If you want to go primitive, I thought this might interest some of you. 15 years ago I worked at a mining operation on the island of Irian Jaya, Indonesia. These natives would bring their bows around and sell them. One long stick of native hardwood with vines for strings. There is no grip, no shelf, not even a notch. They hold the arrows resting on their grip hand. Arrows are not nocked, they are held flat against thethe 5/16" vine. Little native kids would shoot birds off the lower limbs with short versions of these. They were also deadly with slingshots.

Imagine growing up with nothing to do but shoot arrows, get water, and grow sweet potatoes. They shoot before they can walk and are unbelievable with these things. They shootpigs, cassowaries, and other tribes. Those arrows are poison tipped. You can just make out the top of the bow on the right - it is 76 inches.

I was not in to bowhunting at the time or I would have brought more bows home. I have two bows which have beenstored away, and I just got them out when we tried traditional shooting. But I'm not going to try for an elk with one.

Thought you might be interested.