January / February 2009

Gday all. There goes yet another year! I hope that everybody has had a happy and safe New Years. It has been a pretty busy month or so for myself, that crazy time of year and the rest of which goes with it, but I have managed some time to construct yet another edition of Stikbowhunter - focused on small game. Summer is finally here and its prime time to get out on those long and barmy nights chasing rabbits, hares and foxes.

I will keep the editorial short within this issue, but before I leave you to read on, I would like to introduce Sascha Smith. Sascha is an extremely talented taxidermist and has won many contests and prizes in relation to her craft. Sascha has kindly donated her time to share with readers, some hints & tips on field care of your game. See page 18 for some excellent advise that just may save that memory of a lifetime. Be sure to catch the next issue of Stikbowhunter as we will be jumping to the other end of the scale, Large Game. I believe that a few contributors have got a lot of hunting trips planned for 2009, including myself, so hopefully there will be an opportunity to share some of those adventures with you all. Keep those submissions coming in! Enjoy.

Gu y

Guy Curtis

Freelance Contributions - Email submissions to the Editor, [email protected]. Submissions must be in word format and be accompanied by high quality Jpeg photos (usually 3000 pixels wide/high or larger are sufficient). Alternatively, send files on a CD to; PO Box 899, Sale, Victoria, Australia 3850. Include your postal address if you would like it returned.

January / February 2009 Page 1

EDITOR

I could safely say that all of us have spent many an hour chasing the local small game populations around our various haunts. Its both fun yet difficult, as our intended quarry is small, extremely alert and can run like the wind...what a challenge!

Page.
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Content.
Bowhunting Adventure: Rabbits, Judos & a Whip - Mick Smith Bowhunters Showcase Tuckerbox: Rabbit Stew Bowhunting Adventure: Bowhunting; With my Home Brew - S. Yeak Bowhunting Adventure: Chasing ole Red (short story) - P. Thomson Special Feature: Field Care: Hints & Tips - Sascha Smith Competition: Large Game Bowhunting Article Equipment Review: Thoughts on; Quivers - Wayne Hinton Bowhunters Showcase Product Review: Varmint Busters! / Small Game Blunts - Guy Curtis Bowhunting Adventure: Murphys Law ~ No More! - Guy Curtis

Page 12 Page 3

Page 16

Cover Photo: Brad Stonestreet with a nice Fox Location: NSW Photographer: Sharon-lee Stonestreet

January / February 2009 Page 2

CONTENTS

During dinner, my 9 year old daughter Kaitlyn asked if we could go bowhunting rabbits later in the evening. There were bound to be lots of rabbits out feeding as the weather was close to ideal for them. It was too good an offer to pass up. We arrived at the local creek with about 2 hours on daylight left. Rabbits were running every which-way as we walked from the car to the creek, but unfortunately they were all well out of range of my new 53# Toelke Whip longbow. We slowed down into stalking mode as we approached the creek bank, as there was an excellent chance there would be undisturbed rabbits feeding on the dry creek bed. There was one rabbit sitting on a natural bench, about halfway up the bank of the creek and about 40 metres away. As there was no chance of getting any closer, I decided to try my luck on a long shot. The arrow looked good all the way until the last minute, when it dropped short hitting the ground at the rabbits feet. Kait had decided to act as official expedition photographer on this hunt, leaving her little recurve at home. She loves tak-

The action was fast and furious, with rabbits, ears laid back, skittering through the rows of cereal.
ing photos and she has a natural ability at composing well structured photos. I could see some rabbits feeding on the top of the creek bank about 100 metres further down the creek. The creek itself provided excellent cover to be able to approach to within 10 metres or so of them. I cautiously peered over the edge of the bank to see 3 rabbits with their heads down, feeding on the grass. Unfortunately, I was probably too close, as they immediately noticed my bows top limb as I very slowly rose to a near vertical position for a shot. The rabbits bolted for their burrows. One of them hesitated at the mouth of its burrow, offering me a straightforward 25 metre shot. My Judo tipped, barrel tapered Silverwood arrow slammed into the grass tussocks that were immediately behind where the rabbit had been sitting only milliseconds earlier. The rabbits ability to jump the string always impresses me.

Author: Mick Smith Location: Victoria Equipment: 53# Toelke Whip & 56# Chekmate Crusader Longbows using Silverwood shafts

January / February 2009 Page 3

Rabbits, Judos & a Whip

Mick Smith & Daughter Kaitlyn share some of their adventures keeping the local Bunny population under control whilst filling the freezer...

There was a crop of barley growing in the paddock beside the creek along this section. I could see dozens of rabbit ears sticking up in the crop, so we slowly walked into the crop, me with a Judo nocked and ready and Kait had her camera ready as well. The action was fast and furious, with rabbits, ears laid back, skittering through the rows of cereal. My arrows kicked up huge clouds of dust as they landed. I really love shooting at running rabbits, but theyre an extremely difficult target to hit. It was time to start heading back to where the car was parked. The walk back was fairly uneventful as the wind was blowing directly on our backs. The few rabbits that had come back out to feed since our passing went scurrying back into their burrows as they scented us from a long distance. We made the walk more enjoyable with a little stump shooting along the way.

In the paddock near where the car was parked, there was pile of old logs that had been bulldozed into a heap in readiness to burn. For some reason they were never burnt. Instead it became a very popular piece of real estate for the many rabbits who called the log pile home. We circled around in order to be able to approach the pile with the wind in our faces. It was going to be our last chance to bag ourselves a bunny on this hunt. We very quietly crept up to a point where we could see 3 or 4 rabbits sitting on the other side of the log pile. Their ears gave their presence away. They stand out like beacons with the setting sun behind them. I moved forward slightly to a point where I could see the nearest rabbits head. The rest of the rabbits body was obscured by smaller branches. It was an easy 10 metre shot. It wasnt a particularly good shot though as the arrow hit the rabbits body after slamming through the intervening twigs and branches. Kait was wrapped. I was a little worried that she would react badly seeing an animal killed, but I need not have worried. She was ecstatic. So, in effect this kill was a double blooding, one for my new little hunting partner and another for my new Whip bow.

Rabbits, Judos & a Whip

January / February 2009 Page 4

A nice Bunny taken during an afternoon walk

Rabbits, Judos & a Whip

January / February 2009 Page 5

As we climbed the boundary gate we could see scattered rabbits sitting throughout the paddock. A good omen, I happily thought to myself. I had taken my 9 year old daughter, Kaitlyn , hunting for rabbits a few times now, but we were yet to actually bag one. Today might well be the day, I thought! We walked towards the middle of the paddock, not directly towards any individual rabbit, but more into a general position where we might be able to take a shot at any procrastinating rabbit, or at the one which will invariably lay down flat in the grass, hoping we would pass it by without seeing it. The browned off grass was quite short, kept manicured not only by the expensive stud axel sheep, but by the multitudes of hungry rabbits. There was some cover though, in the form of tall scotch thistles in dense clumps. As expected, the rabbits tended to hang around these clumps of thistles. They instinctively stayed close to cover, as it gives them a sense of security and protection from raptors and foxes, not to mention eager bowhunters. There was a rabbit sitting unconcernedly eating grass only about 30 metres away. It started getting fidgety when I tried to close the distance even more, so I decided we should have a shot at it. I was now carrying my 56 # Chekmate Crusader longbow, fitted with a Great Northern 5 arrow bow quiver. Kait was carrying her 15# Internature takedown recurve, also fitted with a bow quiver, a 4 arrow Eagles Flight quiver. My first shot of the day was a bit of a disappointment, missing the rabbit by nearly a foot. Kaits arrow fell woefully short. Kait just isnt used to shooting her little bow at distances greater than 20 metres. Usually when I take a shot at the rabbits which inhabit my favourite spot near home, thats all you get, just the one shot and thats if youre lucky and if you miss, theyre out of there like a rocket.

They never do the customary stop at the entrance of their burrows like normal rabbits do, they bolt straight down into their burrows, as theyve been hunted regularly by all and sundry. However, this was a different location, just a little further away from home. The rabbits here arent hunted much at all. In fact, apart from the landowner, Im the only person who hunts here. The rabbits here flinched slightly, as my first arrow went screaming past its head. It simply hopped on for another 5 metres before propping again, allowing me to take another shot.

...Kait yelled exultantly, Youve hit it, youve hit it.

My next shot dropped just that little bit short and then skipped slightly to one side of the rabbit to collide with a pile of old fence posts about 20 metres further on. This was too much for the rabbit and it ran for the cover of a boxthorn hedge on the other side of the paddock. Kait shot too, but I didnt see where her arrow went, as I was too busy stringing yet another arrow, as I could see another rabbit laying flat in the grass amongst the thistles only about 20 metres away. The rabbits slight movement of flattening its body even more into the grass, gave its position away to me. As I came to full draw it took off running towards the boxthorn hedge. It had to run right past us to get there though, providing us both with a close running shot. My Judo tipped arrow flattened 2 or 3 scotch thistles on its way towards the speeding rabbit, only to have its momentum drained, to land pathetically spent behind the rabbit. Kait wisely waited until the rabbit cleared the thistles before lobbing one of her deadly little Tusker Spirit tipped arrows after it. Her little arrow arched up highly and came down to within inches of the speeding rabbit. We were both laughing hysterically. What great fun. Can it get any better than this, I thought?

Rabbits, Judos & a Whip

January / February 2009 Page 6

The action wasnt over yet. The entire paddock suddenly became alive with running rabbits. The action only stopped when my Great Northern quiver was empty. I had arrows from one end of the paddock to the other. Kait too, had run out of arrows. We didnt connect with a single rabbit. Running rabbits are great fun, but its not an effective method of filling your freezer. Amazingly, I only lost one arrow in that first foray. We slowly poked our heads through a gap in the boxthorns to see what the next paddock had in store for us. We werent disappointed. There were rabbits everywhere. This next paddock used to be the home paddock of this farm. It contained the old derelict homestead, together with dilapidated out buildings. Once it would have been covered in a beautiful treed garden, but now it was an overgrown bunny heaven. The owners built themselves a new house some distance away. There was a perfect opportunity to use the cover of a big boxthorn to stalk in close to a huge rabbit sitting beside the old homestead. Kait wanted me to take the shot, as she badly wanted us to bag a rabbit to take home. I drew back the blunt tipped arrow to a full and comfortable draw. The 20 metre shot should have been a gimme and it nearly was. I dont know how it missed, as it appeared to be right on target, but I think the rabbit somehow moved slightly and the arrow literally exploded on a big rock immediately behind it. I was down 2 arrows and still no bunnies in the bag. I think Kaits high estimation of my hunting abilities was beginning to crumble slightly. All the rabbits in the immediate vicinity disappeared down their burrows very quickly as the 'exploding arrow sounded like a gun shot. We could make out another 6 or 7 rabbits sitting up on their hind legs, sniffing the air for danger, about 60 metres away. Some old piles of branches that had been stacked up in readiness to burn, gave us some excellent cover to

close the distance to about 40 metres, but beyond that, there was absolutely nothing. As I was surveying the scene and was considering taking a shot, Kait said, Look at this and handed me an arrow she found lying on the ground at our feet. It was one of mine that I had lost about 6 months back. The broadhead was all rusty, but otherwise it appeared good to use. A couple of seconds work using my little sharpening tool resulted in giving the rusty broadhead a reasonable serrated edge. I remembered this arrow. It had passed through a rabbits chest to bury itself in the long capeweed grass that was there at the time. The grass was long gone now, only the dirt remained.

Rabbits, Judos & a Whip

January / February 2009 Page 7

I urged Kait to take a long shot with her little recurve. I figured that if she actually did manage to hit a rabbit, her wickedly sharp little broadhead would do the job with ease, particularly if it hit in the right spot. However her arrow dropped around 5 metres or so short of the rabbit that she had picked out. That rabbit was still sitting there, quite unperturbed by the nearby impact, so I very carefully released my old, now recycled arrow, allowing a few inches for the strong cross wind. The arrow punched into the rabbit, bowling it over, but the rabbit was immediately on its feet and quickly making its way towards a nearby burrow. I ran down in an effort to intercept the rabbit to administer the coup de grace, but I was just too slow. The rabbit was gone and so too was my recycled found again arrow. After spending a few minutes looking for the lost arrow, we decided to try the third paddock, which was separated once again from the other paddocks by a huge boxthorn hedge. I decided to let Kait lead, for she hadnt as many chances as I, so far. It didnt take long for me to realise that Kait hadnt just been tagging along on past hunts without taking some useful information on-board. It was with the satisfaction of parental pride that I noticed that she walked very slowly on the balls of her feet, taking care with each footfall that it would be as noiseless as possible. She kept close to the cover of the box-

thorn hedge, as it wasnt uniform. The parts that stuck out provided some cover for the approach to any rabbits further along. Although her young eyesight is very keen, she hasnt had the practice of distinguishing rabbits under difficult conditions, so she missed seeing a few. It was rather difficult, as the rabbits blended into their brown environment beautifully. I pointed out a rabbit that I could see more clearly from my slightly higher perspective. It was about 50 metres away, sitting beside an adjacent fence. Unfortunately there was no cover between us and the rabbit. Sometimes if you walk towards, but not directly towards a rabbit, they will think youre going to walk by them, so stay where they are. Using this technique we managed to close the distance to about 30 metres before the rabbit started becoming obviously agitated. Kaits first arrow was very short, landing 10 metres in front of the rabbit. While Kait was reaching for her second arrow I released one of my Ribtek tipped arrows towards the rabbit only to miss it by a few inches. Amazingly, the rabbit just moved away slightly and stopped. Kaits second arrow lobbed up into the air. She had obviously decided that this one wasnt going to land short. It was almost like a clout shot for her and her little bow. The arrow landed right next to the rabbit. It was that close that it was almost touching it. This was too much for the rabbit and it took off at high speed to safer pastures.

Rabbits, Judos & a Whip

January / February 2009 Page 8

As the rest of the paddocks were lacking the big, rabbit attracting, boxthorn hedges, I decided to double back and hunt the homestead paddock again. Rabbits have a short memory and many would be out again enjoying their dusk meal. We manoeuvred around until the wind was blowing directly into our faces before climbing the fence. Immediately I could see a large rabbit nearby, feeding with its back to us. I could also see a convenient boxthorn bush that was only 15 metres away and down wind of the rabbit. We silently padded into our position to take the shot. It was my turn to shoot. This was going to be our perfect opportunity to finally be able to take home a feed. The razor sharp Ribtek arrow flew noiselessly through the rabbits upper torso. The rabbit barely flinched. Kait yelled exultantly, Youve hit it, youve hit it. The rabbit began its death run. Kait said, Why is it running? It should be dead. I replied, Just keep watching it. It will drop any second. It probably did drop too, but only after it made it successfully to its nearby burrow. The arrow was hopelessly lost in a huge boxthorn, so I couldnt check it for blood. Perhaps the arrow did miss, as there wasnt any sign of blood on the ground either. It appeared that luck wasnt on our side this trip. I had been a bit worried about Kaits possible reaction to seeing an animal killed. She is such a caring person. She worries constantly about the welfare of the creatures in and around home. She often brings injured small birds into the house for care. Kait realised that rabbits, although cute and attractive, were actually vermin to be destroyed at every opportunity. She could rationalise this clearly. There was no problem. As it was now quite late, not to mention quite cold as well, we decided to call it a day. We still had the paddock nearest the road to hunt on the way back to the car, and sure enough, the rabbits were all out

enjoying themselves again. I only had two arrows left at this stage. I wasnt at all perturbed though, as I had purposely brought along all my odd and unmatched arrows, knowing full well that many wouldnt be coming home with me. Our foray in amongst the scotch thistles was short lived, as our arrow supply was severely depleted. I managed to land my Judo arrow, always a survivor, just centimetres above a flattened out stationary rabbit about 30 metres away and my last Ribtek tipped arrow was spent on an impossible running shot, taken at a bouncing, weaving rabbit hightailing it though the thistles. Kait also emptied the remains of her quiver in the same manner. What a way to end a hunt! But then, thats what rabbit hunting is all about, its about constant, adrenalin filled action.

Rabbits, Judos & a Whip

January / February 2009 Page 9

Tom Baxter & NT Pig

Mozza with a meat goat

Trash & Gulf Boar

January / February 2009 Page 10

Bowhunters Showcase

Rabbit Stew:
Ingredients:
1 rabbit (cut into joints) OR two pairs of hindquarters 4 rashers bacon (rind removed) 2 sticks celery, (finely chopped) 1 large onion, (finely chopped) 2 large carrots, (finely chopped) Salt and pepper 1-cup water 2 cups milk 1 tblsp corn flour, (blended to a paste with some extra milk) cup parsley (finely chopped) Method:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Place rabbit in a deep heavy saucepan. Add bacon and the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper then add milk and water. Bring to boil. Cover tightly and simmer for 2 hours until tender, (turning pieces once or twice). Remove rabbit. Stir 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooled juice into your corn flour paste and then mix back into your pot and simmer until sauce is smooth and thick ened. Stir in parsley. Spoon the mixture over the rab bit. Serve with mashed potato, pumpkin and green vegetables. Enjoy!

8.
9.

January / February 2009 Page 11

Tuckerbox

Siewho Yeak took no time at all to harvest a small meat Goat with his new creation - The Genesis Takedown.
To hunt with a bow that I have made myself has always intrigued me. Although I have previously hunted successfully with my Home Brew, this time it was different as the exciting thing for me was that this particular bow was in unfinished condition! I just couldnt wait to test it out. To give the reader an idea, the recurve was put together on a Thursday and on the following Saturday of the same week, it had harvested its first Goat! As you will see from the photos, this bow was only rough sanded and had absolutely no varnish or oil on it. I was keen to try this new creation out, so fitted one piece of soft velcro on the shelf and another as a side plate to rest the arrows on. It was ready for testing. As I had intended to hunt with this bow, testing was to be conducted in the same fashion and I was using my favourite two blade broadheads. The broadhead tipped arrows were well behaved in flight during practice shots and I was more than happy with the amazing accuracy of this new creation. But now for a nameI thought it appropriate to name it the Genesis TD. The specifications of the recurve are as follows: AMO 58 inch, 60#@28 inch draw. I had built this bow with locally available timbers, being Jarrah (a Western Australian hard wood of the eucalypt family) as the main ingredient along with Tasmanian Blackwood.

Author: Siewho Yeak Location: WA Equipment: 60# Genesis TD custom made by Author

January / February 2009 Page 12

Bowhunting; With my Home Brew

We set off on a Friday evening and after a gruesome ten hour drive, we decided to swag it out for the night. It was so good to lay our heads down in our cosy swags after a long day of travelling. The next morning, after a quick cuppa we continued on our journey and in two hours, we had arrived at our paradise. That very same evening we were out scouting the wilderness in search of game. There he was. I first spotted this Goat from about fifty meters away, and with some good, thick cover, I managed to get within fifteen meters behind some thick bushes. I was so well concealed by the bushes that there was hardly any gaps that I could take a clear shot through. A quick look around and I had located a window the size of a basketball, but it was about two feet off the ground a challenging shot, but I was confident at that distance. The Goats were now feeding and moving past my location, gradually. The opportunity arose and I had no time to waste as a shot had finally presented itself.

Bowhunting; With my Home Brew

January / February 2009 Page 13

Very quickly I went down on my knees and with my new creation almost horizontal, I completely focused my mind on an imaginary spot on the Goats chest - the shot was released in an instance. The 660 grain arrow mounted with the two bladed broadhead passed through the animal without any effort, looking like a well placed shot. A sweet sense of satisfaction flowed through my mind. The shot, the flight, the pass through were engraved in my subconscious. I was very pleased with what had transpired and I waited. Apart from a slight twitch, this very resilient animal continued to feed. The Goat did not even make a sound and appeared to not even know he had been hit. As time went by, nothing seemed out of the ordinary for the Goat and I began to doubt my shot that I originally thought was good. I wondered, Did I really hit it? and decided to wait some more. What made it worse was that I could not see the animal clearly now, even with my binoculars as the Goat had moved away some more and blended very well into the surrounding bushes by this stage. Patience I said to myself. My quarry had gone out of sight, although I could still hear them.

...I wondered, Did I really hit it? and decided to wait some more.
Twenty minutes or so went by and I was really having trouble believing if my shot was in the boiler room as previously thought. Suddenly, a very loud bleat echoed through the bushes. This familiar sound immediately dispelled all my previous doubts! I knew the Goat had gone down. I waited for another five or so minutes just to be sure. When I finally emerged from my hidden position amongst the thick bushes, the Goat had only travelled about fifty paces and into the open from where he had been hit. The Goat had well and truly expired. After some self photos and finishing the task of butchering the Goat, I headed back to see how my wheelie bow bearing mates were going. Well, after the obligatory exchanging of stories and excuses like the ones that got away, it was one up for the Genesis TD and a big fat zero for the wheelies! Now to finish her off and bring those Australian exotic woods to life

Bowhunting; With my Home Brew

January / February 2009 Page 14

Stikbow Hunter Stubby Holders

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Stikbow Hunter Printed Tees

High Quality 200 gsm 100% cotton for comfort. Khaki with black and tan Stikbow Hunter logo on the front, these Tee Shirts are printed in Australia and are available in the following sizes: Medium (M), Large (L), Extra Large (XL) and 2x Extra Large (XXL).

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January / February 2009 Page 15

MERCHANDISE

Paul Thomson (Piggy) takes a nice Fox with his new Blackwidow PSR V recurve.
Having received my new Blackwidow PSR V and having not yet taken the new bow out for a hunt, I thought I would try my luck out. It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon and a great day for a stroll in the bush. Having stalked around for a while through the blackberries and bracken looking for the odd bunny to have a shot at without success, I decided to head into one of the valleys to see what the deer had been up to. While contouring along and glassing my way through the trees and brush, I spotted a nice looking fox sitting in the valley surveying the country below him. The wind was in my favor so I planned my stalk and started my down hill approach towards my quarry. With the moist ground and heavy leaf/stick litter scattered about I descended with care to avoid making any noise or slipping onto my behind. After carefully negotiating my way down I managed to position myself about 15m above the fox, with an arrow already on the string I waited for the fox to present the best possible shot angle for me and when the opportunity presented itself, I picked my spot, drew and released. He jumped high in the air twisting and turning then ran about 15m and started walking, only to disappear into some blackberries. In the fading light I searched and searched for both my arrow (which I knew was a pass through as I had seen it exit the animal) and for the fox but the poor light got the better of me and I called it a day. I returned the following day with my Jack Russell, Jill; hoping she would find the fox. The instant I let Jill out of the car she was off, not looking for the fox as I had hoped but instead chasing one rabbit after the other. With my dog busy enjoying her outing I went in search of the fox. As I neared the spot where the fox was and from where I took the shot, I could see my arrow lying on the ground. Upon close inspection, it revealed a good solid hit with the tell tale sign of dried up marks from bubbles that had been left amongst the blood on the shaft.

Author: Paul Thomson Location: VIC Equipment: Blackwidow PSR V Recurve

January / February 2009 Page 16

Chasing ole Red (short story)

After searching for a while without any luck and my little dog being too busy chasing rabbits to even bother to try and find my fox, I decided to give up. Before heading back to the car I wanted to have a peek into a deer bedding area to see whats been going on. While stalking my way through I heard a noise and thinking it may have been a deer moving away, I went to the edge of the thicket to see if I could see anything leaving the immediate area and low and behold I caught a glimpse of my fox in amongst some fallen timber and blackberries. Needless to say I was over the moon with locating my first kill with my new Blackwidow PSR Ironwood recurve. Unfortunately this was the last outing with my mate Jill who was recently put down due to illness.

Chasing ole Red (short story)

January / February 2009 Page 17

Field Care: Hints & Tips

January / February 2009 Page 18

Tom Baxter with a young Fox

January / February 2009 Page 19

January / February Great Eastern Cutlery Competition

A big thanks to Dan & Spen at JRE Industries (www.jreindustries.com) for this issues competition prize. The boys have kindly donated an absolutely gorgeous two bladed slip-joint folder, serial numbered and sporting a Bocote handle valued at over $250 AUD! For this contest, we are looking for the best Large Game Bowhunting Article with photos. So get those articles in for your chance to win this excellent prize.

November / December AMSO 128 Article Competition Winner!

Congratulations to Mick Smith and his daughter Kait for their article on hunting rabbits with traditional gear (see page 3). Mick has won two packs of Magnus Snuffer S/S 125gn broadheads and a Stikbowhunter Tee (and a Tee for Kait too!)

January / February 2009 Page 20

Competition

Wayno shares his thoughts on both Bow and Back Quivers. New players to the Traditional game will find some useful information here! There are many Quivers on the market these days, unlike the days of old when we either made our own or chose from a selected few that were available to us. Many have advantages and disadvantages depending upon the type of use we are looking for. Whether they are back or bow quivers or even side hip quivers for that matter, I still think it is a personal choice we all make which compliments our own style of archery. Many target archers use the side hip quiver for ease of access, but I have also hunted with many bowhunters who use this type out in the field as well. When target shooting, losing arrows is a rare occurrence and when shooting a competition round, six or even eight arrows is plenty enough for the average archer to complete the course. Even when shooting a 3D or paper field round, most targets are set up for a one or two arrow round only. As I am a Traditional bowhunter, I may be a little bias towards the back or bow quivers for my type of archery. The modern bow hunter has an unlimited amount of equipment available to them when hunting these days. As an example, small day packs and camel backs (water hydration packs) have come a long way in design with many benefits in conjunction with weight reduction, particularly in the last few years.

This modern factory made back quiver by Vista has plenty of room for arrows and also contains pockets for carrying extra items, saving having to use another carry pack.

Author: Wayne Hinton Location: N/A Equipment: Vista & Selway Quivers

January / February 2009 Page 21

Thoughts on; Quivers

This may be why most hunters that wear this type of equipment opt for the bow quiver as opposed to a back quiver as back quivers can be quite cumbersome when added to the rest of your pack. Also, the quick availability to arrows when a second one may be needed after a wayward shot must be taken into serious consideration when choosing a quiver style. Bow quivers ranging from a single arrow to the most commonly used six arrow holder are readily available in many different and attachable designs. Slide on limb quivers, limb bolt quivers and detachable velcro quivers are just a few available to the modern Traditional bowhunter which are fitted easily to both longbows and recurves.

The Selway screw on longbow quiver (as fitted to this longbow below), gives quick and easy access to arrows when needed. It also has the ability to be fitted or removed quickly with no need for tools.

Thoughts on; Quivers

January / February 2009 Page 22

A popular brand among Traditional bowhunters is the Selway slide on and screw on leather covered bow quivers.
Soft coat, vinyl and even leather covered bow quivers seem to be the preferred choice with the latter two available in different stitching and sometimes elaborate leather work designs of your own choice. You could confidently say that the sky is the limit when it comes to the design and colour of quivers that is now available to the Traditional bowhunter. The only draw back I can see with bow quivers, especially if you shoot like me, is the limited amount of arrows you can carry with the design. This is where the back quiver really stamps its versatility against the bow quiver. Depending on the size, it is able to hold from six to two dozen arrows and sometimes even more within its hold. The back quiver comes in all different types of design, size, colour and also materials. It is available in leather, cotton, vinyl and a matter of fact it can be made from nearly any type of material available on the market today. The back quiver is very popular amongst Traditional archers. The simple fact is, that it can hold more arrows and be made from leather, animal skins and furs, which gives it a more natural or traditional appearance. They are also quite easily made and a do it yourself alternative to buying one. Dont get me wrong, as the bow and hip quivers can also be made using the same materials, however I personally think nothing looks better then a traditionally made back quiver. Pockets and straps can be added and fitted as there is usually plenty of room available to the exterior extremities. These can be very useful instead of carrying an extra pack to hold the rest of your food or utensils that you may need for your days hunt or competition shoot.

Thoughts on; Quivers

January / February 2009 Page 23

As I stated earlier within this article, choosing one of the various quiver types that are available to us on the market these days, comes down to the type of archery and the type of use that we want from them. Personal preference will always prevail however, in what we like the look of and also what we prefer whilst in the field. I know its a good situation to be able to have such a huge range and choice of quivers, but it usually takes me just as long to pick out a new custom quiver, as it takes me to pick out a new custom bow! You gotta love that.

The Selway screw on detachable quiver can be clearly seen fitted to this Bear Montana longbow (below).

Thoughts on; Quivers

January / February 2009 Page 24

January / February 2009 Page 25

Mick Smith with yet another Bunny

Ben and a nice NT Hog Tom with a young goat

Paul Thomson with a monster Boar

January / February 2009 Page 26

Bowhunters Showcase

Ill never use any other type of small game head - VBs are Brilliant!
These are just a couple of comments from Howies happy customers that have been using the Varmint Busters on small game and I can pretty much confirm that anybody you talk to regarding the stopping power of these heads as compared to other blunts, will be saying the same thing. They are really - that good! I came across the VBs (as they are now called) on a popular Bowhunting forum, The Bowhunters Group of Australia (www.aussiebowhunter.com). After reading the impressive comments and seeing video footage of what the VBs could do, I had sent an email to Howie asking if I could try some. Well, I have only had limited time to test them out but now with 7 rabbits under my belt using the VBs, all I can say is WOW! I doubt that I will ever loose a rabbit down its burrow again as these things simply stop them in their tracks. They also fly true like field tips. And talk about virtually indestructible, the heads are designed to bend before breaking. To repair a bent tang, simply remove the blunt and place it on a hard surface. Hit the blunt with a hammer and this flattens them out and they are then ready for more action. The samples I was given weighed in at a typical 137 grains which included both the blunt and field tip. The diameter of the blunt is 28mm with a thickness of 3mm. They are also helical in appearance. But who cares about the specifications, right! They work and work well. Do yourself a favor and grab some VBs. They wont know what hit em!

For further information on Howies Varmint Busters, send an email to

[email protected]
Youll get 4x Blunt assemblies for $15 AUD which includes delivery!
Photo: P.Thomson Author: Guy Curtis Equipment: Howies Varmint Buster Game blunts Rating: Highly Recommended

January / February 2009 Page 27

Product Review: Varmint Busters!

Without a doubt, one of the best small game blunts I have used.

January / February 2009 Page 28

hunting solo. But with the quarry now being potentially nasty with edged weapons in their mouth, my mind was racing with the usual what if I get charged scenarios. After a couple of practice shots at the local flora, we touched up our broadheads back to shaving sharp and moved off into our separate gullies. Now it seems to be a common practice of mine, whether intentional or not, to scan the ground consistently when I hunt. Maybe its the numerous snakes I have near stepped on or some other reason beyond my understanding, but it sure has cost me some easy stalks on game. I really need to learn to fix or modify this aspect of my stalking technique, as I often bump into my intended quarry unprepared. Another theory of mine is that old so-and-so Murphy is playing his usual hand at the expense of my bowhunting success - more on that bloke and his so called Law later. I had probably been walking for around thirty minutes or so when out of the corner of my eye, a dark shape not five meters away startled me. I was oblivious to it prior to now, and apparently so was that dark shape to me as it continued along its way undisturbed. If I had been a few more meters to my left, we surely would have come face to face.

We had greeted the property owner upon our arrival, who could no doubt tell that we were exhausted as he was smiling and muttering something about stamina and us southerner boys. We were all that tired I doubt we even showed any emotions of excitement, as he spoke of the game he had seen just that morning and of the free ranging deer that were appearing in number all over the property no doubt attracted to his newly developed crops. He let us on our way to the camp ground, down by an old dried up creek. We set up camp, as much as was needed and sat down to a cold drink. It wasnt long before we started to hear Boars fighting in the nearby mountains and it gave us all some extra spark to get our bows unpacked and set up. It was my first annual trip on these big Mountain Boars and I will admit to being quite nervous. You see we rarely hunted together, having become accustomed to going our separate ways from camp, ultimately

Author: Guy Curtis Location: QLD Equipment: 51# Lewis Hollow Longbow, Goldtip Traditional shafts

January / February 2009 Page 29

Murphys Law ~ No More! / Pt 1

It had been an enormous drive twenty two hours to be exact. We were all tired, a tad grumpy and sick of sitting in a cramped 4x4 packed to the hilt with food, tents, swags and of course our Bowhunting gear. We had only ourselves to blame, as none of us were ever content on bringing just one bow with us on our annual bowhunting trips. To us, there was just as much fun in showing off our new acquisitions since last we met as in the actual hunting and it was an aspect that we all looked forward too as part of our yearly get together. In hindsight, its quite laughable as the bulk of that 4x4 interior was taken up with the numerous bow cases and bow tubes of various shapes and sizes.

A tale of Boars, near misses, heart attacks and that ole bastard Murphy and his uncanny knack to ruin everything...

....It made for another hair-raising experience I can tell you!

As I turned, there was a huge Boar slowly walking in the same direction along a thin game trail which was alongside the one I had chosen to hunt on. He was huge, or so the Boar appeared, as he was on slightly elevated ground than I was. He was also pretty much at my eye level through a sparse bank of scrub which separated us. I slowly knelt down to see a massive set of tusks protrude from his lower jaw, of which he was scraping together making a clacking sound. The bush seemed that quiet during this moment that I am sure it was all I could hear clack, clack, clack as he ground his tusks Having no cover to give me some form of security, I was overwhelmed with fear and felt extremely vulnerable. I remember lifting my bow and ready to draw as I already had an arrow knocked, as I often do when stalking, but I never drew that string. I also remember having a clear shot and also of slanting my head and picking a spot behind his shoulder, but I watched that Boar slowly move along his path and out of sight. I was exhausted after this encounter and sat on a nearby log to recover my confidence. My heart was racing! After a while, a small smirk came to my face and I continued along the gully a lot more alert than I was a little earlier. How things change, I do not even remember looking at the ground after that as I was too busy scouring my surroundings for additional dark shapes. I had come to a clearing and changed my direction uphill, having decided to return to camp over the top of the mountain. It would not have been more than ten minutes after my confronting episode with the clacking Boar, when up from the grass jumped another Boar, albeit smaller, less than two meters from me!

What was I doing! Open your bloody eyes man! I remember thinking afterwards. Now that first Boar encounter had seen me in the middle of a game trail with no immediate cover and now, this second Boar and I, were involved in a face-off on a treeless mountain side. I could have held out my bow and touched him he was that close. We both froze waiting for somebody to make the first move. It made for another hair-raising experience I can tell you! To be Continued...

Murphys Law ~ No More! Pt 1

January / February 2009 Page 30

March / April

January / February 09

Photo Credit: Dan Purvis Casey McCallum overlooking the day ahead