what did the natives do whene the weather was wet?

[beartail]

Just sitin here and thought about the tribes that used sinew backed bows and strings. Like when the buffalo came and it was wet and rainy or even really humid for days. I live in nc and have shot a sinew backed bow in damp weather and it turned into a wet noodle!! I think they put the bows away and used the lances. Can you imagine lancing buffalo in a heard of thousands of animals! wow, what a life! those people lived! they where really something!                     

[Pat B]

Most of the Native sinew backed bows were located in the Plains where it is normally dry although some Northwest Tribes used sinew backed bows and the Northwest can be quite wet.
 Jay Massey used sinew backed bows and hunted a lot in Alaska where it is wet. He initially used French Polish(linseed oil and shellac)as a finish but later used what we call Massey Finish(epoxy thinned with a solvent).
 I have sinew backed bows that I hunt with but in wet weather I put them aside and pick up a selfbow. I've never had problems hunting in the rain or high humidity with a selfbow, especially with but not limited to osage.

[Redhand]

Some tribes cover their sinew backed bows with pine pitch to help protect it from the wet conditions.  And a lot of times the tribes wouldn't be out hunting in these types of conditions.

[tipi stuff]

As Pat stated, the plains are a relatively dry area to begin with. More importantly, they didn't run buffalo in rainy weather. That was a dangerous vocation in dry weather. Running on wet, slick ground would have been an act of insanity.  Curtis

[Dakota Kid]

Umm They got wet...


Sorry couldn't help myself. I would guess they avoided taking the bows out in the rain. Aside from it being bad for the bow, rain is an archers enemy for numerous reasons even if you're not hunting on horse back at full speed.  It makes it harder to see, hear, track/ blood track, hike/climb, and to keep your body temp up. Also the hunting seasons were a little longer for the natives  , so it was easier call to just wait until the weather improved.

Personally, I wouldn't even take a modern crossbow hunting in the rain if it was the last day of the season and it meant my tag would go unfilled. Of course the crossbow could handle it. It's more for the animals sake than anything else.

[Loope]

It isn't just the bow that could be a problem... strings made from sinew or rawhide wouldn't do well either.

[bradsmith2010]

I read Ishi didnt like to take his bow out in damp weather,, if you could hunt every day,, you could probably be picky about the weather a bit,,if you got caught in the rain,, and your bow was damaged ,, that was just part of hunting,,,,A self bow with rawhide or sinew string would not be a problem, just take the string and put is in a waterproof bag,, wait till the rain stopped and hunt again,,

[Pat B]

...plus, bear fat and/or pitch are good water repellents and were probably used as a finish on bows, strings and quivers.

[Selfbowman]

Stayed in TP and make papoose, eat jerky, smoke piece pipe. Arvin

[tipi stuff]

I don't know much about tribes from other areas, but those guys from the plains just didn't get out and about much when it was raining. It wasn't just their sinew bow backings and bowstrings that were affected by moisture, hide clothing was affected as well. This (and all the great colors) was one of the driving forces behind Indian peoples rapid adoption of cloth. Southern Cheyennes became southern because they moved closer to Bent's fort for the purpose of acquiring trade goods. Metal items and cloth material topped the list of trade items. When I was going to rendezvous, it was common for bow shooters to use linen strings. They always talked about linen being available during this time period, and noted that you could still hunt in the rain with a linen string. Linen can be used in the rain, and it was available, but Indians did not use it for this purpose. They just didn't use their archery equipment in the pouring rain.  CC

[wizardgoat]

I'm sure if you got hungry enough you'd try your luck in the rain.
I'd have my top dawg hunting bow that I'd never bring in the rain,
and an old beater bow that I wouldn't care if it got wet.

[bowandarrow473]

I think goat may be right. I think that they may have had more than one bow, one that was the favorite and others that were used in unfavorable conditions.

[Dakota Kid]

It would make sense to have a "beater" bow, I have a beater shotgun for long trip in unfavorable conditions.

There were plenty of other food sources that didn't need to be stuck with an arrow  so I don't know if hunger would drive someone to risk damaging their most prized possession. If I was starving and had to choose between hunting and fishing, I'd be headed for the water no question. If you can find a lake or a stream, you wouldn't be hungry for very long. Natives could even use fish traps, nets, spears, and all the cool stuff now outlawed in most places. Aside from the fish, there's shellfish, crustaceans, reptiles, amphibians, and even aquatic insects and larvae in or around most bodies of water. More biomass equals better chance to fill your belly.

[mullet]

I will very seldom hunt in rain. The blood trails disappear pretty quick and if you don't get on what you shot fast, more then likely you won't find it. I have hunted hogs all day long in a Tropical Storm down pour. I started it with a self bow, left the sinew backed bow, didn't even try to use it. Then before the day was over had to switch to a Glass bow.