Back In The Saddle

[ShinneryOak]

I haven't posted in a long time , the main reason being my father in law was diagnosed with cancer 1 1/2 years ago and passed away this spring. He was the one who loved hunting with his family so much he bought and maintained a large ranch for just that. He reignited my interest 20 years ago. The whole extended family (dyed in the wool bird hunters) all learned from scratch how to deer hunt over that time. Because of that, I eventually converted to primitive archery and bowyering. I finally took my first primitive buck 2 years ago, just before he was diagnosed. Needless to say, I haven't had much interest for a while. Didn't deer hunt or work on a bow at all last year. But the land is still in the family, and all of us have started to make our peace with keeping up the tradition as much as we can. I finally picked up the bow I started over a year ago and hope to hunt with it this year. I went this weekend and sat in the same stand I took the buck from. Things will be a lot different, and never the same ,but who knows what new possibilities are still ahead. I hope to be posting again soon with stupid questions about the bow I'm building.

[OldBow]

So sorry to hear about your father.
Looking forward very much to seeing some stick bows coming at us.

[ShinneryOak]

Thanks Oldbow, I'll try to put some pictures up when I can on another thread. I may need some help as I'm in uncharted  territory with this one. It's Osage backed with Ipe. I started it mainly because I'd never heard of it before. We'll see if it's a shooter. It looks good so far.

[Pappy]

Sorry about your dad,Been there done that .Welcome back,can't wait to see some of 
Your work.
   Pappy

[Hillbilly]

Welcome back. Sorry to hear about your father-in-law. I know what you're going through, went through it with both my father-in-law and then my dad within the last few years. Looking forward to seeing your osage-ipe project, never saw one made with that combination, should be interesting.

[ShinneryOak]

Thanks everyone, sometime I'll have to post about my father-in law again. Never "went primitive" but if not for him I never would have hunted again much less be making my own bows. Truly amazing guy, a dirt poor farm boy from the Dust Bowl who became a Ph.D and famous in his field. Over 500 people at his funeral.   

[Shooter_G22]

SshinneryOak,

   seems like your father in law was a great man,  sorry to hear about your lost...   but I'm glad you pick up a bow again... 

   i never grew up hunting my own father and his father were not hunters.... sooo i never hunted when i was a kid other than birds and squirrels with stick bows that i made myself..

  my mothers side of the family are all hunters but because my father was not i was never allowed to go hunting with my uncles and cousins...   later in life after serving 8yrs Marine Corps..  desert and all.. i was able to go on my first hunt with my uncles and cousins... 
and i was still raged on for not being able to hunt while i was growing up by the family...  but i gained there respect at the range when i they saw my shooting abilities with a rifle and because of my military training i felt right at home in the woods...

but the reason i speak of this is because even though your loss you must also look at the bright side! and that is you were blessed with all those yrs of hunting with your family when others could only dream of that opportunity...

and I'm glad to hear that you and your family is going to keep the tradition alive... because i feel that it is important to do soo.. especially with the younger generations of your family...   and I'm sure when y'all are out there your father in law will be with your in spirit and memerose and stories'  god how i love those hunting stories! never seem to get old  
i mean i don't know you, or your family or anything like that, but i would imagine it would be the same as any other, for the most part... and sometimes hunting with friends and family isn't even about the hunt so much as it is about the Comoriarty of being out with friends and family and away from everything else...


OK OK.. i know i can go on for ever typing and a pick'n on this letter board...lol...   soo
I'm just glad that you back... even though you were here before me...
and I'm glad your bow is back in you hands...



 

[JW_Halverson]

I have to echo Shooter's sentiments. 

I grew up with a father that was a hunter, but he did not take me with.  Hunting wasn't something he enjoyed for itself, it was his way to get out of the house with his friends.  I never shot a deer until I was 40.  The guy that started me with making bows got me started on that trail.  Now this weekend I am leaving for hunting camp...three antelope tags and an archery "any deer" tag to fill.  Hehehe, and I'm gonna eat 'em all, make sinew bows from 'em, rawhide from their skin, and tools from their bones and horns!  I figure that is the best way to respect the animal when I have taken it's life. 

Yup, things will be a lot different, and never the same, Shinnery.  I bet your father-in-law will still be there in your heart and in the air you breathe when you walk out on that ranch with your new bow in hand.  I'd be willing to bet he was pleased when your interest was reignited, he'd certainly be pleased to see the tradition continue.

[ShinneryOak]

Thanks Shooter and JW, the kind words help more than I like to admit. But enough moping around, I've got a bow to finish. By the way, I rediscovered a box of  used farrier's rasps a friend gave me, more than I can use. I've seen giveaways of stuff here. Maybe I'll try to set one up, and give first chance to the new guys. Don't even know how many I have yet, have to count. How does that work here, what about shipping, etc.?

[Sidewinder]

I would say offer them tothose that need themand have them send you the money and then you ship them. Welcome back by the way.  Danny