Bill Dunn is the man!  What a stick!  This is my first custom bow and it holds some really special meaning for me.  I thought about just keeping the backstory to myself and posting the pics because I keep most things to myself. But I figured a lot of you would probably appreciate the story, and this process and writing this out was kind of cathartic for me.

I lost my Dad a few years ago (way too young - he was 54) and it's been really hard on me.  We were very close and very much alike, we did a lot of hunting together and spent a lot of time together in my youth outdoors, especially working my aunt's farm (she was my Dad's suragate Mom and he spent a lot of time there with she and his uncle when he was a kid) in the summer - doing work around the property and house for her, prepping for hunting season, etc.  There was a particular spot on the property that I loved to sit, right under an osage tree (and I love osage), so I wanted a mostly osage riser.  

When I was just a kid my old man would ride me around on the tractor while he bush hogged trails and mowed in the summer.  One day we hit a monster bull snake with the deck.  I've always hung onto the memory of that day - sitting on my Dad's lap in the hot summer sun, the smell of the mowed grass, the ride home in the back of the truck in cool evening air, the time he and I spent together, the words exchanged...it's one of those memories that's stuck with me and remains just as vivid as time passes and means even more to me now that I can reflect back on it as a grown man and father.  It's the kind of day that makes you want to be a kid again - without a care in the world and with no concept of time.  So needless to say the bow had to have bull snake skins.  

The antler limb tip overlays are taken off a small buck I shot as a kid.  My favorite picture of my dad and I was taken in the driveway of my childhood home with that deer.  His smile is way bigger than mine!  Makes me smile and gives me perspective as a Dad everytime I look at it.

I chose the tulipwood because it's red and represents the blood bond of family.

I chose the Zircote accents because I figured it would tie the darkness of the skins in nicely with the overall layout of the bow.

I'm gonna shoot some flourescent pink and yellow arrows out of it both for my two little girls and because my Dad always shot girly colored arrows.  He always laughed when I teased him about it and told me that real men have the confidence to do what they want, shoot what they want and wear what they want.  He shot those arrows and wore his cowboy hat and boots everywhere he went til the day he died.  He was his own man and I always respected that about him...and luckily it rubbed off.

Ok, now for the pics.  I think Bill was a little concerned about my wood choices at first but I think they grew on him...and I really dig it!  I've not had a better sales experience ever.  He had me out to his place twice, once to shoot a few bows and the other to work on the riser, was patient with my incessant questions and tweaks, took pics for me throughout the process and explained things to me when I asked.  First rate customer service, even better guy.  Thanks again Bill.  I couldn't be happier with the bow or the experience.  

Now I just have to wait the last few days to shoot it!

                 

Beautiful bow!      

Man that is crazy beautiful! Congratulations on a great bow.      

Thanks for sharing -story and pics.

Great symbolism and awesome bow, sounds like you have bonded with it already  

 

Beautiful bow brother!! And lots of meaning to go along with that beauty...congrats!

Oh, almost forgot.  It's 55#, 58", carbon lams and foam limbs and it'll have a matching quiver as well.

Welcome to the Zipper family! Beautiful bow with alot of memories.

Congrats!!!

Benjy

SWEET!

very nice!!!

Great looking bow.

Beautiful bow!!
 
Thanks for sharing the story behind the bow as well.

Congrats on a beautiful bow that you will make many memories with. Bill and Tracy are the best, and have learned to put up with a lot of questions and dare I say,"whining", over the last few years. One warning though, be careful when Benjy "Welcomes" you to the family! Seriously, looks great and I know it will shoot great! Bill has a lot of experience with all kinds of "BULL" too, so you couldn't have found a more qualified bowyer to skin those limbs with a Bullsnake.

Funny stuff.  I saw some of the prostaff posts and Bill's inscription on Benjy's bow so...

Great bow and thanks for sharing the backstory!  Colors came out slick.  That bull is what I may do on my next limbs, very nice.  Bill really puts the "custom" in bowyer.  Bet it smokes an arrow at 55 with carbon/foam limbs!  Let us know how she shoots.

I can't wait to get my similar SXT finished.  It's gonna be a long couple months!

Thanks for sharing pics and the story.  Both were great.

Beautiful bow and an even better story. Thanks for sharing.

I'll be looking for a picture of it with some blood on it this fall !

Great story and a good looking bow!

My SXT will be done within a month or so.

You'll remember those memories every time you pic up that bow,beautiful bow and great memories.

Thanks for sharing your story !!! Another masterpiece from Bill Dunn    


Bill