Bow Building
The Bow Building Course is run each year, the first week of May in Northern Indiana. The traditional ‘self bow’ is made from a single sapling or stave. This workshop will take you from standing tree, to hunting bow with hatchets, rasps and drawknives.
The art of the bent stick is an ancient one dating back over ten thousand years. In every bioregion of the earth that the bow appeared; it became a cultural impetus. Rare are the cave paintings of the foraging missions that provided 90% of our calories. Rather the caves are filled with exhilarating stories of the hunt, including harmonious depictions of perfectly tillered (bending) bows, the almost hypnotizing images of arrows in flight, majestic fauna on the run, and our hunter gatherer ancestors in pursuit.
The journey from forager to hunter-gatherer is coded in our DNA. Though archery is arguably as popular as ever, the art has gotten far from its roots. Modern compound bows are often more expensive and ultimately more complex than firearms. Modern archers can get lost in the pursuit of the newest, fastest bows on the market. Archery is after all a calling to connect with our ancestors, a calling to the old ways. By answering this calling, we are certain you will find incredible connection and fulfillment.
The craft of the bowyer segues perfectly into the art of archery which culminates in the sacred hunt. Participants are welcome to pick up at the Bow Building course and then join us at our Hunt Camps or Tracking Intensives to continue the journey or vice versa.
The Bow Building Course is taught by Matt Shull and Amos Rodriguez, each with 15 plus years of hunting and bow building experience.
The location will be at Amos’s beautiful land (Willow) in Northern Indiana.
Camping is provided, or you can rent a place and stay nearby.
Together we will work a stave or sapling into a hunting weight bow.
Opening circle and opening lecture is Thursday at dusk. Bow naming ceremony and closing circle is Sunday after lunch. Please arrive between noon and 6 pm Thursday to set up camp and stay no later than 5pm Sunday.
This course will cover:
- Bow designs and history
- Properties and performance of a variety of species
- Characteristics and proper selection of individual saplings and staves
- Harvesting and splitting staves
- Chasing growth rings
- Hatchet and rasp reduction
- Tillering and fine tillering
- Nocks, shelves, handles and wraps
- Draw weight and length
- Strings, servicing and knots
- Bracing, shooting and form
- Finishes and long-term care
- As well as advanced techniques like heat treating and recurves
The cost of the class is $1200. Participants can pay in full or 50% down and 50% before the course begins. Full refunds are available up to 30 days prior to the event. You must be at least 16 years old to attend this class.
We will provide: all materials and tools for bow building, filtered water, camp sites, firewood and composting toilet. Lunch, coffee and tea will be provided daily. Willow Creek Farm is located in Kosciusko Co. in Northern Indiana.
Participants should bring layered clothing for temperature fluctuations, camping gear if you are sleeping on site, food for breakfasts and dinners (or you can go try one of the local dining options), water container, notebook, pencil and pen or marker.
The Course Objective is for participants to come out of the class with a thorough understanding of all of the core principles of bow building, and to walk away with a high performing multigenerational hunting quality bow and possibly some extra staves to continue their passion. This class requires mental and physical endurance. We will be covering a lot of ground, and everyone needs to be ready to absorb detailed information and apply it to the build.
Join us on this epic adventure.
May your arrows fly true
Address: Willow Creek, Northern Indiana
Date: May 1-4, 2025
Cost: $1,200
Ages: 16 and up
Participants: Open to 10 participants