Monthly Archives: April 2014

Washington Bowhunter Education Class

by Woodsbum

This last weekend we did the first of two Bowhunter Education classes for year 2014. Each year we do two; one in April and one in July. They are a two day course that have one day of lecture and one day in the field. The topics covered are as follows:

History of bowhunting
Conservation
Ethics
Archery equipment to include sighting in, form, shot placement, etc
Bowhunting safety
Treestand safety and how to use one
Hunting equipment such as camouflage, scent control, clothing, blinds, packs, etc
Animal recovery, field dressing, and processing
Methods of bowhunting
Outdoor preparedness such as survival, land navigation, first aid

On our field day, we actually set up tree stands and go over the entire process involved with setting them up, how to recover in case you fall, safety harnesses, how to tie off properly, use of a climbing style treestand versus hang on styles and techniques learned through years of use in the field. There is also a section on animal recovery where we follow a blood trail and go over basic tracking techniques. The last main section we cover is how to start a fire with ferro rod and natural materials.

Teaching hang on style treestand usage and safety.

Teaching the use of a climber style treestand.

The whole course is really a great time. There are always new people in the class for us to teach, but many times we get an experienced hunter that is either needing his Bowhunter Education course to get a license in another state or might be making the transition to bowhunting. Either way, it is always fun and plenty to be learned by all.

So, if you get a chance to take one of these courses it is well worth the time. The cost is $20 and you can check out this Meetup group and they will be listed with contact information.

Ontario RAT 5 First Impressions

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by GunGuy

I was shopping for a 1095 carbon steel knife that I could take hiking and possibly use as a bushcraft knife. I decided on purchasing an Ontario RAT 5 as it was reasonably priced and well reviewed. When I received the knife I new that it might come with a sad specimen of a cordura sheath. Upon opening the box the knife was solid and really well made. There were no marks on the blade and the micarta handles were properly fitted.

The cordura sheath was a bit sad looking if you compared it to a Kydex sheath but it was perfectly serviceable. The cordura sheath had a plastic insert so the knife did not damage the sheath. Ideally the sheath would be made out of Kydex because the knife is made out of 1095 carbon steel and the cordura sheath would retain moisture and hasten rust. The positive aspects of the cordura sheath was that it had a small pouch for a sharpening stone and that the sheath also had molle straps that could be used to attach to a chest carrier, bag or on a belt. I plan on upgrading to a Kydex sheath from knifeworks.com after an upcoming bushcraft knife class that I am taking. Here are some pics in the mean time.

Black Leatherman Wave with Nylon MOLLE Sheath

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by GunGuy

I’ve owned about half a dozen Leatherman multi-tools since my days in the Army. In the 90’s while a soldier with limited access to tools I put the Leatherman’s through their paces. I managed to break quite a few of them doing really stupid things which they weren’t designed for but the company always replaced the tool no questions asked. During my younger more adventurous days I bought a couple of Gerber multi tools as well but they broke a lot faster and their lack of a needle nose pliers made me become a Leatherman fan.

My most recent edition is a black Leatherman Wave with a MOLLE sheath for $90. I mounted this tool on my training gear so I always have a Leatherman handy when I go out. The two features that made this a must have was the MOLLE sheath and the small flat head screw driver that I can use to adjust locking screws on sights and my glasses. If you have glasses and are about to lose a screw you know how important that option is.

The overall fit and finish of the black Leatherman Wave is good. It’s a little stiff at first but that goes away with use. The black finish could be better and it comes off on your hands for the first few dozen times you handle it. That too will go away after a break in period. When I was reading the reviews on this multi-tool some people said as much and suggested getting the stainless steel one but you know the old adage “Once you go black you never go back.” Tongue in cheek jokes aside I’m very happy with the black version of the Leatherman Wave.