It was 1952 when uncle Howard brought his African movie TEMBO to the Alabama theater in Birmingham, Alabama.All of the family went to see the picture and to watch Howard Hill shoot his bow on stage in front of the screen before the showing. After having a wonderful time, we returned home. I had been left so star struck with what all I had seen. I couldn't wait to get home and make myself a bow and some arrows. Arriving home I ask mother if I could stay up a little late. She said it would be o.k. Since it was already dark outside, I switched on the back porch light and ran across the backyard out past the barn to where the outhouse was located. Privy hedges grew all around the outhouse, and I planned to cut a limb from the hedges and make myself a bow. I stopped by the barn on my way back to the house and found a piece of trotline cord, that I figured would make a good bowstring for my bow. I worked pretty late until I figured I had it just right, and the pull felt good to me. I hung it up on a nail under the porch roof, and retired to bed, with plans to be up early.The way I had it figured, Spot my dog and myself would go hunting for anything we could find. I was up early and after breakfast, I hurried out the back door and called to Spot to let him know I was ready to head out. Mother came to the back door and called out to me,asking as to where was I going. I held my bow high over my head as if I were giving her a longbow salute and said, "I'm going on Big Safari". She laughed and told me to be careful.I told her I would be out in the field if she needed me. On entering the field, which was waist high with broom sedge, I cut some tall growing weeds that grew what we kids called knockers. They were straight and strong and I figured they would make great arrows. After fixing several, Spot and I took off. We walked for an hour and hadn't jumped the first rabbit. I was all but ready to give up on the hunt when everything started to change. Out of nowhere a big yellow stray cat that was in the sedge field hunting for a rat,I surpose,ran out in front of us. I whistled for Spot, and hollowing at the top of my voice"LION!" "HURRY SPOT HURRY"! He came running and we both ran that cat all over that field for who knows how long, until the cat gave us the slip. Later as I was walking back across the field toward the house, I was wondering why me and Spot hadn't seen a rabbit. Then I looked at the far end of the field and saw a chicken hawk(red tailed hawk)high up in a tree. I had seen uncle Howard shoot one off a limb in a film before, and wondered if this may be the same hawk by some chance. I dropped down and crawled as close as I figured I could. I decided that this was the reason that Spot and myself had not seen any rabbits. That old hawk had been catching all he could, and he had messed up our plans and now I was going to try to get even. I kept low and held onto some sedge grass and began to shake it as tho a small animal was moving through the tall grass. It wasn't long until he left his perch and flew out across the field. I was sure that he had noticed the grass moving. He circled several times and I kept up my shaking of the grass until I saw him bank his flight and head my way. When I saw him approaching I laid down on my back and waited with my bow pointed skyward at full draw. In a matter of a second the hawk flew straight over me, flying low. I let go of my arrow and centered the hawk through the chest, and down he fell, stone dead. I gathered him up and called to Spot and we headed home in a hurry. I had killed the theaf that had been catching the rabbits in the field. I felt sure that we would see rabbits next time. I ran in the back door and showed the hawk to mother and daddy and we talked for a long time about my experiences of the day.Daddy wanted to hear everything backwards and forward. I carried the hawk to my room and looked at it. I checked out each and every feather. I looked the hawk over, admiring his claws and beak. I had studied for so long I finally lay across the bed and just before I fell off to sleep, I heard my mother tell my daddy. "Stinson, you better do something with that hawk". "If he hides him in his room someplace, that bird will be stinking up the hole house". Daddy said that he hoped that I hadn't already hid the bird.She continued that if the bird couldn't be found, it would all be uncle Howard's fault. If so she would call him when he got back to California and tell him,"Look what you've started now"! Daddy said that it would'nt do any good, unless she wanted to hear him laughing from California all the way back to Alabama. I pretended to be asleep when daddy entered my room, I wasn't worried as me and "Old Spot" would be up again early, and go on another Big Safari. We would find that bird again no matter what, he wouldn't get away from me and Old Spot, like he had from uncle Howard.Jerry Hill...........
Great Stuff!! Can't wait for your book! Can I get on a list for it? Maybe for an autographed version?
LOVE IT....nice shooting too...wow..
Jer
fun to read!
1952 -- the year I was born. I've always been a Howard Hill fan.
Allan
Great stuff Jerry
Pretty cool. I felt as if I was in that field looking up at that hawk.
Thanks for sharing this is great!!!!!
Thank you! A superb read! So, that's fair-dinkum, eh? You really did that on your first day as a bowhunter?
:thumbsup:
Ben, Yes I did that on my first day out. You have to remember I was born an archer and my Indian blood runs deep in my sole. The day I was born, uncle Howard was there, and to impress uncle Howard when he came into the room to see the new Hill baby. My daddy went outside the clinic and took his pocketknife and cut a small limb from a bush. He got a piece of thread from a nurse and thied it to both ends to look like a bow. He walked into the room and placed it across my crib, at which time I grabed hold of the string. He looked at uncle Howard, and said "Look he's an archer just like you"! Uncle Howard's remark was, "That he is", with a big smile across his face. That's truely when my archery really began, as related to me by my daddy, Stinson Hill.Jerry Hill..............
Nice story Jerry. Thanks for sharing.
Great stuff right there. THANK YOU>
Chuck
Marvellous, Jerry; thank you!
Excellent story! Can't wait for your book Jerry!
Great story....thanks for sharing.
What a cool story. It makes you want to be a kid again. Thanks Jerry!!!
Jerry. this is too cool.. Great stuff my friend...
Cody