Tradbow Close: A Small Game Photo Dump

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

Lets be real, this is probably as much a bragging post as it is a celebration of bow hunting. That said, it's the offseason, and I do love killing small game with traditional bows! I've even been known to abandon deer hunts just to chase squirrels in pecan groves.

I have a couple rules of thumb for shooting small game with bows, mostly to avoid an expensive arrow bill.
1. Get them under 10 yards
2. Don't shoot above head height

Pretty simple, right?

 

[BrentD]

Impressive! I'm envious as all get out!

 

[brownbear932008]

That is quite impressive love shooting the trad even though I'm average at best.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Wow! I can’t even do that with a 22.

Is the top bow a Toelke?

 

[Treeshark]

Is the top bow a Toelke?

Wondering the same, that does look like their takedown seam.

 

[Dan O]

Archery at its best.

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

Wow! I can’t even do that with a 22.

Is the top bow a Toelke?

Yes that is a Toelke. That's their 64" SS recurve.

And don't be ridiculous! You coud definitely do better than this with a .22! The tree top shots alone would make it much more effective.
I probably average 4-5 shots per kill on rabbits and squirrels and that's when I keep my shots under ten yards.

 

[BrentD]

I used to shoot squirrels with a Bear Kodiak Hunter. I hate to think what my shots per kill ratio was. But I did have a lot of fun. I epoxied weighted .38 specials on my arrows as blunts and was stunned (yes, that's a pun ) how well they worked. Never shot a rabbit though. Got a Giant Canada one day in an epic battle, but that wasn't a recurve.

 

[CorkyM]

That’s pretty darn good!

 

[CPAjeff]

Wow, pretty impressive - great job!!

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Excellent accuracy! It’s a shame you don’t live near grouse and can only hunt vermin.

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

Excellent accuracy! It’s a shame you don’t live near grouse and can only hunt vermin.

Thanks! I agree. And when I did live near grouse I was such a lousy shot with a bow I usually reached for a sidearm instead . Didn't want to break my arrows.

 

[BrentD]

Thanks! I agree. And when I did live near grouse I was such a lousy shot with a bow I usually reached for a sidearm instead . Didn't want to break my arrows.

I hunt both grouse and squirrel, and the latter are, by a sizeable margin, better eating. Vermin? That's like the neighbor's cat...

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Cat, you say?

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

I hunt both grouse and squirrel, and the latter are, by a sizeable margin, better eating. Vermin? That's like the neighbor's cat...

Squirrel is excellent... but if I'm hunting grouse, I'm also hunting mule deer or elk. And THAT makes the grouse taste better than squirrel just by virtue of the context.

 

[TrumpkinTheDwarf]

Last deer hunt of the season turned into a bunny bash yesterday...

 

[Don Fischer]

A recurve bow! Nicest bow I've seen in years!

 

[shrapnel]

Wow! I can’t even do that with a 22.

Is the top bow a Toelke?

Wow, I didn’t realize how good Dan’s bows really are. I was at his place a couple weeks ago and he took me through his shop and showed me his whole operation.

Dan used to run the gun section of Ronan Sports and Western years ago and it was one of the most successful gun stores in the region. Somehow he lost his interest in guns and got into making bows. I don’t know how you make such a big change as that, but he hardly shoots guns anymore.

To see and handle that much quality is inspiring, but just not quite enough for me to move to a traditional bow. If I did, I would certainly get one of his bows…

 

[Bullshot]

Trumpkin

I have rarely been this envious.

Please become my friend.

That is all.

P.S. I have 2 black widows but no-one to teach me!

 

[Don Fischer]

Stationed in germany in the late 1960's I used to go out hunting rabbit's with a bow. Really had a good time, probably should start again. now and then I'd get one, what a rush!