Ladies and gentlemen:

Earlier this year, Crookedstix sent me Skookum’s personal recurve bow he had purchased from Fred. This is an Anderson Mojo, and Fred named it “Rattler.” Obviously, it has rattlesnake skins on the limbs, covering carbon fiber. The back of the limbs are in yew. The riser is in cocobolo and yew. Length is 62” and draw weight is 46 pounds at 28”. This bow was sent unsolicited, and in fact, I was disgusted to receive it, immediately deeming it to be a pile of junk. The bow had sat a few years on the wall in Crookedstix’s cabin (akin to being in an unheated/uncooled garage) and the skins were a bit loose in a few spots. There were also two small cracks in the Fullerplast Fred had put on the bow. He should have taken a lesson from the great Harry Drake and used Dutchboy enamel. I was afraid to string the thing and let it sit in the box for four months before pulling it out, last night, and getting it strung. I put on a bike helmet and safety glasses and drew it back 10 times. No problems. I decided to go out in the driveway and shoot it 3 times and send it back to the owner. I ended up shooting it and shooting it and shooting it. I’ve gotta tell ya, this might be the new Bow of Bows! This one might surpass the mighty Deathmaster! In spite of not shooting a hunting weight bow since last November, shooting in the dark, and putting a heavy B50 string from off my crap Howatt Hunter on the bow, it shot like a gem! It’s the quietest bow I’ve ever shot, and I’m not deaf! I mean, it is whisper quiet! No longbow could be as quiet. It’s as smooth as silk and hit exactly where I looked. It’s not easy to shoot in the dark, and I was laying them right in there! It’s a fast bow. It will be faster with an appropriate string. I had a heavy loaded, 16 strander on it. Overall, it’s similar to the Drake Hunter Flight, in grip and lightness, without the quirkiness of that bow. In my opinion, Fred reached perfection in the shooting characteristics of a bow, with this particular bow. Crookedstix wants it back and assumes he’ll be picking it up when he and Pdiddly stop by to mooch off of me this September. Well, he’s not getting it back, and I won’t be answering the door! I didn’t ask for this bow, and I’m under no legal obligation to go out of my way to return it. Answering the door is going out of my way. So, it appears I have a new Bow of Bows! No sense having a bow of this caliber sitting on a rustic cabin wall, getting chewed on by mice. Anyway, this really is quite a bow!

Joe

Nice Joe. You saved that bow from a slacker. Good for you!

Yes sir. Fred builds one helluva bow. Well, lots of them actually, longbows and recurves.

Crookedsticks no doubt knew you would find it superior to that Drake bow you're always talking about, but I suspect his mission was your enlightenment, not magnanimity.

A battle for ownership is likely to ensue. Katie, bar the door, or something like that.

Yep. The same slacker who cried when I made the moral decision to grab the Hoyt Pro Medalist, another bow he didn't deserve.

Joe

I'm glad that you're finally enjoying that bow, now that it's time to give it back! Peter and I will be coming by in the 8th of September to pick it up, on our way to Colorado--circle that date on your calendar! And remind me me of your address...Austin is a confusing little town, full of confused little people.

Actually, I agree with your description of the bow--all the snap of a Hunter-Flight but without the Evil Dwarf Bow characteristics. Fred made a dandy with that one...and Orion is quite right; I LOANED it to you so that you'd at least get to use one decent bow in your life. Enjoy your brief possession!

A friend showed me one of those the other day he has several Anderson bows .

Nice Bow Frisky - but "hunting weight"? At your draw length of 25 1/2" it's more like plinking weight! LOL

Beautiful bow in all respects. The poundage is perfect for shooting deer on the driveway! :). (That is still my favorite story)

I had already made pans for the 8th, so I won't be around. Went out late and shot the bow again. Same story! Really a good shooter. I'll compare to the Grail, side by side, and report.

Joe

Just goes to show you Frisky when you put a bow on a pedestal, another bow comes along on a taller pedestal, and Grail has to look up to it. :') DANNY

I have to say Cocobolo & Yew contrast's nicely.

Pay no attention to all of these rude smart ass remarks, Joe. You keep looking and one day you may find a bow that can shoot for you.

Fred contacted me about the snakeskins coming loose and advised I use Elmer's School Glue on them, so I will. He also said there are many suitors after this bow. If any of you are interested, maybe I'll unload it here. That will teach Crookedstix a lesson for dumping it on me to begin with!

Joe

I'd almost be interested if it didn't have those ugly nasty snakeskins. I've seen, even held, one of Fred's impeccably-made bows. I suspect this one is a counterfeit or it wouldn't need snakeskins to cover up limb defects. Fred's bows don't have any.

Another rat is the "recommendation" from Fred to use Elmer's glue to tack down the loose skins. Elmer's, indeed!

I suspect this is all a ploy to deprive some poor sucker of his hard-earned retirement money, and Frisky knows one in Jawga who is looking to move down to a lighter draw weight!

Frisky: If the skins truly are coming loose, Titebond II or III is a better choice than Elmer's glue. Of course, if you want toy make it less desirable to Crookedsticks.....

I'll give some consideration to Titebond, but I might just go with Elmer's. After all, Fred knows his stuff, lol!

Joe

Crying shame somebody ruint a nice bow by slapping on those snakeskins. No wonder Crookedstix wanted rid of it!

There's carbon fiber under the skins. The belly of the bow has beautiful yew and even a painted on arrow. The skins actually look nice and mark this as a hunting bow. That's another reason I might as well keep it. I'm probably the only true hunter in the forum.

Joe

We'll have to ask Skookum...for all I know, the yew in that bow may have come from Earl Ullrich. I also like that it's cocobolo, because Fred told me that, as far as he knows, he was the first in the business to use that wood in a bow; way back around 1960.

I say this only to impress upon you just how precious and rare that bow is, and the need to take good care of it for the brief remaining time that it's in your possession. You see this hourglass, Frisky? That's how much time you have left with my bow!

Certainly good enough for finishing off roadkill !

Thank you Kerry for being the progenitor of yet another pile of wit and wisdom here and all the rest of you also for contributing to a good laugh- I needed one today.

Sure glad I can still pick out a Frisky thread without blinking

;-D

Indian giver. You sent the bow, unsolicited, and now you want it back. We'll see about that!

Joe

Can't wait for the 8th of September...ought to be quite the visit!! Fear not...I will provide pictures and colour commentary for all of you loyal Leatherwallers who love to despise Frisky Joe!

Pdiddly- I don't accept visits from Canadians. Besides, you and you know who will be taking the most direct route to the Lizardhead. Right down I-70. I'm up here off I-90. Just take I-70 and start hunting. No need to bother me.

Joe

LOL Feather Merchant!

Geez Frisky! That's just plain nasty!

What ever happened to goodwill among neighbouring nations??!!

Sheesh...and I was thinking of becoming the president of your LW Fan Club!

Anyway, back to the matter at hand.

It's just a quick scoot up Hwy. 35 to get Kerry's bow.

Now that you bragged it up he really wants it back plus he now sees added worth in it given the indisputable fact that even you can shoot straight with it.

Besides, it could come in handy if I need a stick to hang a pot over the fire!

The Crook isn't getting that bow back. Maybe I'll make him a really good trade. The Mojo for my nice, fine shooting Howatt Hunter! Better yet, I'll keep the Hunter and the Mojo.

Joe

Kerry and I agreed to meet up for a cold one at some roadside joint during the planned Colorado elk hunt. Really looking forward to meeting him, P-did and Knifeguy. That will be a hoot, made even more so by having the newly repossessed Anderson bow along. It might have a fresh set of limb covers by then--select overlays donated by Frisky's backside!

I spoke with Crookedstix, and they've had a change of plan. They're taking I-70, and Knifeguy is going to meet up with them in Colorado. At the conclusion of the hunt, they're heading back down I-70 to get home as quickly as possible, as Pdiddly gets homesick. Since they're not invited here, Crookedstix is out a bow.

Joe

I'll talk Crookedstix into diverting to Austin to get his hands back on that treasure made by Skookum before your starving cats chew off any more of the snakeskin!!

We'll be in a hurry coming back with no time to stop as we'll have coolers of fresh elk...nothing to do with me being "homesick"...what a teller of tall tales!!

And so we would have to assume that the now lowly Deathmaster is up for sale then!

I know it's an overly generous offer but I'll give you $50 for it.

Not sure that it is at all functional during daylight hours really (or outside the driveway for that matter) so even $50 is kind of a gamble I guess.

Actually... maybe that should be $50 if you cover the shipping to me here.

heehee

The Deathmaster is probably faster and maybe even a speck smoother but is not quite as quiet and is too heavy, at 54 pounds pull.

Joe

I already placed a dibs on the Deathmaster in case Frisky ever goes to Jawga to hunt hawgs with Feathers, should he meet an untimely demise. Heaven forbid.

Backcountry, Here's a photo of our elk hunting base camp in Telluride; perhaps you could meet us there.

There's a nice little village green outside, and the town seems to be swarming with lovely women about thirty years younger than me--the perfect age, in other words. I figure we could all take turns giving archery demonstrations there--one of us shooting the mighty Mojo, while the other three entertain the saloon clientele with gripping true stories from our hunt.

No doubt they will all swoon at the sight of distinguished gentleman archers scoring bullseye after bullseye...and it will require all of our willpower as hunters to scrape ourselves away from their attention and admiration, and trek up to the lofty heights of our spike camp for the manly pursuit of the mighty elk. For this too, we will need the silent and deadly Mojo.

Rest assured that we will not drive beyond Minnesota until we have the Bow of Bows back in my possession!

Sounds great, Kerry! Looks like the perfect setting for base camp.0 I can tell you are a seasoned veteran of pursuing the mighty wapiti of the Coloradee high country.

I have another idea for repossessing the Mojo, should treachery and deceit become necessary. It involves an old Ben Pearson I have that Frisky wouldn't be able to distinguish from the new bow of bows. Can't give too much detail in such an open forum in case "you-know-who" might be looking on. PM's forthcoming.

Fred may be old and drooling, but there's no way you have a Ben Pearson that will give the Mojo a run for the money. No way. If Fred hadn't put the skins on with Elmer's School Glue it would really be a great bow!

Joe

P.S. I know great bows. I'm the only one on the forum who now has three of them!

This is interesting. Tonight, I went out and shot the Grail, the mighty Drake Hunter Flight. Though it has no silencers on it, just old brush buttons, it's about as quiet as the Mojo! Super quiet! Shooting in the dark is a great way to assess noise levels, as it's quiet out, and darkness helps you isolate sounds. I also shoot the Grail as well. However, I think I'd be a little more accurate with the Mojo when I get used to it. The Grail is a better bow for getting low to the ground. The Mojo is much easier to shoot well though. The Grail has a little pinch on the fingers, while the 8" longer Mojo has none at all. This helps with release. I came to the conclusion I like both bows. One advantage the Grail has is it's noticeably easier to pull to full draw than the Mojo, even though it's only 1 pound lighter in draw weight.

Joe

The limbs on my Drakes load in the same manner...smooth through the draw with no "stiff" spots.

Sounds like a plan Crookedstix...you sure know how to set up and run a base camp!!

Too bad the elk wouldn't hang around there too! I will have to settle for talking to the lovely women!

Anyway, absolutely agree Fred's magnificent creation is essential to the hunt ( it is named Mojo after all!) and needs to be re- acquired. It deserves it!

Better that than the life it has now being chewed on by a herd of stray cats..only being taken out at night by Frisky to be shot in the dark so no one can see it and take it from him.

Frisky's not far removed from Gollum in the LOTR, wandering around in the dark wailing about his "precious!!"

To be honest, I'm kind of worried about the cats and those snakeskins. So far, they've shown no interest.

Joe

OOOOHH! I'm saving this one...Crook, if you need a hand Pdiddly and I can hold him down while you swat off the cats and grab the bow. It will be dark enough and no one will see us or suspect a thing! LOL! Lance.

Mighty fine, Frisky. Use it in good health. Jawge

Yes it's a keeper.

Yes it is a keeper, and I'm keeping it!

Joe

I am watching this thread with increasing foreboding and dread. All I can say for sure is that when you have Joe and the cats cornered in the alley behind the house, with Joe clinging to Mojo for dear life and the cats start screaming like cats will do, DON'T call 911 and wait in the dark alley for the police. That tactic hasn't worked out well for foreigners in Minnesota.

Assuming the elk hunters get out of Minnesota and make it to base camp, I advise an equipment upgrade. I assumed from Crookedstix thread from last fall that he was using a "mountain bike" to get up to the spike camp, but now that I see his photo of the base camp and the bikes parked outside, I see that "mountain bike" apparently has a different meaning in elk hunter parlance. Is the turquoise in honor of Frisky?

Joe, you're going to find it difficult locating a bow that fits those "small hands." Finally, I'm beginning to understand the "Frisky" attitude! LOL

The grip on the Mojo is not perfect. It could have been 1/8th" wider. Still, my hand holds in place on release and that's what counts. I shot the bow again last night. It takes getting used to, as weight seems to increase quickly from about 25 to 28 inches. It doesn't stack, as it's smooth. No hitting a wall, but it does load up later in the draw. Still, I'm handling it and should do well with it over the next several seasons.

Joe

I'm currently negotiating with Blackhawk for the sale of this bow.

Joe

Of course, that would be a few years down the line.

Joe

Joe, I just sold one of my prized possessions and now have the money on hand you were asking for the Mojo.

Fred only made about 25 or so of these gems and I sure miss the one I had. It had to go down the road because of its heavy weight, but so happy you are offering up this lighter weight Mojo which is perfect for me.

Just make sure you ship it priority mail and insured...and do it before those novice elk hunters enter your territory.

Yes, I think we're gonna get something worked out here.

Joe

Wow, great guys. That means that once Blackhawk has it, I'll get a chance to shoot it too. We were just out today sharing bows while shooting a 3D course. Lance.

I myself am more of a Maim and Rip kind of guy......

Sorry, I'm so emotionally and mentally wadded up all the threads sound alike to me.....Is this another one of the many " Let's all gang up on Frisky to make ourselves feel superior " threads?

Lost arrow- yes it is. I might add, I've decided to charge Crookedstix for Elmer's Glue repairs on the bow.

Joe

Just got in from shooting the Deathmaster for the first time in ages. I can't even remember when I last shot it. I was stunned! It's as quiet as the Mojo! It's at least as fast with 500 grain arrows, as the mojo is with 440 grainers. It's more accurate and a bit smoother than any bow I've shot. The accuracy is due to the weight. At 54 pounds, it's very heavy for me, and my release is perfect. In fact, it took a while for me to even hit full draw. I couldn't hold it at full draw either. My shoulders are not hurting, but I'm only going to ease into it. I think I'll get as accurate with the Mojo when I get used to it. However, I might have to keep the Deathmaster in place as my Bow of Bows. It's really a great bow!

Joe

Crookedstix has been uninvited, and I don't have the money to ship it back, so the Mojo has a permanent home with me. Gonna go buy some Elmer's glue today.

Joe

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