Custom Built Bow in Progress

Lester Harper, owner of LH Custom Archery, is fashioning a custom take-down recurve for the staff (that would be me) at GiveEmTheShaft.com and BillHowardOutdoors.com.  Lester can be reached at stonepointak@yahoo.com if you have any questions about a custom bow for yourself.  You can also see some of his other works-in-progress at his website by clicking the photo.

The nice thing about a customer bow is you get to choose the look you want to go along with the draw weight you need.  With traditional bows (longbows and recurves), draw weight is measured at 28" draw length.  If your draw is longer, the weight would be greater.  Conversely, if your draw is shorter, the draw weight will be less than the weight listed.  This is important to know in areas where there is a minimum draw weight.  For instance, here in North Carolina, a minimum of 40lbs of pull can be used for traditional archery equipment when bowhunting.  If you purchase a recurve with 40lbs, but you only have a 26 inch draw, you will be below the requirements of the law.

Below is some pictures of my bow in progress of being built.  You'll see there is a lot of work put forth in the shape, look, and overall fashioning of the bow.  I chose zebra wood for the riser and limbs with a cocobolo accent.  Before it is finished, it will also have a partial copperhead snake skin on the risers.





Form for shaping the limbs.







Limb being placed in form.







Wood blocks to be used in the rise and limbs.





Blocks put together prior to cutting the shape of the riser.





Riser begins to take shape.




Riser and one of the limbs.

 

Here is a short video of some of LH Custom Archery's work featuring the Apostle bow.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the blog site Bill Howard's Outdoors. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

Big Deer Coming In!

Here is a few of the antlers that have come in so far this season for me to measure.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the blog site Bill Howard's Outdoors. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

How Something Can Take Off...

Back in March 2011 I shot a video of my kids, their friends, and myself bowfishing during the annual redhorse sucker fish run.

A few weeks ago someone told my son they were watching us on youtube and I thought that it was pretty cool.  We pulled it up and BOOM! We had a ton of hits!  I checked the statistics and over the last couple of months it has started being viewed like crazy.  I have no idea why, but we'll take them.

Below is the video.  Enjoy.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the blog site Bill Howard's Outdoors. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

The Goal for Next Year

I have always wanted to learn to shoot traditional.  The reason I have nto up to this point is simple; I'm awful at it!  I taught myself how to shoot the compound.  Even bowfishing, I have become pretty good at instinctively shooting the heavier fish arrow with line attached.

But traditional...a completely different story.

So, as this year ends and 2012 approaches, I will chronicle my desire, successes and failures at mastering the art.

In the process, I would like to welcome and thank LH Custom Archery in advance.  Lester, owner and bowyer, has worked with me over the past few days on a custom take-down recurve that I will be proudly using in my endeaver.  I will post photos of the bow through the process of Lester's handiwork and maybe even throw some video together once it is finished and I begin the task of learning to shoot the masterpiece.

But don't fret, I will still shoot my compound!  If nothing else but to provide sanity and confidence to a surely soon-to-be battered ego!

Please visit LH Custom Archery and view some of the projects he has on hand now.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the blog site Bill Howard's Outdoors. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.