Home Grown Hunting Equipment for 2006/07 (UPDATE - Nov. 5th, 2006)

[Osagetree]

I would like to share with you all my homegrown hunting equipment that I will be using to harvest a whitetail with this, 2006/07 Ohio hunting season.

Hopefully, I will build all my gear from materials found localy and show you the process as I go along from gathering materials in 2005 & 2006 till I harvest some meat in early October 2006.

This is niether a right way or wrong way build-along, but just the way I do it. A show of proof that someone willing to make his own gear,,, weapon and all, can do it, and without spending hardly any cash.

This is my little way of getting back at the high dollar, money making hunting gear industry.


Needed Hunting Equipment list:

13 Arrow shafts - (see pg.#1, #2 & #3)

Fletching - (see pg.#1 & #2)

12 Broadheads -
(Small game point see pg. #20)
(Big game points see pg. #21)

Selfbow's;
(Osage see pg. #1, #6, #7, #8, #9 & #10)
(Locust see pg. #10, #11 & #12)
(Osage see pg. #12, #13, #14, #15, #16 & #17)

Bow handle wrap and floppy arrow shelf - (see pg. #16, #17)

Bow backing - (see pg. #1, #2, #10, #11 & #12)

Limb tip overlays - (see pg.#1, #2, #9, #10, #11)

Bow string - (see pg. #9)

String silencers - (see pg. #19)

String holder - (see pg. #20)

Arm guard - (see pg.#17)

Quiver - (see pg.#3, #2, #4, #5, #10, #15, #16)

Finger tabs or shooting glove - (see pg.#18)

Hunting Knives - (see pg. #21)

I would need a fat wallet to go to the local bow shop and purchase that list!


UPDATED SUCCESS STORY - NOVEMBER 5TH, 2006:

Hunting pictures - (see pg. #25 & 27)

10 Point, Ohio Buck - (see pg. #25 & #27)


Let's start with the preperations.

I located last winter, a stand of rivercane. It is 120 miles round trip from my home and I cut a couple dozen shafts to dry out. Not really sure if this is actual rivercane, but that is what I call it.
                             

Using an 11/32 POC shaft to guage the diameter of the knock end of the shaft, I cut the rivercane about 36" to 40" long. Stripped the sheaths from them, tied them together in bundles of 13 shafts and placed them on the drying rack.
                             

My wife havested her first wild Ohio gobbler in spring 2005. My home made Osage snake skin turkey box call was to blame for this turkeys demise. Forgive her for the shot gun, she is not confident enough with a bow, but if I have anything to do with it, she will be next season.
                             

Anyway between her bird, mine and turkey wing donations from a couple buddies of mine, I made out with plenty of fletching material & wingbone call material to boot!
During our turkey hunts, I managed to procure a large black snake for bow backing as well.
Now, I know all the bad points about taking blacksnakes, but when you need materials, you take it when you can get it. So, no lectures please.
Here are some of the materials I got from 2005 turkey season. I kept everything in the freezer until I needed it.
                           


Here is a wingbone call made from one of the turkeys we harvested. Never know, I may call in a fall turkey early season!
                             

I cut my own bow wood and have always done so. Locate it,
                             

hand cut it, with my late great grandfathers buck saw
                             

shoulder carry it out to my jeep wrangler
                             

To Be Continued,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Osagetree]

When I get the wood home it is split and the ends are sealed.
 

Then they are put in the screened room drying rack, along with the bundles of rivercane shafts you see lying in the floor of this picture.
 

Well lets see,,, I have now got myself, for no cost to me at all;
Fletching
Arrow shafts
Bow backing
Bow wood

This did take time to gather. I can imagine that the natives did this continualy to keep on hand the natural materials needed to survive.

These store bought materials I will need were only purchased because, I have not taken the time to learn to fabricate them myself;
Bow string material (Dacron B-50)
Cordage
Glue

To Be Continued,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Osagetree]

Okay, my rivercane is dry and I need to get busy as my deer season starts in October. I may even want to get some practice in on some tree rats before whitetail season begins. So, I need to get on straghtening those shafts that I drove 120 miles to cut.

I un-wrap the bundles of rivercane and start studying them to find the node on the shaft that will be my knock end of the arrow. I then cut the shaft 3' or so above the node I select to be my knock. and cut the other end at a lenght of around 30' or so.
 

Here is the knock end of the arrow. It is close to 11/32 and cut just above the node on the stem. This solid node will be the bottom of my knock. If you don't use a node for the knock the bow string will split the shaft unless you utilize a hardwood plug for the knock. I prefer this method.
 

Now I need to straighten them out. I clamp my heat gun in the vise and heat the shaft, trying not to scorch it to bad. When it gets hot enough I bend it with my hands and eyeball it till I am satisfied with it.
 

Here it is before I striaghten the shaft,
 

This is after it is to my liking. Not perfect, but at 15 yards it wont need to be perfect. It will probably get another treatment before its complete with broadhead anyways.
 

This si how I cut the string knocks in my shafts. As most do, I use three hacksaw blades taped together. I eyeball the center of the shaft and cut it down till I reach the solid part of the node on the rivercane shaft.
 

Checking to make sure I am stopping at the top of the node.
 

Using a sheet of 100 grit sand paper I round off the tips of my new self knocks.
 

To be continued,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[NorthShoreLB]

Looking interesting !!!  

[ky_longbow]

Joseph-
cool thread- ill be watching this one-
hey the shotgun aint no problem- too me anyway-
at least your wife is out enjoying the outdoors-
 

[Brian Halbleib]

ALRIGHT! Keep it coming...

-Brian
 www.bowyersjournal.com

[Osagetree]

For my fletching I'll need the turkey feathers and a sharp pair of scissors.
 

I like 5" fletch so I find on hte rear end of the feather the smallest part of the quill that will be the best base for the feather and measure up the quil 5" and cut the feather to my fletch size.
 

Once the feather is cut to size, I use a utility knife to slice the quill down the middle to split it in two halfs.
 

 

 

Now I shape the fletch by using three cuts to find my shape (1)straight across to get the hieght
 

(2) to get the angle
 

(3) to finish of the rear end which will also give me someting to wrap the fletching to the shaft
 

Note the front end of the fletch,,, I leave this just because I like the looks of it and it will assist in tying it to the shaft as you may soon see.

To Be Continued,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Dano]

Now this is a build-a-long!!!      

[vermonster13]

Great thread

[Adam Keiper]

I love this!  Fantastic!  Thanks for taking the time to post it all...  Can't wait to see what's next.

[George Tsoukalas]

Osagetree, this is outstanding stuff. Well done! Jawge

[One eye]

Hey, this is awesome.  I am breaking out my stash of rivercane to follow this :-)

dan

[Shaun]

Gonna be some real home made venison at the end of this thread. Good one O Tree

[Osagetree]

 

Now I've got to get around 13 arrows to find the best 3 or 4 that will fly right for the deer hunting. The ones that wont fly will be stump shooters and Hail Mary's.

I start tying the fletch from front to rear. I mark on the shaft where the cock and rear end of the fletching will end on the shaft allowing room for my fingers but still clearing the shelf at brace.

Marking the cock feather location and where to end the fletch towrds the knock end of the arrow.
 

[Osagetree]

Sorry, did't get the right picture up above. Computer operator error I'm afraid.

The pic above is the first knot that I tie around the first fletch. For this I am using the artificial sinew I bought for about $6.00 from the local craft store.

[Osagetree]

Once the end of the sinew is tied to the fletch, I hold it in place on the shaft. I usually start with the cock feather first. Holding it to the shaft, I give it one wrap behind the high tang that I left on the fletching. This helps me hold onto them easier as I go along.
 

Then add in the second fletch and give it one wrap around and behind the high tang of the second fletch with the sinew.
 

After the third and final fletching is added with another wrap of sinew. Start the same thread of sinew up the fletch
 

Trying to keep an even flow up through the flethings and around the shaft
 

I push the rear of the feathers down so I can start wrapping the sinew tightly around the clean area of the rear end of the fletcing
 

[Islandlongbow]

I appriciate all the effort that goes into a build along    I enjoy learning from you guys and you cant beat the motivation!
Thanks Osagetree

Jerry

[Osagetree]

Almost forgot to tell you,,, this is when you need to make sure all the fletchings are where they need to be. You can still move them around a bit at this point and set them where you want'm, before you sinch it all down with the sinew

Wrapping the sinew all the way to the bottom of the node at the knock end of the shaft will provide extra insurance the shaft wont split.
 

I'll use the small doubled over piece of sinew laying on the table. While doubled over and holding it against the wrapping and shaft, I'll wrap it around the loop about ten times, cut it off and run the end through the loop.
 

Taking the two ends of the loop the string is pulled back through under the wrapping leaving no knots to catch on anything.
 

Now I get the front of the fletching in place and wrap the front end using the same meathod with the loop string pulling the last ten or so wraps under the sinew wrapping.
 

When I get it finished I use some super glue to really set it all in place and it wont come unraveled for many shots
 

If I keep this up I'll have a bakers dozen by next week
 

Stay Tuned,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[cdi3d]

This is awesome -

Mike

[BigRonHuntAlot]

     VERY COOL...