Author Topic: Lets brag fellas-your Archery, Bowhunting career (Read 995 times)

ahunter55 · « **on:** June 22, 2003, 10:34:18 AM »

Mine started in 1956 at the age of 14. I joined a local club & found I could outshoot most adults (they did not separate kids back then). My 1st year Bowhunting deer in 1958 I took a yearling Doe. I won several NFAA mail tourneys as a youth & field shoots also. After 5 years in the Navy I started back in archery & started doing well in shoots around the state (Ill.) In 1968 I turned Pro at the Cobo Hall Pro shoot in Detroit-you really know how to be humble on your 1st BIG shoot. I had the pleasure of meeting & chatting with Fred Bear then for several hours in private (he was a fine person & Archery is today because of men like him). I managed to capture 4 Ill. state championships after that over the years & 1 Great Lakes sectional. I was fortunate to be a Rep. for the state of Ill. several years in the Bowhunting division (in the 1970s). I owned & operated 2 Archery shops & lanes. I have been fortunate to have Bowhunted many states & Canada with Whitetail, Mule Deer, Elk, Turkey, Hogs, Goat, Black Bear, Caribou & several Exotics in Texas (last 2 years).
I am looking forward to this Bow Season again as I now own & operate Bowhunting North America Videos (13 years now). May you all have the fun & Joy I have had over the years in this fine sport, be it 3-D, field, Target or Bowhunting. I have seen many changes over the years but the Archer as a person has changed very little-MOST (not all) are great sportsmen-women & truly enjoy our wild creatures the most.

longwinters · « **Reply #1 on:** June 22, 2003, 11:56:35 AM »

Ahunter, my archery history has not been nearly as successful as yours. I started archery right after college (1980). Took me 5 years to get my first deer (of course no baiting or food plots back then where we hunted). Archery was an obsession with me and I shot leagues, local tournies but nothing big. Took 1st in several. I have belonged to several archery orgs. both local and state. Contrary to your experience, I have seen archers/bowhunters being mostly take and no give. They will come to the shoot but refuse to do any work ( in every club I have been in). So I have bunched it all except the hunting. after 20+ years I am tired as are most of my friends. I wish my experience was more like yours seems to be.

ahunter55 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 23, 2003, 03:19:37 AM »

I see you are from the UP-I guided Bowhunters around the Ws., Mi. border back in the 70s & spent many great days hunting the Boulder Juction Ws. area & Manatowish Waters area. Art Laha was big in the area also back then.
Oh, I remember me & my brother spending 3-4 days putting in our field course, mowing & getting everything ready for EVERYONE else to enjoy. NOTHING has changed-a FEW do for MANY-I too got worn out as you mentioned-but, my desire to shoot kept me going.
I am now a foster parent (our kids are all grown) & have 3 boys-8,9 & 13 that I am teaching to shoot (I must be a little crazy). I took the 13 year old on a Javalina hunt & a hog/dog hunt this past March-he didn't do any hunting but saw me miss 2 perfect shots on Javis & Take a Huge hog with the hounds-he also witnessed me get chased & charged b/4 I put him down. Anyway-enjoy your bowhunting. I will be Bowhunting Ill., Iowa & Ws. for Whitetails this year & Exotics & hogs in Texas & Oklahoma PLUS have 2 friends from Maryland & Mo., that I am taking Bowhunting in Ill.. the last week of Oct.-going to see if we can't get them a crack at one of our BIG Bucks. I am retired now so just do the informational Bowhunting Videos-I have it made, as I said, take care & enjoy your Bowhunting.
I have a short story on this site of the hog/dog Bowhunt I mentioned.

myronman3 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 24, 2003, 04:56:45 PM »

i enjoy my time spent bowhunting.

2eagles · « **Reply #4 on:** June 29, 2003, 02:16:17 PM »

I was lucky enough to have a dad who took me hunting when I was very young. I shot my first pheasants when I was just 10 years old. That was after a few years carrying a BB gun and MANY, MANY butt chewings whenever I did anything at all that wasn't 110% safe. We drove from Iowa to Wisconsin to bowhunt deer around Camp McCoy when I was maybe 12, almost every weekend. I got my first deer with a bow in Wisc in 1972. I woke up sitting on a limb in my tree (I said I was lucky!) with a doe below me. A lucky miss put an arrow under it's ear and I bagged my first deer. I didn't bowhunt much for a couple of years after that. Then when I did, I made one of those bad shots we hate to think of and didn't recover the deer. I decided not to bowhunt after that. I didn't want to practice enough to be a good enough shoot to hunt with a bow. I still did the shotgun hunts with my friends and shot a lot of deer. Not wanting to put up with idiots and guns, I quit shotgun deer hunting and did our early muzzleloader season. IT WAS GREAT! But the season is so short..... So I got out my old bow and bought a target at Wal-Mart. I can shoot at home and I did. I shredded that foam target and I was ready to hunt. The first week of my born again bowhunting, I had three bucks coming up the trail to my tree. I was drawn back with my pin on the leader at 12 yards, but I didn't shoot. The other two were larger and I was greedy. The two big boys turned and my forkhorn went back with them and they were gone. I hunted that year untill I shot a very nice doe on Dec 31st. I am so glad I didn't shoot that little buck because I learned more that year bowhunting than 15 years of gun hunting. Knowing I was serious about bowhunting, I went and bought a Hoyt (of course). The next year I got a nice buck with my m-loader and a little buck with my Hoyt. Last year I got a doe and my biggest buck with the Hoyt and didn't hunt with the m-loader. See a trend here? I now have access to very good Iowa public land and two places where the land owner says please shoot the deer. And am able to hunt our Boy Scout Camps for does only to help get the population down. I see 30 deer a night in there! Next time someone asks about my hunting, I bet they put a wordlimit on my reply. Sorry, Jim

ahunter55 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 30, 2003, 03:32:54 AM »

I spent lots bowhunting (every weekend) time in the the same area you mentioned in Ws.. Bowhunted McCoy & the Jackson State forest around Black River falls. GREAT Memories of that area.

L-Roy · « **Reply #6 on:** July 01, 2003, 05:31:31 PM »

Archer since toddler stage.

Successful tournament archer and bowhunter since 1961.

Successful Archery Pro Shop Owner/operater since 01-01-1981.

Most recent success last weekend was two wild hogs with one shot; pass-thru first one, full penetration of second one!

I can smell the sausage now!

Ohioyotecaller · « **Reply #7 on:** July 11, 2003, 01:49:39 AM »

I started shooting at the age of 5 (1972). Used a Wing recurve target bow. Started hunting with Dad about the age of 9 and got my own bow about the age of 10 or 11. It was a PSE compound. Started bowhunting deer about the age of 13.

Hunting has really touched every aspect of my life. I don't think there's a better dedication for a young person to undertake. It teaches ethics, responsibility, and rewards a job well done.

My son is 5 and has had a bow since the age of three.... just passin' it on.

Big Tom · « **Reply #8 on:** July 12, 2003, 08:54:00 PM »

I started as a young boy in Illinois, chasing cottontails with home made self bows and arrows. We taped .30/.30 brass to the end of our cedar arrows to hunt small game.

Since then I have run the full gamut of experiences and equipment; NFAA indoor and outdoor, PAA, 3D (still my favorite) and lots of all hunting. I have been a staff shooter for Hoyt and American Archery and participated in ESPN's ill fated Bowhunter's Challenge televised shoot.

I used to relish Bear Hunting and was fortunate to take several before the damned Lottery was adopted. I have probably taken 50-60 deer.

I understand Longwinter's feelings about the difficulty in maintain a club in our area. I head up a group called UP Bowhunters that is trying to facilitate 3D shoots and Bowhunting activities.

I have several bows and am currently very impressed with the Matthews Conquest and new Oneida Pro model with carbon ESC limbs. I shoot NitroStinger tapered carbons and favor tradtional broadheads like Zwicky and the Wenzel woodsman.

It bothers me that archers have become so polarized in recent years. :cry: We need to come together or we surely will succumb to the antis. We are #1 on their hit list.

JACKNZ · « **Reply #9 on:** July 14, 2003, 10:49:58 PM »

I started shoot when I was 7yrs old.My father gave me a kids longbow
made by shakespear. Now almost 40yrs later Iv,e never done anything
to make me famous but Iv,e taken a few deer,goats,pigs,and a heap of
small game critters.The best shot Iv,e ever taken was at a pheasant that blew out of the scrub while I was looking for rabbits one time.It flew straight away from me and I hit it at around 15yards.I can still see that arrow connecting like it was yesterday.Fact is I was 15 at the time.
I know what you guys are saying with the club scene,I belong to a club of around 40 members yet on a working bee we are lucky to get 12 turn up.
Just the way it is unfortunatly.Well I may never get famous but I am happy.GOOD LUCK ALL....JACK... :lol: :grin: :lol: :grin:

GO THE LONGBOW..