A Family Heirloom, came home yesterday...

My Dad's bow came home for good yesterday!!! Actualy though, It wasn't always "his"... First it was mine. He bought it for me about 1970, when I was around 10yrs old. I had a perfectly good recurve, a "Red Bear" That made me feel like Old Fred himself!!! I had borrowed a book from the school library, about Howard Hill... I needed a "Longbow"!!!!! Only problem was, other than the simple selfbows my Grandpa used to make me, I had never even seen a "real" longbow. We went one day, to the "Four Seasons Sport Shop" in the Village of Wappingers Falls, to buy some fishing tackle for our yearly vacation to the Adirondacks. While my Dad was looking around for some Pike lures, I wandered over to the Archery section... There it was!!! In a "Set" Was a Ben Pearson 60" 35# solid glass longbow,4 arrows,hip quiver,arm guard & finger tab... Money was tight. I knew not to ask... But,I HAD to have it!!! I don't remember them exactly, but OH the promises I made!!!!! My Dad talked to the clerk. They'd had it awhile, Nobody wanted a longbow anymore. Everyone was buying recurves. I don't know how much he paid, but he said it was a reward for a good reportcard!!! (In all honesty... It probly wasn't THAT good!!!) We took it home and I managed to get it strung up. Compared to my little Red Bear, it was a huge jump in weight!!! I had read about Mr. Hill's 100# longbows and this may as well have been one... I worked & shot, and soon I was at full draw!!! Accuracy got better with practice & soon I was wandering the woods & fields looking for for game!!!!! My elusive quarry, was the woodchucks that got in my Grandpa's garden. (and any squirrels or bunnies I saw) I killed alot of small game with that bow!!! Just before I was able to hunt deer, I got a 50# Bear Alaskan. I was Fred Bear, all over again!!! the longbow got put aside... I tried to get my Dad to bowhunt with me several times. However, with 1 deer tag a year, he'd rather use his old 12ga.single shot Winchester. Back around 2000, My boys & I were "regulars" at the local 3-D shoots. I asked my Dad to come with us several times. On Father's Day, of 2002, I got the old longbow out,got him a pocket quiver with a few arrows, and a finger tab, and had the boys give it to thier Grandpa. He was really kinda tickled,and the boys asked him to come to the 3-D shoot with us... and he excepted the invitation!!!!! We had a blast that day!!! He hit about half the targets, but never broke or lost an arrow. He had a GREAT TIME!!!!! After that, he started shooting with us on a regular basis,but would never commit to hunting. He even developed his own 2 fingers under shooting style.

After my Dad passed away, I found the bow,quiver & arrows, and brought it home with me. The boys & I had a few "custom bows" and some old Bear recurves, so the old longbow didn't get much use. When I was separated from my exwife, Tyler took his Pop-Pop's bow down to my in-laws, where he spent most of his time. I wouldn't let him take his good bows because he had nowhere to put them but in his Grandpa's shed. Yesterday, Tyler was down helping his Granpa with "Spring Cleaning" and yard work. When I picked him up, he had the old longbow & hip quiver full of arrows to bring home.....

The old Pearson Longbow, had finally come "Home"!!!    

Very cool!

                 

Bisch

Nice to get it back, isn't it?

My dad sold his old recurve (a 1950's) to a son in law about 25 years ago.  One day my nephew showed up at my front door with the bow and said" I think you should have this".  A great day.

I had LBR make a string for it and I have shot it a few times, still as good as it ever was- but a bit too long for me, as it is about 68"long.  Longest recurve I have ever seen!
Enjoy the memories!

 good to see it come home.

Thanks for sharing your story .

 

Good for you    Nothing like having a bow with so many good memories. I have Dad's Kodiak Hunter he bought shortly after he got home from Vietnam...... Lots of good memories in that old bow  

Wonderful story, great to read.

Great story! Thanks  

Fantastic!

Good story!

Great story! Glad it's home.. How bout a pic!

Cool Story Chuck  

Cool stuff.  

ttt, for fnshtr!!!  

Sweet story

F-Manny

Very cool story! Thanks for posting it.

Awesome Chuck  

Awesome!