Some Thoughts on:

by Cliff Huntington

INNOVATION: A group of entomologists were having difficulty acquiring specimens of gnats, flying close together in dense clouds among the topmost branches of some tall trees in the Washington D. C. area. Several of the entomologists had nearly fallen in their attempts using long handled nets and the window of opportunity was rapidly disappearing until W. W. Diehl of the Potomac Archers happened by. He quickly sized up the situation, strung "his trusty yew bow, smeared some mucilage on the feathers and base of an arrow and captured several fine specimens. They turned out to be quite rare and imperfectly known." Ye Sylvan Archer, September, 1927

AFFIRMATION: "Now take, I pray thee, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out into the field and take me some venison." Issac to Esau, his eldest son, Genesis 27-3.

MUSINGS: "No tidbit, not even the tip of a partridge's wing, can compare with the plump thigh of a fat meadow-lark. The meat is of a clear yellowish-white color, semi-transparent, tender, juicy, and richly flavored (if the bird has found its proper food), and is of a fine, soft, waxy consistency peculiarly grateful to the molars of the epicure. Indeed, nothing is so sweet and soothing, so suggestive of tender thrills of sensual rapture, as a lark's thighs, unless it be the lark's voice." Hunting With The Longbow, 1877, Maurice Thompson.

COOPERATION: "One of the hunters slings his taut bow over his back and climbs up the tree to a branch that is within range of the animal. If the trunk is of such thickness as to prevent him from climbing directly up the tree, a sapling is cut and bound to the trunk with liana. He then climbs this sapling until the branches of the tree can be reached. Once in position to shoot the animal, he signals to his companion below, who puts an arrow into his bow and releases it with just enough force to reach the hunter aloft. The latter, as the arrow goes by, grabs it, puts it in his bow, and shoots the animal." Nomads of the Long Bow, 1950, Allan R. Holmberg.

TECHNIQUE: "I never stalk a heavy animal with more than one arrow, for the simple reason that I don't contemplate being close enough to him after firing the first arrow to use a second one; and furthermore, I want to avoid the noise and rattle that a quiver full of arrows makes on one's back. This noise not only makes it hard for me to tell what the animal is doing, but it also gives him a sound beacon that he can follow, in the event he has lost sight of me. If possible, I want to get away so quickly and quietly that he has no notion of what has happened." Archer In Africa, 1989, William Negley

DISCOVERY: "There's something about the flickering light of a campfire that touches us somewhere deep in our subconscious. It arouses a deep-rooted primeval instinct. As the flames leap and dance and the shadows play upon the darkened forest, we are taken back to a time when man roamed freely through forest and field." A Thousand Campfires, 1985, Jay Massey.

OPTIMISM: "He kicked harder. The bobwhite lost its nerve and whirred up. The young dog leaped, but fell short. V.P. yelled at the dog.
The bird went straight down the corn row. My gloved hand touched my chin. The bird veered out over the river. I swung quickly past the bird and released the arrow.
I glimpsed Bryce's arrow cross mine in flight. The quail cleared the far bank of the river, and V.P.'s late shaft went streaking after it. It was low, but close.
`Well, you can't kill `em all,' Bryce said.
I agreed. I didn't really know if we could ever hit one with an arrow, but I did know one thing; you can have fun trying." Modern Bow Hunting, 1958, Hiram J. Grogan.

RESPECT: "I have killed grizzly bear, mountain lion (cougar), jaguar, and many wild boar with the bow and arrow, and I cannot wholly agree with all the claims made for the tusker. The grizzly, to my mind, is faster, tougher, stronger, and bigger than the boar, and in my opinion is by far the most dangerous animal on the North American continent. Although the cougar is at heart a coward where man is concerned, if cornered he becomes an extremely formidable antagonist. My experience with jaguar has been somewhat limited, yet I feel safe in saying that any man who makes a habit of hunting that cat with the bow and arrow will never die in bed." Hunting The Hard Way, 1953, Howard Hill.

POACHING: ".......anyone found in the Forest with a bow and arrows, or with a hound, shall be arrested and imprisoned after trial if he be found in one of the four following positions: `Stablestand', that is, standing with a bow ready bent or with a hound ready to loose; `Dogdraw', that is, trailing a wounded beast with a hound; `Backbeare', that is, carrying game; and `Bloodyhand', which sufficiently explains itself." The Archer's Craft, 1951, Adrian Eliot Hodgkin

COMPANIONS: "He will find food for philosophy in the behavior of his hunting companions; he will see who is manly and unselfish, who is endowed with pluck and self-reliance; for three weeks' association with a friend in the wilderness will reveal more of his real character than a dozen years' with him amid the safe retreats and soothing comforts of civilized life." Sport With Gun And Rod In American Woods and Waters, 1883, Alfred M. Mayer