Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Ed Rech on March 31, 2012, 08:22:00 PM
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It was in the late 50s or into the 60s when Fred Bear and his "Big Alaskan Bear" came to Pittsburgh, PA. Kaufmans Dept. Store had a sporting goods department annex that only had an under 10' ceiling, so the Big Bear" had to be displayed out in the adjoining room with an 18' ceiling. I remember walking past that bear in it's reared-up pose. Even "stuffed" it sent chills through me knowing that one man got close enough to shot it with a recurve bow. I had come to meet that man and see that bear. Things were slow in the sporting goods department that day and Fred Bear spent a good part of two hours with this then young boy who was dreaming of escaping the city he was growing up in to go to the Wilderness with his own recurve bow some day.
I remember a kind man who encouraged me to keep shooting the right way. He personally picked out a dozen of his Bear Arrows and said these will work a lot better than the Heinz 57 varieties of arrows that I already had. I still have four of those original Fred Bear arrows. I was so impressed wit this rather laid-back man and hs ability to help me with pointers in how to better shoot. As I got older, the Bear Cub Bow gave way to a Kodiak and along the way a Tamerlane was added to the collection. At age 65 I am moving away from the compound bow and picking up that old Tamerlane target bow again. Many Pennsylvania deer and an elk later (A horse pack-in & camp out of Gunnison, Co), I still stand on the line at the Harrisburg Archery Club and remember Fred walking me though those pointers in how to shot a recurve bow.
Ed Rech
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very cool...thanks. I hope someone moves this to the pow wow discussion forum...
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Wish that I would have been able to meet Mr. Bear. Thanks for sharing.
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:campfire: :archer2:
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Nice story. I wish I could have met the Man.
hope this gets moved to Pow wow.
Welcome to Trad Gang Ed :wavey:
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Great story. Thank you for sharing. It's great to hear these tributes of how Fred brought archery alive on personal and lasting level.
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My compliments on a great story, well told!
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Thank you for sharing your wonderful experiences with a great man.
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Ed
Welcome to the forum & thanks for sharing a nice experience with us. :wavey:
Frank
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Great story about a GREAT man :archer2:
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Thank You and welcome to the Gang!!
Glenn
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Great memory; nicely shared.
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I met Fred Bear in 1964 at an archery function when I was 14 years old. He's the reason I got into bowhunting.
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That's a great story, your a part of history too, being tutored by Fred Bear, very cool!
Thanks for sharing.
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Great story and a fine memory i'm sure,thanks for sharing. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :archer:
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I shot with fred back In 81 at an archey shop. He was one great guy
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Most awesome first post ever! That is the coolest story I've heard in a while! :campfire:
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Welcome to the gang. I wish I could have met Mr. Bear but unfortunately he passed before I was born.
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Thanks for sharing. Fred was definately a rare specimen. I only met him once for 5 minutes at a show, but what a gracious icon he was. He touch all of us who love this sport whether we met him or not.
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Very cool, thanks for sharing. :campfire:
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Very cool!
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Great story, and Ditto on an awesome first post! Wish I could have met the man.
Welcome to the 'Gang. :campfire: :archer2: