just wanted to give a better detail of my gear that i used and some more of the story. i got back and got settled. Some have you may have seen the short story in the previous thread.
My list of gear for this hunt was all FL native materials. The Bow is of my Aboriginal style, not like my normal fancy bows with tip overlays and such. this one is made of FL native Pop Ash, using only hand tools. it's roughly 60# @ 25". if you notice the wraps on the lower limb by the tip, after thousands of shots, the string finally wore through the wood and split the limbs while i was taking some practice shots on the hunt. luckily i brought some sinew along for just such an emergency. in short order i had it shooting again.
The arrows i made from FL privet, nice little hardwood shoots that have a bunch of knots but work down easy enough. the feathers are Oceola turkey feathers wrapped with real sinew. and the points I knapped from FL chert. Some are Pinellas style and others are Bolen (corner notch style. the points themselves arverage about 50 grains. the arrows average 620 grains.
I also knapped a hand knife to use. it as well is out of FL chert and very sharp.
The quiver, i made from bark from FL swamp native, Loblolly Bay. I peeled it early spring so it peeled off nice. a piece of the bay tree as a plug in the bottom and lined with Bobcat fur also from FL.
I had a few back up river cane arrows as well in case i ran low on privet (http://images.imagelinky.com/1339190210.jpg) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1339190243.jpg) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1339190278.jpg) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1339190302.jpg) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1339190326.jpg)
the full moon was really messing us up i think. But we at got some action in. I didnt loose and arrow on any game until the final day...but i got plenty of shooting the final day. no misses though! I shot a raccoon through both shoulders at 8 yards but it some how had the strength to climb up a large live oak tree before dieing..so i didnt get to retrieve it because it didnt fall out. then after some talking and eating of grapefruits, Dax and I went for a little walk along the wood line. a group of little pigs jumped out of some grass and scrambled. Instinct took over without a single thought. it was definitely the hunter instinct as i drew an arrow from my quiver, nocked it, and dropped the string, all in about 10 seconds. the pig was quartering away and i was hoping to slip it in behind the last rib and up into the vitals but instead hit right on the ham and came out just behind the opposite shoulder. we gave it plenty of time, but found it dead in about 100 yards, plenty of followable blood. I will be the first to admit that its not a very big pig- 30-35 pounds, but it's going to be excellent eating (and was...lol) and it's still a stone kill with my Native Florida equipment I made, so I am more than satisfied. especially given the moon and heat conditions. then that evening about 1\\2 hour before dark, I spied ANOTHER coon walking in, it actually snooped under my stand for a little bit but i let it get out to about 6 yards before i shot. I broke one shoulder and came out the neck. It looked like the cartoons as it ran into a bush. I couldnt see the coon but the coon was roaring and the bush was shaking. then it popped out and took off through the orange grove, not wanting another blood trail, i gave it a follow up shot from behind at the base of the skull. I am about as pleased with the coon as i am with the hog..lol I shot it with the same Florida native gear i Made. all in all, we sure had a great time. anytime in the woods with friends is bound to be a great time. Jim provides genuine hunts, they aren't the "ring the dinner bell and they come running hunts". these are real wild pigs, not stocked and fenced. He has plenty of pigs around and is a real pleasure to hunt with him. Truth be told, I am not normally a feeder hunter, but i did hunt feeders since the moon was bad for us, but when it came down to it, I did get my pig the way I wanted, on the ground and in the bush. funny how things work out the way you want them to. - Ryan (http://images.imagelinky.com/1339190404.jpg) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1339190428.jpg) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1339190451.jpg)
piggy spent 9 hours in the crock pot with potatoes and lots of onions and seasoning. It proved to be delicious..except now i want a few more! dont look too long. looking at a fellers dinner plate is as bad as looking at his woman! (http://images.imagelinky.com/1339190516.jpg)
Sweet!
wow! every bit of that is just fantastic! thanks for sharing!
That is what I'm talking about! That is primative archery at it's best. Not many modern hunters have accomplished what you have done. Congrats! :notworthy:
speechless! Very nice work
Very nice make your own stuff and then dinner, can't get any better.
Very impressive. BTW, who do you root for in college sports? LOL.
Very Nice!
Nice! How'd the coon taste? :D
thanks guys
Mike- i root for Florida State. Im a garnet and gold all the way
didnt eat the coon. had full intentions on it in but it was a rank ol boar coon and was also the last night of the hunt. threw the whole thing in the cooler. saved the skin but didnt want to eat it after it layed with the guts in it. next younger I get I will be happy to eat it
Nice going Ryan. And Go Noles!
FSU Class of 83
Great pics Ryan, we'll have to get after them again real soon!
Jim Dussias
True South Adventures Inc.
Go Blue!
:notworthy:
Cool deal! I just got a new all wood bow and want to take a critter with a stone point.
Congrats!
Bisch
Wow awesome gear! Thanks for sharing photos and your story. Very cool! :)
Really, really impressive - and a truly deserved meal!
Great job and story!
Dan
Very impressive
Thats too cool .Real impressive like others said.
Congrats! Thats some pretty work.
Congrats.Thanks for sharing... :thumbsup:
Those point look sweet....
And that is a nice eatin size Piggy....
Next time throw a couple of carrots in the pot too....LOL
Badass!
Badass!
I guess you could say the raccoon was...
...stone dead.
Yeah, I went there.
Thats amazing. You have some real talent there bud
Thanks for sharing. Impressive!
Pure class!
Congrats!
awesome stuff. well done. hmmm....meat and potatoes!
Congratulations. We are looking for ward to our hunt with Jim next Feb.
thanks much fellas
The self built equipment alone would have been enough to impress me....
Thanks for sharing and my hats off to you, Sir!
Nice equipment there and congrats. Thanks for the inspiration. I just bought a pile of stone points at a primitive skills gathering and am planning to shoot them from my Osage bow by Glenbo. Thanks for the pics.
that is cool!!!!!!
eheheeh , niiice!
Super cool..........
That's amazing, I'm always impressed by the skill and patience of primitive hunters....congratulations :notworthy:
That is really cool right there...
CONGRATS!!!!!! :bigsmyl:
Nice job - thanks for posting!
love it...excellent job. thanks for sharing!
kris