Everyone has a reason why they have gotten as far as they have in their traditional journey. For me it was a fine group of traditional archers from Georgia that answered my numerous questions and one of them, a man named Barry Dugan, sent me a pair of arrows and taught me about tuning. Along with all of their input and teaching I learned much from all of y'all here. So who do you have to thank for getting you to where you are?
My dad.
Although the list would be so long (with all) I would like to Thank Fred Asbell to give me a heads up on Instinctive shooting as I stopped "Gun Barreling" them arrows.
I'm very thankful to my youngest son and every opportunity to hunt with him!
(http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q291/bjornweb/DSCN1504.jpg)
My mom.
Killdeer :pray:
I got into this because of my son. He, (along with my daughter), was born deaf, then implanted with a cochlear device. Surgeons said "no impact sports". So I got him into archery and fencing. Special thanks go to friends in Missouri who showed my son the sport of archery while my kids attended a school for the deaf there. While watching him throw arrows at Busch Wildlife Area near O'Fallon,I started to get really interested and here I am. My improvements go out to a lot of people on this site...and I mean a lot...(i needed some help) :laughing:
My Dad
My Wife she gave me a Recurve for Christmas 2008.
my first trad experience was with a guy from just outside of Shreveport named Richard Mcmullin. He let me shoot his 65# Mamba all evening after work one day and I was hooked. I did lose a lot of his arrows but he said he had a lot extra. lol I got out of trad for many years and am just now getting back into it.
I got into bowhunting because of Fred Bear whom I personally met and talked with for a few hours when I was 14 years old and that was way back in 1964.
The Good Man upstairs for providing all things for me! :thumbsup:
My Dad and Granddad.
Three of us farm boys wanted to hunt deer with bows back in 1966. We all bought Ben Pearson $15 dollar bows with "Haying money,25 cents a load" and I just loved how arrows flew. I think I'm the only one of three who has ever got deer with a bow.
Fred Bear seemed to make it seem "possible".
My dad got me interested in archery. He shot a lot of field archery in the late 50's.
Paul Bruner's Screaming Eagle catalog really got me hooked on Trad archery back around 1990 (even though I've had recurves of my dad's around my whole life).
I got the best group of archery friends a man could ever want.these guys have taught me everything. we shoot togeather we hunt togeather we travel as a group all over to shoots.these guys have turned me into a good shot I aint the best but I aint bad .I can pick up my bow an take a deer with out any problem.they are always there to anwser any question I have an give good solid advice. they also treat my sons as if they were theres. we enjoy each others success. archery has some of the most well grounded people in the world.an it is the best enviorment to raise a kid in. my sons share the love of the sport with me.they are really into it.I thank god for our times we share in the field.
Myself, I guess. I kept seeing people sitting up on the limbs of big old live oak trees in Ft. Stewart when I was scouting for gun season. That was in the late 50's and early 60's. I asked somebody what was going on and found out you could hunt deer and hogs with a bow. So I bought one and started practicing.
I do however appreciate the help I got from the late Dan Quillian. He showed me the right form to use, how to release, etc., when I first got a real big game bow.
I also give thanks to my late Dad for giving me my first bow a 30lbs. Indian Archery.. for my birthday back in the 50's.
Sgt. Mel Morrow. When I was a kid my dad was stationed at Columbus AFB in Mississipp. Sgt. Morrow ran the base archery range and convinced my parents that they ought to let me give it a try. I was about 10 years old then. I shot a green fiberglass recurve youth bow.
I got away from archery for a while but never forgot about it. I bought a recurve bow when I was in college ( now I own 19 bows). Presently, I hunt big game exclusively with the bow. I have never owned a compound but have always preferred the traditional equipment, eventually gravitating to the longbow.
I have often wondered what became of Sgt. Morrow and his son Mike. If not for him, I would most likely never have picked up a bow.
I Thank a Beat Up old Ben Pearson Recurve I got at an Auction when I was in Junior High, Charlie Starnes... A GOOD Friend, and the Lord Above!
#1 My grandad was the hunter in our family.
the guys at the local archery club (which is no more)
the CBA
"Oct Whitetails"
I got to hunt with the Wensels and Paul Brunner early on, with Nicky Roths, Archery OUTFITTERS.
"Shooting better than ever..." was a very big help
G. Fred tought a class locally 20 years ago.
LOTS OF TRADGANGERS
f
My mentor Jack Bell who helped me on my journey in the mid 70's.Jack and Sterling Harrel and a few other bowhunters worked hard to get a bow season in Louisiana.I killed my first bowkill deer at Jacks place in 1976 at his camp Bell Havan.Jack was also entered in the La. Bow Hunting Hall of Fame.I miss you Jack he passed in the early 90's. (http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/Kip_album/DSCN1162-1.jpg)
Warren Womack, Murray Landry and Greg Gravois. It's hard not to like something when involved with good people.
I'm not sure where the desire to get into trad archery came from, but I'll have to thank my wife for buying me my first longbow in Christmas 2005.
As far as support in this sport, the only support I've gotten has been from the site here. There are no other trad shooters here. So, you guys are my source of information and encouragement.
But, the person that got me into the outdoors was my dad. Dad was never much of a hunter (I never saw him kill anything), but he took me deer hunting in 1978. We hunted each year and I was bit by the bug to pursue game. His heart wasn't in it, but he took me every chance he had. The last day we hunted together, was the day I killed my first deer in 1986. Thanks dad!
Ken
My Dad and Jerry J, 2 men I watched and admired all my life. Thanks Jerry I'm sure you will read this.
My dad hunted with recurve back in the '70s and he let me shoot that old Shakespeare back then. I hunted groundhogs with it during summer break from school(never killed any with it but I did get close once). I had my stint with wheelies in the '80s. He later got back into archery in the '90s when I got out of wheelies and into trad. We went to 3D shoots together with our recurves and longbows and hunted whitetails together as well. It was a great time.
I never did thank him for introducing me to the bow and arrow.
He passed away in 2009 at the age of 66. I really miss him.
In Order specifically. This doesn't include the people who made bowhunting and archery what it is today.
Dad
4H
Ron W.
I have a couple of co-worker friends to thank for introducing me to trad archery. I also have to thank Rod Jenkins for teaching me how to somewhat harness back tension and making me shoot better (after doing it the hard way for nearly 15yrs)!
Bisch
My father. When I was 10 in 1959 my dad took me to the woods with his ever sharp axe. He found a red cedar to his liking and then and there made me the finest bow a boy that had never had a bow could wish for. Nothing that swims,flies, or runs would ever be safe again form my arrows made of weeds and heads of hammered nails. He went on to the happy hunting grounds soon after but not before teaching me of the spirits of the forrest.
My Dad.
There are definitely more people then I can mention on here, but here goes anyways. Dennis with hit-r-done archery, Calvin the man who got me Started, Bert with quartermoon and everyone elsewho shoots up here in Alberta for making it enjoyable. Oh and Sean mayan by childhood friend who is the powerhouse in the mountains who always carries more then his weight.
Everyone who ever helped me along the road!!!! Oh, and my wife, who now shoots with me!!!!
My Dad and Gramps for hunting in general, and my old friend Brian T for getting me hooked on bowhunting 18 or so years ago...
My grandfather
Father
Older brother
And
The Wensels :)
All my true friends are bowhunters and have been right by me when I needed them. That's a blessing you can never say THANKS enough for!
I've made some new friends in just the past three years or so- Alex Chris Larry Paul Matt rick doug Jed Jared Lin woody just to name a few- it's amazing how many- too many to mention- I feel like we are almost family...
I was born with a bow in my hand and a quiver full of arrow on my back.
My mother took me out when I was five and cut me a bow out of a tree limb and made me some arrows for it. When I was about 8 or 9 I saw Howard Hill shoot an exhibition and that year for Christmas I got my first bow that shot real arrows. It was a solid fiberglass bow from Indian Archery and I had that bow well into manhood. I could hit anything with it. I have never been in that kind of groove again with a bow. I could shoot rabbits on the run . Ate rabbit a couple of times a week. Even hit a dove flying. I would walk around the big farm pond and scare the bull frogs in and wait for them to come up out in the water and shoot them. i may have missed but I remember connecting with five big frogs one day showing off for my mom and dad. Problem was I had to swim to get them out of the water. In those days I lived every day with a bow in my hand roaming the Missouri woods and creeks.
That never gets out of your blood.
God bless you all, Steve
i have to thank Batman, Ber643, John Dill, PatB. Stiks-n-Strings, pearldrums, and kellyb. thanks all for the inspiration and your insight to keep going. rv
Fred Bear. :archer:
Several guys on texasbowhunter.com
Can't thank them enough as they encouraged me, steered me in the right direction and still answer my dumb questions.
As far as my bow hunting I mostly have Gene and Barry to thank. I came across Genes first book as a young boy and read it so many times I still to this day have it mostly memorized. This was before I was old enough to bow hunt. Aside from that I have to thank my dad. Although he does not hunt..he took crucial time off of work to take me hunting because he knew it was like life or death importance to me. Now I'm blessed to have like minded lifelong friends and a wife who gets it.
My wife! she wanted to try traditional archery and thought compounds were stupid. I was shooting a compound and started to try her equipment. I fell in love.
I'm new to trad archery and pretty new to hunting in general. Only been hunting for going on 4 years this fall, 3 years with a bow in general, and I just got my first recurve this month.
I'd have to thank my dad for teaching me to live the great outdoors, even though he has never hunted (hoping to take him out once he moves back Stateside).
My uncle for teaching me everything I know about hunting. I shot my first deer with him. He's the one who got me interested in shooting a trad bow.
My wife for supporting my passion for hunting even though she hates to go hunting she always supports me.
My cousin.
My Uncles Roy and Dusty.
My Dad amd Mom.
Dick Robertson.
Thanks more than any of you will ever know.
Thank to watching the movie Robin hood.I woorked all summer to buy me a Pearson recurve. 1971or72
My grandfather for lighting the hunting passion and Ken Beck with Black Widow for sparking the traditional interest.
There are so many who have helped me in my journey, two stand out. One is my Uncle Bud who got the fire burning and taught me about all associated with the sport, and a guy named Joe Thompson. He owned a little archery business in Baltimore and was instrumental in my transition to longbows. He showed me so much during those few years that would fill a book. The strange thing is he shot a recurve, but could find a way to help you to get the most from yourself and bow. I still think of them everytime I see the arrow fly.
Jim Hamm. :thumbsup:
For this young boy it was the romance of my Native American heritage fueled by newsreels of Fred Bear at the Saturday matinée and stories in Boy's Life and Field & Stream...
Fred Bear. Used to watch his movies every sat. morning when I was a 9 year old kid. and God for wiring me up this way with a deep appreciation for his creation.
Dad got me into hunting. I got myself into bowhunting. However, like Blueridge and others, I was enthralled as a kid watching Fred Bear and Ben Pearson on TV hunting with bows.
I don't even know if that's what really got me interested. I made a bow out of stick and string at about 8 or 9 years old and terrorized the local Robin population -- no Robins were harmed in the making of this bowhunter.
Frankly, I imagine the Injuns (with affection) in my favorite westerns turned me on to bows.
My Father for introducing me to hunting, specifically archery. My traditional mentor and long time friend Gordon Whelan for convincing me that trad gear is the only way to hunt. Thank you both!
Howard Hill. He gave a shooting presentation when promoting his movie "Tembo" when I was a kid, I was hooked after that, also Fred Bear from his appearances on the old American Sportsman show also when I was a kid been shooting and hunting with a bow ever since I was 12 or 13, at 61 years of age I still savor the woods and hunting with and shooting my recurves. It clenses my soul and renews my spirit.
My Stepfather who bought me an old Ben Pearson Longbow as my first bow, with a used back quiver.
Bob Holzhauser who sold me my first arrows, glove and armguard.
Ray & Renee Grenier who sold me archery supplies and bows at great prices for helping out at the shop when they owned Lost Nation Archery.
And most of all the Boys of White Mountain Traditional Bowhunters, Kevin Coleman, Tom Tellier, Harry Hubbard, and Jaques Bonin, etc... But especially Kevin Coleman, he taught me 80-90% of all I know about archery, and Bowhunting, he let me borrow from his emmense archery library, and always made cool trades with me. They all taught me so much, I will never be able too repay any of them, they are all great people, Thanks to all, J :thumbsup:
My uncle Milt. I still miss him...
My Grandpa, my Dad. Mr. Fred and an old boy from Missouri name of Gary all had a big hand in it and my son keeps me going these days. I owe em all.
Rick Pauls. Every time I went over to his house and he was shooting one of his Silvertips he would hand it to me. I was hooked on the first shot, but was in denial for a few years. I got a longbow a couple years after that first shot with the Silvertip, that helped me along, but I still yearned for a Silvertip. Then one year I decided I was going to hunt with my longbow, and shot a doe but didn't get penetration past the broadhead. My arrow weight was to blame on that. I hadn't found this site yet so I had no idea it was so important. I was always told that lighter get more penetration :knothead: I know how dumb that sounds now, but back then I didn't know any better. After a conversation Rick he agreed to sell me a set of Silvertip limbs and he would make me a riser to go with it. Well long story short I love that bow and now have an original Silvertip that is very near and dear to my heart. I've only been doing traditional archery for 2 years now, and it's seriously the most fun I've ever had with hunting. It's made me a better hunter, I still have along ways to go, and I've learned to respect the animals and nature more.
I also have to thank ALL OF YOU here on TradGang. The info I've gotten from this site is amazing, and the friends I've made is even better. So thank you all!
My brother Jay was very instrumental in my traditional journey.
First my dad, God bless him, and second my best friend Pete Osimanti, who got me back into it over 3 years ago. And now I try to shoot 3 times a week. Traditional bow hunting is a beautiful thing.
I got into this end of bowhunting because I saw Bowhunting October Whitetails. The last few years tho Mudd has kept me in it. If it weren't for Roy, I'm sure I would have quit. Thanks Buddy!
I got interested after watching Fred Bear movies. I had a young couple that both hunted take me under their wings and taught me all about shooting my first year to hunt back in '82. Their last name was Groshong and they got me started the right direction and I was able to harvest my first deer that fall. They also served as officers in our local archery club, now defunct, The North Central Oklahoma Bowhunters.
I guess for me it was myself and my dad. He bought me a recurve and at age 14 I was allowed to go out back alone hunting with a bow not a rifle or shotgun he isn't a hunter but provided and supported me.
Definitely my dad and a work buddy of his named Joe. Joe passed a few years ago, but I still have dad!
For me it was my buddy Jeff Holchin and Bob Morrison who got me interested in traditional archery.
For me, my dad and my uncle. Both of them shoot a compound, but when my dad was getting me started he thought I should learn with a recurve, because that was how he and his brothers had learned. And my uncle let me read his autographed copy of Come November (provided I was really careful). Both of them gave me a lot of tips when I was younger, so when I restarted shooting a recurve a couple years ago I had a good foundation.
I pretty much did it solo. I have some trad friends now, but in the beginning I was the real oddball. I bought a used Widow MA from a local guy named Ed Robbins and three months later took my first turkey. And the journey began.
Funny thing. Before I started with trad equipment I hunted just as hard and was fairly successful. It wasn't until I lost the wheels that I could tell that I had earned some respect in the hunting community. To say you do it is one thing. To show it, is another. I have become a much more humble hunter, but very confident. I take a lot of pride in the time I took to teach myself.
My Dad.
Can't believe how patient he was with me back when I was ten and talked him into letting me go with him. I was not able or equipped to hunt then, but those were wonderful days!
17 years ago at the age of 20 years old my dad bought me a recurve for my b-day. 17 years later I'm still using It but just recently ordered a Schafer Silvertip from Dave. Now my old recurve will be a back up. Prior to them 17 years I shot a compound for 9 years.
Thanks dad for helping me go down the traditional path. A path he's been going down for 30+ years.
A dear friend who goes by the handle "Dodger" here
I have always been interested in all sharp, pointy or anything that goes boom but never took serious interest until I met Dodger. He is the one who introduced me and many others to the world of Airguns, Fishing and now traditional archery
Thanks Dodger for all the help and putting up with my questions.
-Inder
I'm thankful for my dad who started me in traditional archery and my two boys who are enjoying it also.
-Jay
(http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/ab47/jabjorkl_bucket/Stumpshooting-all4ofus.jpg)
My Dad and TrsdGang. That means you.....Thank you to all for your help and advise. :bigsmyl: :thumbsup:
I have one of my best friend's to thank for getting me started in traditional archery.
I would like to thank a really beautiful man for getting me going in 1989, and giving me reassurance all along the way. Dan Neebe is a retired elementary school PE teacher who has a very viable bowshop at his home in PA. He is one of those people who just loves hunting and fishing with his entire being. He is the kind that has plenty of big trophies and nothing to brag about. The kind of guy who loves the outdoors because it is there to enjoy. I do not think that I will ever be able to sufficiently express my appreciation for teaching me about the sport that has given me so much enjoyment for the last 20 years
Steve
My next door neighbor and 3 gents from this forum. All of them gave me "quality" one on one advice and support. Finally, the "Trad Gang".
Thank you very much!! :clapper:
My grandfather, he taught me how to shoot, how to hunt, & many other things but also for the time I was able to spend with him before he past.