I just picked up a 55# 62" Take Down recurve from a buddy. On the top limb, it says "Woodland Traditional Archery" on the bottom it says "Woodland Traditional Hunter II" and the serial number.

NOW, what really got me about this bow is, I lay it beside my 62" Checkmate Hunter II (55#@28" also) and they are IDENTICAL! Exact same limb mounting design, Exact same riser design.

So now I decide to see if the limbs are interchangable with my Checkmate....BINGO! they are!

The only difference I can see when shooting is that the overall physical weight is less in the Woodland Traditional Archery Bow.

Can anyone help me here? WHO is Woodland Traditional Archery?

The guy I got the bow from told me that the guy he got it from said that Woodland Traditional Archery used to be out of Anderson, Indiana. I have done MANY internet searches and the only "Woodland Traditional" I can find is a company in California that makes Longbows.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow.

Thank you & Shoot'em Strait,
Fuzzy

If I remember right the Woodland bows were made by the same bowyer that makes the Checkmate bows for Lowell Thiele (I think that is how you spell his name) who also owns Sonshine Sports, an outfitting company that matched up hunters with various outfitters around the world.  The last I heard, Lowell had moved from Indiana to the Bradley/Bourbonnais area of Illinois.

Rick

Thanks Rick!
 So this must be Marc Moriez's design that he carried to Checkmate. That makes sense.
Thanks again,
Fuzzy

Rick, is correct. I have a couple woodland traditionals. The gentleman who use to sell them lives not to far from me. Both of mine have the initials c.m. on the limb by the weight marker which I believe is for checkmate. There no longer sold under the traditional woodland name though, and I'm not sure actually how many were done this way but I don't think there's alot of them. He only sold them for 5 years or so I beleive.

I have a reverse handled bamboo/osage longbow called a Woodland Riverbend which was obtained from Bob Watkins out of Massachusetts, I believe. I'm not sure if that's in the same pew or if that just confuses the issue. If I recall correctly it may have been built by a bowyer out of New York.

I had a Woodland Stalker flatbow with the setback handle,it was exactly like the Chek-mate longhorn.The serial started with CM**** for Chek-mate.They were a company the sold bows under Woodland Traditonal Archery and every bow the sold was just like the Chek-mate line-up,recurves and longbows.

My son has a Woodland classic 1 piece recurve.I have a brochure and the owners name is Lowell Thill from Rockville,IN. They made a variety of different recurves and longbows.I believe they were the same as the Chekmates at a slightly lower price.CM was also written on my sons bow.Hope this helps you out a little more.

I emailed Chad at Checkmate. He wrote me back and said that the bow was definately made by Checkmate, they make bows for other companies as well.

Thanks everyone!
Fuzzy