~ In-Person Class, Aug 8th & 9th, 2023 ~
Intro to Bow & Arrow Building
with Cal Reed - Class is Full
There is nothing quite like the feeling of shooting a bow & arrow you crafted with your own two hands.
Join me & special guest instructor, Cal Reed (from Original Wisdom), for a two-day hands-on self bow archery intensive. We will be bow making with local materials and Cal will be bringing Osage staves to work with as well. In addition, arrow making from natural materials is planned so that the students' Archery system and experience will be complete.
When: Tues, Aug 8 & Wed, Aug 9th from 9:00am to 5pm
Where: Dwight, Ontario
Cost: $260 + HST*
*Accommodations & meals are NOT included. Only 6 spots!
Details & What You Will Learn:
In this class, we will be focusing on "Quick Bows." A Quick Bow is faster version of making a bow from materials found on the landscape as compared to working with a fully seasoned bow stave. Quick Bows can be made in a day and used in a survival situation, for hunting (if they meet legal draw weight) and archery.
With guidance and practice, it is possible to make an effective quick bow for archery and hunting. The process will also teach you all the foundations of bow building that can be applied to making a longbow from seasoned materials.
Depending on the skills of the bowyer, a quick bow does not always shoot as well or for as long as a bow made from a perfectly selected and seasoned limb.
Once you finish your bow project, you will be shown how to select, harvest, straighten and fletch natural arrows made from the wild.
All materials will be provided, but if you can bring any of the following tools, it is recommended: Spokeshave, wood rasp, draw knife, camp/bushcraft knife for carving.
Please note that accommodations and meals are NOT included, and you are responsible for your own arrangements. Feel free to email us if you want suggestions for places to stay.
Meet Your Instructors, Cal Reed & Chris Gilmour:
Cal is a successful and established traditional archery hunter and teacher of the art. He has demonstrated his ability of making a complete archery system from materials directly from the landscape and has been hunting since he was 6 years old.
One of his major achievements came in 1997 when he took his first all primitive archery gear harvest of a white tailed deer using an osage bow and a cane shaft arrow with a flint tip that he created himself.
He strives to proficient in all bushcraft skills needed to thrive in wild landscapes.
Chris is the founder of Chris Outdoors and and has been training in and teaching survival skills, ecology and outdoor education for almost two decades. Chris started his hunting journey with a homemade bow and arrow and harvested his first deer over a decade ago with the bow shown in the picture below.
Learn to Build a Bow & Arrow from the Land
Aug 8th & 9th, 2023