In your opinion, who do you think best represents the best part of our sport? In other words, who had the greatest ability, made the most noteworthy accomplishments, had the greatest influence, and made the greatest contribution to traditional bowhunting?
Chester Stevenson!!!!!! then Ben pearson ...my favs :)then that man from Alabama ...uh Hill something ...Howard I think :) :goldtooth:
For my generation and me personally it's Barry Wensel.He showed us how to bowhunt,to respect the game and that bowhunting should be fun.He was one of the first hunting video stars.
All time it is Fred Bear.He put bowhunting on the map so to speak.
JMO
Best
Bob
Since I didn't see my name on the list I voted for Fred Bear.
:goldtooth: :goldtooth: :goldtooth: :goldtooth:
David
where's Negley?
Yes, Negley could have easily been on the list...as many others could.
...maybe even Widowbender. ;)
Those would be write-in votes. :thumbsup:
Fred Bear got my vote, I'm really starting to enjoy the likes of Barry and Gene Wensel, they seem to have fun doing what they do! To me thats what is all about!
Great poll. In my opinion the greatest bowhunter of all time is not on the list. He is a modern guy that hunts with a c**pound... I know the answer to the poll is subjective; but in terms of animals and record book animals taken no one is close.
My choice for a true trad type of bowhunter is ISHI. Without his knowledge and willingness to teach Dr. Pope who knows where we would be.
JDS III
I don't wish to rain on anyones choice, but to me 1500 plus rabbits and that photo of Hill with a string full of rabbits and birds is just hard to beat. Not saying that influences on getting bows in peoples hands isn't important or horns size, but the ability to shoot small game under diverse conditions and that many is the mark of a super shot.
I would have to say Fred Bear followed by Glenn St. Charles.JMO
My vote goes to Fred Bear with the Wensel Brothers close behind.
Ishi
For pure hunting it has to be Howard Hill. The sheer number of game animals he took and the contributions he made to bowhunting with methods of hunting and shooting were great.
Of course it is probably a combination of all of them (Hill, Bear, Pearson, St. Charles, Zwicky, Wensel, Negley, etc.....
I voted for Fred because..Bh you know Fred is still paying my bill's..I owe Fred at least that,one vote...I voted from the wallet,not the heart I had to.But you know who influenced me more then any other person ever...yap...Glenn without a dout.I learned more about archery from him then I ever did in all the books I never read or the many fine fine archers I've met over the years.Now from the heart...oh ya Glenn all the way.....bowdoc
I voted for Fred also because I idolized him as a kid but the more I learn about Glenn, the more I realize what a true pioneer of the sport he was. More so than Fred I think.
Freds got my vote.
Dont think you can hang that title on any one person. Hill, Bear, Pope, Young, St Charles all brought there unique quality. Take away any one of them and you would see a huge void.
The same same with our generation, LaClair, Wensels, Thomas, Browning. They've all contributed something different but equally important.
Eric
I'm surprised that Saxton Pope didn't make the list. His book "Hunting with the Bow and Arrow" was inspiration to many others (including Fred Bear) to give bowhunting a try.
I agree with WESTBROOK. Although I've been guilty of it from time to time, trying to determine who or what is best all the time seems to be just another way of attempting to validate our own perspective at that moment. There are many "great" bowhunters that have contributed so much to the bowhunting community in so many ways, I believe it's impossible to quantify.
IMO, a better question would be; From whom can we learn about shooting, tracking, woodsmanship, mentoring, building skills, survival, charity, character, joy, etc? This list goes on. On a daily basis there are many on this forum who help others in just that way, so I guess my belief is that "the greatest" is not an individual, but the gathering of those around the campfire.
:campfire:
I voted for Fred, but really not as a bowhunter but for his ability to market the bow. One of his best marketing techniques was telling of his bow hunting stories thru film and th ewritten word. Shawn
I voted for Fred.... alothough Barry W would have been a close second.
Primitive man.........hands down!
Well to be honest it is not a queston I have ever thought about.If I had to pick anyone I guess it would be Hill because of his movies and short films.They were shown a lot and I expect it had a greater influece in making people look at the bow as a weapon as anything since. As far as big animals and record books stuff goes.Most of that is just having the chance to be at the right place and right time more than others.jmho
Well I gotta say Paul Schafer, with his feats and good grace he played a big role in my life when I was a young man. Untelling what he would have done if his life was'nt cut short, we will never know. With the time he had on earth he has provided great storys and helped alot of young novice hunters get interested in our craft. Really it would be hard to pick from this list of great hunters. they all belong at the top.
Billy
Well growing up in Michigan and visiting the Fred Bear museum, seeing all those animals etc.. wow!!! I just couldnt wait to bend a stick after that.
Mr. St Charles is one the reasons I even have a bow season out here. Without him I would just be an archer.
There are many great bowhunters but the one that always come to my mind first is Fred Bear :)
Can't really cast a vote without good ol Saxton Pope. T
Man it's hard to vote for just one! :smileystooges:
Well call me Benedict Arnold (a Michigander not voting for Papa Bear) but I felt bad & voted for Ben Pearson . I've seen a lot of Ben's hunts & he was a GREAT bowhunter that did it all. He inspired more than one guy to bird hunt. Pheasant hunting with bow is more fun than you should be allowed to have!
My Dad....wouldnt know what a bow was 33 years if it wasnt for him!
If I recall correctly, Paul Schafer regarded Lewistown Montana's own Rosie Roseland as the best bowhunter he ever met. And I hear from those who would know such things that he is still considered the best mountain lion hunter there is.
In their prime, using their best equipment, and hunting their favorite game animal in their most familiar environment, it would be difficult to pick the best.
Hill seems to be the decathalete of the group, and Fred Bear got me into archery, but I voted for Ishi as the spiritual mentor. Best archer, naw, but Ishi would call in his game to short range and often whiz arrows past his target before the money shot. Best hunter? He kept himself fed without anything but his skill and wits.
Excellent list of bowhunting masters. I voted for Howard Hill for a number of reasons (the 1500 rabbits thing is one of those reasons - heh) but those folks are all inspiring.
JDS3 if you think anyone with a compound is even CLOSE to some of the guys on the list, our definition of "bowhunter" is vastly different!
Biggie,
I cannot speak for JDS3, but I believe his post was not intended to mean just "anyone with a compound", but he probably had someone in mind....maybe Chuck Adams.
I know "Smilin Chuckie" is a polarizing figure in the world of bowhunters, but it's tough to deny his success and the contribution he has made to the sport. But he's not on my list because he's not trad.
Thanks to all who have voted so far, and if you have not, please do. Write ins are welcome. As someone else said, there are so many greats in our sport, it's difficult to vote for only one.
What contribution has he made to bowhunting?
I jumped to the Trad side when after two seasons killing a deer became way too easy. After starting with trad gear I realized what Archery was really all about and how important it is in my life. There is not a single day that goes by that I don't think about bowhunting/gear/game, ect..I'm sure everyone who reads this will relate. A modern guy got me involved; but ISHI put me on the path. ISHI is my choice for primitive/trad best bowhunter. Without him and Dr. Pope where would "we" be?
Sanderlin III
Not saying Fred was the best hunter out of all the names we had to sellect from but Fred Bear did more to promote and influence bowhunting (good or bad) in our culture today then probably most of the guys on the list put together. Like I said not that he was the best hunter per say but I think everybody in archery has owned a piece or two from Fred Bear archery I don't think that can be said from most of the others?
ttt
I agree with Anointed Archer...it would be tough to find someone who did more to promote bowhunting (again, good or bad) better than Papa Bear....
Mr. Bear
I would have to say the average hunter who goes out in a tireless effort to pursue all of the tasty critters. The Highlights section in here and all the stories being told are my motivation.
The first name that popped into my head- was of course Fred Bear. After attending many Anderson Archery clinics and meeting Fred each time, he had done more to promote to archery at a time when tv, radio, etc. became more mainstream. This use of the media in turn- was the building block for the promotion factor.
Current "best bowhunters" - The Wensels get my vote for the way promote the fun in shooting and enjoying our past-time.
Fred might have done a lot for the sport but pick a copy of "Fred Bear Field Notes", Yikes!
i think the question was "who is the best bowHUNTER" and to just answer the question it doesn't matter how many people he introduced to the sport or how good of a marksman he is.
i think bowHUNTER is judged by what he has killed and by that definition there should only be two people in this poll Fred Bear and Howard Hill, i don't know of anyone that comes close to the number of species or the number of game these two people killed. but i dont know everything and am not very familier with some of the people on his list.
i voted for howard hill.
The hunters of the past are well recognized individuals. Some are made into legends by us who has never hunted with or known them. There are many who are still around who has made contributions in their writings of adventures and bowhunting in general. Fred Asbell, Don Thomas, Nathan Andersohn, and Sam Fadala are some of my poll favorites. These guys live to bowhunt! Well, at least Don used to... ;)
...just a few short of 300 folks taking the poll...
I would be hard pressed to pick one. So many have done so much for bowhunting. From being recognized world wide to the local hero. IMO it would not be the individual who has killed the most or biggest but what he has done unselfishly for bowhunting. One individual that comes to mind is Jerry Pierce. There are many more. I have been a tradgang member for just a very short time and have seen many here that fit that criteria as well. I honestly, IMO, don't think that there is just one greatest bowhunter.
In terms of influence, Fred Bear, hands down. Who would I LEAST like to see coming through the woods if I were a big bull elk? Paul Schaefer. And alligatordon is right: Rosey Roseland is the best lion hunter in the world. We hunt together all winter long and he never ceases to amaze me with his insight into cats and dogs. Don
All of the choices above deserve credit no doubt,but what about the native american indian who were here first,who inspired our heros above. Whom continue to inspire all of us.
How about Bob Lee? He would have to fit in there somewhere. Bob Lee (http://www.bowhuntershalloffame.com/members/leebob/index.html)
I agree, don't believe one person can be defined as the "greatest". What determines greatness???
The most "influential" to me was Jay Massey after I began reading his material from the late 70s/early 80s and on, then finally meeting him was a great honor.
Before that as a kid, it was Fred Bear while watching his shows on Saturday mornings. The episode of his world record (at the time) brown bear did it for me and was hooked for life as a bowhunter. Used to be my ultimate dream/goal was to hunt griz with a bow. Funny – Now have no desire to so (even black bear) but that's a whole other can of worms...8^)
Can someone clue me in on Rosey Roseland, don't recall ever hearing of the man.