Great story Crooket. I like that sorta stuff with tradition. I try to replicate my bows/arrows to represent my heritage "Apache"style. I make reed composite arrows and a few others. I collect my materials locally, but with one exception a hickory bow. I got the stave from a friend thru the old indian barter system.
But anyway if ya ever get to hunt coues WT. I tell ya its a challenge to hunt the SW deer let alone cover its rugged terrain. I hunted'em all my life, many kills with a rifle but 0 with a selfbow. Typically out west its spot-stalk. Sit for hours and glass til a buck is spotted. Then develop a game plan and proceed to get BUSTED!
One trick I learned from the old timers that hunted with a bow is that they would strip down to nothing but a loin cloth and moccasins. In this way they moved quicker, dead-silent even moving thru brush. It'll tear your legs to shreds and cold but my ancestors were a tough breed. Some of the books I've read about them is amazing!!
The deer behavior out here is unpredicatable since forage is so scarce deer are always moving. One day you'll find'em here next day over the next Mtn. Early season you can sit a waterhole but I have no patience. I'd rather find a snoozen buck in the midday shade and stick him. Once the rut hits its ON. Bucks bird dogging a doe's scent trail is an easy target. I try to move ahead and intersect.
All my bows kills were under 28yds. But I still practice out to 40+yds even 50 sometimes. Long distance practice makes a 20yarder a "chip shot".
