Stumpin' In Search of Spring & Modded Stump Arrows

Spent  day bummin' the backwoods, killin some time and some stumps and looking for Spring. Still a few pockets of snow but it's mostly gone now. Still can't seem to stay above fifty degrees and in the twenties at night. Tried to snow today, but the sun broke out for a while.

Video has more stills, lunch 'in the trees' and some stump killin. HD is best for viewing.

Some pretty simple mods to my stumpin arrows. I use very heavy arrows, full lenth GoldTip 75-95 with heavy FOC, 100gr inserts, 200gr heads and they hit like freight trains. As a result when stump shooting if I hit some super hard surfaces, unseen rocks, non-rotten or unyielding stumps the head will blow which looks a little something like this;

The force of impact drives the insert and head into the arrow shaft. I tried different glue and epoxy types but none of them helped prevent this.

I saw someone somewhere use a piece of aluminum arrow to basically 'foot' or reinforce the carbon shaft and decided to try the same thing. It works.

In my case I used some 2216s donated from my friend AK Craft on the BCUSA forums. Cut them to 1" sections and installed them on my arrows. For the Gold Tip Traditionals the outer diameter is a little greater and 2219s would be needed.

End result;

The modification did not alter my arrow flight and I'm quite pleased with the end result.

The video below isn't mine but shows how much the footing helps!

Stump Shooting Day Out with Son

Spring is trying to gain a foothold here in the North. Still snow on the ground but it is losing the battle finally.

We went roaming the woods, our quarry, the prolific rotting stumps of trees long gone.

My son is to my left, and the shadow struck me. He's as tall as I am now, and it seems like yesterday he was a knee high hellion much like my current three year old.

Second son has come into his own, a woodsman and a bowman, with a keen interest in the wild places.

Our path to the backwoods is loaded with stumps, as well as many targets that we have along the way.

 For a quiver he uses a leather hip quiver inserted into a ultralight day pack. It's a pretty slick set up.

Stump shooting is about as good a practice as a man can get with a stick bow. Instinctive shooting from unknown distances, oddball angles and positions. Over time the old hair covered computer gets programmed for the bow and the arrows and you just start drilling what you want to drill. Did I mention just how enjoyable this is?

Stumping and roaming is also perfect for scouting and seeing what the winter snow has been hiding. Like this moose sign.

We found rub lines and old scrapes too, though we were jawing so much the camera saw little action.

My son's bow below, this was his thirteenth birthday present. An riginal E.T Williams Seminole Chief, made for me back in 1996. Still a pleasure to shoot, and puts his 650gr arrows screaming to their targets.

Another day out with the BisonGear chest pack equals another day of liking it more. 

Ace resting in the shade, temps actually got to between 38 and 40F today. Warm!

 

Back on the trail we hit the big woods.

 Many stumps fell to our arrows as we roamed, we talked of deer hunting, studied fungus and discussed uses, a good time spent twixt father and son.

One of those days that lives in memory. One of those days you want to make more of.

Stump Thumpin & Moose Trackin

Having more travel through the next couple weeks I wanted some woods time, in spite of the new snow and the seemingly perpetually delayed Spring, I took my bow to do some stump shooting too. Out the back I trudged with Ace in tow.

The video covers everything and a little more besides, some arrow flinging with the camera on the stumps I'm shooting at.  As well as a camera tumble in the creek, just to see what it looks like in one of those little cascades. I'm still digging this camera for the quality of images, video and the fact that I can toss it in a creek with no ill effect.

Best viewed HD and full screen.



We drifted down into the valley towards the stream that winds through my property, there are many old rotten stumps through that bottom that are perfect for stump shooting. On our way in however, we cut a moose track! I've not seen a moose or found the track of one in my woods for going on two years now. This was special!

I decided to follow the tracks as far as possible, hopefully catching sight of the increasingly rare icon of the Northwoods. The near noon sun was breaking through the clouds, a light breeze from the southeast, and the temperatures in the high thirties. A fine day to be out!

The tracks led me to the stream and into it, the tracks didn't come out on the other side, the moose had turned and was walking downstream. With a grin I slipped into the icy water and followed.

Snow melt has flooded the little valley causing the stream to jump its banks. Some of it fast flowing and relatively deep and some slow and shallow. I kept checking the sides for tracks but saw none, the moose had kept to the water way. Occasionally it would cross a piece of high ground, leaving behind the tell tell sign of water droplets in the snow.

I stayed with this for nearly a mile, where the stream dumps into a bog and beaver pond.

We skirted the edge to the right, I wanted to be able to see if the moose exited the bog, I'd cut no tracks until we were on the other side. You can see where the moose went directly through and hit the ice before exiting the bog.

From there I followed another three hundred yards into thicker and thicker bush, water was deeper than my boots and the going was hard. This was the same area I'd seen a cow and calf four years ago. I believe this was a female returning to the Springtime feeding and calving thickets, at least that was  my hope. I turned and headed north, leaving the moose to the nearly impassable terrain with hope that she does drop a calf here and that they survive.

We retraced our steps, along and through the creek and past one of my day camps.

That spot looked like this a couple springs ago.



This area is loaded up with stumps and I had a good time thumping them for about an hour. There's some footage in the video.

Then is was time for a bit of lunch.

Ace and I are both big fans of salmon in a can! Shameful right?

The walk out was enjoyable, though tiring. Travel was easy in the creek, not so much out of it. We still have knee deep drifts and I hit many of them along the way.

Thanks for looking!