My family and I made our first and not our last trip to OJAM. Now coming from Wyoming where if I were to see a dozen selfbows in one year it would be memorable, this was an eye opening event. You have to think WY has around half a million people. The archery community is made up mostly, what there is of dark side archers. So even trad shooters are a very small piece of the population, now think selfbows. Last year I made my fist trip to a trad only shoot, I was very impressed. Well OJAM was almost unbelieveable even seeing with my own eyes. It had been raining so getting my trailer on site was a no go. My family camp near Ripley OK not far from the site. Friday my daughter and granddaughter and I went in spent several hours just enjoying the sites of all that yellow wood being worked on. Everywhere you look were people either carrying around their selfbows or working on selfbows or selling selfbows and staves. I would say over one hundred people were camped on the site in mostly tents and another hundred or so were coming and going. Several venders on site, but mostly it was about making bows. Everywhere you looked were people working on bows, at the stations set up by OJAM officals, at venders tents and even in campsites. Osage staves were bring top price so all you saved was shipping buying on site but folks were still buying up the staves. And the kids bow give away made my granddaughters milleum.
Anyway here are some pictures of the festivities.
One of the bow building stations where Yellow Hats will help and give pointers
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Another station
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A seminar on bow bending with heat. Lots of how to's durning the day.
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Some of the venders.
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These guys had osage and laying on the ground is Kentucky coffee bean. They also had some great scrapers that I bought a couple of. You can never have enough scarpers
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More in a minute
The kids bow give away is something to see. The kids are given tickets so they know how many kids and how many bows. The ratten bows are tillered rough on a belt sander. You would have thought that these were the best gift under the Christmas tree the kids. Didnt matter how rough the bows were.
Look at all the dust on the ground under these guys as they work hard to keep up with the demand.
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My granddaughter with her ticket she was giving it some good mojo.
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Here she is carring it slung like my daughter
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On Saturday after the bow give away we went and shot a round.
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Already a hotdog
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Enjoyed your post. Looks like your granddaughter had a "pretty good time". You just might have a hunting partner there. Congrats and God Bless you and yours. :thumbsup:
The other reason for the trip was to meet up with an old friend. Steve and I were station together here in WY years back. He went off to Korea and ended up getting out of the military and we lost contact. Last year our interest in making bows his fiberglass with some selfbows, and of course my selfbow making got us back talking of phone. He kepted offering me a chance at a hog and "some bow wood" just had to come visit. So I put the OJAM trip together with a vist to Steve's. Now the hog hunting was a no go this trip but the bow wood was well worth the trip in and of itself. Steve has bult a beautiful home on a wooded ridge near Chelsea OK. In building his new home he had to remove some wood. Also I met his good friend Woodie, who buy the way is a master at the osage D-bow. Anyway a good friendship was reignighted, a new friend was made plans for a hog hunt were put in place, hogs were tearing up Woodie's yard just off the back poarch, and I drove away with enough wood to keep me busy for...well awhile.
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That is Steve on the right and his good friend Woodie and the billets he gave me.
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Here it is on my garage at home. Far left I think is hackberry, then mullberry, bunch of hickory, then osage billets, then osage staves. The ones on the far right are very old osage.
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I am not saying all of this will make a bow but when you come from a bow wood desert beggers are not choosey. Any way the hickory if not bow wood will make some good BBQ.
Anyway thanks for checking out my OJAM trip. Now on the bucket list is the Tennessee Classic and MOJAM.
Jack, thanks for posting. Woodie is also a master at making primitive arrows out of river cane and dogwood. Glad you enjoyed your time in Oklahoma.
Yes you are correct, his arrows were perfection, and his knapping ability is equally beautiful. I could learn a lot, and hope to on my next visit. I left him with some ND knife river flint to work on.
Jack,I am glad you had such a great time there,I know how much dedicated you are and to meet so many guys sharing their self bow making must have been really refreshing for you.
Looks like a good trip and nice to meet an old friend!
Sticks, strings, and kids what more could you ask for :-)
It's a hoot now aint it!
Nice Jack! One trip I'll have to make for sure!
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing Jack, great time and pics. Hope to see you here in Greeley for trad shoot. April 4th.
Looks like fun!
Hi Felix yes it was refreshing, I can sometimes feel like the odd ball but going to OJAM reminds me others are out there.
Hey Whittler you wouldn't happen to be near Ashland would you that's my fathers home town
Robert yes it was a "hoot"
Mat when you are ready you could not find a better venue to learn building a selfbow. Well maybe my shop with some adult beverages and meals by Sharon
Britt if nothing changes will see you at the shoot
Jack, I'm sorry that I missed meeting you there. I'm glad that you had such a good time, though. I've been going for a few years now and always have a fantastic time, and each time I meet new friends and get to know other members better. I was able to meet some fellow tradgangers this time, that I had not previously met. Tim from Farr West Leathers, Mark Baker, and Walt Francis. I also enjoyed getting to know Gordon Jabben better this year. When I get some internet going at the house, I'll upload some pix that my girlfriend took, and share some more.
Again, I'm glad you made it, and hopefully I'll get to meet with you the next time.
Thanks for sharing . :campfire:
Jack,
Thanks for sharing the pictures, looks like a great time.