Trad Kills?
 

How many of you have ever taken a big game animal with traditional gear, and how old were you when you at the time? I know I have killed five deer with my bighorn recurve (all while I was in high school). When I got to college I didnt have the time to practice enough so I went to compound bows. Now that I am graduating I think i am going back to trad....

RE: Trad Kills?
 

We had nothing but (what we now call) trad gearas I was growing up and shot a recurve till 1978. Went to purchase a new bow in 78 and could not even find a recurve, they had to be special orderd, so I bought my first compound. Some where in the mid 80's I picked up a Super Kodiak T/D and shot it extensively for a few years, But since then I am what you woud call a Flip Flopper! What everfills my mood.
A few recurve pictures.

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My first deer with trad was taken at 14 (Bear Recurve), my last deer taken was 41 (Adcock Longbow).


2006, 140 pound doeafter field dressing:

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Sliverflicker,
Those 2 deer pictures are TERRIFIC! They almost look like vintage artwork :)

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I dont know about art work, but there sure enough vintage .

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I was 20 years old when I shot my 1st animal with my recurve, it was a black bear in Minnesota. Since making the switch 13 years ago I've had nothing but awesome luck so far with my recurve. Here's a few pics...

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1987 Idaho

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1990 Michigan

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Great picturesGuys .

Schultzy, the head on that last bear is unbelivable Im gonna have to see if I downloaded a picture of my buddy Joe's bear befor my scanner went tits up.

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after getting my hands on my cousins long bow while he was up archery whitetail hunting with me this winter.. (dec) I instantlyloved shooting that bow..and realized just how much work and practice it must take to get consistent with it. My hats off to you guys that get it done with trad gear.. I personally think its much tougher than shooting a compound.. you guys are forced to get very close to your prey before killing them and your doing it all instinctive!

Awesome pix guys....keep them coming..

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My 2005 Longbow Buck:

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How's this for a rug! Joe's first year in Idaho and first Trad kill. I have some good pictures of it, but cant scan them right now. I cant remember if this was the biggest Bear taken that scoring period in Idaho, or if it was the biggest Bear taken overall for that period. Check out the size of the Snuffer hole!

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This picture is Awesome You make Arnold look like a sissey, 100% business, and the picture is clear as a bell.

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Another trad Bear,Mr Snufferin Saskatchewan.

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I'm hoping I'll be able to contribute to this thread soon. Maybe even as early as May, if I cantake outa nice longbeard.

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Ok one more time for the 1 or 2 people who haven't see it yet.:D

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Wow!!!!! What did that thing weigh and what did that head score? Awesome looking bear!! Snuffers do rock Sliver!!

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Sweet buck Matt!!

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man great pictures guys

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Awesome pics guys! Trad shootersearn their RESPECT!;)

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Man, talking about the ultimate. You guys got my respect. I have been tossing around the idea about going back to traditional bows. Have not shot one since 1979 and probably could not hit the side of my house now. Never killed anything with one but I do want to. Anyone know where a guy could find an old used one? I never see them anywhere anymore.

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I met Arnold a few times. Trust me, he's no sissy. ;)

Click here:
Here

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I have taken Deer with Traditional equipment. No way I'm posting those pics!! I saw what you guys did to Rob:DI do think my Hair was Purdier!!;)

Dan

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Matt i know its probably been told before but what did happen to that buck eye and how's your taxidermist going about fixing that one??:D:D

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He has a nasty ring of those fibrous tumors all the way around his right eye, he also had them down the back and side of his neck as well as a 1/2 moon section of summer hair still attached.
He wasn't the sexiest buck in the woods. [:-]:D

The taxidermist is getting around it by using a look alike cape from a similar sized and colored buck donated by Greg / MO from the nice one he shot the day I recovered this one.I brought it bcak with me from our hunt in IL last Novemeber.It works out great because his cape is beautiful.
I won't have buckzilla on the wall scaring women and children and it will still look the same as my buck "should" have looked.

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Who had the nasty stuff around their eyes...You or your buck...;)[8D]

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thats the best way to do it. I know thats what i would want to do if i was mounting it that way i wouldnt have to mess with that ugliness:D:D

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John,
I have a related question for you since you're a taxidermist........

The cape obviously has that short early fall gray hair and I was concerned about the compatibility of the cape with the form that I chose. Not so much that it will fit, The fit should be fine, but more the "Appropriateness" of the style of the form to the cape.
Meaning did I choose something with a little too much muscle or form defintion for such a short haired early season cape? Is there too much neck swell for an early season mount to make sense? After I thought about it, I want the animal to have a mature look but I also don't want something that looks "full rut" on a cape from Oct 1st.
Here's the form I went with because I loved the pose and this line of forms came highly recommended and it's hard for me to tell if it's going to be a good match. You should have a better eye for that than I do. ;)

http://www.joecoombs.com/cgi-bin/JoeCoombs.storefront/47cebf5e01cf8132273fd0e7646506fb/Product/View/94&2D7222R

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Matt,

I really like that pose. the form should be fine for your early season cape as long as you are replacing it with an early season cape. Besides that deer in that pic from coombs looks to be a shorter haired early season cape. so as long as your taxidermist doesnt go and sand the muscle creases to defined and make it look like hercules it should come out just fine. besides the early season cape can only be put on a form that matches the neckmeasurements the cape has. This is the form your talking about right?? also this pic might be showing a deer with say a 20" neck. your cape might only be 17" without as much swell so it wont look quite as "beefy".

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No that's not the one?....not sure why the link won't go straight to the form I picked?

Anyway This is the one: It's one of the "full wall pedestal" style. 7.5x20x22 right turn.

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if thats the neck size that is a big neck for early oct. it should show some muscle definition but not look like hercules. one thing a lot of people dont realize a lot of the muscle in form is for show to sell forms. just because you see all those muscle striations on the form doesnt mean you will see them on a mount. for example a late season rifle kill with longer hair wont show those strations even though some clients insist on seeing it. here is an example of a 90 degree pedistal i did of a rifle deer with longer hair. before i painted it.

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here is a pic of the form i used th PD-79. an early season cape would have showed a little more detail but some people wat to see 3/4" creases in the muscle definition.

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So basically just chill out, it will be fine?
;):D

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Killed my first (a button buck) in '67 with a Shakespeare Sierra at the age of 14, and this one in '07 with a Bear Kodiak Hunter at the age of 54. In between, there's been a bunch fall to an assortment of bows ranging from a Bear Super and Kodiak Magnum to a Jennings Model T to a Mathews MQ1 and back to a Bear Kodiak Magnum and Kodiak Hunter.