My bow hunting mentor has taught me a lot about hunting. Well, he has TRIED to teach me alot, some I learned and retained, some... well I just haven't grasped yet.
Gary, "6feathers", took me under his wing when I was a snot nosed teen and taught me about bows, making arrows, shot placement, and general hunting tactics. He saw I had little in the way of money or equipment so always has a "spare whatever" for me to use. He sold me my first real bow, a Black Widow MA, for far less than it was worth. But he knew I had very little and I would not feel right just having him give it to me, so we worked out a "deal".
Gary took me along to deer camp each fall and made sure I had everything else I needed. I remember one year as we were leaving camp and heading to the woods my serving came undone, and I figured I was outta luck, cause I did not own another string. Gary took me back to camp and re-served my string right there and I was back to hunting again. I thought he was pretty darn cool.
He always had a good spot in mind for me to sit. He probably scouted harder for my spot than he did for his own. Later, I had learned to find my own way in the woods. I had some success. But I still had a lot to learn.
I grew up. I moved away. We reconnected a couple times to fling arrows at deer, but for the most part I stopped hunting. I had stopped shooting bows too, for most of the last 20ish years. Now that my kids are grown, I have been fortunate enough to get back into bow hunting and most fortunate to reconnect with Gary. Yes, he is still hunting. Yes, he is still teaching me lessons.
These are some of the lessons Gary taught me that I will always try to remember:
Pick a spot
Aim small, miss small.
Bend at the waist, not the shoulders.
Blood trails are sometimes under low hanging leaves, not always on the ground.
Keep your feet and hands warm.
It is OK to laugh at yourself.
No one is a perfect shot everyday
You can't shoot a deer from the couch.
Find a bow you shoot well.
An ugly bow that you shoot well is more valuable than a pretty bow you can't shoot.
Don't over bow yourself.
Match the arrow to the bow.
Test your arrows bare shafted.
The best broadhead is a sharp one.
Write down your brace height and nock height (Gary puts it on a sticker then attaches it to the bow).
Shooting well is largely mental.
Have confidence in your shooting.
Move closer until you have confidence in your shooting.
And the most important lesson - ANY ANIMAL YOU TAKE WITH A STICK BOW IS A TROPHY.
Here is a picture Gary just sent me of his trophy he took Monday. Gary most likely wouldn't post a picture himself. He's too modest.
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii47/bel007/11-08-20113.jpg)
I guess over the years Gary has taught me a whole lot more than just bow hunting. He has taught me what it is to be a friend and a mentor. I will always be in his debt.
I think you both deserve each other, FRIENDS! Thanks for the story.
You are very fortunate to have found such a friend and very nice that you know that and I'm sure he has benefited from the friendship too...Nice post.
Awesome read!!!!!
Having great friends is a treasure, indeed.
Bisch
That is one of the coolest stories I have ever read
Thanks for sharing
That is terrific! I'm copying the list!!
Thanks Brian for sharing this story. Great stuff!
Love your list,so true.
Excellent.
this is great! I hoppe to be a mantor to some one one day! Hoppe you can to!!
Excellent story. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I was lucky enough to become friends with Brian this spring and heard stories of his "mentor" Gary. Thanks for sharing Brian...Gary has done well with you. The Manitoba bears don't think so much of you though....Gary's fault, I know!
Apparently he forgot to teach you to straighten your arrows. ;-)
Good lessons from a great friend, I'm sure. We can only hope to be the same inspiration to someone else.
homebru
Man, I wish we could could have a dozen guys in bear camp!
Great trophy!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and the list.
Inspiring post...
Thanks
He sounds like a great friend,your a lucky man.
Good story, Im new to trad archery and if you dont mind I will copy your list.
Great story!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thats just cool buddy..... I don't know what else to say....
Excellent...friends are worth far more than money.Great list,thanks for sharing. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Brian, my brother, he taught you well. Congrats to Gary and a toast to lessons learned, hard or easy, taught by a mentor :campfire:
Very cool!
That's awesome. I enjoyed the read.
And that's what it's all about right there.
Great post - really captures the heart of this sport.
I also had a great mentor - at work; not bow hunting. I owe him a tremendous debt and I've been trying to do the same with kids at our shooting club. Just getting started in archery, but I've had a great sense of satisfaction from watching kids who never saw anything shot except on Miami Vice turn into accomplished shotgunners. Hope someday to get good enough with a bow to help some kids get started there.
Good to know you've reconnected.
Wow!!!Brian I am humbled by your thoughts and feelings. I think it was 2 years ago on our Ontario bear hunt we talked how natural it felt to hunt together again after so many years of no contact. Reconnecting with old friends is one of the great things about this sport. I value our time spent together flinging arrows.
One more tip. After looking at the picture you posted you may want to order one of my special curved arrows as shown in the photo.
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
We should all be so lucky.
Very good on both of you.It is as someone said exactly what this stuff is about.RC
Good stuff, it is good thing there are people out there like Gary. We should all try to be that person in someone else's life.
Thats good stuff! There are good people left in this world, strange how there are so many in this community.
Thanks for posting!!!
There is some wisdom there. I had the incredible good fortune of stumbling on a bowhunting mentor (I actually met him through a friend-of-a-friend) when it turned out we both hunted, not just hunted - bow hunted, not just bow hunted - but with a recurve! Well, I was trying, anyhow.
We became very good friends and I miss him more than I can say. He was killed on a 1964 MotoGuzzi he'd just rebuilt (at age 60 back in 2003).
He's still with me every hunt.
I hope he's got a stand spot lined up for me at Fiddler's Green.
Brian, you're fortunate to have got started out with a hunting mentor, sounds like a great guy with a lot of knowledge. I'll tell you about my mentor sometime.
Great little read - thanks. We need more Gary's in the world!
Excellent story and great lessons!
Thanks for sharing.
Travis
Enjoyed that very much. That Gary is one heck of a good guy.
Excellent!
Great story Brian, Thanks for sharing your history with Gary. Mentors and friends in life are a blessing.
Very cool to have someone help yopu along!!