This is my first post here on TradGang.  Some of you may know me, from my family and I's travels this summer in Michigan.  While I am new to traditional archery, I learned to hunt with a bow from my father 25 years ago.  During college and my early adult life I set aside hunting, but 5 years ago decided it was time to pick up a bow and hunt once again, so that I could pass it on to my 5 sons.

This last winter, I was introduced to traditional archery by a dear friend of mine when he invited me to go to the Kalamazoo Traditional Archery Expo. We joined the Michigan Longbow Association while at Kalamazoo, and planned to attend their spring member shoot in May of 2013.

We had never camped, gone to a 3D shoot, my wife had never shot a bow, and I would receive my first longbow just a week before that event.  We bought a tent, rented a uhal trailer to bring enough gear for a family of 7.  This experience propelled my wife and I in a direction neither of us expected.

After the MLA Spring Shoot, we bought a camper (as my 40 year old body did not agree with sleeping on the ground in a tent) to pull behind our Ford E350 van, spent some time at 3Rivers, and went to Marshal for their primitive rendezvous.  There I was introduced to self-bow making and finished my first self-bow.

When all is said in done this year we will have gone to over a dozen traditional archery events in Michigan, Indiana and a knap-in in Flint Ridge Ohio.

I look forward to getting to know more of the traditional archery family.  Hopefully I will be able to pay forward the amazing generosity of time, talent, and material that we have been shown this year in the coming years.

If there is anyone from Indiana, near Indianapolis, would like to find a way to link up and talk traditional archery over a beverage.

Thanks,
Chris

Great story and welcome from a fellow Hoosier. I'm a couple hours south of you. You should consider attending the Southern Indiana Bowhunt in Oct.

Rob

Welcome from Florida!

Welcome Chris!!! it was so great seeing you and the family this weekend

Pretty cool!  Welcome!  I'm down by Seymour/Columbus.

Welcome from west Michigan. Sounds like you jumped in with both feet.  

Welcome to the gang from N.W. Indiana

Great story Chris!  Gald you made your way here.  I live just West of Indy near Avon.  Send me a private message and we can make some plans to sling some arrows!  Love to have a new friend to shoot with!

 Tony

Greetings fellow Hoosier! I'm from Paoli down in Southern Indiana. We shoot regularly at the Indiana Trad Bowhunters Association in Scottsburg (right off of 65 about an hour or so south of Indy). There's a 3 day shoot coming up in Sept. you and your folks would be welcomed I'm sure (even if you weren't from Indiana!).  www.itba.org  has the schedule of events.

Welcome from Arizona, addictive isn't it?!!!

Nice to see all these Indiana boys! I live between Bedford and Mitchell, so I'm probably close to two hours south of you. I shoot a Scottsburg some, haven't got out much this year, been to busy fishing.    :D    Anyway, howdy from another  S. Indiana boy!

Jason

Chris, I too am a fellow Hoosier just starting out in Traditional archery. I live on the south side of Indy and have just finished my first hickory flat bow. I just need to make a new string and get (or make) some arrows. Send me a private message and we can make some plans.

Welcome from Georgia.

Welcome Chris ! another fellow Hoosier here as well.
Drop me a line any time so that we might hook up and shoot or just talk trad. over a beverage. Im about 1 1/2 hrs. southeast of Indy in the area of Metamora and Laurel, in the hills and hollars that I call home sweet home.
Paul

Welcome, from NC  

Welcome from Kentucky!

Thanks for the warm welcome.  Feel free to shoot me a PM, I will reach out to see if we can meet up some time soon.  I will be heading to Bloomington, IN this saturday to the Bloomington Archery Club to shoot, if you are near Bloomington and want to shoot, let's try to meet up at the Bloomington Archery Club.  I am planning on arriving shortly after 8am, if I can get out of bed in time to make the two hour drive.

Welcome to the Gang!

Welcome Chris, you're gonna love it here.

I live east of Indianapolis. I work in Indy.