Buff's thread got me thinking. How'd you get started with archery?

[asttbe]

Just for a little background. My dad retired from Shell Oil, so I'm an oilfield brat. Moved all over the country growing up following the Oil Patch. I went to around 30 different schools. Change was a constant in my life. When I was 6 months old my dad got transferred to Michigan and I would spend my first 10 years moving all around that state.

In the early to mid 70's we were out on a family camping trip. I was 6-7 years old at the time. We had this old blue station wagon and we were gathering up stuff at the tailgate to have our picnic lunch. An older man walked up and struck up a conversation with my dad and it continued until my mom and dad invited him to have lunch with us. They continued this conversation all through lunch. I have no idea what they were talking about, as kids were not allowed to be involved in conversations between adults back then.

After lunch the older gentleman excused himself and said he would back in a few minutes. He went to his station wagon (them things were popular back then lol) Got out 4 bows, a bunch of cedar arrows, and a target. He came back over and gave my dad and mom a Bear Grizzly, and gave my sister and me a Bear Jet and arrows for everyone. I then spent time showing us how to shoot them. After a couple of hours later he left, to me he just kind of disappeared because at that time I was paying no attention to anything but my new found passion.

I remember later on the way home asking my dad who that guy was. He said some man named Fred Bear. I remember thinking hmmmmm I wonder if the lake is named after him. This will remain one of the fondest memories of my life until I am gone. I have made it a point to introduce archery to the people I can.

Thank you Mr Bear for taking the time to do what you did

[Goldeneagle]

In 1965 I watched an episode of The American Sportsman with Curt Gowdy. This episode was Fred Bear hunting. I turned around to my dad and said, "I'm gonna do that one of these days.". Christmas morning of '65 there was a Bear Little Bear recurve under the tree. That was the start.

[ostey22]

That is a AWESOME story my friend! Too cool! I bought a bear recurve at a garage sale down the street when I was 7 or 8. Paid $20! The old lady ( friend of the family) let me pay it in two payments. My first bow and first money transaction.

[asttbe]

That is a AWESOME story my friend! Too cool!

Thank you. Amazing to me that it happened that way. I don't tell that story very often because the usual response is "BS!". I have never really cared if people believed it or not though. I know the truth Now with all the money I've spent on archery over the years, I don't know if I would thank him again or kick him in the giblets lol

[150class]

Invited 160class to come hunting at the lease about 11-12 years ago. He was shooting a bow so we built a brush blind and sat with him when he stuck his first buck with a bow.
Bought a bow the following week and started practicing

[equin]

Wow! You met the legendary Fred Bear?! Awesome story!

[Hookem84]

very cool story thanks for sharing

[jerp]

I first shot a bow at Boy Scout camp at age 12. That gave me the archery bug and I bought a target bow to shoot in the back yard - even killed a rabbit with it. I did not draw a string again from about age 16 until I was in my late 30's. By 1995 I had lost interest in rifle hunting and bought a compound - been an avid archer ever since. BTW that Fred Bear story is incredible!

[BrandonA]

Just for a little background. My dad retired from Shell Oil, so I'm an oilfield brat. Moved all over the country growing up following the Oil Patch. I went to around 30 different schools. Change was a constant in my life. When I was 6 months old my dad got transferred to Michigan and I would spend my first 10 years moving all around that state.

In the early to mid 70's we were out on a family camping trip. I was 6-7 years old at the time. We had this old blue station wagon and we were gathering up stuff at the tailgate to have our picnic lunch. An older man walked up and struck up a conversation with my dad and it continued until my mom and dad invited him to have lunch with us. They continued this conversation all through lunch. I have no idea what they were talking about, as kids were not allowed to be involved in conversations between adults back then.

After lunch the older gentleman excused himself and said he would back in a few minutes. He went to his station wagon (them things were popular back then lol) Got out 4 bows, a bunch of cedar arrows, and a target. He came back over and gave my dad and mom a Bear Grizzly, and gave my sister and I a Bear Jet and arrows for everyone. I then spent time showing us how to shoot them. After a couple of hours later he left, to me he just kind of disappeared because at that time I was paying no attention to anything but me new found passion.

I remember later on the way home asking my dad who that guy was. He said some man named Fred Bear. I remember thinking hmmmmm I wonder if the lake is named after him. This will remain one of the fondest memories of my life until I am gone. I have made it a point to introduce archery to the people I can.

Thank you Mr Bear for taking the time to do what you did

Now that might just be the one of the coolest memories shared on TBH

[Black Ice]

I was living in North Carolina and I got tired of the Bowhunters getting two full months of hunting before I got into the woods. So instead of complaining I picked up a bow and started hunting two months earlier. It was more like 6 or 7 weeks than 2 full months but long enough for me to pick up a bow.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gneimeth]

Ok ASTTBE - you are now my hero in more ways than one!

[asttbe]

Ok ASTTBE - you are now my hero in more ways than one!

Hahaha That's taking it too far.

I have wondered over the years how many kids he introduced to archery in his life

[Gummi Bear]

My grandpa always had a bow, and would shoot it out in the yard, and bowfish with it. I was 6 before I was strong enough to pull back his lightest bow, and that was it for me. I'd stick a paper plate or pie tin on a bale of hay, and spend the entire afternoon shooting at it.

I bought my first bow when I was 10 or 11. My brother and I found a couple of old Bearkat bows at a garage sale, and with the $7 between us, the lady sold both of them to us. We emptied our piggy banks for some arrows and had grandpa bring over a couple of bales of hay for us to shoot in the backyard. I bought my first compound a year or two later, and my brother and I shot every afternoon after school until dark in the backyard until I went away to college.


I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately - Thoreau

[Bisch]

Buff's thread got me thinking. How'd you get started with archery?

asttbe, that is one of the coolest archery stories I have ever heard!!!! I am a diehard trad shooter now, but got started on a compound. I knew I wanted to hunt when I was young, but my parents were "no guns in my house" people. As soon as I moved out on my own, one of the first things I bought was a cheap Mossberg shotgun so I could go dove hunting. I then got into rifle hunting for deer. I was about 26yrs old, and just made my first promotion in the fire dept when I got introduced to archery. I got my promotion and a new station. There were several guys at this new station that were bowhunters, and they practiced at the station. After watching once or twice, I knew I had to get a bow. I bought me first bow, a Darton round wheel SL50 compound, and the rest is history. I am forever, or as long as God permits me, a bowhunter!!!!

Bisch

[bphillips]

One day I realized bow hunters get an extra month of hunting and decided I needed that. That's about it