During practice last week (or I guess the week before), my Osage bow "It" , which I've been shooting for two hunting seasons and was in my third 3D season, gave a little groan on the first shot. I didn't really think the scarey noise could be from my beloved first Osage bow but I gave it a glance over, and saw nothing amiss and the shot had been spot on. As I drew for my second shot, "It" groaned twice, most pitiousy. I let down without releasing, and looked again. I saw the lower limb was at an awkward 45 degree angle, towards the shooter, about half way down - right where I had repaired an accidental back violation, caused last year by a sliding ice chest, in the back of a friends truck. Sure enough, the wood had fully colapsed where it had been surface-crushed by that incident, and I had patched it with deer sinew and painted a Deer ("standing in tall grass") over the sinew. Damn, I loved that bow. I relieved her of her string (pressure). I later put the string on my Dano Osage bow, "Sneaky Snake". Now, "It" is a wall hanger, with fond memories. Geeze, I miss her constant, reassuring company during practice, although my Dano bow is standing in her place with pride and understanding tenderness, it seems to me.
You may recall last years repair job, which at least gave "It" an extra year of honorable service:
"It"'s new retirement place of honor: