Chundoo Wood

[SouthTexasPighunter]

Thanks Bob, that arrowhead is my favorite pig head tough, moderately heavy, good width, average length, easy to sharpen, mount easily and spin true and really really hold up when they hit heavy bone. Back when I shot heavier bows I shattered a scapula on a 180 pound boar it went through and busted the bone just under the scapula on the exit side and stopped just short of the nock for complete pass through. The boar dropped right thereand kicked till I got another one in the vitals. The head stayed intact and with a pass of a ceramic stick was ready to go again after I cleaned it off. This head is on six of the arrows the others are Zwickeys, Grizzlies and Magnus II's on the rest. I have them sorted by overall weight and had two groups come out within a three to eleven grain range and all spined within two to six pounds. I had two bad shafts out of the lot of 12, one broke as I was straightneing and the other I never could get straight so it is my stumper and five yard small game arrow. All in all not bad, but I never did follow up with the supplier about the two bad shafts so I dont know if he would have replaced them or not. So its my fault and I cannot complain. Jeff thanks for the compliment. Yep we have had abit of bad luck with health issues but it will be better soon. Conor is already on the upswing and it will just take abit of time for me to get right, hopefully before September 2nd which is the start of our Dove season here where I am at, then October 1st is the start of Archery deer season. The white capped arrow is the heaviest of the lot and has a different broadhead. It was the heaviest overall at 11 grains over all the others which were within three to seven grains of each other. The black camo pattern is my own that I burnish on the shafts. I have been doin this since I was a kid and now I see that there are tools for sale on the web to do the same thing that give distinct patterns. Mine are not the same evr I do what I feel unless the arrow is of particular importance and is for a particular animal that I want to harvest. The difference between the others and mine is that they got theirs patented and I didnt. I have aquired some patterned leather stamps that I also utilive aby heating and then branding lightly what I want to display. Mostly initials for names and certain leaf patterns for friends and family as a personal touch.
STP

[SouthTexasPighunter]

Thanks Bent Stick, all with a bit of time and I will poke them things into somethin, more than likely a tree a cactus or the dirt . On the six with the bodkins I went away from the fletching jig and hand fletched them with a little bit more of an aggressive helical and they seem to fly very well. I'm wondering if they will fly out of my selfbow though. if they did I would have to get some more shafts and do primitive arrows. I still have quite a few stone heads that my grandfather gave to me. I think an Obsidian point with the burnishing, turkey feathers and sinew wrap would look really good. Of course I would have to see if it would perforate a pig.
STP

[Stickbow Hunter]

I still have quite a few stone heads that my grandfather gave to me. I think an Obsidian point with the burnishing, turkey feathers and sinew wrap would look really good. Of course I would have to see if it would perforate a pig.

Now that sounds like a really great recipe mate!!!

The burnishing looks good mate. I don't think that arra that is 11 grains heavier will worry you too much mate; I don't even match my huntin' arras that closely.

Glad to hear Conor is on the mend and you also. Sounds like some good huntin' coming up so all the best. I will look forward to some photos too.

Jeff

[SouthTexasPighunter]

Hey Jeff I just thought of something. I have a really good friend who I hunt with and at times guide for, anyway he just made some primitive arrows like I described but with the points made out of Alligator Gar scales. I will call him and have him forward me a few photos of them.
All Gods best to you and yours.
Eric

[Stickbow Hunter]

anyway he just made some primitive arrows like I described but with the points made out of Alligator Gar scales. I will call him and have him forward me a few photos of them.

WOW!!! Now that is something I have never heard of before. Those gar are mean looking things but using the scales as broadheads ; amazing. I would most definately love to see the photos, thanks mate.

Jeff

[SouthTexasPighunter]

The Karankawa Indians who were indiginous to the coastal areas here in Texas made them when they existed. The scales are ugly sharp and will slice flesh very easily. Hopefully he will send them tonight and I will post them tommorrow evening. This tribe was brutal I believe even cannibalistic. Try a google search on Karankawa Indians of Texas Coastal Plain.
Cheers
STP

[Stickbow Hunter]

Thanks for the info mate and I hope he sends the photos too.

Jeff

[rodlonq]

Your new arras look good mate. I hope you and your son make a speedy recovery and give them arras some exercise.

Cheers............ Rod

[SouthTexasPighunter]

Ok my fellow stick flingers here are the arrows with the gar scales as points.

Arrows top bamboo middle tapered ash bottom Texas river cane.jpg (115.94 KiB) Viewed 2692 times

gar scale tipped arrows(point end).jpg (167.73 KiB) Viewed 2692 times

gar scale necklace.jpg (147.37 KiB) Viewed 2692 times

Smitty says that the necklace is just way too sharp to be worn so he has it hanging as a decoration. Mind you Smitty does not shape these scales at all except for the back end which he has to in order to mount them on the shaft other than that they shape is as they came off the fish.
STP

[Stickbow Hunter]

Eric,

Thank you so much for for posting those photos and please thank Smitty for allowing you to share them with us. That is simply amazing!!! I found myself just wanting to touch one of them to feel it for myself - yeah laugh if you want but some things just have to be seen and touched or experienced to be able to fully appreciate them. They look as though they would be as tough as sharks teeth. Imagine being able to say, I used a fish scale for my broadhead, people would think you were nuts.

Are the scales that sharp (dangerous) when on the fish or is it only when they dry out and go hard that they get like that?

Thanks once again mate they are incredible!!!

Jeff

[jcm]

Eric,
Absolutely Wicked looking.Thanks for a look at one of Natures broadheads.
Regards
John

[SouthTexasPighunter]

Fellas I have five scars on my left hand and arm that will tell ya how sharp they are. Two are minor things but the others well lets say I had to super glue them shut and put ice on them to staunch the flow of blood. The two on my hand were the worse because they were right on the veins but no bigger than a half inch or so but were deep almost puncture like. I made the mistake of trying to hug a gar after the gaff slipped and it twisted in my arms rolling on top of my hand and the top of my forearm giving me a nice slice and two puncture/cuts. Thanks to superglue and aloe vera the scars are very minimal the DR didnt even try to suture it up he just told me keep it clean and glued up. Then he proceeded to give me two of the biggest shots I believe he had in the office. Later he said one was a shot to help protect me from the bacteria on the scales/slime and the other was Tetnus. The Lout didnt even ask me if I was current with my tetnus shot he just popped one off.
STP

[Stickbow Hunter]

Tetnus shots, hate'em.

Those gar are one awesome looking fish. I'm still amazed by those scales.

Jeff

[SouthTexasPighunter]

As ugly as they are they are really quite tasty. You have to split the armor with tin shears or even a hatchet but when you open them up outwards from the top there are two backstraps that are really quite nice. Light meat with a delicate flavor and with a meat grain not flakey. Great made as gar balls or cut into little steaks and marinated with Italian salad dressing on the Barby or even rolled in corn meal with cajun seasonings and deep fried. Most folks cringe at the thought of eating one with some folks saying they taste like mud, but that is the farthest from the truth. Most people now days feel if its not pretty looking then it will not taste pretty. These are the same folks who probably go out spend 1000 dollars on an eight course meal of flavored foam like you see on some of the cooking channels on the Tele. Then behind the scenes they will go out to the nearst hot dog stand and eat a chili cheese dog made of ..... well you know what hotdogs are made of. Anyway the gar is one of the oldest fish on earth and has changed relatively little and has been a food source for just as long. Not to mention if your going to hunt it and kill it why not eat it. How can thousands of hunters before us be wrong.

[Stickbow Hunter]

Thanks Eric, I was wondering what they tasted like. They can sure grow huge!

Jeff

[SouthTexasPighunter]

Yep they get big, but thats all the more to feed family and friends
Good luck on the hunt.
STP