The Travels Of The Bow Sacagawea

[little john]

Too cool in for the write up

[killerbee]

My name is Billy Brumley and I am 41 yoa. I graduated from high school in Glen Rose and attended college at UTA where I majored in photography with a minor in painting. I have been married for 17 years and have three daughters. After graduation I had a job doing photography for about five years but was struggling to make a living. I got a job with the FWPD and have been here ever since. I killed my first rabbit at age 5 and have been hunting and fishing since that time. My father and Uncle took me hunting every chance that they had and I eagerly awaited these trips! My father and Uncle were rifle hunters and did not bow hunt. I started bow fishing at a very early age after following some poor guy around Lake Proctor all day and asking him a million questions. I believe that I was 9 or 10 at the time. That fine gentlemen let me hang out and ask questions and I soon had talked my mom into buying me a bow fishing bow.

It never occurred to me that you could kill anything large with a bow at that time. When my wife and I started dating I met my FIL and we became best friends immediately. He asked if I had ever bow hunted and I said that I had only bow fished. He told me that I should try and kill a deer with my bow and showed me some pics of a deer he had killed in Colorado with a bow. I purchased a cheap compound and the rest is history, I have been obsessed ever since. I was very successful for a long time with a compound and never thought to try anything different. I was at Choke Caynon Resevoir trying to kill a gator gar and met Sam Stephens and Bisch at the boat ramp. I had been unsuccessful that day and was down in the dumps. Sam and Bisch had never met me before but offered to take me out with them and put me on a fish. What an epic trip with two great guys! I still bow fished with a recurve and Sam asked me why I hadn’t shot a deer with one. Sam and I went on a hunting trip and he set me up with a recurve and I practiced for a whole two days. Sam built a natural ground blind and we both sat in it. I heart shot the first doe I ever shot at with traditional equipment at 17 yards! I was pumped! I have not been shooting traditional equipment that long but have been humbled many times since that initial success.

I sold my compound about 4 years ago and have not looked back. I am excited to be able to participate in the pass around of Sacajawea. The bow shoots great just like every Sarrels I have ever shot. I hope to spill some blood with her and put my mark as well. Thanks for the opportunity, Billy.

[Bisch]

Go get 'em, Billy!!

Bisch

[SwampRabbit]

Nice writeup Billy!

[RoyseCity]

Some great stories on this thread, and yours is among the best, Billy.

Joe

[Phillip Fields]

Good write-up Billy.

[Bowyer]

Thanks for sharing! Good luck!

[Chunky]

Another good write up, good luck.

[little john]

Any news it's been awhile

[killerbee]

I never got to spill blood but I had a blast shooting her. I will be mailing her out this weekend to The next on the list.

[little john]

Cool beans

[BDann]

Sacagawea arrived safely at my house Monday afternoon! I strung her up as soon as I got home from work and shot about 50 arrows. I love this bow! I'll get a bio done tonight.

[caughtandhobble]

Great write-up Billy.

Enjoy BDann!!!

[BDann]

Alright fellas, here I go.

My name is Brian Dannenfelser, and I live in Kingwood, Texas which is on the northeast side of Houston for you guys in the cool parts of Texas. I'm 47 and have been married to my bride Stacy for just a hair under 20 years. Fortunately for me she has been very patient with me and my obsession with fishing and hunting. My wife and I are both chiropractors, and practice together in Kingwood. We have 3 kids, Chloe 17, Emma 15, and Jack who is 10.

I grew up in south central Kansas, in the little bitty town of Florence. My obsession with the outdoors got its roots on our farm, which has been in the family since the 1870's. The farm is about 5 miles or so west of Florence, and is my favorite patch of land on the planet. While a youngster, my mother would drop me off with my single shot .22 rifle, and I would roam around wreaking havoc upon the local population of rabbits and squirrels. In the summer months Doyle Creek would provide my entertainment as I set trot lines for catfish and fished for bass every chance I got.

We were mainly bird hunters in those days, and the milo fields on the farm created a haven for pheasants, quail and prairie chickens. My dad, brother and I spent many days following our brittany spaniel around the place. Later I raised a german shorthair that led me around, and we were great hunting buddies. I really had no idea how spoiled I was, but you can bet that I do now! There was more land around to hunt that I had easy access to than I could hunt in a month of weekends.

I got my start into archery in my mid thirties, the year after my shorthair died. Since my bird hunting partner was gone, I decided that I would give bowhunting a try, and picked up a cheap PSE compound. I was drawn to the challenge of the sport, and practiced like a maniac so I would be ready for deer season. A little yearling doe made a mistake on my 2nd day of hunting, and I have been completely addicted ever since. The sounds of the woods in the fall and the excitement you get when your ears hear an approaching animal keep me coming back.

After a couple of years of shooting the compound I got a little bored with it, and really frustrated when stuff kept breaking or coming loose on it. A buddy of mine suggested I try traditional archery. It just so happened that we were going to the Renaissance Festival that weekend, and I shot a longbow while I was there. Shooting that bow was so awesome and addicting that I ordered one when I got home. I also bought my kids little longbows, and we started shooting together in our spare time. After a year or two we started hitting some of the 3d shoots here in Texas, and have met some really good people and had a blast.

I've had some great times hunting with trad gear, but have yet to harvest a mammal. A double bearded turkey was my first critter with the longbow, and I've shot a few fish. I met Bisch and Arkie (Nathan Ferguson) on a group hunt at Solana a few years ago, and they were with me when I found my first bow kill. That was a hunt that I will never forget! I don't have a lot of time to hunt these days, and so far have not taken a deer or hog with my bow. A deer is going to fall to my longbow if it's the last thing I do, I promise! If my lease near Montgomery ever emerges from the flood waters I plan on taking Saca out to see if the local hogs will cooperate.

I would like to thank all the people who have made Sacagawea possible. I have already put lots of arrows through her and plan on many more. Fortunately she seems to love the arrows I shoot from my regular bow. I plan on taking her to the Chester shoot, and if any of the local fellas want to see her maybe we could get together and fling a few arrows.

[SwampRabbit]

Awesome writeup Brian.