DIY_guy

I'll use this space to keep a journal now that Ive drawn a WI fall bear tag. I will be hunting zone D with Northern Bayfield County Guide Service which is owned by Art Hyde.

I plan to hunt with a bow and arrow as I have no interest in hunting bear with a firearm. Im leaning towards using a traditional bow and most likely one Ive made myself. I plan to make my own broadheads and arrows as well as other homemade items for this hunt. Ive taken deer with all homemade gear but Ive not taken a bear so here's my chance. I have 6 months to prepare. I will chronicle all of that here.

DIY_guy

Im making a new set of single bevel broadheads the upcoming WI bear hunt. Im planning on using field points and 7 1/4" circular saw blades for the main blade. Im slotting the field tip (ferrule) and can peen the tip of the ferrule onto the blade but the joint at the back end is more challenging.

Over the weekend I starting messing around with a prototype. Now Im thinking of instead, using a threaded adapter rather than a reshaped field point.



Beveling made easy with the right tool for the job. I get to use my own product.

DIY_guy

The field points are steel and heavy. I wanted a little lighter version for the bear hunt broadhead so I switched from the re-shaped, steel, field points to aluminum adapters.

Since they are aluminum I can use a micro saw and a Dremmel tool to cut the slots.









Then it was back to the saw blade





I used my broadhead sharpening guide to make the single bevel.





I will use J.B. Weld in the slot cut in the adapter to fuse the blade and I will peen over the tip of the adapter in the hole in the blade to further trap the blade on the adapter. The J.B. Weld and eventual paint will have the final broadhead around 180 grains. Here is a video of the fit up before fusing the parts.

DIY_guy

Now its just a matter of time and making more heads and daily practice with the homemade longbow.

DIY_guy

The first head is fused to the threaded adapter with J.B. Weld and by peening the tip closed in the hole in the blade. Then it was primed and painted.

In the universe of possible colors for broadheads, Ive always felt that glossy plum has been under-utilized. I hope to rectify that. Who knows, it might catch on. I took an indoor and an outdoor photo and you would think they were two different broadheads based on how the colors seem to have changed based on the lighting.



I calculated exactly just how much J.B. Weld and how much purple paint would be needed to get the head to exactly 180 grains....................... Nah, I just got lucky. The goal was 180 grains but I didn't think I would hit it spot on. Its better to be lucky than good. Now I just need to make a few more.

DIY_guy

The archery bear hunt is fast approaching. In a little over a week, I make the trek to far Northern Wisconsin near the town of Cornucopia just south of Lake Superior's Squaw bay.



I will be hunting with Art Hyde of Northern Bayfield County Guide service. Over the summer the focus has been on practice.





Now the camo has been washed in baking soda and when dry will be placed in the homemade ozone locker.



More practice and then the homemade broadheads will be rehoned with the homemade broadhead sharpening guide. The countdown clock is ticking fast now. The season (for me) opens on Sept 12th.

DIY_guy

The bear hunt was short and sweet (almost too fast) I just dropped off both of my bear at the Butcher. Normally I would do them myself but Im 5 hours from my home butcher shop.

Interesting and exciting story on how I ended up killing two bear. Im putting together a video with pictures and video explaining.

younggun308

Congratulations! Got any pictures?

DIY_guy

Part one one of the trad archery bear hunt


Part 2

DIY_guy

This bear hunt came about as the result of The owner of NBC guide service (Art Hyde) donating the hunt to the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association for their annual convention 4 years ago. As I wait in town for the 2 bear to be skinned and deboned and frozen for the return trip home, I ran through a lists of the costs associated with this "free" hunt.

The cost that bugs me the most is the skin and debone at $400 for the two bear since I do custom butchering and even have an addition on my house that is a game processing and sausage making kitchen and I have processed my own bear in the past. But because Im so far from home, I didn't have a lot of options. The other costs were either optional, dumb luck or self inflicted but here is the tally so far.



The total experience however has been priceless. It was a hell of a ride. Now its time for the WI archery deer season.