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Success with a Selfbow   

     Early deer hunting has always led me to high elevations in search of blacktails.  This year was surely to be different, when close friends asked if I would be interested in chasing mule deer.  We were planning a hunt in which we were all to use selfbows.  I had been making selfbows for about four years.  So as hunting season approached, my hunting bow was still under construction.  The bow being built was a Flowering Pacific Dogwood. As it took shape, I was sure it would turn into a fine bow.  Maybe I was a little too confident!  Things were going good until it developed a splinter in the top limb after shooting a bunch of arrows out of it. After unstringing the bow and inspecting it further, I decided to wrap the problem area with high strength serving line.  My thoughts about using this as a hunting bow started to dwindle.  After letting it set overnight with glue and wrapping, it was time to try it again.  Sometimes thing aren't meant to be. It developed another splinter on the lower limb.  After talking to my friend Steve Meyer, we felt it may have been too low in moisture content.  It was time to fall back to my previous plan of using my Serviceberry bow backed with sinew. I have been using that bow at our shoots and I also took it to MOJAM in Missouri, and it drew a lot of attention.   Practicing with it reassured me that it was the bow to take. 

     Our hunt on the first day included walking through Russian olive trees, close to a lake, where we thought it would stay cool.  Then we hunted buttes, bluffs and benches typical of Eastern Washington.  It wasn't long before I spotted a legal three point buck running my way!  He was coming up a trail on the edge of the butte.  As the buck approached the crest of the hill I settled into a comfortable shooting position.  Once his body was clear and open for a shot he suddenly stopped.  He had caught my movement when coming to full draw.  When I released the arrow, it felt as if time slowed for just a moment. The arrow penetrated the vitals as the buck bolted back over the edge of the hill.  Listening for a second or two it became clear that the buck wasn't alone.  Rocks tumbled; all kinds of commotion seemed to be taking place.  As I stood up a couple of deer were bounding away on the bench below me.  As I looked north two more deer were trotting off.  Neither group showed any signs of a wounded deer.  Again I searched the bench for the buck.  There the deer was in the shadows at the base of the hill.  Opening morning I had my deer.

     Hunting with close friends, filling my deer tag with my first mule deer, and shooting it with a bow that I made will be remembered for a long time. It was an awesome time.  Thanks guys. 

Clinton