One bow for survival?

[RyanY]

Well... I’m Correy from Alone Season 7. I took a slightly overbuilt hackberry selfbow — 68” long, straight-limbed, rectangular cross-section, 53# at 27”. The bow performed great. I trusted its durability, and the weight was good for me even in a calorie-restricted state.

If I could do it over, I wouldn’t take anything other than a straight-limbed Osage selfbow. 66” long, 50-55 pounds.

I went crazy sealing the hackberry bow in preparation for the Arctic. Probably 12 coats of modern sealer and a couple thick coats of hand-polished beeswax. I was the only contestant with a selfbow made of “other than osage” and the constant moisture was definitely an issue. The humidity was above 90% with some sort of precipitation almost every day.

One day, I unstrung my bow after a hunt and the unbraced profile made it look pretty much still strung, haha. I smoked it in the roof rafters of the shelter that night and luckily, it returned to its flat profile. Smoking the bow while sleeping became a nightly ritual after that.

I still shoot the bow fairly regularly 2.5 years after crafting it, and it still pulls 53#, but that was an eye-opener for sure. Osage for me from now on in survival situations 

Just watched your stretch the other day so it’s cool to see you chime in to offer your expertise based on experience. Do you know of any indigenous tribes in the area that used bows?

[Fox]

Well... I’m Correy from Alone Season 7 . I took a slightly overbuilt hackberry selfbow — 68” long, straight-limbed, rectangular cross-section, 53# at 27”. The bow performed great. I trusted its durability, and the weight was good for me even in a calorie-restricted state.

If I could do it over, I wouldn’t take anything other than a straight-limbed Osage selfbow. 66” long, 50-55 pounds.

I went crazy sealing the hackberry bow in preparation for the Arctic. Probably 12 coats of modern sealer and a couple thick coats of hand-polished beeswax. I was the only contestant with a selfbow made of “other than osage” and the constant moisture was definitely an issue. The humidity was above 90% with some sort of precipitation almost every day.

One day after hunting, I unstrung my bow and it pretty much still looked strung, haha. I smoked it in the roof rafters of the shelter that night and luckily, it returned to its flat profile. Smoking the bow while sleeping became a nightly ritual after that.

I still shoot the bow fairly regularly 2.5 years after crafting it, and it still pulls 53#, but that was an eye-opener for sure. I vowed to carry osage in survival situations from that point forward 

Thats awesome your on alone!! im watching season 7 now too! I love your bows..... yeah I am tired of screwing around with hickory in the summer my bows are always noodles without the woodstove going.... but im cursed with NO OSAGE!!! locust does pretty well though.


I would be a 62" osage selfbow, 55#-60# slightly recurved... the arrows would maybe be tonkin cane with a forshaft so if i break a point off it could be repaired easlily.

[Morgan]

Well... I’m Correy from Alone Season 7 . I took a slightly overbuilt hackberry selfbow — 68” long, straight-limbed, rectangular cross-section, 53# at 27”. The bow performed great. I trusted its durability, and the weight was good for me even in a calorie-restricted state.

If I could do it over, I wouldn’t take anything other than a straight-limbed Osage selfbow. 66” long, 50-55 pounds.

I went crazy sealing the hackberry bow in preparation for the Arctic. Probably 12 coats of modern sealer and a couple thick coats of hand-polished beeswax. I was the only contestant with a selfbow made of “other than osage” and the constant moisture was definitely an issue. The humidity was above 90% with some sort of precipitation almost every day.

One day after hunting, I unstrung my bow and it pretty much still looked strung, haha. I smoked it in the roof rafters of the shelter that night and luckily, it returned to its flat profile. Smoking the bow while sleeping became a nightly ritual after that.

I still shoot the bow fairly regularly 2.5 years after crafting it, and it still pulls 53#, but that was an eye-opener for sure. I vowed to carry osage in survival situations from that point forward 

I was hoping you would weigh in on this. After you started the ritual of hanging the bow nightly,  Did you have any more issues?  Hope your knee is all better.

[SLIMBOB]

I think Del is right.  If your string breaks, your out.  Especially in that wet environment.  So string and arrows.

[Woody roberts]

On Alone I don’t believe an extra string is an option. However I tie my bottom nock with a bowyers knot with a good 6”/8” tail. If my string happened to break,get damaged etc I could possibly tie it back together.
As a side note my strings are made from braided fishing line. Fishing line you can take.

[PaSteve]

No second string allowed on Alone. I thought of the same idea about braided fishing line....but....only mono is allowed so braided is out.
  As far as the bow, since my draw is only 26" I would go with a 62" slightly reflexed 50# Osage bow, bamboo arrows half with Ace hex blunts and half with broadheads.
  As far as the string goes I'd probably make an overbuilt low stretch string so if problems arose I'd have plenty of strands to splice if needed.

[organic_archer]

RYAN - we were in the Dene Lutselk’e region which, if I’m correct, would have been mostly made up of the Chipewyan people. We met the elders in person and the tribe blessed us and invited the contestants into the land with a special ceremony. It was a really cool experience.

I can’t find much evidence of the Chipewyan bows, but we know the Inuit used bows against their traditional enemies - the Chipewyan, Tłı̨chǫ (Dogrib), Dene, and Cree. So it can probably be assumed that the Chipewyan had bow’s similar to the Inuit. (Edit : just speculating, so further research is encouraged!)

There wasn’t much for bow wood up there, but I did find a beautiful Paper Birch and was planning to cut and rough it into a blank just in case my primary bow broke. I was injured before that all transpired.

MORGAN - No issues whatsoever after I started smoking the bow at night. It sprung right back to life, and was dry and springy at the start of each new day.

STEVE and WOODY ROBERTS - you’re correct that extra bow strings are not allowed, and braided fishing line is also forbidden. Monofilament only.

We had plenty of 550 cord (provided you chose that as an item). My contingency plan for a broken bow string was to use the inner guts of 550 Cord to make replacement Flemish twist strings. I’m sure they’d be noticeably stretchier than even B50, but it would work. I was thinking a properly woven Flemish string would be better than a regular/full strand of 550 Cord.. which could also be used as an even quicker replacement.

FOX - Thank you 

[bassman211]

A native bow was acquired once that had an extra sinew string used as a handle wrap!!!!!! Smart native. 45lb Osage bow, cane arrows, flint heads, turkey feathers. Good to 20 yards.

[bownarra]

Like I've always said 'survival' bow making isn't that hard but to make a good string from what you have around you is the real challenge. Dacron and dyneema are great but.......good luck if that's all you know how to use!

[bassman211]

Might have to revert to an Atlatl, and opt for smaller game. Not that hard to make a crude one, but you have to practice to hit any thing with it.

[StickMark]

This is going to be a great thread 
Thanks for sharing, organic_archer. Did not know the humidity was so high early on.
I put in for Alone, and am going to keep doing so until they take this "more mature" man. So, I have given this some thought.
I have found on my desert survival trips that no real calorie intake makes drawing 55 pounders-plus not as much fun as the lighter 40 - 47 pounders. Blunts accounting for lizards are way more common, 90%, than BH for rabbits, mice, at 10%, in my deserts. Unfortunately, quail and doves are out of season in summer, so I watch the fattest quail and weep.
But, for the North, deer and musk ox, I would want above 50 pounds in a self bow, little longer than my usual 56 inches. For small game, shorter, 40#ish would be great.

The bow must be with you and ready, and maybe bow quivers, for $250,000 after taxes, might be a good idea. Roland stated he did not hunt with bows, and he is standing off to side in a video showing others practicing on a beer? can, so his success on the musk ox is from both being a little bit "lucky" and yet ready.  He says in an interview he broke the second arrow, but gives no details. His shot looks like a typical long shot by a right hander, hitting left. I have been trying for years to increase distance accuracy, and after years, getting better. 40 pounds on a musk ox, or a longer shot, nope, I will rather have the 48-60 pounder.

I think a person could make a quiver that has rawhide, on the interior, on a removable arrow point protector (like some plains tribes) that could serve as a back up string.

Arrow shafting.... I find that PatB's cane is very tough, and maybe a few real thick hardwood shafts.

[WhistlingBadger]

Interesting thread, guys.  I really have to try osage one of these days.  It's interesting reading Jim Hamm's article in the latest PA mag about native bows; seems like the majority of eastern bows were made of hickory.  Surely they didn't just quit hunting in the rain, did they?  I wonder how they got around hickory's tendency to turn into pasta when it's damp out.

By the way, Correy, I wanted to tell you:  We just discovered "Alone" a month or so ago, and we've been watching season seven.  There are a lot of really likable people on there, but we were all rooting for you.  We really appreciated your approach and your attitude, and we hurt with you when your leg went south.  Thanks for sharing your experience with the hackberry bow.  It's interesting.

T

[bassman211]

The eastern woodland Sudbury  bow was a 65 plus inch hickory bow that was between 40, and 45 lbs. draw weight. It looks to have 2 to 3 inches of string follow. I believe game was plentiful, and our natives were good hunters, and able to stock their game at close range. With animal grease, and a fire I feel that they could keep their bows in good enough shape to kill with on a day to day basis no matter the weather conditions. I also believe they would have had another bow in the works most of the time. Survival mode kicking in on a constant basis.