HH bug got me ... Part One!

[turkey-lurkey]

Originally posted by pavan:
The congrats should go to the mom who gave us the country baby. So mom, where did you come up with a name like turkey lurkey? The Hill quiver is ordered and the arrows are in the mail.

"Turkey lurkey, da Christmas birdie." Muppets of course.  :p

[MikeNova]

I can't spell ment to say 1920's and 30's era not area. If my shooting ability matched my typing ability I would die from starvation.

[swampthing]

Worked up to 60yds on 3 feeding deer. Just couldn't get that last 20-30yds closer to where I'd be able to pick a lane to shoot through. Thick stuff. Tried the Papua New Guinea approach, approaching side on, only moving when not looked at, when moving, move as slow as a melting wax statue! about an 1hr or so to get from 80yds to 60yds. No appreciable cover, and busted at 60yds. Man, starting to think whitetails are spookier than open prarie type deer.  Pretty sure it's not my waxed, high gloss finish.

[Nate Steen .]

Swamp.....act like a tourist, a farmer, a suburbian lawnmower...anything but a sneaky, creepy lurking hunter.  That body position spells predator to an animal that lives by interpreting body language.  I've been testing my theory on body language during stalking for two years now...  try it on your dog, who recognizes and loves you.... walk up normally to your dog, making sure he/she knows who you are, then when you are about 20 feet away, crouch down, act scary, extend your arms, act menacing without making any noises and 99% of the time, you dog will act completely unnormal, ie. scared, barking etc....

wild animals that have some association with humans are reading us like they read other animals.  If we act nonchalant, casual, looking the other way, it's amazing how close we can get to them.  This year I walked by a doe twice within 10 yards...bedded.  She thought she was hidden and I acted casually and like I didn't see her, making no eye contact.  the plaid shirt and waxed bow didn't make her even move one inch.

[Ben Maher]

Don ...
I shoot a variety of weight ranges out of my Hills and Hil style bows but generally between 9-11gns per pound . I also find that they are more tolerant of spine than many would have us believe and I can stil get relatively good accuracy with a 10-15 spine difference ... but when I want to shoot 'heavy arrows' I use ash and they are WAY heavier than my cedars and spruce but still the same spine . They sue do whack the bales with a bump but also drops like wet logs past 25 yards.....

[Don Lampkins]

Thanks for your answers. I've had some ash and hickory. I like the heavy arrows to.

[Okie man]

I like heavy arrows and was a little disappointed in the doug firs I bought. They are not as tough or heavy as I expected. I have seen some ramin shafts that are supposed to be heavy and tough. Does anyone here have experience with ramin arrows and how do they compare to ash or hickory?

[Rik]

Nate has it right.

I have two Decker Terriers. Killer dogs. One of my friends calls them "Murder" and "Mayhem." Suffice it to say, they are tough, tough hunter/killers.

If they are across the yard or across the field and I ever-so-slightly crouch and lower the top of my head and look at them through the top of my eyes (kinda looking through my eyebrows) they go full kill and do not recognize me at all. I am a threat and they bare fangs and charge to the attack. It's not a game, they are dead serious.

I've done this hundreds and hundreds of times from the time they were pups and every time they see me as a threat and go full kill. If you have serious hunting terriers, you know what I mean by full kill.

They simply recognize the body posture and lowered head gaze of a predator, and, like wolves, they do not tolerate other predators in their presence.

Deer and elk and antelope recognize the same posture/look of the eyes, and react in their own way.

Once, while elk hunting on the Continental divide, a friend and I stumbled upon several mule deer bucks while elk hunting. I whispered to my friend to just act like we weren't interested, and we slowly walked at a slight angle while I cow called softly.

After  about 15 slow calm yards, the bucks went back to feeding. I kept cow calling and we kept slowly moving. At about 30 yards, my friend drew his bow and killed a nice buck. The photo is on the cover of one of the issues of Instinctive Archer Magazine.

You will know which one when you see the guy in the red plaid jacket. Yep, 'Ol Nate would be proud-my friend shot that buck wearing a red plaid jacket. (It was cold as Hell and were were freezing our buns off!). To this day, That is my number one favorite of all the pictures I have taken.

I have also stalked in close to animals that know I am there by simply bending over and pretending I am feeding on brush or grasses. Amazing but true. One slight bit of crouch or looking at them with a lowered (sneaky) head and they would have been out of there immediately.

I could add to Nate's post as well. One fall I did not have a turkey tag. I had a large group pass by me while I was exposed on a stool and wearing no camo. As they passed by some as close as ten yards, I could swear I heard things like "good morning, nice day, hows it going". The turkeys the other day picked me out of a bush from 60 yards away fulling camoed up and wearing a headnet. Perhaps they have xray vision and can tell if there is a turkey tag in my billfold or not. Then again there was that ten pointer opening day that watched me shoot twice at two squirrels only 30 yards away and he did not duck into cover until I went for a broadhead.

[Ben Maher]

I agree .
I have often taken game by using my most important hunting tool ... ' feigned nonchalence '.
As John Schulz says ... don't look 'em in the eye !

Once, years ago when talking to John on the phone my wife heard me repeat that same thing from John. The next time out hunting while sitting on her stool, she stared at her boots while a doe walked to within a few yards of her and she shot her first of a good number of deer. When anyone asked how she does it without a blind or a tree stand, she just says 'don't look at the deer, look at your boots.' I do about the same, keep the deer in my side vision, then when the time is right, swing up the bow pick a spot and release all in one rather fast motion. It works best with longbows.

[cahaba]

A couple of years ago I had a little 4 point sneek right upon me. The wind was blowing and moving everthing around. He was looking dead at me at 15 yards. I just closed my eyes and kept still. He just put his head down and slowly walked off. So yea never look any animal in the eyes is solid right.

[JohnI]

I agree with Nate on arrow weight. I shoot 8 to 9 gpp out of all my Hill style longbows, including the beautiful new White Eagle I just got from Nate. Hand shock has never been an issue they are all dead in the hand. I think heavy arrows just mask other problems, but to each their own.

[tradlongbow]

I agree guys, if they see you looking there off. Don't look'em in the eyes.

Darren

[Mudd]

I absolutely love this thread!

Thanks to all who share the love of a long deep cored bow for sharing your experience and knowledge with us.

Keep the wisdom flowing...I know for a fact I can put it to use.

God bless,Mudd

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Rik:
... Once, while elk hunting on the Continental divide, a friend and I stumbled upon several mule deer bucks while elk hunting. I whispered to my friend to just act like we weren't interested, and we slowly walked at a slight angle while I cow called softly.

After  about 15 slow calm yards, the bucks went back to feeding. I kept cow calling and we kept slowly moving. At about 30 yards, my friend drew his bow and killed a nice buck. The photo is on the cover of one of the issues of Instinctive Archer Magazine.

You will know which one when you see the guy in the red plaid jacket. Yep, 'Ol Nate would be proud-my friend shot that buck wearing a red plaid jacket. (It was cold as Hell and were were freezing our buns off!). To this day, That is my number one favorite of all the pictures I have taken. ...

[Molson]

I have to agree that heavy arrows can mask problems in a bow that should not exist.  I just really like to shoot the heavyweight though.  I like the feel of the release and "push" from the limbs on a heavy arrow followed by a satisfying thud on impact.  

Eye contact, body language, and also that sixth sense of predator/prey relationship absolutely exists.  Anyone who says otherwise hasn't spent much time around animals!

[Steve Clandinin]

Roy,Your so right.I don't think there has ever been a more informative thread on hill style bows with such a wealth of knowledge for beginners and oldtimers alike.Kudus to all for making this happen .I know how much I've learned from this thread.

[toddster]

Well had two nice bucks come in on my last night, and after watching them come close to within 18 yards, I swunt my sunset hill longbow up.  Put tension on the string pulled the buttery limbs back almost to anchor, as my fingers was about to touch anchor the buck ran off after his twin.  I swung with him, and touched my anchor and like a rifle the projectile was away.  I would of had a great shot on the buck if only it would of made a pass thru on the tree.  Seriously, just caught the edge of the tree as he ran by.  Was a great hunt to me, no meat but still fun.

[tradlongbow]

Todd-

That's happened to me before when I was shooting at a hog. But that is a perfect example of what Howard Hill and John Schultz has always said about being able to draw and shoot on a animal from different postions with a longbow. The longbow gives you a lot of flexiability when out in the woods hunting. If that tree wasn't there I'm sure it would have been a pass-thru.

Darren