Vol 7, issue 3

Summer 2015
The Drawknife
Volume 7 Issue 3
The Oklahoma Selfbow Society Newsletter
Inside this issue:
President—Mike Magee
North West
Representative
2
Schedule of Events
4
Non Resident
Representative
4
Event Coordinator
5
Tri-State 3D Shoot in
Wellington, TX
6
Membership &
Finance
7
Past President
8
Faces of Greatness
9
Why I love the OSS
and attend OJAM
11
Secretary-Treasurer
15
Campfire Cooking
14
Corporate Members
Adds
16
Well… I have good news, bad news,
followed by good news and then more
good news. The first good news is that
the 2015 OSS members’ rendezvous
was a winner and a blast! We had
great fellowship with our friends, we
shared hunting and bow building
stories, we made a bunch of bows, we
shot a lot at our new OSS 3D targets
and we ate at the pot luck dinner like
there was no tomorrow. It was a
roaring success! The bad news… we
found a couple of copperheads in the
campground! The follow-on good news,
no one was bitten! The last good news,
one of them is long enough to cover
one limb of a bow. Not sure who got
the skin, but it won’t go to waste! You
should have seen all the bowyers jump
up and hustle over to Diane when she
yelled “SNAKE!”. Good thing Doug did
the brush hogging and Rodney and
Chris did the weed eating or we might
have had some bigger problems with
the copperhead cousins. Thanks
guys. And thank you Lord for keeping
everyone safe!
The next item I want to mention is
future activities. Your Board of
Directors met Saturday morning and we
firmed up a few future dates. Jason,
one of our Activities Directors, will give
you more details in his newsletter
article, but let me just say, we have a lot
going on. The newsletter will have
some general information but the best
place to see the event details and to
ask questions is on Tradrag.com. Just
go to the forum named “Shoots and
Events” then look for the “Oklahoma
Selfbow Society” tab. The web site will
also include information about other
“pop up” events and less formal gettogethers.
The last thing I have for now is a
request… We are looking for a sponsor
or sponsors to support our rattan bow
giveaways. If you work for an
organization that has a philanthropic
(gives-money-away-to-good-causes)
division or office, please let me
know. We will contact them with a grant
request.
Until I see you at a future event…
Practice, practice, practice. Hog and
yote season is open. Deer season isn’t
far away.
Mike
Join us on Facebook (search for Oklahoma-Selfbow-Society), Follow us on Twitter @okselfbow, and
Find us online on TradRag
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The Drawknife
Northwest Representative — Mark Mann
At dusk I quivered my arrow on the last day of the
(archery) season this past January with the
realization that I had not loosed a single arrow at a
deer through the entirety of the season. This was a
first in my traditional archery career, and a fact made
more palpable with knowing that I had worked longer
and harder over the preceding three months than any
of the previous seasons.
Drought Map in Western Oklahoma, April 2015
The inescapable truth was that we had experienced
over four years of drought, and the prospects for
moisture appeared no greater than last year's. The
brush was thin, grass sparse, cover for young deer
tenuous, and distance between watering holes
bowl period.
Call us what you will, but Oklahoma is a land
peopled with survivors, and like those who toughed it
out 70-plus years ago, many of our farmer-stockmen
in western Oklahoma were again surviving on little
more than hope, grit, and sometimes humor. Joe,
one of Clinton's businessmen and part time
philosophers, could be frequently heard reminding
his patrons "Don't worry, it always rains at the end of
a dry spell!" Give him a strange look and he'd further
advise you that "They've done studies. It's been
proven". Well, in late April and May the old
philosopher was proven right as the clouds opened
up all over the state. On the heels of almost five
years of oppressive draught, the state of Oklahoma
in the month of May set a new record for rainfall in
any month in the state's history. While rain totals
vary, on the whole the state received 4" above and
beyond any previous month’s accumulation of rain.
Understandably, there are no-doubt immediate
problems caused by such a deluge, the long-term
benefits, however, are immeasurable. In terms of
wildlife, our ground-nesting game birds have taken a
brief setback. However, biologists tell us that while
some nests may have been destroyed, many of the
species will re-nest. Others were in their mating
season which means nesting will simply be pushed
back further in the year. We're also told that the
timing of the rains will positively impact the amount of
available insects that are so important to the game
birds in their first few weeks of life, and of course the
One of the many ponds in western Oklahoma lost to drought.
becoming greater. In western Oklahoma, morale
seemed to have reached a low ebb among our bow
hunting population. Further, at 1,622' above sea
level, western Oklahoma's biggest reservoir, Foss
Lake, was 20' below its normal elevation, and even in
January was continuing to lose about 1/10" daily to
evaporation. At least two of my elderly patients had
even suggested that weather conditions seemed to
be worse than what they experienced during the dust
Wild turkey poults.
amount of grass and vegetation will be vastly
improved thus enhancing habitat.
Concerning our deer population, state biologists
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tell us that fawning did not occur until after the
highest of the waters began receding, young deer
therefore being only minimally impacted by the high
waters. The anticipated benefits of the heavy spring
rains should be apparent over the next several
months to years. Indeed, the rains' favorable effect
on the whitetail's food supply, water availability, and
general habitat should translate into improved
numbers and health of the whitetail population,
especially in the western half of the state where the
severity of the recent draught seems to have
produced a commensurate decline in deer population
and harvest, particularly for the bow hunter.
An interesting product of the draught in western
earth appeared like a scene from Death Valley. Not
surprisingly, as the water and fish left, so went a
valuable source of revenue with the loss of many
fishermen, campers, lodge-goers, and outdoorsmen.
It seemed that just a few more dry months and a
bugle playing "Taps" were all that would be needed
to finish off this once-important source of water,
recreation, and habitat. Then, along comes May and
we are reminded again of just how resilient and
enduring the world can be east of the 100th meridian.
In a span of two weeks, the nearly dead, salty and
murky residue of Lake Altus-Lugert was transformed
into clear fresh water that can now be seen going
over the dam as the lake is now at capacity.
Now visible in western Oklahoma are the lush
The transformation of Lake Altus-Lugert
Most of the fawning occurred in Oklahoma after the worst of
the flood waters began receding.
Oklahoma involves a half-century old state lake
whose recent history reads like a tragedy. Lake Altus
-Lugert located in the southwest quadrant of the state
was in critical condition with the water level greater
than 31' below normal. Compounding the problem
was the gold algae that had taken over because of
the increasing salt concentration that resulted from
the declining water level of
the once beautiful reservoir.
As a result, the fish
population experienced
virtual annihilation, a number
of lost fish estimated to be in
excess of 350,000.
Gene Gilliland, Assistant
Chief of Fisheries for the
ODWC, was quoted as
saying "There are no fish we
can find in the lake." The
lodge, surrounded by
tumbleweeds and scorched Dead fish litter the shoreline of
Lake Altus-Lugert.
pastures and timber clad with a thick verdant exterior
not seen for half a decade, and the sight reminding
us again of the innate beauty of our state. Seeing the
tiny heads of this spring's calf crop peering around
the immature clumps of bluestem and weeping
lovegrass suggests that there will be plenty of cover
for our young spotted trophies-to-be. Smaller
reservoirs that were only weeks ago dry ponds and
mud holes are now brimming with fresh blue water
overflowing and cutting deep fissures into the
surrounding earth. Foss Lake, only weeks ago at 20'
below normal, is now only 6-1/2' from being full.
Surrounding tributaries that feed the lake are still
running and now provide hydration of close proximity
to wildlife that only recently had to travel over a half
mile for water.
Like the rest of the state, the northwest quadrant
of Oklahoma is alive and well, and while we may still
be two or more years out from seeing our harvest
numbers positively impacted, the wait will be much
easier from stands overseeing healthy timber and
grasslands, and waterways and reservoirs again
(Continued on page 4)
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(Continued from page 3)
replete and nourishing the flora and fauna of our
great state.
I look forward to seeing many of you again this
year at the ODWC’s Outdoor Expo this September
25th through the 27th. This event rivals OJAM in
terms of public exposure, and is an excellent time for
new members to jump in and become a part of an
active demonstration in what we do year round, be it
bow or arrow-making, flintknapping, or just shaking a
few hands and bragging about the organization.
OSS Schedule of Events
2015 Oklahoma Wildlife Expo
September 25,26,& 27
Note: Trade Bow participation due on Saturday of
Expo.
2015 OSS Members Hunt
October 9,10,& 11,
The campout location is the Ponca bowmen archery
range and the hunt will be on the Kaw Wildlife
Management Area
Mark
2016 OSS Annual banquet
February 6
The banquet will be held at Sooner Legends
Hotel in Norman, OK
2016 OJAM
March 24,25,26,&27
Non-Resident Representative—Ralph Renfro (KsBow)
Wow, can you believe it's almost July and we're
not talking about the drought? Seems that the good
lord was tired of us playing with no water and now
he's gone the other way. We can't ever complain
about water as we need it for life itself. There are
negatives to anything. You're all spending more for
mower gas this summer than you have in the last few
years. Manufacturers of blades, mowers, etc will be
liking this weather for sure.
Crops are doing well if they're not under
water. That looked like it would be a problem for my
garden but it has finally soaked in the standing water
before veggies started dying. Lots of tender young
produce on and it looks like we'll be busy canning
this summer.
Greyden is taking swimming lessons. His first day
was yesterday. He'd never been into a big pool so it
was a bit scary at first, but relaxed as the time went
on. Glad we chose the 5 o'clock time slot instead of
morning. He was purple when he came out after the
lesson.
I've been finishing up projects and bows that have
been on the burner for awhile. I'll be bringing the
latest flurry of bows to Rendezvous. Now I'll not be
working on anything untill later in the summer or fall.
We're looking forward to getting to visit everyone
at our Rendezvous. Good to have a more relaxed
time to enjoy the company of our OSS family. I know
that some members are getting ready for out of state
hunts. Maybe we'll get to hear some stories around
the ole campfire.
I know that Jason and Lil Billy have been slaying
the fish for our fish fry. A big tip of the cam hat to
these men for their efforts for the Pot Luck. Also to
everyone who kicks in for making it a real treat.
It was a bummer of a turkey season for
me. Nothing cooperated and I was shut out. First
time in a long time. But...that's why it's called hunting
and not just killing.
Maybe some birds will move back in for fall
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The Drawknife
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(Continued from page 4)
season. Also the ticks have be horrid up
here. That's real unusual because normally that's not
a problem. I know from talking to friends down there
and up here, that they have been a real problem
everywhere. Perhaps another negative to all the rain.
I'm going to end this for now with a couple of
pictures of projects completed.
Ralph
Arkie Gettin Close
Arkie Snake
OSS Event Coordinator—Jason Grace
Well I hope everybody is having a great summer.
It has been a wet one! As bowyers we will be talking
about this growth ring in our Osage in a couple of
years! I hope no one is getting the summer time
blues. Hopefully it has been full of either building
bows, preparing for a big hunt this fall, or just spending good quality time with family and friends.
I had the pleasure of seeing quite a few of you all
at the member’s only rendezvous. If you weren’t
there you missed out on some great fish Billy caught
and shared with us for the fish-fry potluck dinner on
Saturday evening. The food was great but the fellowship was better.
Young people are the future to anything worth
preserving! Our mission is to pass on and preserve
primitive bow making and skills. OSS has a challenge, to pass our mission of bow making to a younger age group at OJAM. The BOD (board of directors)
has formed a committee, headed by me to address
this situation. I’m looking for people interested in being a part of this, ideas, or any input on this very important issue. Please contact me if this pulls on your
heart, this is Our Future!
2015 Trade BOW entries will be due on Saturday
September 25th at the Wildlife Expo. Cost is $20
and entry needs to include your desired bow weight,
draw length, right or left handed. Your bow specs.
(to build) will be given the following Sunday 26th.
Bows must be completed by and will be presented at
the annual Banquet in February. This is not a best of
the best only thing, if you like building bows and the
honor of receiving a bow built by one of your peers; it
is one of the coolest things to be a part of! Also contact me for more info or how to sign up!
The OSS has lots of things happening so be sure
to check out the schedule of events. Again what we
do as an organization can’t be done without volunteers, so if you are not one and want to help let me
know or Mike know. If you are one of our gracious
volunteers no words can express how thankful we
are that you are apart of this great society.
Sincerely,
Jason
Phone
(580) 716-2150
Email
jasonr.grace@yahoo.com
Page 6
The Drawknife
Tri-State 3D Shoot in Wellington, TX by Easton Hendrickson
I got into traditional archery about five years ago
making PVC bows and shooting fiberglass bows.
About a year after that I started shooting 3D archery
with my compound and my Bear Grizzly that I had refinished. I have shot 3D every year after that and almost any place I could within the state. I soon figured
out that I was fairly good with both my compound and
my traditional equipment but it was far more fun with
traditional bows and the people that shoot them care
more about having fun and making the sport better
than the compound archers. When you are at a trad
only shoot, the whole time you're shooting you can
hear people talking and laughing, enjoying the sport.
That's the thing I like about shooting 3D is the bonding
you get with people
that like the same
thing.
I recently went to
a Tri-State Traditional Championship
shoot that included
OK, TX, and NM.
This was a traditional only shoot. If I
can say one thing about that shoot I would say that
was THE most fun I have had at a 3D shoot. They
were very creative in how they placed the targets and
how they set up a scene. It was really cool because
they had a seven foot tall Sasquatch you could shoot
as well as a hanging bat and the smallest target I had
ever seen!
It was a five inch or so tall piglet that you had to shoot from really close range which made it even
trickier for me at least! They set
up some type of big cat that had
dragged an antelope into a tree
and you had to shoot both which
was creative and a pig that was in
a trap at another station. Someone had set up a blind that looked
like a tree stump that was surrounded by tree stands and a feeder with two turkeys
under it that you had to shoot sitting in the tree blind.
The Sagebrush Traditional Archery Club sure knew
how to set up an interesting shoot and keep it fresh
and exciting to shoot no matter how many you had
been to before.
The first thing I noticed was how many people
there were out there compared to the other traditional
shoots I had
been to recently. I went
to a Regions
shoot that
was supposed to
have some
traditional
guys out
there the day before but I ended up being the only
one out there over the whole shoot. Even with the
compound guys I don't think they got all the attendance of what the Sagebrush Club had brought in. It
was inspiring to see all the new and old shooters that
were out there and it was fantastic to see that many
traditional guys in one place.
The Sagebrush Club had some amazing people
that ran the shoot that were very nice and seemed to
have a big focus toward the younger generations
with medals for all the kids which is smart and I have
never seen before. Every other shoot I had been to
they always treat the little kids like adults, giving the
top three medals.
The thing about the little ones though, is that if
they don't get some type of trophy then they won't
want to continue shooting 3D or archery in general
because it's not fun. For the top shooters in each
class of any age, they handed out really nice brass
belt buckles.
(Continued on page 7)
The Drawknife
(Continued from page 6)
They then had a shoot off between the youth, the
women, and the men for a 24 kt gold and sterling silver belt buckle. I was
happy to find out I won
my division and had a
shoot down with the
winners of the other
youth classes. One kid
was seven years old
and shot amazing with
his little bow and there
were some other
young women and
men about my age shooting for the belt buckle. I
thought it was really cool for that little boy was just a
little older than my little brother and he was so into
archery.
Personally, I love shooting 3D and love being out
with the people. I try my best in everything I do
whether it is school or shooting and this time it was
because I
wanted to
show off
my skills
and especially out
at this
shoot because I
had to
show my
Oklahoma pride! When I first got there I talked to a
few people about the belt buckles and they said how
nice they were but seemed to look at me like I wouldn't have a chance, which I usually get because I don't
shoot with the nicest bows I just shoot with what I
have arrows for or what I feel like shooting then. This
time I pulled out my Bear Bearcat which is a sixtyeight inch monster of a recurve. I bought it for $130
off ebay and it looked really nice even though it was
thirty years old. I made a string for it and used deer
leather to pad the shelf.
After shooting the awesome thirty target course, I
gave one of the people running it my scorecard and
he asked me how I had done and my score. I got a
296 ( if I remember right, give or take a few) and he
looked at me like I was crazy, he checked my math
and looked back at me while he went to put it against
Page 7
the other peoples' scores. I then shot the long shot
on the bear (more on that later) and practiced for the
shoot off. People kept coming up to me and commenting on how good my shooting was. Then after I
had been given my gold belt buckle, people were
saying how I inspired them like the little boy I mentioned earlier had inspired me. I think it is really awesome when people give you encouragement like that
and you will find no shortage of compliments out at
shoots similar to this one.
Sagebrush also had some fun shoots like shooting at a black bear target from easily over onehundred yards in order to win another gold and silver
belt buckle and the pot of money that everyone had
thrown together. When we lined up on the line to
shoot my dad came up behind me, ready to record
our shooting. When the man who ran it said that we
could shoot, my dad didn't realize we were shooting
at the target one-hundred plus yards away on the hill
behind the twenty yard targets sitting in front of us.
Everyone had trouble hitting the bear so we scooted
up ten yards and shot with nobody hitting it again.
We went another ten yards closer and shot with one
of the shooters managing to ricochet his arrow off the
ground in front of the bear and hit it in the leg, winning him the belt buckle and the pot. We shot again
with a couple fewer people and I managed to hit it
twice in a row, one during “practice” and one right
after for half the pot, surprising myself and everyone
(Continued on page 8)
The Drawknife
there.
I was surprised to see quite a few people from the
OSS and OJAM I had seen before. It was pretty cool
to see how intertwined the OSS had become into
places outside the state and in the traditional world in
general. There were quite a few people I saw with
OJAM shirts representing both Texas and Oklahoma.
I can't remember who said it but someone had promoted Ojam while they were on the microphone and
saw a few people perk up hearing that they could
make their own bow for free and saw K.C. giving a
few people more info about it, so I'm expecting a few
more Texans and possibly a New Mexican at OJAM
next year!
I would push for more OSS members to go out
shooting 3D and enjoy the sport and the people that
are at those shoots. I want to say that it was really
fun to get to shoot with people I know like K.C. and
Page 8
be able to see how we are both involved and have
fun shooting together. I would also suggest OSS
members should help out the OSS by talking about
OJAM out at those gatherings and I would bet we
would start getting an even bigger influx of new bowyers at Ojam and be able to share our tradition with
more people, that way generations to come will be
able to learn our trade.
Easton
Past President—Tommy Leach
After checking the controlled hunts last week I’ve
been a bit down since we failed to draw anything this
fall. Hopefully your luck has been better than ours. I
guess I’ll have to settle on Ontario and Kansas for my
hunts this year. I’ve been working on a few bows. I
finished two last month and I’m ready to put a handle
wrap on a new static recurve. Mikee and I are also
have just about finished with another United Way
bow donation for OG&E.
I was really good to see everyone at Rendezvous
this summer. Thanks to Billy and Jason and their
team of cooks for the fish fry. If you missed out you
should plan on next year if nothing else but to eat.
We got to shoot a little, we even got Ralph to break
away and fling a few arrows. Overall a great weekend
for OSS.
Mike has asked John Holman and me to lead the
nomination committee for the 2016 elections. The
offices which come due this year are President, Secretary / Treasurer, NW and SE representatives and
the Event Coordinator. If you are interested in serving
in any of these capacities please contact John or myself.
Also, I will be helping with the 3D shoot during
OJAM this spring. We will be needing a few volunteers to assist over the weekend. Contact me if you
would like to help out. We are also adding longbow
and recurve classes to the shoot. If you have any
suggestions please send them in.
Personally it’s been pretty busy for me. My daughter gets married next weekend and the spring and
summer have been dedicated to wedding plans.
Plans are also underway for the upcoming bear hunt.
I’m ready for a few days off to relax.
I’ll close with a short safety topic. I, like many of
you have probably left tree stands up throughout the
year. Take some time before season opens and go
check your stand to make sure it is safe. Look at the
tree limbs and make sure they aren’t dead. Also inspect your harness. Be sure the stitching is secure
and is free of dry rot. Check the carabineers and
rings to make sure they are rust free and not deformed. If you had a fall last year and your harness
took a shock, replace it! Make sure it still fits. It is
even a good idea to have two, one for early season
and one for late when you are bundled up.
See everyone at the EXPO.
Tommy
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The Drawknife
Faces of Greatness by Mark Manm
While perusing the internet recently, I happened
upon an interesting piece entitled, Without these 7
Men, Modern Archery Wouldn’t Exist Today. The
article was a reminder of just how many people have
made important contributions to traditional archery.
While we’ll likely have varying opinions as to the
composition of such a roster, as well as the relative
importance of each, with the reader's indulgence, I
would like, throughout the next several publications,
to present “Faces of Greatness”, individuals whose
contributions have shaped traditional archery in a
positive and lasting way.
The first of these is commonly referred to as "the
world's greatest archer", a man that was considered
by many to be a legend in his own time, Howard Hill.
Howard Hacklestelion Hill was born in November
of 1899 to farming parents in rural Selby County,
archery lessons in the summer months. Hill practiced
regularly, and it's reported that he typically shot 700800 arrows on the weekends alone. After graduating
from college in 1923 he needed a steady income so
he moved to Miami, Florida to work for Hughes Tool
Company during which time he made his first bow.
He worked for Hughes Tool during the week, and
then as a local golf pro on the weekends. He was
quoted as saying that his inability to putt was all that
kept him from being a competitive professional golfer.
(To that small deficit we all owe a large debt of
gratitude.) It is reported that about this time Hill read
Maurice Thompson's "The Witchery Of Archery"
which produced a renewed devotion and commitment
to archery.
I have to admit that upon first becoming
acquainted with the exploits of Howard Hill I largely
dismissed him as a Hollywood showboat, a celebritytype who just happened to wield a bow. His short
archery presentations which are readily available on
the internet casts him as a showy, suave young man
typically surrounded by bubbly young women
swooning with his every action. Closer inspection of
his life, however, reveals him as a man passionate
about archery, hunting, and crafting of quality archery
equipment, and one enthusiastic about teaching. His
trick shooting made great footage and grabbed the
general public's eye, but it was hunting that Howard
loved most. His tall muscular frame and toothy grin
eventually caught the attention of Hollywood
Howard Hill
Alabama. According to his longtime friend, Errol
Flynn, Hill identified himself as having Creek Indian
blood in his veins, a part of his pedigree about which
he was intensely proud. It is said that his love of
archery began at age four after his father made for
him a bow constructed of White Oak and bamboo. In
addition to his gift for archery, Hill grew to be an
excellent all-around athlete, and went on to play
basketball, baseball, and football at Auburn
University (at that time known as Auburn Polytechnic
Institute). His real love, however, remained archery,
and he subsidized his college education by giving
Howard Hill as technical advisor in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).
(Continued on page 10)
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(Continued from page 9)
producers who readily recognized Hill’s marketability.
He went on to produce the shooting stunts in The
Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), The Private Lives
of Elizabeth and Essex (1939), Dodge City (1939),
Virginia City (1940), and They Died with Their Boots
On (1941).
In The Adventures of Robin Hood, the stunt men
wore balsa wood underneath their tunics to receive
the blunt tip arrows shot by Hill. They complained
that they couldn't provide much improvising in their
falls because the force of Hill's arrows usually
unhorsed them with no acting needed.
Detailing all of Howard Hill's accomplishments as
an archer would be a task in and of itself. However,
his more commonly recorded accomplishments
include:
* Setting a world flight record in 1928 of 391
yards.
* Winning 196 field archery tournaments in
succession (streak ending in 1928).
* Drawing 35,000 spectators to Grants Park,
Chicago for an archery exhibition.
* Producing over 23 "short subject" films for
Warner Brothers.
* Taking over 2,000 animals with traditional bow
and arrow.
* Setting A.B.C. records for seven different
animal species.
* Appearing in ten movies featuring himself, and
being technical advisor on many others.
* Frequently performing as the stunt double for
close friend and actor Errol Flynn.
* Producing two best-selling books, Hunting the
Hard Way and Wild Adventure.
* Induction into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
in 1971 for accomplishments in archery.
* Setting the record for the heaviest bow pulled
(over 172 lb.-record held for over 50 years).
Perhaps more important to the traditional bowyer
is the fact that Howard was a prolific craftsman of
archery equipment. He developed an early
appreciation for the importance of matching arrow
(spine) to bow, and wrote extensively on the subject
of broadhead design. In his work Hunting the Hard
Way, five chapters are written with respect to the
construction and proper usage of the bow and arrow.
Like many great archers and bowyers, Hill held
strong biases about bow construction and usage. For
The Drawknife
instance, he felt strongly that the "short recurved"
bow should never be used for hunting. "I am not
skilled enough to shoot a short recurved bow
accurately" he states in Hunting the Hard Way. "...I
am not ashamed to admit it. I may add that I have
never seen any archer who could shoot such a bow
well under actual hunting conditions." Also like so
many great archers, when discussing the bow and
arrow, he leaned towards the arrow as being the
more important component. In his chapter of How to
Make Arrows he remarks "No matter how good the
bow or how skilled the archer, without a welldesigned and properly balanced broadhead (arrow)
the results obtained will be mediocre." He was
dogmatic about a 3:1 length to width ratio in building
broadheads, his favorite being a V-shaped point of 33/8" x 1-1/8" dimensions.
Hill favored heavy bows, and repeatedly
emphasized that when hunting, the archer should
use as heavy a bow as can be comfortably pulled. He
argued that the extra weight is frequently an
advantage with bigger game, or when the arrow is
misplaced in bone or thicker tissue. Further, he
reasoned that the flatter trajectory allows the archer
to avoid small obstacles too often encountered with
the rainbow-like trajectory of lighter bows. In 1950,
Hill further demonstrated his ability to wield heavier
bows as he used a 115 lb. bow to fell a 12,000 lb.
African elephant. He used special 41" arrows with a
modified version of his broadheads, bringing the
overall arrow mass to 1700 grains. The arrow
penetration was recorded as 31-1/2" deep.
Hill with African Elephant taken in 1950
(Continued on page 11)
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Of his collection, his two favorite bows were
"Grandpa", an 85 lb. bow used for most hunting and
exhibition shooting, and "Grandma" a 65 lb. bow
used primarily for smaller game.
In contrast to many traditional shooters, Hill
implemented a method of aiming known as "splitvision" shooting. He found it "faster and more
accurate than either the sight method, the instinctive,
or any other type of aiming." This method ultimately
trains the eye to focus on the target, while
maintaining a peripheral relationship between the
point of the arrow and the target.
Perhaps one of the greatest misconceptions
about Hill that no-doubt exists about many other
great archers is the idea that given his degree of
talent and accomplishments, regular practice wasn't
necessary. To the contrary, he practiced regularly
and extensively. His official web site reports that he
continued to practice well into his 60's, two to three
The Drawknife
times weekly, 30 to 90 minutes at a time during which
time he would shoot up to 150 arrows. At 62 years, it
is said, "he could draw and shoot a 75 lb. hunting
bow with ease and comfort".
The world's greatest archer? That remains a topic of
spirited debate. However, his contributions to
traditional archery can hardly be over-stated, nor can
the influence he's had on archers, bow hunting, and
archery in general over the past 80 years.
For a closer look at this remarkable man, consider
the following: Howard Hill, The Man And The Legend
by Craig Ekin, and Hunting The Hard Way and Wild
Adventure by Howard Hill.
Mark
Editors Note: Faces of Greatness is a series of
stories Mark is developing for the Drawknife.
Why I love the OSS and attend OJAM by Rene Shepard
In the beginning I was not to pleased that my
husband found something to do for a weeks worth of
his precious vacation time that did not include me. In
fact, it was a bit of a bitterness. Loren came to OJAM
four years in a row without me. He's working 67
hours a week sometimes, that's 12 hour days and
half days on Saturday and now he has this "thing"
that he does that he is so freakin happy about that he
can't concentrate on anything for weeks leading up to
it and he's euphoric for weeks after he gets home.
Then snowjam happened and I had to rescue him
from freezing to death and I decided enough was
enough. Four or five days without proper care, where
he's so far gone into what he's doing he forgets to
drink, forgets to eat, doesn't take his meds, packed
his coat up so that he got so soaked he couldn't feel
his legs when he got in the car, Bah! Humbug! HE
NEEDS ME!
I begged and bullied and pleaded, but Loren was
not so hot on the idea of me coming along. I think at
first, he was concerned that I would be a distraction
rather than an asset. And to be honest, I figured I
was walking into one of the last of the "good old
boys" clubs left. Loren already belongs to one of
those, he's an architect by trade and there just aren't
that many women in architecture, particularly in
Oklahoma.
So with some little trepidation and reluctance on
his part, Loren loaded up everything including the
kitchen sink in our little hhr. And off to OJAM we
went. We were joined by a fellow sca'dian, Robert
Sloan.
I really don't know how Robert felt about Loren
bringing the wife to the testosterone laden camp out,
but he rallied, I think.
Because, that first year I did the wifey thing,
making and taking meals and letting the guys focus
on their "thing" while I just took it all in. It was a
breathtaking whirl wind. So many people showing up,
hungry to learn something, I looked around for Loren
a dozen times the first 3 hours we were there and he
was off talking to some guys, then he was talking to
some more guys and then he was STILL FREAKIN
TALKING to some more guys.. who was this guy and
what happened to my husband?
If you knew him outside of OSS, you would agree,
Loren is not the most gregarious human being, in
fact, the first time I met his sister in law, she said he'd
spoken more in that vacation than she'd ever heard
him speak in 5 years. Wow!
So, now I'm at my next OJAM. I decide that I don't
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want to be too tempted to spend a lot of money at the
glorious array of stuff presented by the different
merchants. jewelry, clothing, toys, archery stuff. Man,
we could really go all casino royal and blow a lot of
money at this thing, but we were trying to pinch some
pennies and I took my little tool box full of wire
working stuff while I still did the "wifey" thing making
sure he ate and took his meds and took some
breaks, I started working on some projects and after
a bit I drew my own little crowd. Of little girls. Then
their moms started drifting over. I showed them what
I was doing and spent the rest of my time at OJAM
teaching these ladies how to make an old form of
weaving to make chain. It's really cool and fun to play
with when you have time.
So now, Im at my third OJAM. I took my box
again, assuming I'd spend my time piddling around
and taking care of Loren. But a call came out, for
volunteers. And one of the many conversations
between us about the events is that when he's
wearing his hat, whether he's supposed to be "on" or
not, people flock to hats and they flocked him such
that he literally had to take his hat off to get any rest,
anything to eat, any peace.
Then I noticed that "hats" were always on demand
for every question involving the event, be it "hey,
where's Tommy?" to "hey, where's the bathrooms?"
"What time's dinner?" "Where's the nearest vendor?"
This list of questions is endless and these guys are
trying to teach people how to make bows!
I found out by associating with these guys that
they are an elite group of people. Because of the field
they are working and the specialization of what they
do, there aren't maybe 400 people in the world that
can do what they do. Next they are teaching at the
largest primitive weapons education forum in the
USA and probably the largest of it's kind in the world.
And they are all volunteers.
I have serious back issues, spinal damage that
prevents me from ever making a bow. Which is fine.
Not everybody can do everything. So when the call
came out for volunteers to sit the registration table I
chose to volunteer. I figured it would be easy peasy,
take my little jewelry box and piddle diddle around till
time to feed the hubs and hang out and meet people.
Well, I got to meet people.
It was a crap ton of work. But I also noticed some
problems. First, remember, people flock to hats. It's
The Drawknife
what they are taught, it's what they know. So if they
have a question, the went to the hats first and the
registration table and such next. So the "hats" were
still getting mobbed for information that didn't relate
to bow making. That's frustrating.
I don't know if it was at that OJAM or the next,
probably the next. I sat the registration table again, it
wasn't Marila Contway..or Bernadette..I don't
remember the ladies name off the top of my head,
but we worked most of two days on the table. And we
talked about some of the problems that we could deal
with if only people would let us.
So that night, when the dinner was over and we
had our meeting and the subject of volunteers came
up.. I was a tad snarky and a little pissed. They
asked me to help, I wanted to help, but I/we had no
way of letting people know that we ( the volunteers)
had the information they needed! So the subject of
hats came up. Everybody who was teaching had one,
but all the rest of us support didn't so people didn't
know we could help them. Low and behold I raised
my hand and volunteered some information.
We, the volunteers, need a hat. There was some
good natured joking about already having OU's
colors represented, so what would the next color be...
And then OJAM this year (2015) came up. We
couldn't come, at all. Loren's job sent him a formal
letter explaining why he couldn't take vacation. We
sat and looked at that letter together. It really sucked.
But then we came to the Rendezvous and
towards the end of the day I saw some orange hats
being stowed away and I asked about them and
these good folks let me know they got them because
they had volunteered and these hats were to let
people know they could be trusted to give them
information. Well, I bloody knew what those hats
were for!
You see, there are many mens groups out there
that have a "separate but equal" policy towards their
women. The Mason's have their Eastern Star's, the
list is endless. But none of them, in my limited
opinion, really make way for an equal partnership
with their women folk.
Yet here I was, offering up a suggestion and
hoping for more opportunity to participate in "Loren's
Thing". And two years later, got to see the fruition of
that small contribution.
Mike gave me my orange hat. It is now one of my
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prized possessions. Something I earned, a mark of
honor and respect and responsibility.
There is so much more, ladies, kids, first of all,
there is not one thing to stop you from coming and
building a bow. Nor is there a single thing to stop you
from becoming a teacher of bow making. In fact I've
seen several women making bows and hope they will
come back to become teachers. And eventually red
or yellow hats. But even if you don't, even if you
aren't interested in building your own bows, in order
for these guys and girls to continue to do what they
are doing, and it's growing every year, they need us.
They need people to help setup, sit the registration
booth, direct traffic, be runners, deliver materials,
carry messages, make food, make sure they are
drinking enough and eating enough and keeping
warm enough.
You guys have had your ego's massaged quite
enough so this is really aimed at the women who
aren't coming. ..you can stop reading now.. Ladies.
Loren and I are pushing 50, our kids are grown. But
there are many younger people involved. And you
will not find a more family oriented, decent bunch of
people anywhere. And particularly if you have
The Drawknife
daughters that may want to meet young men who
have been raised to be men, raised to be
conquerors, because that is what these people are,
then you should be bringing your daughters to these
events. To meet other young people who are being
trained to be self sufficient, self educated, self
motivated to create a life that you just don't see as
much in the general population anymore. Im just
saying...
Yours in Service
Rene Shepard
Editors Note: Rene’s article came in response to
my request for more stories from our female
members.
Your Story
Could Be Here!
Any OSS member can submit a story to the Drawknife. These articles are one of the
many ways we promoting and teaching the art of constructing primitive archery.
Page 14
The Drawknife
Campfire Cooking – K. P. Lehman
OLD RECIPES
When I was a kid, 100 years ago, I can
remember butchering our own livestock and eating
it…all of it. Most people are not old enough to
remember that or were not raised on a farm, but
consuming almost the entire animal or wild animals
not now considered table fare was normal back then.
I have inherited some old
recipe books dating back to the
40’s. The book I took these
recipes from, “The American
Woman’s Cook Book” edited by
Ruth Berolzheimer, has a
copyright date of 1943. The
recipes are copied exactly as
they appear in the book.
Trust me, the recipes below are mild compared to
some of the others I found in these books, and
several of them I can remember eating. We will
revisit this subject again in the future, but here are
some actual recipes from this cookbook. Maybe you
are adventurous enough to try one.
BRAISED OXTAIL
1 oxtail, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons fat
1 cup hot water
2 small onions sliced
1 cup tomatoes
1 carrot chopped
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped celery
3 whole cloves
Salt and pepper
Brown pieces of oxtail in fat. Add onion, carrot
and celery and cook until brown. Sprinkle with
browned flour. Add hot water, tomatoes, bay leaves,
cloves, salt and pepper. Place in casserole and cook
in moderate oven (350 degrees F) until very tender,
serves 5 or 6.
Variation- Use beef stock instead of tomatoes
and water, and omit cloves. Serve with noodles.
ROAST OPPOSUM
The opossum is a very fat
animal with a peculiarly
flavored meat. To dress,
immerse in very hot water (not
boiling) for a minute. Remove
and use a dull knife to scrape
off hair so skin is not cut. Slit
from bottom of throat to hind
legs and remove entrails. Remove head and tail if
desired. Wash thoroughly inside and out with hot
water. Cover with cold water to which has been
added one cup of salt and let stand overnight. Drain
off the salted water and rinse with clean, boiling
water.
STUFFING
1 large onion minced
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. fat
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Opossum liver, chopped
1 hard cooked egg, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
Salt
Brown the onion in fat. Add liver and cook until liver
is tender. Add bread crumbs, pepper,
Worcestershire sauce, egg, salt and water to
moisten.
Stuff opossum and place in roaster; add 2
tablespoons of water and roast in moderate oven.
Baste every 15 minutes with drippings. Skim fat from
pan gravy; serve gravy separately, with baked yams
or sweet potatoes for 10.
KP
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Page 15
SECRETARY-TREASURER— Leo Staples
Like most things in life, the more you give the
more you get back. Certainly, this has been my
experience with OSS. The Society continues to
invest in equipment and supplies to support our
mission. Examples include restocking our store
and purchasing additional supplies. At the same
time, membership continues to grow (currently at
318) and the Society is financially healthy. The
financial report for Rendezvous is shown below.
With the one additional membership renewal I
have received, our bank balance is $10,669.21.
At the last Board meeting, I presented a draft
operations and maintenance budget for 2016,
which should be finalized and approved later this
year. By this time next year, I intend to present
a long-term capital budget that would allow the
Society to have funds available to cover
replacement of our trailers, tents, saws, and
other equipment. Thanks to everyone for your
time and financial support of our Society.
Earlier this year, I was asked to go on a bear
hunt in Canada. I have
done a fair amount of deer
hunting (rifle), and have
been in the woods with my
selfbow, but have yet to
take anything. So this trip
is certainly on my bucket
list.
We will be staying at
the Raleigh Lake Resort in
Ignace Ontario Canada. It
takes about 18 hours to
drive from Oklahoma to
the resort. We leave on
Thursday and start hunting on Saturday. Several
of the group have been there before, so the
actually trip planning has been very easy for the
new guys.
For the last few years, I have been shooting a
bow that is 45 lbs. at 28”. In preparation for the
hunt, I’ve move up to a bow that is 55 lbs. at 28”.
I have been rehabbing a shoulder from an Indoor
Soccer injury, so I have been dealing with a
good deal of pain. Yes, I know a guy who was in
his mid-50s shouldn’t have been playing indoor
soccer with 20-year-old kids.
Starting July 1, I’ve been shooting at least
every other night. A typical session is as follows:
· 3 rounds at 10 yards
· 3 rounds at 12 yards
· 3 rounds at 15 yards
I do take breaks between rounds to keep from
getting tired, which I am told will cause you to
develop bad shooting habits. A couple of times I
have shot rounds from a ladder to simulate being
in a tree stand.
During one of my practice sessions, my son
Jon and son-in-law Travis joined me. They had
so much fun that they now want to build bow.
Yeah! Some of you have already had this
experience, but I am looking forward to the day I
get to step into the wood with my sons and their
selfbows.
So if the bears don’t eat me you can expect to
see photos from the woods of Canada. I would
send photos from the camp, but Tommy says
what happens in bear camp, stays in bear camp.
Not quite sure what that means……….
Leo
Should you have questions or would like to submit an article for “The Drawknife” please contact:
Leo Staples
4008 Cupola Circle
Choctaw, OK 73020
405.206.4805
The Oklahoma Selfbow Society greatly appreciates the support of our Corporate Members and
encourage members to remember this when you need the types of products and service that
they provide.
OSS was formed to “Preserve the Primitive Heritage” by promoting and teaching the art of constructing primitive weapons, primarily bows, arrows, and stone knapped tools. Although the above are the
primary focus other primitive skills may be taught.