After a very enjoyable bow season, though full of misses down this way in South Florida I had a moment of weakness and convinced myself that instead of commiting myself to near daily practice as I had the last three years and failed to do this past summer. I was going to buy a compound and solve ALL my problems!
Well, I tried to overlook the plain ugliness of the things and the complexity. Can't do a dang thing to these monstrosities. I tried today to adjust the draw length. Cobbled together a ( what I thought) was a pretty good system to press the limbs so I could change the tiny little screw from one hole to another and just as I about had it, The whole thing blew up on me. My ingenious ratchet strap affair slid down the limb with great velocity and violence and I trapped my thumb between the riser and the ratchet strap.Blood everywhere! LOTS of pain! End result
   
A trip to the ER where I got a shot of lidocane with a needle 3 foot long and at least 3 inches in diameter( I HATE needles) 3 nice stitches and I got to explain to every nurse and doctor that I was an idiot and that I would be sticking to my longbow from here on out.
       

Several things come to mind. Early in my life my father told me.

"Just remember these 7 little words.If your DUMB, ya gotta be tough"

My loving wife told me while we were waiting in the ER that I could shoot those things if I wanted to but they were just ugly and had no soul like the many trad bows I've brought into the house in the last few years.
I've also relized that I just have to re-commit myself to the practice that is needed to stay proficient with trad equipment. I could come up with a bunch of excuses as to why I didn't this summer but that is all they would be, excuses...

So, I'm back! I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive my straying from the path but I am now back on the straight and narrow. The simple and satisfying joy of seeing an arrow fly true, knowing that it was ME that made it happen. Not a bunch of gadgetry.
Thanks for reading this long diatribe but I had to share....
Brad
   

Mods, if the picture of whats left of the C bow is too much let me know and I'll happily delete it

Glad to hear you're okay.  Sorry about your thumb.  And nice pig.  Hope you heal with no side affects.

-Jeremy  

Them machines can sure bite ya. Welcome home.

What were you thinking....LOL     Do I have to come down there and take that Kanati back!! I hope you get well quickly and you get back in the woods shortly!!

Glad it was only stitches. Looks like it could'a been broken easily too.

Sometimes in order to recognize evil you need to see it. I hope the mods leave the photo as a reminder of the wonderful simplicity and efficiency our stick bows are.

Sorry about the thumb; but welcome back!

Sorry to hear of your travails. Sometimes wandering off the path is a good reminder of why you took it in the first place.

Welcome back!    

Welcome back!! You'll heal!!!      

Welcome back         Straight Shooting    

Nothing to forgive, I think many of us including myself started with a compound.

Great to have you back, Trad bows are full of soul and so are the one's who shoot them. Keep enjoying.

       

Man the last pic sure is a sight for sore eyes after viewing the first one!!!  Congrats on the pig!!

Stray not to the dark side, for only anguish and mechanical trappings you will find.

Sorry to hear about the injury Brad.

I know it's heresy on this site, but compounds are ok.    Just let a tech adjust it for you.   Recurves and LB's are so simple and that's why I love them so much....they're just brace height and nock point and that's it.

welcome back.

Ouch that's rough!  I once clamped my compound with a pair of wood clamps so I could twist the string to adjust for stretch and to line up my peep sight, I felt like I was working on a live bomb or something!

Thank god it didn't go wrong for me, after seeing this post I don't think I'll do that again.

Welcome back. Had bigger cuts on my eyeball! Joke son. Thumb knuckle looks like elephant foots though. Break it? Glad you made it partner. Not what you hunt with...but how you prefer.

Don't feel too bad, looks to me like you would need a degree in quantum physics to work on that. Yep you don't have to take a trad bow to the PRO shop to change a string. A guy at work had a pic he said was his fathers thumb he had it sticking up above the stock on a cross bow when he shot it, looked painful.

Thanks for the sympathy and support guys. Thumbs not broken but theres a nice chip out of the bone that the doc said there wasn't much could be done about it. Pretty sore today but I'm still able to shoot.
Spending the afternoon tuning some new arrows for the Kanati and getting reacquainted with her.

Thanks again
Brad