Howdy!

Gots me a brother in law in Kalispell, MT that we are going to visit next week.  I am still in the beginning phases of trad-bow addiction and need to go see, smell and touch some nice bows.  My e-bay special, twisted limbed Darton Ranger recurve from circa-not quite sure when has got me yearning to shoot something different.  I am a long-experienced compound shooter who is taking his own sweet time in trying the new kick of instinctive trad-bow hunting/shooting.  Any info you can provide on sights to see trad-bow wise in or near the Kalispell area would be much appreciated.  Point me in the right direction as you do with your arrows.

Thanks in advance, Best of Luck to you and yours!

TomBow
Duluth, MN

That's the hometown of one of the greatest hunters/bowyers ever.....so I'd be surprised if someone didn't have a shop, there.

Good luck.

You are headed to the home of some of the finest bowyers anywhere.  Four bowyers that make excellent bowyers in that part of the state are, Mariah Bows, Montana (Tolke) Bows, Bear Paw Bows, and Schafer Bows.  Ric Anderson of Mariah Bows and Neil Jacobsen of Bear Paw Bows are the closest to Kalispell, Dan Tolke is about forty miles south of there and Dave of Schafer is to west in Columbia Falls.

Here are the links to their web sites:
Bear Paw     http://www.bpbows.com/modules/content/index.php?id=1
Mariah       http://www.marriahcustombows.com/
Tolke       http://montanabows.com/cms/index.php
Schafer       http://www.schafersilvertipbows.com/

I don't know about the others but if you stop by Dan Toelke's shop be prepared to shoot some bows. When I was stopped by there I wasn't there for 10 minutes before he had a bow in my hand. I am sure that the rest of them are the same way. Don't miss the opportunity to go visit their shops if you are in the area you won't regret it.

Dan Toelke,  Ronan, Montana

1-406-676-5150

Thank you very much!  I really appreciate you all taking the time to reply.  From a very young age, I've had the instinct that bow hunting was the way to hunt and that a bow in my hand was a natural, instinctual thing.  It took me a while to get there and the process has been a blast.  Here's to continuing and showing others just how much fun this is!  Cheers!

depending how long you are there, I will be home soon and would take you out to try to kill a gopher,"ground squirel" I am in your neighborhood right now, Park Rapids, but when I get home the young gophers should be out and they are fun to hunt with your bow.
Dave at Schaeffer and Rick at Moriah are the closest, Neal at bear paw next, and toelke about and hour and a half south, the rest are 15 min to 30 min.  also check the shoot schedule, there should be a 3-d shoot in Polson that week, that is an hour south close to Ronan(Toelke), Toelke had a booth at the shoot last year.

I have connections with Moriah and Schaffer, if you drop me a pm.

oz

Ooo... You're going to have fun. I can see it now. You're going to have a 12 hour run to the "convenience store". If you keep heading south you run into the makers of Centaur, Thunderhorn, Howard Hill, and Dale Dye bows.

Have fun and be safe on 93!