days of the hunt the weather deteriorated as did bird sightings.
There would be no more opportunities and all too soon the decoys would be packed away and the blind folded up and slid into it's travel bag.
It was time to go home dry out equipment, sharpen broadheads and regroup.
The Missouri season would soon be starting and I already had plans for that.
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/2012ks3hens.jpg)
:archer:
Thank you for sharing! :notworthy: :campfire:
Well Charlie, as always you pulled it off again; that my friend was a great story (as usual) and a great bird to boot; thank you sir for yet another thrilling ride and another "camp fire get togther"; no one else does it better; God bless;
Oh yea, BTW, those longbows have a "strange" allure to them; approach with highest caution..... :thumbsup:
:campfire:
Charlie, congrats on a good start to your turkey season!
Do you have a picture of the broadhead that let you down?
Two and a wake up for us here in Iowa. Thanks for the story Charlie.
:clapper:
WOW what a hunt Mr. Lamb! Thanks for taking us along on this one :archer:
Dang it bud, that definitely was a costly experiment...sorry it didn't work out!
I've been on the fence to try them for a few years now myself, just never could bring myself to do it.
best of luck to ya in Missouri :archer2:
Great story as always Lamb! Congrats on the Jake.
Congrats Charlie on a great hunt, story and shot. :saywhat:
Awesome read as usual! Congrats on the jake! :thumbsup: :campfire:
Good luck in MO.
Congrats on the Jake and sorry about the Tom!
Thanks for the as usual, great story!
Charlie awesome story thank you for telling it.
:campfire:
Always love these reads. Thanks again Charlie.
:campfire: :clapper:
Thanks as always Charlie!
Great hunt story Charlie and congrats on the Jake.
To realize you finally have a whole book in the works?....priceless.
Man, a guy can't even go turkey hunting himself around here without missing something good! I was off chasing big birds last week and completely missed this one - glad it got brought back up to the top!
Great stuff as always Charlie - another fine chapter for the book :thumbsup:
Thanks Charlie!
Another Awesome Adventure! :thumbsup:
Great stuff Charlie! Congratulations on your jake and good luck on your upcoming hunt.
-Jay
Yeah, I'm glad I didn't miss this either.
Reading this during turkey season is almost too much.
Thanks Charlie.
Lyle
You're a great storyteller Charlie! Congratulations on the jake, and good luck with the Missouri birds. Those Barronett 350 hub blinds are hard to beat! I love mine! :thumbsup:
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin