Question for all you "Old Timers"

[bruinman]

Colt recurve 47# early 70's.

Smile when you say that, young'un

[rvrbtm]

1965 my parents gave me a 37# Bear Cub for my graduation which was to be May 66'. Think they thought if they waited I would be in Vietnam the next fall and not get to use it to hunt. Gosh I got good with that bow. Shot every evening just walking through the hay fields shooting bales. Wish I could still shoot that good. Cedar arrows out of the nail keg from B&W sporting good store. Bear razor heads. Killed two bunnies running that fall and shot my first deer with it. Turns out the next fall I went to college to play football. Should have gone to study would have made the whole process much quicker and easier. 68' or 69' graduated to a Kodiak and have never shot as good since the Cub.

[Sean B]

I just came up with '75 at ramdom. Thinking back to all my old bow hunting mags that influenced me were around '74.  To me that was the "golden age"

[lablover]

Ben Pearson Colt was my first bow after my solid fiberglass bear.Built in 1968, it was at the low end of the line but a great bow. 62" 45@28"  Then I got a 52" Herters (still have it) 45XX@28" Both great bows and really great memories of hunting with those bows and my uncle and grandfather.

[SuperK]

This has been a fun trip down memory lane!  I started bowhunting in 1970 and took my first deer in '73.  My bow was a Bear Kodak Mag #45 with a pin sight that I drilled and mounted myself.  It may have been a Merrel Heart Shot, if I remember correctly.  The arrow I took the deer was a full length 2018 with 3, 5.5 inch par. feathers.  We didn't know 'nutting about tuning and/or cutting down an arrow.  That's the way it came so that's the way we used it! The shaft was a Swift 2018.  These were the "shiny" ones, natural aluminum color.  My broadhead was a Bear Razorhead.  I still have the arrow and broadhead.  The bow has long been gone.
I wish I knew how to post pictures here.  I still have the picture of that buck.  It ought to be a rule here that if you post a picture on this thread from your early years that you MUST post a more recent picture also!    :eek:   Our equipment isn't the only thing that has changed!  

I never pick up a bow before about 1986 so I guess that means I am NOT an "Old Timer"!

Bisch

[saltwatertom]

When I was in jr high I bought my first "real" hunting bow that I still have today, a 50 @ 28 Bear K Mag. I believe it was 1966 or so. I had to save up for the $65 that it cost new. I've spent ALOT of time carrying that bow in the woods. It has been retired to serve as a mantle piece now.
Fred Bear  was, and still is, my hero.  

[Scarne]

My first bow...let's see.  It was a birthday present for I'm going to guess my 9th birthday, that would be 1970.  It was one of those dual shelf orange and white fiberglass models.  By 1975/76 I had my first recurve, and Indian archery 35@28" deal and was it was the ticket at the time.  At least to me. I still have it.

[swamper]

bear kodiak 45lbs. mid 60's

[Danny Rowan]

1964

Ben Pearson Ole Ben longbow and a Ben Pearson Cougar recurve.

[Pierre Lucas]

1968 Red Wing Hunter 58"AMO 45# (Larry's Sport Shop) bought it with my grass cuttin' money...been thru 2 nephews and still shoots like a dream.

God bless,  Pierre

[DennyK]

1970 Bear Grizzly my grandma helped me buy. 58" 42@28. Micro Flite arrows, I don't recall the number ( I think they were 7's). MA3 small broadheads.

[Dick Langer]

Living on a farm in the 50's I made my bows out of hickory and would get feathers from the chicken coop for my arrows. I guess I was making self bows before I knew what I was doing. In 1956 my dad let me mail order a 22 rifle from the Sears & Roebuck catalog, I laid down the bow. Sorry guns kick ass! Nine years later out of active duty from the navy the urge to hunt with a bow was back. In 1966 I bought a Ben Pearson and in October I went to Vermont for 3 days by my self to hunt deer, I didn't get it done in 3 days. The following October I took a week off and went back to Vermont and shot a deer with that bow. I was using Micro Flite shafts and Super Hilbre broadheads .That bow broke, and either 1968 or    1969 I bought a 52" Red Wing Hunter 50 lbs amo. I'm using it again this year love how quiet Dacron string is, or, am I reliving my youth.

[JoeArizona]

In the mid 70's I was using a 30# Wing Falcon bow with Microflite 4 arrows.  Helped a guy dig a basement by shovel and wheelbarrow for the money.  Great setup for small game.
Still have the bow and most of the arrows...was it really that long ago?

Joe

[Fletcher]

A Shakespeare Necedah and then a green Bear Kodiak Hunter.

[redpepper49]

First bow that i hunted with and put the desire in me was a red cedar bow that my father made me with a axe but it was the greatest bow in the world . it but fear in a lot of rabbits and birds but i dont remember it ever bringing blood that was 1959. from there it was a borrowed solid glass bow that i shot my first deer tho it wasnt the one i was shooting at . Then in 1967 it was a browning nonad stalker. Still a good bow havnt taken it hunting in a long time maybe soon.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

My first hunting bow was a 1969 Grizzly but that was in 1992.

[Brently]

My first hunting bow was a Ben Pearson solid fiberglass bow that I chased rabbits with in the fields around Loveland Co.  The yrar was 1964.

[Sean B]

Awesome bows and stories!  There's gotta be more " mature" now hunters out there