Just wondering how guys started out in archery n how long ago. Might be interesting to hear some stories. Myself I was on a family camping trip in Maine. We were back at camp n I wasn't too happy we weren't fishing. I was 3 or 4 my parents disagree how old but I still remember some of it. MY father didn't shoot a bow but was a carver, he took some saplings n made a bow n arrows from them. I can see the blue n black flecked string he used n I still remember my mother stuffing a garbage bag w leaves for a target n that was the start of a life long addiction. Im now about 45 years in. Thank God for that trip. How'd you all start out?
You have quite the memory. I had a white fiberglass bow when I was really young, maybe 4 or 5. I only remember having it taken off of me because I was shooting it straight up in the air to see how high the arrow would go . I don't consider getting "really" started into archery until I was 12 though when I was given a 45# Bear Kodiak recurve. I say my archery started then because that was my first real bow and my first experiences with bow hunting. I am 44 now, so I say 32 years in.
I bought my first bow as a gift to myself when I was done coaching football, figured I would suddenly have 40 plus hours a week that used to be filled with coaching duties to do something with.
I was always facinated by the cultures who lived by the bow on horse back, the Plains Indians, Mongols, etc. Once my kids were raised, I bought a bow started hunting on a ranch a friend managed. Every year, I get more addicted.
Dad bought my first bow when I was 7, just a simple compound with some of his aluminium arrows he cut down for me. Loved practicing in my backyard and especially in our treestand.
I was a about ten dad brought home a bear recurve from somewhere and hand full of arrows had them all stuck in rafters shooting pigeons. Then uncle bob started me out on a bear whitetail to keep me out of trouble so been 31+
Had a fiberglass one when I was about 12. My dad bought me my first compound when I was 20. Didn't start hunting with it until I was 23. I'm 27 now and will never miss an archery season again (barring any unforeseen circumstances).
My family moved to the country when I was 10 (1977) and I found an old fiberglass bow of my older brothers and started shooting milk jugs in the back yard. I soon moved to protecting the garden and then the entire neighborhood from the invasion of pesky rabbits. At 12, I started trapping and bought my first compound bow at 13 with the money from my furs. It was a Ben Pearson with about 20 percent let-off and I used a Bear Weather style rest. (stick on). That October, I climbed a pine tree one afternoon and sat on a limb and center punched a big old doe. I had no idea what to do with it. I was thankful for the help of good neighbors. I missed WAY more deer than I killed. Made every mistake in the book. Most of them multiple times. But, back then, I did not even know another bow hunter. No videos, no direction, no pro-shop. Just me and a bow with mismatched arrows and a lot of poor decisions that I eventually learned a thing or two from. And, a lot of really cool memories. Looking back, I am glad I struggled for years. It makes the end result much sweeter. Much, much, sweeter.
I moved to a state I have no real interest in (Washington) hunting and didn't really see buying non resident tags in my home state (Oregon) as worth while. I have access to mules and horses, the one place I love to hunt is a limited draw for rifles in Idaho. If was to keep hunting and go every year archery was my only option. I was working at a store that had an archery department and just threw myself into learning the equipment, tuning my bow, and setting up arrows. The manager had 20+ years in the industry and was a big help teaching me the basics. I had a good background of hunting elk with a rifle but solo archery hunting has its own twist to things. In the 6 years I've been shooting my bows I had a stretch where life just got in the way hunting season but the tags I've had, I've so far been blessed enough to fill. I'm not an archery hunter per say, I still have my rifles and put in for a rifle tag every year, it's just not likely for me to draw it. I also find hunting with my bows a little unnerving. When a bull stops and looks down at you from 10 yards away it's a little freaky to have that many large points pointed directly at you.
My first bow was Paul Banyon fiberglass bow 50#. It was my Dad's. Found it in garage and shot it till fiberglass started to come apart. It was in the 70's. Bought a Bear 50# after that just pleasure shooting never considered killing anything with it. Dropped out of archery till about six or seven year ago and I got the bug again. Bought a Bowtech Tribute 50# from a pawn shop. Took three or four year to kill and tag at deer but I did. Have the bug worse than ever even went bow hunting in Chemo! Pastor Scotty
i know what you're saying bout learning the hard way n it being sweeter. I also had no one, knew no one that shot a bow. Convinced my mom to sign hunter ed papers telling her Id need them just to shoot in woods. She fell for it I think. While at hunter ed the instructor mentioned it averaged 3-4 years for a hunter to take his first deer w archery tackle. Than 100 hours just to get another deer of any sort. Hmmm got me thinking if I spent all day in the woods Id be eating up the time n a deer had to be coming. Long story short I got lucky quick, killed my first deer in my second year w no adult help, year after I took 2. Third successful year it was tagged out (2 deer) before the week was out n within a couple years from that it became 2 rack bucks taken the first week. Not giants but baskets n with no one helping I was more than happy I could get it done. Plus I was only a teen. Guess some old things will never die in me because of those days. I hunt, scout n mentor old school n we still get it done. Great memories
I have always been obsessed with hunting. When I was a kid rifle season was only a week long in November and bow season started in October. We didn't have a lot so it took me some time to gather up enough to really start hunting. I had a recurve and two wooden arrows with bear razor tips that I bought for 20 bucks from a relative that switched to a compound. I didn't have much luck but I got a lot of experience and learned mostly what not to do. When gun season rolled around the bow went back under the bed. I joined the military in hopes of changing my situation. Nothing wrong with it but I wanted more. While I was deployed my cousin who lived next door, really more like a brother, got into some trouble and was convicted of a felony. Obviously he can't own a firearm so when season would roll around he was out with a bow. I felt bad for him and decided that I would give up the gun as well and only use a bow. Misery loves company, right? Well it was far from misery. Since then I have been obsessed with bowhunting. I rarely pick up a rifle except for target practice and I don't regret it one bit.
Like a few others, I had a fiberglass bow that I got for Christmas one year when I was a kid. I used to shoot at empty Coke boxes. I had tagged along with my brother when he bow hunted but never got a bow of my own until this past year. I think doing so has gotten me more excited about hunting than a gun ever did. Hopefully I can get my first archery deer this year.
Mine started 40 something years ago. Man down the road from my childhood home started me on my bow hunting path. He worked a full time job and was taking care of his elderly disabled mother. I use to cut his grass every few weeks and keep an eye on his mother when he had stuff to do in town on the weekends. One day he was out back shooting a long bow and we struck up a conversation. Two months later for my 13th birthday he bought me a bow for helping out with his mother. Mr. Fisher was a great stick and string hunter, taught me a lot about stand hunting and bow hunting in general. To this day there are two people I thank when I am successful in my hunting adventures. My Dad and Mr. fisher. Like i said, Mr. Fisher was a diehard bow hunter, if he was alive today and saw me slinging arrows with a compound bow he would whip my butt !!! V/r Dave S.
Somebody gave me (7) and my brother an old Green Fiberglass Bear. I can still see the golden bear embossed on it. We used to cut cat tail stalks, cut a notch in them and crimp a beer cap for the BH. In about 05' i found an old Ben Pearson hanging in the rafters of a barn and nobody knew where it came from. Went to gander and got a string and a half dozen Easton aluminum arrows. Hunted for 2 years with it before i got a compound. Still have it and get it out once in awhile.
I was 18 and grew up gun hunting. I hunted a bit with a friend from high school whose family primarily bow hunted. He got me interested and let me shoot his bow once. I loved it. I went right out and bought a bow and totally revamped my style of hunting and learned a ton from him and his family. I'm 36 now and bow hunting is by far my favorite of all outdoor activities. Thank god he talked me into getting a bow and interested. Tons of money spent later over years and I'm still addicted. Still haven't gotten my brother to "pull the string" and get interested. Maybe this year is the year. You just don't understand until you do it.
My father started me shooting on an old bear recurve and i just did it to spend time with him, i asked him to take me hunting when i was 10. we didn't see a thing but i was so excited. we moved to Florida where i never had an opportunity to hunt, ironically enough that where i got my first compound, a bear odeysey 2 and got really good with it going to the local gander mtn. came back to CT. started hunting on my own, i got my dad back into it and he even got his first deer with a bow a few years ago while i already have 6 Im 19 so been at it for 6 years
In 1994 a friend asked me to go to an archery shop with him. He was looking at getting a bow. We went in and the shop owner asked me did I have a bow. I said no and he said ok, let me show you how to shoot. I was immediately hooked. I bought a bow the next day. It took me a few years before I killed my first deer, but I have been bowhunting ever since.
