Urban bowhunting

I have been bow hunting couple of times in city gardens for pest control. Rabbits are big problem there and our bowhunting club have license to hunt there. Only blunts, judopoints or G5 small game heads are allowed no broadheads. Hunting in garden you have to be extreme careful cause there´s always some people walking around even early mornings.
Last sunday I drowe there grabbed my trusty longbow, 2 arrows and new 5.11 shoulder bag. Weather was cloudy but surprisingly warm about +7 degrees in november! It was still dark and we had also flashlights allowed, but I didn´t use any still. My friend had flashlight attached at his compoundbow.
I saw all together 7 rabbits, but they were very alarmed all the time and mostly saw them too far meand over 20m away. There was only one chance around 15m distance where I saw rabbit behind bush and there was clear line of sight through small hole in bush. I took aim, but too slow, rabbit moved a bit and shot was impossible.
No shots, no game but I enjoyed that few early morning hours.

Erätulilla - finnish outdoor program

Erätulilla started with new 2011 episodes. There´s now some more traditional handcrafts / bushcraft stuff coming. Last week knifesmith JP Ryynänen made knife there (in 23:40 on video) in his home workshop. That three minute shot is very informative and interesting about traditional ways to make knives from scratch.

You can see that episode until 4.11. from YLEareena:
http://areena.yle.fi/video/1319799423331

Here´s JP:s blog about knifemaking and handicrafts:
http://keklut.blogspot.com/

Erätulilla official web-site

Getting new gear and getting rid of old ones

On this season´s hunting trips I have found out that I lack of some items which could make hunting more comfortable:

- I lack good quality small & light binoculars. I have old heavy ones made in USSR that I bought from fleamarket with 6 euros some year ago

- I have found backpack ankward to carry when needed to shoot fast with a shotgun. My backpacks quite wide shoulder straps comes in the way when raising shotgun stock into shooting position. I tried finnish army gas-mask shoulder pack, but it was not so great for the purpose. Normally when I´m wandering around woods with shotgun ready for escaping birds I don´t need much stuff with me so smallish shoulder back would be enough. What I need to carry are:

- EDC survival tin

- firesteel & matches

- pocket knife, SAK

- compass (maybe gps)

- map, hunting license, hunting permit for an area

- pen & paper

- mobile phone

- 0,5l Thermos bottle filled with hot drink

- snacks (bread, muesli-bar, candy, chocolate)

- maglite or like pocket torch

- folding sitting foam pad

- plastic bags, cordage

- space blanket

- hunting knife (goes normally on belt)

- Binoculars (belt pouch, shoulder bag, on my neck)

- Sometime laser rangefinder (on my pocket or shoulder bag)

So I made some gear exchange with guys Perkunas and Akiri and got:

- Minox waterproof binoculars 10x25

- ATM 6x25 laser rangefinder

- 5.11 Push Pack shoulder bag

I haven´t really test those in action, but so far feels good. Report will follow later...