Bows on the Little Delta and a clarity of thought.

[Flinttim]

John Nail loaned me "Bows on the Little Delta " last Saturday. I have not been able to lay it down and finished it tonight. Glenn wrote a genuine piece of  history here. The book ought to be required reading for any hunter .But that aside , the important thing is , it left me with a clarity I have not had before now.It answered a lot of the "whys" I have accrued over the years. Glenn talks a lot about the belief he has that technology will be a thorn in the side of the hunter that may ultimately be the ruination of all of us.
  As some of you may know, I have been building, shooting and hunting with flintlock rifles for 27 years and served for 7 years on the Board of Directors of the NMLRA. While on that Board we started seeing a "pushback" from various game agencies across America when it came to hunting with muzzleloading arms. The commonly heard view was that when primitive hunting seasons were created what they had in mind was NOT inline rifles with 12X scopes shooting a copper jacketed bullet. Claims of 200 + yard shots were common from the manufacturers. All this caused the DNRs to take a long hard look at game seasons and the weapons used in them.Some outright banned them during primitive seasons and relegated them to use during the "modern " firearms seasons.Technology reared it head and the result was sometimes a change in law.Now let me state this now so that no one is confused. I'm NOT coming down on modern muzzleloaders or modern archery tackle. That is a decison for the person to make, not me. I believe in choice. I'm just saying this is where we find ourselves right now. My concern is will technology in the end hurt all of us ? Glenn makes the point that it won't be animal rights groups who harm us but will be the general public who does it if they percieve that we have somehow gotten an advantage over the game animals. What is the truth and what is percieved to be the truth are often not the same thing. There are fewer of us hunting every year. We are becoming a fast dwindling group.
 The advent of TV shows showing hunters shooting deer at 200 yds, hunters taking a deer from high above with a 300fps bow,State DNRs opening deer seasons up to more and more modern weapons (handguns, centerfire rifles etc) may be giving John Doe Public the idea that killing a deer is easy and in some cases I can't argue the point. Will these perceptions hurt us in the end ? I think they will.
 Anyway, Glenn's book gave me a clear look and understanding on how I want to hunt and be a part of the ecosystem. My flintlocks and longbows allow me to partake in what Glenn called a "walk in the woods". It occured to me that I have two deer stands up in the woods on the farm every year but to date have only shot one deer from a stand in my life!
 The book is a great read and if you have not read it, please do. You won't regret it.

[Cherokee Scout]

I read this book at least once a year. It brings back so many memories of the past and growing up dreaming about hunting in Alaska.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

"What is the truth and what is perceived to be the truth are often not the same thing."
An old friend once told me, "If the wife perceives  your are messing around, it really doesn't matter what the truth is, you must be prepared to deal with it" I believe that applies quite accurately here..
I agree the book is great.

[AkDan]

Tim,

Good stuff!

Btw I may end up having a few questions for you on building flinters.  Doing a pair of 10ga fowlers here as we speak.

[Flinttim]

Glad to help if I can Dan

[mike hall]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I purchased the book some time ago and haven't read it just yet. I think I'll start tonight.

[AkDan]

you know.  I had the good fortune to spend time with Glenn in the beginning of oct 02 when I was returning to Alaska from a WY elk hunt.   The museum was still there and definatly one of those heros you appreciate even more after speaking too face to face.

But I always wonder, is he still going?   We never hear anything now that the museum is closed and I've lost touch with a buddy in seattle who is friends with the St Charles family.  I'd like to take time this spring to stop by again or maybe this fall if I'm so lucky to head south and rooster hunter again this fall.  

Anyone know?

[d. ward]

Hey Dan,I was up at Glenn's house last sunday.He bought a new home about 1/4 mile north of the old archery shop...He's doing fine.Looked great and as always sharp as a tac in a conversation.My wife and I hung out for a couple hours..and just had a blast talking old archery stuff with Glenn and Robert.Beleave this or not you guys..this is no joke,last saturday we were supposed to meet at Glenn's house to pick up his bow..But he called me and said,I am going to the flee market to look for some old bows,how's about you guy's come over on sunday..If you can beleave that,at 96 years old he's out scrongeing old bows on saturday...He's doing great...bowdoc

[Abel]

For the average hunter, hunting and killing game with a compound is a very major achievement. I cannot stress enough how much my first compound kill meant to me as hunter. The compound, for 95% of those hunting with them, still requires that you close the deal within 45 yards. That's danger close, and anyone who can trick a public-land deer into roaming that close to a stinky human is doing good work. The comparison between inline black-powder and sidelock black-powder is not the same as recurve bow versus compound bow. With a compound, your talking about a twenty-five yard gain in range for most hunters. With an inline, you extend your range by a hundred yards or maybe even 125 yards if you are Jim Shockey. Not a fair comparison IMO. The real danger to humans in general is their loss of interest in the land, specifically woodcraft and agriculture. People think that meat comes from butcher and corn comes from a shelf at the grocer. If youve ever grown any corn worth eatin' or ever raised hogs for meat, you know that ain't reality. The same thing can be applied accross the board in almost every case. People live in a comfort zone where propane or nuclear power heats their home. As I type this, I am drenched with sweat from splitting red oak for the fireplace. I know exactly where my heat came from, I split the wood. But for most folks, its a simple turn of a dial and mailing a check for the bill. We are indeed a prosperous people! There are always downfalls to prosperity, and laziness happens to be one of them. Look how fat we all are! Even the homeless folks that I see in downtown Raleigh are healthy lookin' enough. Its just a phase and we'll return to our more survivalistic instincts once times are hard again....and they will get hard again. Maybe not for mand you, but maybe for our grandchildren. Its up to us to pass on agriculture and woodcraft, to ensure their survival if that happens.

[Labs4me]

My wife and I met Glenn at his shop in '93. Just a peach of a guy and an experience we will always treasure. Purchased his book as soon as it was released and found it to be entertaining, informative and thought provoking.

45 yards? 45 YARDS? Danger close? Good work? Gimme a break. Are we talking 30-30s or bows here?

In the eyes of anti-hunters and non-hunters, to the people that Glenn believes will ultimately decide our fate,  perception is reality. The truth is irrelevant as long as non-hunters and anti-hunters out number hunters by 10 to 1. Doesn't matter how I perceive compounds, laser sights, trigger releases, scent-lok- whatever. If you need the stuff to get within the "danger close" range of 45 yards from a deer - have at it.  Laser sight and trigger release manufacturers have to feed their families too. But understand that non-hunter and anti-hunters perceive compound bowhunters and all their related gadgets as wildlife mercenaries.

Perfect example. At about exit #136 on I-75 just north of Flint, MI there is (or was, for well over a year) an extra large billboard which depicts a deer with a broadhead-tipped carbon arrow sticking out of both sides of its body. It also depicts a compound bowhunter, dressed like a soldier, sights on his bow, the whole ball of technological wax. Now, Michigan is one of the biggest, if not the biggest hunting State in our nation with about 1.1 million sportsman. The "rest of the story" is,  Michigan also is home to about 9 million non-hunters and anti-hunters. So do you think- as Glenn has asked us to do - that an oversized billboard on Michigan's busiest highway, which depicts a compound bowhunter shooting a broadhead-tipped arrow through a deer will have a positive or negative influence on Michigan's 9 million non-hunting voters?

Oh- the catchy Carbon Express billboard phrase reads, "Send it express!".

Perception is reality. But even my wife who was raised on a cattle farm and has hunted since she was a kid thought the add was "disgusting" and in poor taste. So how do you think Michigan's 9 million non-hunters who think that beef comes from the supermarket are going to react to this depiction of the modern bowhunter? What perception of bowhunters do you think voting non-hunters will pull away from a billboard such as this? Do you think that non-hunters are able to distinguish between "traditionalists" and compound bowhunters?

[Flinttim]

My point exactly.Matter not to me if you are hunting with a 30-30, 44 mag, compound, or stickbow and muzzleloader. The point is the message sent.I think that's what Glenn was getting to. I'm not bashing anyone and if it's legal and ethical have a good time at it.
Myself, I make a point to carry an extra pair of jeans and an old coat in my van during deer season. If I've had a good day and took a deer and want to stop on the way home for a warm meal, I change clothes. I don't need to be sitting in a restaurant in camo, blood on it from the field dressing and carry out. I'm not trying to impress anyone in the joint , just being mindful of what some folks may think and how they look upon hunters.
 Every hunter must decide what his "threshold " is where the public image is concerned. Some will say "to hell with 'em, I can do as I please". Fine but if and when public pressure starts to infringe upon us, remember that.
 I know of hunters who have taken upwards of 20 deer per year and in some states I know of hunters who have taken way more than that. Now in those states there is an overpopulation of deer and they need to be thinned, but unless your Escalade just had $10g in damages done to it by a deer crossing the highway, the public might say you are being a glutton and should be cut back on the number you can take. What the biologist says and what we know means very little to them. It's the perception they have.Outside of our hunting buddies, those numbers would better be kept to ourselves.
 Some woman that is against a new coal fired power plant being built in her area was on the radio recently. She attributed EHD to global warming and coal smoke. Now we know better but the average Joe listening that day likely bought into it.Remember, misinformed people vote, lemming like people vote. Our fight in the future does not have to be against anti hunting people only. We will be hit from all quarters.