Note: Most of the photos linked to these thumbnails have undergone varying degrees of enlargement. If you feel you might not want to see a larger version of a given image (such as a "harvest" pic) please don't click on that thumbnail.

 Row One: More pics from Hubert Archers 2nd Annual Buzz Luhm Memorial Shoot - 1) Dave Bishop (3rd place Traditional Shooter) setting up/cleaning Score Board before it got hectic, 2) Dave Camp (my "Boss") shoots both but trad on this "special day" (he went through MC boot Camp with Buzz Luhm) - helping the other Dave with the board, 3) Dave Camp Jr.(#1 - Outlaw Class) and his fiancé Mishelle watch Marty Gillette (#2 - Outlaw Class) practice, and 4) Wes Barton (also primarily traditional) eagle eyes his very pleasant and well behaved sons Taylor and Tyler as they practice prior to shoot - the two boys in the center of the pic to Wes' right are brothers and new - the red head in black and yellow jacket is 11 and his brother (closer to us) is 15 and has terrible Arthritis - though it is very difficult for him to walk he wanted to (and did) fire the complete course and the grownups we grouped them with had a great time shooting with these two boys while their mother went along. What a great shoot (70 shooters) for the first of the season, 5)When my Great Grand Daughter was born in January Dano Gren said he wanted to build her first bow for her when she got ready and I told him I would be honored to accept her first bow from him. You guessed it, today I got a surprise package - it was from Dano and in it was the beautiful sweet little youth bow you see above. The writing on the left says Handcrafted by Dan Gren - on the right is written To: Samara Nicole From: Dano - it is also labeled 52" and 25#@20" - has a beautiful protective finish and not only is it Osage but it came from a tree taken down by a "twister" - should have some powerful Mojo, 6) The riser area of the bow is stained a redish/mahogany color and has nice Native American-like markings that Dano likes to use. Dano, you've outdone yourself and gladdened  my heart on a day when I needed that very badly - bless your heart.

 Row Two: 1) Here is a look at the great (I believe) tiller of this Dano Gren Youth Bow, 2) & 3) I've drawn to about it's 20" draw length so you can again follow the tiller and lines - Samara Nicole is gonna have a fine bow indeed when she gets ready. For now it will rest on my rack that holds my John Scifres selfbow and my Frank Razo BBO - I think all three are enjoying each others company, 4) I took the bow over to show Samara and Onesty - I gotta admit that Samara may not look too impressed but at least she had her eyes open for this visit - that's pretty impressive and I can tell you that Momma Onesty was very impressed. She said it is "beautiful" and that she "really" likes it, Dano. She also agreed it should stay with my bows until "it's time.", 5) My first two "Flu-Nutters" - Flu-flu arrows (for arial and small game fun) made on the venerable  nutter design base. Not too shabby for only inferior craft type quills for fletching material. I'll put better feathers on next time - unless these hold up, and 6) Getting ready to "test launch" the flu-nutter out of "Texas Slim" - they really fly nice for long ol' Ramin Dowels with a nut on the end - and whistle like Al Jolsen - LOL
 

Row Three: 1) Camo Dog says "Look, Ma, I finally got my ears straight!" - after going through all that puppy thing of cutting teeth that makes their ears go first one floppy way then another/straight /up/left/right /etc./etc now they have settled on the proper way for his half Australian Sheppard background - forward pointing and top half folded down, and 2) Here Camo sports his camo to show it is still effective (and one of his squeeky toys in his mouth), 3) Ceder shafts that I did a number of "firsts" on for me - namely real turkey feathers cut by me in a feather chopper - contact paper wraps - and rabbit skin tracers at ends of fleatchings for visibility, and 4) some little markings added in the natural color area of the shafts to finish off - kind of hieroglyphic lightning I guess., The blessing of having friends are good for the heart and soul - they also supply good pictures for contrast and interest - "Hunters Are People Too" so 5) Frank Butala's Daughter Candy and her sister Ellen with well known comedian Farther Guido Sarduci - a thorn between two roses for sure - for sure (a "for sure"  for each of the good looking young ladies), and 6) Dano Gren's new Grandson - Dano didn't tell me the newbie's name but I have to say (with some reservations) to Dano's question, "Ain't he good lookin', like me?" - "Yes, Dano - at least he is certainly good lookin' like somebody." - LOL - Congratulations to you and yours. Note: The little guy's name is David Seth Bass and Dano has decided he is good looking like his Mama and Papa - big grin.
 

Row Four: 1) Your host ("Bernie" - "ber643") in a contemplative pose snapped by Granddaughter Haylei while I thought she was taking a self-portrait - LOL, 2) Great Granddaughter Samara smiling it up big time for her Great Great Uncle Larry, and 3) Samara scopes out the ceiling fan with Great Grandmother Rose, 4) Camo is growing - his Silly Little Grin (he has a bit of an underbite and is a happy dog so he runs around "grinning" all the time), 5) Camo with his favorite exercise toy - an old crab trap marker float/bouy - he drags it all over the porch and yard "bumpity-bump" and also waits for me to re-enter the yard area from bow shooting (in the rear) to play tug-o-war with him - durn he's strong, and 6) More proof of his bouy-ancy - Yep his ears are in a state of change again - perhaps cutting more teeth (like he needs more - LOL).
 

Row Five: 1) & 2) A couple of pics of my completed (first attempts) at Wing Bone Turkey calls. Engraving (scrimshaw) done with various scratching tools and ink and depicts a feather on one and turkey tracks on the other - both have a double band scratched with three hieroglyphic lightning bolts - hand lanyard is round rawhide laced on with imitation sinew and decorated with 5 small beads at the centers, 3) is a longer call that I made from wing bones sent by Mickey Lotz that came from a Turkey he found that had been killed by some "Critter",  4) shows a way of holding the call to controll the sound with the cupped hands while "puffing" on it like lighting a pipe, 5) "Sweet Stumping" - Candy Butala showing what every young person should be getting a chance to do - stump shooting with her traditional archery gear and doing a fine job of it as you can see, and 6) Sloopy - Beagle Guard Dog (on guard against real bunnies - tree rats - and/or the occasional strange truck) - "Are you watching me watching, Boss?".
 

Row Six: 1) Friends Tom (Native Craft) & Crystal Anderson have been blessed with their first child this week - a be-yoot-i-full (in spite of Tom ha-ha) baby girl  named Mason Renee - mother and child doing fine (father is OK too - of course he is real swell-headed as someone said Mason looks like him - even Rose said she has Tom's mouth and maybe nose. Me - I don't want to think about it - LOL), 2) Springtime is a time for babies and so this handsome guy is Great Great nephew Aidan Finley Kirk who was born a couple weeks or so ago - he had a little rough start but now is resting well and peacefully at home with Mom Shannon and Dad Dan in New Hampshire, 3) "Hunters Are People Too" (and people are hunters) so here is Frank Butala (Father of Candy B.) and a friend with a double on Turkey gobblers they scored with a simultaneous pair of shots - good show guys - even if you weren't using bows (we won't hold that against them as I know Frank  wishes he'd been using his bow - now - LOL - next year buddy) birds were taken on Frank's Grandmother's place in PA - meanwhile I took my bow here in NC each time I went but did not see or hear "hide nor hair" (feather nor gobble/yelp), 4) "How many Generations of ladies does it take to eat a Lollypop?" Mom Onesty helps Samara by shaping her own mouth right while Nana Lois offers lollypop and GGM Rose holds the object of their affection,  5) "Ahhh, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Onesty can relax her mouth now - LOL, and 6) A Porcupine takes a nap in the Adirondacks of NY - friend Ken supplied the photo taken as he and another friend walked into a hunt one AM - the big little guy was actually snoozing with his paws crossed and chin dropped down on them on his chest. Not something everyone gets to see normally.

Row Seven: 1) "Thank you, Lord" - my logo seems to appear in real life -  in the form of Tim Golder's son seen here after taking his first whitetail deer - a friend who was hunting with them took the picture and neither Tim or his son (Tim, Jr.) knew of it until they got a copy a few weeks later - it was an honest and heartfelt reaction by a young (well brought up) hunter - Tim say's his Son has been lucky enough to take more harvests since then and always takes time out to be with the animal to offer thanks and to respect the animal - as many of us hunters do - it's not just "lip-service",  2) Latest six (undecorated) wing bone calls I've made (these out of "Butterballs" used for turkey Soup) - Scrimshaw is improving but still not what I would like it to be - does look primitive though, 3)  Here is Tim Golder Jr with his first Bow Harvest of a fine Whitetail taken last season (See story "Moments" on Journal Pg6) - Tim is a very ethical young hunter and opted not to use his traditional type bow as he felt he wasn't "quite confident" with it yet - since then he has been practicing dilligently with his Dad and on his own and feels he will be ready to use traditional gear this season - good luck Tim., 4) At a recent Baltimore Traditional Shoot Frank and Candy Butala got to take a picture with Byron Ferguson - "Traditional Shootist" and renowned performer - all the folks I know reported that Byron was just as nice in person as he seems to be in his world-wide demonstrations - got some pretty favorable reports on Frank and Candy's behavior too - LOL, and 5) A Chickadee joins us in observing the beauty of a Crabapple tree in full bloom in the Adirondaks of NY - sent to me by cyber-friend Reg Whitney - I should have got one of my (smaller) tree this Spring as it outdid itself - but I forgot - perhaps next year, Reg, and 6) Meet Molly Druck - a Wire Haired "Doxie" who owns Tedd Druck of PA - here she is studiously watching him make a Flemish Twist bowstring so she can do it when he gets too tired to - the rest of the time she allows Tedd to train her in the arts and skills of blood trailing (I've fallen in love with her and her progress) - get's in trouble for eating hunting boots, and muddying the floor - and let's her Grandmother-In-Law spoil her - Reminds me a lot of Camo Dog - except he has no real progress story - LOL. Thanks for the pic, Tedd.

Row Eight: 1) & 2)These are a couple of very special wing bone calls I just finished for myself and the generous person who sent the bones to me, from my birthstate of NH. Read the background story on Journal, Pg6, please, 3) This is from New England also - one of the great pics my former Daughter-In-Law (and good friend) takes of her children in Maine - my beautiful and talented Grandaughter Dani in 2004 and on this years calendar from them - love the composition (and the subject) Randi,  4) This young man and friend is Lyle (son of John and Lisa Garvey of PA) With a very nice hog he harvested with his recurve bow and arrow this past year - sitting proudly atop his head is a hat I had the good fortune of winning last year at ATAR. I had met Lyle and his Dad the previous day and was impressed with their strong bond and love of traditional archery. He was beside me when I took the hat out of the package and I asked him how he liked it. He avowed as how it was a pretty nice fleece camo head cover. I set it on his head and told him that was good because it was his -  as he was going to need one on that hog hunt he was going on. John said he's been wearing the hat any time it's proper since then. You go, Lyle, ya did the hat proud and it pleases me to have been a small part of your hunt, it's almost like you took me with you, 5) Here is Mike Griffith of Mike's Archery Leather in CA working at his considerable craft - Mike is a traditional archer and his armguards/quivers/accessories/repairs are used a lot by me and many others - his web site is listed on my Hot links Page, and 6) We now have another Hailey in the family - Hailey Sophia Blanchard is my Great Great Niece - as pretty a little bundle as anyone could ask for and the "first" daughter of my Sister's proud Grandson Ryan - and the happy mother is Jennifer.

Row Nine: 1) & 2) My friend from GA (Chuck Sinclair) "unbeknonst to me" made up 9 beautiful knifes on Marbles Kniife blades - he put bone handles on them and lazer imprinted a boar on one side and a buckskin-clad traditional bowman on the other - he also numbered them with engraving on the blades. He sent me # 3of9 and also sent # 6of9 asking me to forward it on to our friend Killdeer in VA (surprisingly it turned out that number 6 just happens to be "her" number - neat, huh?). I am so proud of this knife and the chance to also surprise Killie with hers for Chuck but even more I am proud of the friendship that was  forged between me and Chuck and his son Cal at ATAR during the last two Rendezvous. (These pictures are actually of Killies knife and taken by her), 3) Friends Frank and Candy Butala of PA - Ya gotta admire Candy's Semper Fi attitude in putting up (right out in public) with a paternal mug ... er ...hug like that - as another dear friend taught me to say - it makes my heart smile,  so does 4) The Joy of  Great Granddaughter Samara growing up - and eating Fruit Puffs - LOL,  5) is my friend McRae Harriss ("Woodduck") of NC with a nice doe harvested with his traditional bow in Sept of 2005 - good on ya Mac, and 6) Is my first ever Birthday Whitetail taken 10/19/2005 (in 70 years no less) - the first one I ever took on my Birthday - though I was sure each year I hunted that I certainly would get one that year. This one also happens to be my second (first this year) taken with traditional archery gear. She wasn't big but she sure made me some happy. What a Birthday Present, and she will be tasty . Thank you, Lord. Story will be on Journal, Pg6
 

Row Ten: 1) 2) & 3) Great Granddaughter Samara Oct. '05- First Car (I can't believe she's driving already) and First Standing Alone ("You gotta stand for something or you'll fall for anything") - also with GGM Rose ready to "prowl" for Halloween, and 4) is my friend Kenny Mowrey with his recent black powder buck harvest - Kenny is a very traditional guy whether it be bows - firearms - trapping - tomahawk/knife throwing - flint and steel fire starting - fly fishing - doing nice things for other folks - or whatever and he does all this in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of NY, 5) This is "Our Killie" of tradgang when she is out for her annual spot and stalk hunt and camp vacation in the mountains, 6) and here to close out this Gallery page - just to remind us she doesn't look like that all the time - here she is from the top of the hill at ATAR 2005 - a free spirit indeed and a true friend.