Boats and bows

The snow is gone, other than in the places where it was plowed up into tall mounds. These mounds are melting fast and will be gone in a matter of days. The ground is soft but is drying out and should be firm enough to drive on soon. I need to get my truck back to the storage building to access some items, do some work on a couple of small trailers parked back there and start getting the boat ready.

I’ve had a major change of heart over the winter. Last year, I was planning to sell my riverboat because I could no longer operate it with my bad shoulder. I even talked with a few potential buyers, one of whom would have bought it if he had more free time from his work.

Because my shoulder is doing so well after the surgery, I’ve decided to keep the boat. I probably won’t be using it as much as before, since the salmon seasons have “tanked,” but I look forward to beginning a summer of lake fishing, including, hopefully, harvesting some Northern pike.

I also might need it if I end up going back to the same site where I used to bait bears. This location is on the west side of the Big Susitna River. I haven’t used the area for baiting in several years and would really prefer to find a location I can drive to on the east side rather than waiting for the river to open up. However, if all else fails, it’s a spot I can use.

I tried calling the Palmer Fish and Game office to find out how many bears they have sealed so far but I couldn’t get anybody to answer the phone. After about fifteen minutes of trying, a young lady answered and apologized for the time spent trying to get someone to pick up; she said they were really busy. Anyway, when asked, she said they had sealed less than ten bears, both black and brown, so far, and that things have been slower than in previous years. She blamed the late break up this year for the reduced numbers.

With the current weather trends, I’m sure the bears will become more active and things will improve.

I’m also seeing a fair number of boats being towed around the area, so things are picking up. I didn’t run my boat at all last year. In fact, the last time the boat was run was when I had a major tune up and check over the year before. I would expect the boat to be almost good to go for this coming season with the addition of some fresh gasoline, but we’ll see when I can get back to check it out a little later.

If you’re an archer with a lot of money and looking to buy a new compound bow. I have some good news for you. I was reading an article online from Outdoor Life where they had evaluated the new 2026 top-of-the-line bows from the major manufacturers and declared them all to be excellent bows. For the four figures cost in dollars for each bow, I would hope so!

They listed bows from Matthews, Hoyt, PSE, Excalibur, Dayton, and others, comparing features and how well each bow performed. I enjoy reading these comparisons, but I have no interest in buying a new bow. I can barely use the 1990 vintage Hoyt I currently own.

I probably shouldn’t be, but I’m amazed at how much a new traditional recurve or long bow costs as well. I’ve seen pricing for “name brand” traditional bows running as high as a thousand dollars! The same goes for crossbows too. Most of the “good” crossbows are at least $1500 or more, with some nearing $3000. I don’t see how newcomers or folks looking to upgrade their equipment can afford these prices.

A few years ago, I bought a take down recurve bow with bowfishing set up for around $150 at a local “box” store. I was able to find a second set of limbs online which had a lighter draw weight. I figured shooting this set up would help me get my shoulders back in shape plus I have always enjoyed bowfishing (another use for my riverboat).

Back when I started shooting a bow, that $150 dollars would have bought a custom, handmade, top-of-the-line recurve. Now, it barely buys an inexpensive “made in China” beginners bow. How times have changed!