Poke n Hope

Jim now in Kentucky · July 05, 2008, 10:55:00 PM

Just wanted to tell you all that if any of you break your arrows at the rendezvous, I'll fix them free. I'll be set up as usual but this year, bring me any arrows that break near the point and I'll fix them.

(Sorry, I can't do buckets of arrows you bring from home!)

Jim Davis

Osagetree · July 06, 2008, 07:10:00 AM

A very nice gesture!

Huntrdfk · July 06, 2008, 10:08:00 AM

I'll be there Jim, but alas, any of my broken arrows will be carbon......

I still have some wood arrows that I have repaired using your footings, and would not hesitate using them again.

David

Kevin L. · July 06, 2008, 12:12:00 PM

See ya there, Jim. I'm due to break a couple, got out on the Spring shoot with no arrows missing, none broken, a rarity to me.

George Tsoukalas · July 06, 2008, 07:24:00 PM

Great, Jim. LOL. I may need you. Jawge

Kevin L. · July 09, 2008, 03:03:00 PM

TTT for a great weekend. If you come, be sure to stop by at the vendor area and say "Hi!". I'll have the table with the bamboo flyrods and guiding service.

Orion · July 09, 2008, 08:09:00 PM

Jim: Your footings work very well. I've got a lot of stumping arrows with them on now. Gave new life to a lot of arrows I would have had to chuck otherwise.

Huntrdfk · July 09, 2008, 08:30:00 PM

Looking forward to meeting you Kevin, I'll be sure to stop by.

David

Bill Carlsen · July 10, 2008, 07:56:00 AM

This whole crew will be there. Huntrdfk...maybe we will finally touch base with each other. It's a great shoot and there's lots to do in Freeport. LL Bean has a great outdoor concert at 7:30PM on Sat. Bring your own seat.

Huntrdfk@Work · July 10, 2008, 10:38:00 AM

Absolutely Bill, Hunter and I will be camping on site, we plan on getting there sometime around 11-12 tomorrow. I'll be driving a silver GMC Sierra with the TradGang sticker in the back window.

See you there,

David

eidsvolling · July 10, 2008, 10:40:00 AM

Posted a note in the Event thread which I'll repeat here. I'll be there for Saturday only. Hope to match some more faces to names! (EDIT: This face will arrive in an orange Element with canoe rack. I'll be toting and shooting a 65-year-old longbow.)

Charlie

VTer · July 10, 2008, 04:28:00 PM

Hey Bill, that picture looks like it was taken in Jonesville, VT. What year?

Bill Carlsen · July 10, 2008, 05:11:00 PM

Gregg: You are right. It was last month....great course but the weather was very warm. Our motel had a pool and we used it.

Kevin L. · July 11, 2008, 08:42:00 AM

TTT

VTer · July 11, 2008, 04:17:00 PM

We were camped right across the road from there, over by the chain link fence on the other end of the gun range. I remember seeing George, but nobody else from that picture. You must have been in that pool alot!

frassettor · July 11, 2008, 04:19:00 PM

Fantastic thing todo...My hats off to you sir

eidsvolling · July 12, 2008, 09:23:00 PM

Here's an interim report from the first full day (Saturday) -- the only day I could attend.

Long version: This was my first Poke and Hope and I suspected it would be fun from reading about it. Was I ever wrong. "Fun" is a puny, almost pejorative, term to describe this fantastic event. Three separate, 20-target 3-D courses, in thick woods, just like what I hunt in. Animals ranged from bull elk and bull caribou, down through several black bears and whitetails, a pronghorn, a cougar, a wolverine (!), coyotes, porcupines, woodchuck (who must'a been lost in those thick woods . . . ), and most devilish of all -- a squirrel six feet off the ground and no backstop.

I missed a chance to shoot at "Turbo Hog" -- a boar on a cable. Good thing -- top two Hog shooters were Luke and Eli, brothers notorious for their success at local shoots. Winner was Luke . . . . the twelve year old; he's the older one!

Fabulous people on the courses and behind the scenes. Good, cheap eats, including a "lobstah dinnah" for $13.00, $20.000 with two lobsters. Primitive camping galore, including a full-size teepee brought by its owner, a guy who was flinging a dart from an atlatl later in the day.

Short version: If you have any chance to attend this event and you don't, you're nuts.

Bill Carlsen · July 13, 2008, 03:40:00 PM

Gregg: While we were there we mostly shot. It was so hot that when we got finished it would have been uncivilized to socialize...sorta! We actually didn't see too many people hanging around but we did watch the 100 yard elk shoot off. Next year we will wear nametags.

Huntrdfk · July 13, 2008, 05:28:00 PM

We had a wonderful time.......Charlie, you missed a course, Course "D" was another 20 target course that wound around behind the tipi. Was great to finally meet you and Laura Bill, Hunter and I have already got the green light to go next month, I'll be in touch soon.

Today Hunter won the youth arial shoot with his "Team Pink" arrows, receiving a Rhinehart field target for his efforts.

Besides the target range and novelty shoots, Hunter and I ended up shooting six courses over the two days, we pulled into the driveway and he starts shooting again!

Great shoot, and if you get a chance to go you should.

David

Billy · July 13, 2008, 07:19:00 PM

Being the "foriegner" at the shoot; was a cool thing!
I posted a thread about Greenland,NH and wound up in Freeport Maine. Courtesy of a couple of Trad Gangers.
This is a place I will be trying to return to. The people, the ranges, the food, the atmosphere was ALL GOOD !
That squirrel did get a few puncture marks; but the Caribou had a few laffs...
I shot A,B and D. "B", twice. Thanks to Tony, Bob, Chuck and Martin for taking me along.
Art,Shellie and Kent; made for lively travels partners....even when we were hunting for Cabela's :D
Any and all who can, should try to do this shoot, even if; for the one day; as I was lucky enough to have the chance to do!
Thanks Again, All.