Carbon Carver

August/Sept 2009

Justin, "Carbon Carver", in Bend, OR, was the first person to receive Arrowl. He got an extra long get acquainted period as I shipped the bow directly after Rod Jenkins' class. Justin had him scheduled for Aug. 15 through Sept. 30 anyway, so it just made sense. As you can imagine, I was very anxious to get his reaction....

Dick

July 31

Dick,

I have had Arrowl in the backyard twice now. Shooting off the hand is a breeze. He is stout to draw initially, but comfortable to hit my nocking point and hold at full draw. He feels like he has some horsepower and smacks the bales. I can't wait to get him in front of some varmints to demonstrate. Between the angle I cant the bow and the wedge in the grip, I don't really even need a glove. I still use one for the errant loose fletching or nock slip, but I am confident in the shelfless configuration. As I unpacked him, I am afraid the string unwound a twist or two when it came off the bottom limb (gotta rubberband on there now) and I had to reestablish brace height. I first discovered that something could be amiss when I got my wrist whacked a couple times on the first shots right where my armguard joins my glove, Ye-ouch! That ended session one, I should have noticed the low string, but didn't until it was too late... Session two was more productive and I was able to get some groups on the hay both at short range(~10-12) and longer range(20-25). On the longer range shots, I am still getting the new aiming point for my split vision and lost a couple over the top of the bales into the forest, oops. I have tried my wood 50-55's, some 2314's, 2117's and some softer 40# carbons. My woods varied the most(lost one) then the carbons(lost one of them too) and 2117's. The 2314's with 125gr tips seemed the most consistent, so far. I even rammed a couple into the same hole. I'll have to strip some fletching to get a better read and vary the tips on those 2314's to see if/where they settle in. I have 125gr and 100gr Muzzy broad heads and hope they are compatible with the arrows/bow, might have to get some tip bushings machined up and get them to 150-175grs. Otherwise, I'll hit the archery den and try a few of their demo arrows on their range and see if anything works better than what I have. I hope to spend more time with him next week and get us into a groove.
Thanks, Hope you are staying cool.
Justin

August 29

I was up and out long before even a hint of dawn was on the horizon. I had breakfast last night for dinner so all I needed was a cup of tea before I hit the road. The drive out to Sand springs was uneventful until I actually arrived at the springs and found a hunter walking the road. Slowing so as not to dust him, I saw the training wheels in his bow as I passed. I wasn't envious. I rolled further down the road until I came to the trail that went past one of the random water holes in the area. I slowed to a roll and checked to see if I could frame any antlers in the dim horizon that had appeared on my way out. Nothing yet... I kept going down the trail to an intersection, turned and proceeded down the next trail a section where the trail widened and stopped. Gearing up with my softest faded camo and the "tag and bag" wilderness belt that held my pouches and quiver only took a few minutes. After arranged the camo head net under my cap, I then pulled Arrowl from his sock and slipped on his string. I was getting a little excited and wanted to shake then I realized I still felt the early morning cold. I had to stop to put on my longjohns, lest I shiver too loudly while waiting for the deer to show. The light was growing and rays started to appear on the horizon. The fun and games were about to begin!

I took an arrow out of the quiver to keep on hand in the event I saw something before I arrived at the waterhole. As my luck would have it, I jumped a 3point(I only count one side on muleys) out of the water hole as I crunched through the kittylitter like pumice pebbles toward it. I was still a good 100yds off and stopped to let him settle. He didn't and continued over the rise behind the waterhole and out of sight. Grrr, Stupid newby, should have stuck to the road as I had planned instead of striking out through the sage and noisy kittylitter. Oh well, might as well see if there is anyone else standing around the area and I proceeded to the edge of the rise behind the waterhole. WooHoo!! Right into the middle of 6 animals feeding in a small basin! They were still 75yds off and hadn't been spooked yet. I hunkered down to glass them and look for antlers. There were several does, a couple yearlings, and one fawn. It looked like one of the yearlings had fuzzy forks and the rest were bald. Darn, I figured I missed the three point ducking into the trees as I was climbing the rise. Then, on the other side of the basin, I saw more brown backs. Not having a good angle and concerned about the swirling breeze giving me away I started to angle toward some adjacent trees for better cover. Of course, my crunch crunching drew the attention of the nearest doe and she started to give me the eyeball as I moved across the rise. I stopped to let her feed again and glassed the group on the other side. They were all three bucks with my 3 opint in the group!! One was a big'un too! He was a 4 or 5 point and had a proper wide rack and a fat back. I was in trouble now I could see them, they didn't see me and I wanted to run like crazy to flank their position. I would have to skirt the whole basin at the edge of the trees to get around to him and there was no telling what the wind was going to do as the sun began to shine and heat up the area. At the moment, the wind was in my favor, but as I moved, I could feel it swirling and I got worried that I would be winded any second and hear them scampering off. I kept slowly edging around the basin, watching the tree I had picked for a land mark. When I finally arrived at the other side, The wind was starting to blow in my face again and I was encouraged. I listened for their movement but couldn't hear any, so I kept advancing. Eventually I got to where I could view their previous position and saw nothing.

DIsappointment was setting in when I remembered the Primos can I had stuck in my pocket. I withdrew it and let it mew once. Not a minute later, I heard some crunching in the distance from behind me. The crunching drew closer and I had positioned myself with a nocked arrow and waited. My location wasn't ideal with young trees providing close cover and only a few sight lines through them. I heard the crunching stop maybe 50 yds distant. Then it started again, this time circling my position to the right. The wind had changed and I couldn't do anything to better my angle, relative to the animal without making too much noise and spooking it. The next thing I know, I hear a big snort from just to the side and down wind of me. Double darn! He let out another snort/grunt and then I heard vigorous crunching headed in the opposite direction. I was no longer concerned about remaining concealed and started moving into the area I had heard him last. There were nice toe drag tracks in the way in, a skat pile, and deep prints headed in the other direction. I sorely wanted to keep tracking him, but in the noisy kitty litter, it would have been pointless, just driving him further ahead and away...

It was starting to warm up quickly in the full sun and the shadows were shrinking, so I made my way back to the car for some additional scouting before I turned toward home. I cruised for another hour looking for sign and brown backs, but they were already in bed. If the bumbling boys I saw hanging around their camp don't get a shot on them, I'll be back Sunday evening/Monday morning to continue the effort with even wider eyes now that I have seen the big racks hanging around there.

Dick, I can't say thanks enough for letting me take Arrowl out for his first round. I have killed plenty deer with a rifle, but not a bow. I have studied harder for this hunt than any hunt I have ever made before and learned SOOO much about the entire experience. Everything from form to tuning to tracking to scouting to deer feeding habits and favorite hangouts to tricks for dressing out the carcass. Last night, I was practicing with one arrow every half hour or so, going out and, as quiet as I could, kneel and take my shot. Like you have said, the first shot counts as the only shot while hunting. I could part the bale in exactly the spot I was aiming, time after time, from my different angle 18yd lines. I was still 2/3 at the 25 yd line, with the flyer only a couple of inches away from my aim point. I can't even shoot my bow that effectively. I am sure with the practice I have given Arrowl I could, but I couldn't shoot this well with mine at the P&Y, that is for sure.
A couple of pix and some more later,
Justin in Bend

September 15, 2009

Dick,
Thanks for being in touch. Been out five times and been in the deer every time. I even drew once on a 20yd three point, but was foiled by his movement behind a fat Ponderosa and my subsequent discovery by the does next to him, so they flushed. I have 2 maybe 3 ore days I can get out before next week. I'll be shipping on next Monday since I won't have time to hunt after then. I'll write a complete report and forward it as time allows. I do have a dozen pics you can choose from for the record, although, I hope to have more than pics to complete the deal.
Thanks,
Justin

September 21, 2009

Well,
it is with a heavy heart that I shipped off Arrow'l today. I thought for sure he was going to survive our time together unscathed. Alas, last time out, I got tripped up on a root and fumbled the bow. Of course it landed in the basalt with me and got a ding in the window of the riser. Luckily, it had no weight on it and the ding is shallow. I didn't know how the old steam and buff would work with the laminates, so I didn't mess with it, other than to shoot another hundred arrows to confirm function. I have included a pic with the rest from our hunting. I knew he and I were going to connect with some game. I just didn't know if we were going to get a shot off. No Dice. Of our hunting adventures, I can say we had fun and learned a lot. I dramatically cut my stalking range this year, approaching to within 25yds of a shoot-able deer, which is a huge improvement over the 50-75yds of previous years efforts. I am sure, as Arrowl visits more knowledgeable hunters, he will fulfill his birthright. I guess I wasn't the right guy for the job this year. Maybe, if I am still in the good graces of the Old Phartt, next year I can claim my "notch" and fill a tag with him. The late season for black tails will run in mid-late November. I'll put the light tips back on and shoot my HH. I learned that the Hill style forces you into good form more than my soft limbed Savhannah. I can twist and tweak the string of that bow while nocked and it is sensitive to any of that kind of movement. The Hill style, Arrowl included, doesn't budge when I am nocked and is simpler to be consistent.
Thanks again for the opportunity. It was an honor to carry Arrowl in the field and hunt on your behalf. Close, but not close enough.
Justin in Bend

There you have Arrowl's first hunting adventure, and it was a good one. Hunting is about hunting, not just shooting. Justin obviously hunted hard and got close. Arrowl saw some game and some really beautiful Eastern Oregon country. I suspect that Justin could have taken some bad shots, but he didn't, and that's something Arrowl had to learn, too. Thank you, Justin.... And good luck, Jose'...

Dick