Original asiatic horn material

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 4:53 pm

When i "hunting" in Russian sites i found many beatiful pics big animals , who have in his heads probably most oldest original horn material for all oldest composite bows from Skitas to old Turcich tribes.

Today its big problem buy this so beatifull horns. In Russia was prohibition hunting Argals and Ibex from 1934. In Kazachstan hunters can kill 2 Argals in year. Only in Central Mongolia can hunting Argals and Ibex vithout problems (about 30 pieces in year ) I found one seller in Russian sites . Russians very quickly introduce "world" price - two Ibex horns (135 cm ) - 1000 euro!
In Hunters Russian org. you can pay about 80 000 dolars for big Argal. Enjoi this great pics an gigant horns .

Rusian special name "Tur" Argal

Altaj Argal have long horns . From 130 to 160 cm

Mongol Altai Ibex - 130-160 cm

Mongol Gobi Argal

Kirgiz and Tadjik " Marco Polo " Argal - bigest from all this animals 100 - 200 kg and up to 160 cm horns

China "Sailsky" Argal

Kirgiz Ibex 110 - 150 cm

Mongol Gobi Ibex

Dagestan Ibex 120 - 150cm

This animal Bazoar Ibex - is maybe chance for Turkish anf Iranian bow masters - live in his countries. 140 170 cm (!)

Pkistan Ibex

Turcic Ibex

Nubian Ibex

Our European Alpas Ibex

To the end - this is mi nightmere dream - many, many Argali and Ibex horns...

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 11:17 pm

In Russian sites i found another posible horn material for composite bows . In articles about Yakuts- tunguz tribe in Siberia talked about revolution archeological found bovine skull:

Intersting on this scul was that its the same animal- Boss etruscus whoo was found to this time onli in Italia :

This special aborigen cows live in Yacut territory .

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:32 am

Dusan,
Your pictures show that large horns were available through much of Central and Eastern Eurasia. Perhaps they are not available to us now, but it shows the quality of material available to the old archers.

redhawk · Post by **redhawk** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:29 am

I don?t like these hunter pics.

In another thread I?ve mentioned some weeks ago, that more amd more farmers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy...........do more amd more cross in old races. They?ve made the sad experience that the common races are becoming more and more sick, the old gene are heavily needed. It is also a way to avoid genetic manipulation.
Where I live(Black Forest) it is more and more common to see mufflons among common sheeps, yaks, Scottish highland cattle and other cows you?ve never seen before.

A customer of mine who lives in the very south of Italy told me that the farmers there go more and more to substitute their usual cattle by a cattle breed originated in Anatolia. They have really big nice horns. I guess it?s the same breed the Osmanian bowyers used for their hornbow too.

Michael

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 8:19 am

Maybe farmers are right...in article about yacut cows said that this species havnt any of most modern sicks in our cow breeds like f. ex. brucelosis. Sumer is + 30C winter -40-50.He haves long hair and in winter hair grow more than 8-10 cm...

KenH · Post by **KenH** » Fri Mar 12, 2010 2:21 pm

Modern breeds of cattle, sheep and goats, have been bred to specific attributes - more or better milk, more or better meat - not survivability in nature-gone-wild. From our viewpoint as bowyers, one of the things they have sadly bred out is large pointy horns that can injure ranchers.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 9:38 pm

Here in Texas we have sheep breeds from around the world that have been brought in for hunting (fair chase as well as canned, I am sorry to say.

) and one breed that I would like to know if it could be used for bow making would be the Aoudad sheep of north Africa also known as the Barbary sheep ,any ideas?

Dusan · Post by **Dusan** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 10:09 pm

Wauuu, new animal for me. Why not ?! Horns looks great ! Its like bufalo triangular shape - only the concave plate is in top side of horns. Very impresive horns . If its not cost much money... go on !

KenH · Post by **KenH** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 2:12 pm

Can't think of a reason you could not use Aoudad horn. Years ago I did a fair-chase hunt for a magazine article, and bagged a huge Catalina goat, who's horns would have made good bow material too.

Duncan · Post by **Duncan** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 3:06 am

Got ONE once horns on the small side but man what a hunt!