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Alone in the wilds of British Columbia, cut off from family and friends, uncertain of how long he may be able to make it, Clay Hayes battles starvation, predators, and the unforgiving shores of Chilko Lake in a struggle for survival—and half a million dollars. This harsh and vast landscape of spruce and pine, rock and glacier wouldn’t be an easy place to survive and he knew it. With winter fast approaching and grizzlies nearby, things needed to be done — quickly – a cabin, nets, snares, food. In this firsthand account, Clay recalls his wilderness experiences, from being stalked by a mountain lion and charged by a grizzly bear to building a cabin and shooting the most important shot of his life with his hand-made longbow. This account takes us into the past as well, from a sandy-haired boy building forts and setting snares in the piney woods of north Florida to the seasoned outdoorsman tracking elk through the rugged western mountains. It gives us an insight into a life that uniquely prepared the author for this challenge. For those interested in the physical aspects of solitary wilderness survival, there’s plenty of fodder, but the physical side is only half the battle. Isolation and starvation can play with your mind as well. Often we can be our own worst enemy. -
This is by far the most detailed and comprehensive collection of Bow Building video instruction anywhere. Clay Hayes, in his proven teaching style, takes you step by step through the process of building wood selfbows that can outperform many of todays modern traditional bows. This DVD set covers everything from finding and selecting bow wood to designing, tillering, and reflexing to draw every ounce of performance from natural material bows! -
This 160 page bow building book is a practical, easy to follow guide to building wooden self bows including longbows, recurves, and flat bows from easily accessible wood from across north America. We cover characteristics of multiple tree species, stave selection, backing (chasing a ring), tillering, factors that influence accuracy in shooting, arrow making, string making, how to make a two piece take down bow, and much much more. No matter if you're just getting started in bow making, or have been building bows for years, you're bound to learn something form the Traditional Bowyer's Handbook. All books order here are signed. If you want it made out to someone in particular, just leave me a note at checkout. Copies are also available from Amazon. Click Here to purchase from Amazon. -
In this entertaining collection of traditional bowhunting stories, Clay Hayes takes readers on traditional archery hunting adventures across the country. From the mysteries of the southern swamps to the rugged mountains of central Idaho, Clay brings woodsmanship, and a fascination with nature, to the forefront. His enthusiasm and dedication to the hunt is evident as he reminds us that it’s more about the journey than the destination; more about the effort than the inches of antler. The stories in this book lean heavy on the most traditional and aesthetic of weapons – the longbow. Not because he thinks it makes him a better hunter, but because it’s what he knows. Traditional archery is at the very core of why Clay hunts. It allows him to fill the hunter’s niche that was carved out ten thousand years ago. It forces him to overcome an animal’s senses, to exist within that hypersensitive bubble where game has evolved to detect and evade predators much more skilled than himself. In other words, it means a lot of tag soup, but an unparalleled sense of accomplishment when it all comes together. At just under 90 pages, it's not a long read, but it's a good one. -
Sold by the pair. These Rawhide bow backing strips make a very durable backing for wood bows. These strips are matched and cut from high quality rawhide. Dimensions are 2 inches wide by 37 inches long. You'll need to overlap the strips (about an inch or so) in the handle section. Check out the video below on how to back a bow with rawhide. Note - In the video I mention to stretch the hide lengthwise before putting it on the bow. Depending on how the hide was stretched when dried, some strips may already be stretched. If they don't stretch much, the work is already done. Also, it may take much longer for the strips to re-hydrate than what's shown in the video. To be safe, soak them over night in warm (not hot) water.