Other than the Iceland Customs officials who cleared our weapons in Keflavik, no one examined our equipment.
I was however asked by airline security to prove that my bow was not "loaded" before allowing it on the plane.....
A heavy arrow and a fixed head would be a great choice as they are tough animals.
Might be easier to just go up to Nanavut or even draw a tag for Alaska... Or move to Alaska. Got an interview for a job in Nome coming up - wife may not be happy, but I would love it up there:)
BTW, although there are currently some "subsistence" ox tags around Nome all carry the destroy the skull requirement. Most ox tags fall under "unlikely to draw" odds. The odds got really bad about 2011.
I can't imagine another animal that you can be 100% on stalk attempts.
I would describe it more of an adventure than a hunt.
You know, maybe after 50 + years of successful existence, an organization of bow hunters like that could surely produce some gentle prodding to get traditional bows accepted in Greenland. Especially if that was one of it's founding principals! Think of it, a respected group of dedicated bow hunters welding influence to get bows accepted as a valid weapon in North American wildlife management!!
Well, maybe someday. To quote Fred Bear, in part, "If you are not working to protect hunting, you are working to destroy it."
The Club was founded on promoting bows which, at that time, were all what are now call traditional bows. These are the very bows Greenland disallows today. Yet The Club remains silent on the matter, other than dutifully listing in the records those animals taken in Greenland. To add insult to injury, The Club auctioned off a Greenland muskox hunt at the Phoenix convention in 2015 without even a mention of disapproval. That is tacit approval of a unfair and unjustified prohibition The Club was founded to oppose.
I know of several P&Y members who have taken muskox with traditional equipment. The Club's own 2013 Traditional Record book lists 60 animals! Why doesn't The Club speak up for it's traditional shooters? The last time I asked, not even a letter had been sent to the authorities in Greenland opposing the prohibition.
Sorry for the rant guys, and it may not bother most guys because they shoot compounds. This thread started out about broad heads which were prohibited. At least you can easily change your broad heads. It is illegal for trad guys to even go hunt there ! And for those who say nobody checks the equipment, it is still illegal, and therefore unethical. And forget about entering your muskox in the P&Y records!
One more thing for the Greenland authorities. What do you think the Inuits used to kill muskox for a few thousands years?
I was actually asked to go up there for a very good price a couple of years ago and, after reading the regulations, had to decline.
Not that this is an excuse... but you have to remember that up until 2012 I believe there was NO bowhunt at all allowed on Greenland.
And we are talking about a HUGE country with less than 55k residents!! It is not easy to get anything done up there. It takes time and hopefully will happen... but most likely will have to come from within.
You are a long-standing member of The Club. If you feel this is an important issue, and that it warrants the support of P&Y, write a letter to The Club. Gather evidence, make a case and ask for support. Even ask to head up the cause if The Club votes to support the issue. There are thousands of bowhunting-related issues across NA and you can't expect P&Y to take up every fight without some guidance from its members.
It is a brand new area that has been opened up for bowhunting by people and agencies that were not P&Y, how can you expect everything to cater to all bowhunters when it is an entirely different country--under European influence no less.
I say we are lucky to have Greenland as an option now and to have that opportunity. Who knows how long we will have it?
Bow Hunting for Musk Ox is now Open in Greenland! The land of a new bow hunting opportunity
Many times in life, we take certain things for granted. Bow hunting is a perfect example. Did you know in many European countries, bow hunting is actually illegal? Yes, you read that correctly! Imagine if we had to convince our elected officials to make bow hunting legal in all 50 states? This is exactly what the European Bowhunting Federation (EBF) faces in promoting bow hunting across Europe. And remember, this is compounded by all the different languages and cultures.
Back in the 1980s, Bowhunter Magazine’s Conservation Editor, Dr. Dave Samuel traveled to London and Denmark promoting the National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) course to 13 European countries. One of his students was a bowhunter from Sweden named Ander Gejer. Who would have thought that 30 years later Anders would be President of the EBF and I would be on the NBEF’s Board of Directors. Being part of these two fine organizations is how Anders and I met.
Through the years, Anders has regularly queried me and “Dr. Dave” on biological studies relating to bow hunting recovery rates. Additionally, data included within Bowhunter’s Annual Deer Forecast has been invaluable to the EBF when they try to establish bow hunting in certain countries.
Flash forward to July 2012. Anders sent me an email entitled, “You interested? You got to go!” Upon reading his email, I learned Anders and the EBF convinced the wildlife authorities in Greenland to go ahead and conduct the first ever, “test” bow hunt for musk ox. Because the authorities we very skeptical about whether a bow could bring down a musk ox, this agreement ensured the wildlife officials would be part of the actual hunt in the role of observers. The results of this hunt would determine whether bow hunting for musk ox in Greenland would become legal.
Within Anders’ email he wrote, “CJ, you could be the first American to legally hunt musk ox in Greenland. A limited number of tags are available and only one tag remains, you interested?” Obviously, I jumped at the opportunity.
Frank Feldmann my Greenland muskox outfitter, got bowhunting legalized in Greenland on www.bowhuntinggreenland.com http://www.bowhuntinggreenland.com>
Frank gives these advices. Musk ox hunting Vital area Experienced hunters programmed to shoot tight for the front leg, knows that a low shot is always preferable, but this is a guaranteed wound on a Muskox. Besides the shaggy coat making them look bigger than they are, the lungs sit higher than on any other animal. We will look carefully into this fact at hunting camp, before we hunt.
Musk ox stalking A dominant Muskox Bull has no predators and is not aggressive, but will chase off a Polar Bear defending his herd. Stalking gently into the average 25 yard range, a Trophy Bull will normally stand his ground or come forward, and face us confidently. The trick is then to remain calm and wait for him to turn broadside for the typical 5-7 sec perfect window, making that shot. The closest shot was at 7-8 yards, and we never had an real encounter. The many bowhunters I have guided all had the adrenalin going facing these extremely powerful prehistoric animals. Alert and fast, Musk oxen will not jump the string and they can be surprisingly smart. Hunters success rate and recovery rate is 100%.
Extremely tough A double lung razor sharp broadhead does the job in 30 sec, but keep in mind that the thick coat has a hair structure very hard to penetrate. .375 H&H, on average takes 2-3 rounds per Muskox trophy bull, if not a clean heart shot the shock effect doesn´t seem to work.
Muskox bowhunting - how to gain higher penetration without cranking up your draw weight Gain up to 20 fps on your bow Most short draw bowhunters wish they had a longer draw. A shorter lupe and finding a "short" release can increase your draw with up to 1.5", gaining much more speed and kinetic energy. I personally like the Winn Archery release comfortable to shoot with, and it provides you with a feel of drawing 5-8 pounds less than you actually are. It´s "short" release for gaining a longer draw, and same time you can crank your bow up a bit with the same draw weight feel as you are used to.
Shoot a small diameter arrow shaft Olympic archers shoot tiny-diameter more aerodynamic arrow shafts less affected by wind. A thin diameter arrow will out-penetrated any regular diameter carbon shaft by 6 to 8 inches at 40 yards in a 3D target. That same principle applies to shafts for Muskox and open country range Caribou hunting. Micro-diameter shafts used in general requires a special insert, and there are products on the market.
Shoot a heavier arrow shaft Kinetic energy is an important factor but for penetration, momentum is more important at close range. A 60-pound short draw bow might lob a 650-grain arrow at low speeds, but with a sharp broadhead that arrow will zip through.
Shoot a cut-on-contact sturdy built broadhead Hunting Muskox, the “Montec G5 Carbon Steel”, or a sturdy two blade have the very least resistance, for a safe and fast kill. Hunting caribou with mechanical broad-heads work very well with the advantage of a bigger cutting diameter, and easier tuning for open country opportunities. I recommend a setup with two sights- one sight for the heavy Muskox arrows, and one for 430 grain Caribou arrows. A sight like the “Axel Amortech Pro” makes it easy to slide in your second Caribou sight, after you have taken your Muskox Trophy Bull.
Shoot heavier broadhead 125-grain broadhead increases the total weight, and balances your arrow for more momentum. A little extra FOC using a heavier insert for the small diameter arrows can also help at close range for Musk ox.
Shoot the right spine A spine that is too soft for your bow will keep flexing in flight, which can effect penetration.
Tune your bow Having a bow shop tuning your bow is important for increasing accuracy and kinetic energy.
Musk ox hunting - short drawlength Some extra pound is a good thing, but we had clients with a 25-inch draw length barely being able to draw 60 pound. To make it work the setup has to be for a heavy and thin arrow shaft like “Easton Deep Six Injection”, combined with a cut on contact razor sharp “Montec G5 Carbon Steel” in 125 grain.
Musk ox hunting - regulations in Greenland In Greenland only compound is allowed, and a special bow-hunting license is required. Frank Feldmann is authorized to issue his clients with a temporary bowhunting license in camp before we hunt. Bow hunting Muskox has a minimum of 60# with 525 grains arrow, and only fixed blades are legal. Caribou with mechanical is 55#, and 430 grain / fixed blades 45#, and 385 grain.
Bowhunters with a good draw-lenght shooting 70# often question the heavy arrow weight In the process of legalizing bowhunting in Greenland, I wrote most of the law text for the regulation we have today. Back then, the government officials wanted a more simple regulation than kinetic energy. I therefore based arrow weight and type of broadhead, on what works on an average at 60#, including shorter draws. As Greenland might have been under influence by the Danish Roe deer bowhunting regulation, I added a few extra grains and pounds for Caribou. Unfortunatly traditional and cross bows were not accepted.
Species we can hunt with bow and arrow in Greenland At the moment we can use compound for Musk ox and Caribou. Small game, polar bear, walrus and seal was hunted for centuries with traditional self made equipment before the local hunters started using guns. However, even with the modern equipment bowhunters use today these species are still not on the list, and we do not know what the future will bring.
I want very much to thank anyone who have contributed in the legalization.
Frank Feldmann at Blockedwww.bowhuntinggreenland.com http://www.bowhuntinggreenland.com/ / [email protected] mailto:[email protected]> / Phone 011 299 284851
As far as "let's be happy with what WE have" and Trial153's " lets not make too many waves" , it seems you guys believe not only traditional bows are not suitable, but that compounds are barely acceptable equipment as well and in danger of losing acceptance, especially if lumped in with those trad bows. Trial153 seems to believe.... first let's get bowhunting established in Greenland before we involve the marginal trad bows. As if there should be a difference in the acceptance of the two types of equipment. Those statements marginalize traditional bow hunting as not legitimate.
I don't know about you, but I do not believe trying to educate the decision makers (or anyone else) on the facts of the bow as a suitable hunting weapon is being arrogant. After all, those decisions should be based on facts and an extensive history of performance. Not on unfounded opinions with no credence other the repetition of unsupported beliefs.
So, Dale I have a question for you. And, also James, as well. Do you believe traditional bows are not totally suitable equipment for hunting muskox? And, if not, please give the facts on which you base your opinion.
Everyone knows ( or should) that traditional equipment would work fine but it could have been an arguing point when making Bowhunting legal in Greenland. After X amount of time I’d think they would be allowed....or possibly they just don’t like traditional guys attitudes? JK
Thanks for sharing your choice of bow. But, it doesn't matter to me whether you shoot trad or compound. It's your choice. It shouldn't matter what I shoot either. It does matter what we say directly or indirectly about other peoples choices and making your position very CLEAR on what you do support. And backing your position up with facts. And support of ALL types of bowhunting.
My hats off to you for your CONCISE reply. My question to you was not a personal attack and you did not reply with one or resort to name calling. It was a attempt to engage in a debate of ideas and an opportunity to come to an understanding. Apparently you were not threatened by me, my choice of weapon, or my argument.
Good hunting to you
Most likely many times the number that have been killed with compound bows...
Not sure what the politics of the situation are to get the regulations changed, but until then Greenland is not on the list for me.
Perhaps the route to go is for Pope and Young to disqualify any musk ox from Greenland until it is open for all forms of archery gear. That seems like the logical course of action from the club’s perspective to support all methods of bow hunting.
I am also guessing if, back when, some gun hunters were telling you it was OK to not allow bow hunting for bears, you would have said something. And, I bet the law got changed by bow hunters speaking up for the sport, not by being quiet about it.
As I told Dale 06 in my post, I don't care what a bow hunters shoots. I am not sure what you mean "traditional guys attitudes". It doesn't matter to me what you shoot and I don't believe all trad people do either. While you have said you believe traditional bows are effective, there are compound guy who don't and are vocal about it. I think most compound guys believe like you. And speaking out for what we believe is what we should all do.
I read where you are going to Greenland in August. I wish you well in your adventure. I would love to go even through I have already taken a muskox. Probably won't. Time and money being too short. But while you are there, if you get a chance, put in a good word for traditional bows. And when you are there, taking in the scenery and soaking up the experience, just imagine if somebody told you really don't belong there. And see if you wouldn't quickly get an "attitude". I sincerely wish you good luck and share your story with those who can't go.
