(http://www.sthubertsrangers.org/bt1.jpg)
Those of you who were around a few years ago may recall several posts concerning medieval-style hunting. Trad Gangers, who were also reenactors, discussed the possibility of conducting period hunts where we would dress up in authentic-style garb and use period hunting equipment and accoutrements. Well, there were only a handful of us on Trad Gang who seemed interested, so Huntsman Lance and I continued the conversations on our own, and I eventually started a website and discussion forum just for that topic.
Anyway, for a couple years now a few of us have been doing medieval-themed hunts, and despite my best efforts, I've had no luck in Michigan so far chasing bunnies, squirrels, and deer with my English longbow or medieval-style crossbow. However, last weekend I scheduled a hunt at Caryonah Lodge in Tennessee because my wife and I were going to be passing through that area on our way to visit family in South Carolina.
Previously, all of my hunting had been on open land, and I had mixed feelings about the "preserve" thing. But Caryonah has 2000 acres of rolling hills and hollows, which is bigger than most areas of public land I hunt, so I felt comfortable with the fair chase element. The boar there are a hybrid of razorbacks and Russian boar which were introduced to the area in 1912.
I arrived at the lodge early on Friday, April 6th decked out in my authentic (mostly hand-sewn), 14th C.-style, medieval garb. My 60# English longbow, self-nocked arrows (made by Trad Gang's "Ragi") with hand-forged broadheads, and all of my accoutrements were also correct in style for the period. Not everything is 100% authentic yet, but I, like most reenactors, am perpetually improving my "kit" as time and/or money allows.
The other hunters there, all wearing modern camouflage outfits, took quite an interest in me, and a few asked to have their pictures taken with me. However, I started to get a little concerned because most of them were experienced boar hunters, and they expressed sincere concern when I told them my ideal range with my longbow was 10 yards or less. "You want to be close enough to hear them breath?" one guy asked. "No way...not me...I'm sticking with my scoped rifle," he said.
My guide took two dogs with us and we drove way back into the forest before setting out on foot. We slowly walked a trail up on a ridge while the dogs searched for a fresh scent. They would occasionally run off baying, but kept returning. After an hour or so with no hogs in sight, we ran across some fresh sign at a wallow near a well-used game trail. My guide told me to set up on the trail while he took the dogs down into the hollow below to try and flush hogs up towards me. About 20 minutes later I heard the dogs baying below me, but it was much more serious than what I had heard from them earlier. The sound was distant but kept getting closer and I was ready.
Then a few minutes later I realized the dogs had stopped and the baying kept coming from one location. I decided to head down through the woods towards the racket, and after a hundred and fifty yards or so I saw my guide waving me over towards him, away from where I heard the baying. When I got closer to him I could see the boar about 40 yards away, backed up against a large diameter fallen tree trunk, swinging his head from side to side trying to keep the dogs at bay. We crossed a stream and circled directly behind the boar. My guide told me I would have to approach from behind then slowly swing to one side and shoot over the log. I crossed the creek and snuck up within a couple yards, and the boar turned and looked right at me before the dogs got his attention again. He was a light, smoky-gray color, which I was told later is unusual for the area, most boars being black or a red. I slowly swung out towards the right, leaned over the log from about two yards away and loosed my arrow. I was essentially firing from above the animal so I visualized the location of the vitals. About half of my arrow sank into his back, angled towards the good stuff and he bolted out of the area and out of site with the dogs on his trail. My guide said I must have clipped the spine as well because the boar was kind of dragging his back legs as he ran. We took off towards the sound of the dogs.
The dogs had the boar bayed again in the creek about 100 yards away and we could tell he was hurting, which was a new experience for me. If you shoot a deer, it typically runs off, and after giving it a half hour or so, you track the animal, usually finding it after it's expired. But hunting with the dogs we were on the boar again within a few minutes. My guide told me to go ahead and put my other two arrows into him to end it more quickly, which wasn't an easy task. There was some overhanging brush on the sides of the creek. So, I had to slip into the stream, get down low with my bow parallel to the water to shoot under the brush. The only shot I had was slightly quartering towards me, which wasn't ideal, but I made it count. The shots weren't perfect but they got the job done, and the boar started sinking lower into the water, bleeding heavily. Then I was surprised and impressed as my guide got behind him, grabbed onto a sapling, and stepped off the bank with both feet onto the boar's head, pushing it underneath the water. The boar was too weak to put up a fight and the guide's actions just ended it more quickly.
Then came the hard part, dragging the field-dressed boar through the woods, up hill, to the ridge. My guide had left to go back and get the truck where we left it, and I managed to drag it out by myself. I'll admit I was originally hoping for a monster sized-boar, but when it came to dragging I was thankful for "average". We did not get the boar weighed before the butcher came, but my guide estimated 140-150 pounds. I'm curious whether or not you guys agree based on the pictures.
So, that's the story of my first successful medieval-style hunt, and my first big game kill with a traditional bow period (I had previously only taken a squirrel and a rabbit with my modern longbow). If any of you are interested in learning more about the medieval-style hunts, or you would like to see more photos from this hunt, you can check out this link: Medieval Hunts (http://www.sthubertsrangers.org/new_page_1.htm#Medieval_Hunts)
Paul
a.k.a- Geoffrey "Hawken" of Huntingdon
(http://www.sthubertsrangers.org/bt2.JPG)
Nice boar. Glad you got to make meat after so much effort.
:notworthy: awsome !!! caulk one up for the ways of the ole.
That is Cool!
:notworthy: :notworthy:
Congrats, well done!
F-Manny
How cool is that!
Congrats on the hunt.
Dennis
Paul,
Congrats and was wondering if Lance was able to make it.
Very Cool!! I Love the "Medieval Stuff"!! I think I was Born WAAAAAAY too late!!
Nice Boar!!
Thanks Guys.
No Aaron, I didn't coordinate with Lance because this side-trip was an afterthought. I basically just snuck away for half a day on what was otherwise a vacation to visit family down south. I do have plans to hunt with Lance later this year though, and maybe someday we can all do a boar hunt in Oklahoma like we discussed a year or so ago.
Paul
Cool hunt and pics! You gotta smile more than the hog next time! Make it look like ya havin a good time cause we all know you were. Sure would look great to have a whole gang decked out and a row of hogs out front. What would the camo cowboys think then?
Way to go. Keep me in mind for some medieval hunting. It will be about a year till I step down from my current post in the SCA, but then I intend to devote more time to traditional/medieval archery. I didn't know you had a forum on another web site. I have coresponded a bit with Lance on various subjects such as leatherworking.
Very cool Hawken :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Bet those rifle hunters had a greater respect for you afterwards ;)
PS enjoyed your website Paul, lots of neat pictures there.
I'd be more inclined to hunt Indian syle, except moccasins are slippery and loin cloths are cold in November...well that plus I'm not really built for hunting in a loin cloth :biglaugh:
SWEET, Congrats :bigsmyl:
Excellent! How about some more info on your bow and arrows? With pix, of course. Wonder what a
medieval yeoman would think of computers and digital photography?
That is awesome Paul, I bet you got a great work out along with your hunt :D
congrats good going :thumbsup: :archer:
Great story Paul. I read your website this past fall and found it very interesting. What an appropriate prey for a medivial hunt. Too bad you didn't get to use your boar spear. Guess this makes you an official Huntsman now. Congrats.
Paul,
I enjoyed your narrative. I bet you didn't expect the details of the day to turn out that way. Taste? How did it taste?
I used a 72" long, 60#@27" English Longbow made by Pete Davidson at Traditional English Longbows (http://www.tradlongbows.co.uk/Bows.htm) in England. My 60-65, self-nocked arrows with wrapped fletchings were made by Ragi at The Broken Axe Arrow Company (http://www.brokenaxe.ca/shoppe/index.htm) . My hand-forged medieval-style broadheads were purchased online: Broadheads (http://cgi.****.com/6-STRAIGHT-BROADHEAD-ARROWHEADS-Medieval-Arrow-Head-Bow_W0QQitemZ160104536335QQihZ006QQcategoryZ36096QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) In '05 I was using barbed broadheads that were replicas of the type-16 broadhead in the Museum of London, but then I had offers to hunt in states that didn't allow barbed heads, and one state had very specific broadhead dimensions that were acceptable. So, I bought the online ones, did a little custom grinding on them, and they came in at 300 grains.
Bob, I haven't tried any yet. I froze it immediately because we were travelling, and I'm researching recipes. I may grind some into breakfast sausage, and use some for chili, but I need to find soemthing special to do with the loins. Suggestions anyone?
Congratulations!! Well written description of your adventures,, All the best ,,Frank
Great stuff Paul.Glad things worked out.
It's like looking back in time, cool. Alan
Congrats buddy,, way to go..
Midieval ??? Does that mean you poached the King's deer and boar ? (teasing) :biglaugh:
Sounds like a great time.
ChuckC
Love it!!!!Great story & pictures. Leland
Congrats on a great kill! :bigsmyl:
Oh ya I gotta idea for those loins! Send em to ME! HAHAHAHA Just what where these other guys thinking! Great story and hunt congrats Paul, especially for sticking with it. NO PUN intended. OK it works for me! :bigsmyl:
Brent
Man I hope I never go that traditional, cause I aint wearing those clothes.
Great story. Thanks for taking the time to share that. Many happy returns for you.
As far as a suggestion for those loins. I would cut them thin so they cook quick. Melt some real butter in a pan. Turn the heat up a bit. Salt and pepper both sides and lay them in the hot pan just long enough to cook them through. (Turning them over once.) Again if it was me, I would eat them right out of the pan, right off the fork. Still so hot they almost blister your mouth. I would only share with someone brave enough to fight for some. I would eat as many as I could stand. Then I would sit down and have a cold beer or two. Dark and heavy. Butter,salt,pepper,pork, and beer. Medieval grub.(not good for you,just good!)
Hunting with style! :thumbsup: