Bowmaking

One of the most valued primitive skills is the ability to build hunting tools. Here, I'm shooting a bow that I made during a course through the ROOTS school in Corinth, VT. Great care must be taken to preserve the wood grain and adjust the tiller (flex) for a smooth draw with a uniform bending profile.

Arrowmaking

Bows need arrows, so another project was the construction of a quiver and several arrows. I stone ground a bone point, used deer sinew (tendons) for hafting, and created my own epoxy by distilling birch oil and rendering it with charcoal and cattail fibers.

Fletching

Natural turkey feathers were used for the arrow fletchings.

Arrow

The finished arrow ready to go.

First bow

My first bow was made from a white ash tree that I felled on our property, split, and dried. It has a lower draw weight than my osage bow, which is great for extended target practice at shorter ranges.