From: AspirinBuster
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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I have a question for my friends at Leatherwall. I have written about my archery heroes a number of times and also the fact that my dad (and mom) got me started in archery.
So who was your archery hero and what inspired you to take up archery? Also, more importantly, who have you passed the love of archery and bowhunting on to?
I look forward to your posts.
Shoot Straight, Frank
Photo is pop and I in 1971.
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From: AspirinBuster
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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Rev Stacy Groscup tossed the first aerial target I ever shot at. A Pepsi can. I hit it and that very day he put me in front of an audience. That was 30 years ago. I wear a Tab Stacy made me for every show I do and have since 1990.
He is the 49th inductee into the archery hall of fame. A great man who is missed and a true hero.
Frank
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From: LBshooter
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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I saw a herders starter kit at the local sports shop and begged my folks to buy it and luckily they did. Taught myself how to shoot in the backyard and have loved it ever since. So far I have one nephew,and one niece shooting, with two more to go.
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From: fdp
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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My dad was my first influence as well. I have passed it on to my sons and daughters as well as anyone else I can.
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From: reddogge
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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My parents took me to see Robin Hood in the 50s. They gave me my first bow, a Ben Pearson longbow, in 1956. My father didn't know which end of a bow to hold but supported me in my hobby.
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From: GF
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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The hook was set when I went to a Scout camp when I was 9 or 10. My dad had shot a longbow as a kid (which was probably quite a luxury item in the pre-war years) so he was kind of tickled that I was so taken with it, and he got a little red glass bear for my little brother and me to learn with. Arrows seemed awfully expensive back then, but were probably under a dollar.... Anyway, we shot when we had arrows and saved our pennies when we didn't.
We never really had heroes or role models (other than my dad's copy of Robin Hood, copyright mid 1930s, IIRC...).
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From: Tomarctus
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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The joy of archery took hold of me when I was a little kid... And it's fun to make time for history repeat itself.
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From: pockets
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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Around 1959/60 I read the Ernest Thompson Seton book 'Two Little Savages'.
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From: Dkincaid
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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I have no hero's among men. I have respect and admiration for a lot of folks for many different reasons. That being said I got in to archery at the age of 8 because I loved native American culture. During the last 30 years I've met some awesome folks. I've shot everything but a crossbow and enjoy all aspects of archery.
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From: 4nolz@work
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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Mine was Fred Bear on TV.My dad didnt bowhunt so I taught myself.
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From: Blackhawk
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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An older cousin got me started at age 14 in rural Tennessee. I spent a lot of Sunday afternoons with Mr. Bear on TV and other times roaming the farm.
I've passed the passion on to my grandsons.
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From: Stinkbait1
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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My Dad started my passion. He also read Two Little Savages when he was a kid. He gave me a copy of the book as a Christmas present in 1975. I still have it and have read it many, many times.
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From: sir misalots
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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I messed with bows as a kid. But I didnt take up archery till 98 when I killed my first deer with a compound. Years later I was shooting with my cousin who switched to traditional tackle (Black widow recurve) and he talked me into changing weapons. I shot his old 10 dollar garage sale Bear bow. I was hooked. Ive shot traditional arcery now for 15 years. Sold the compound 14 years ago. As far as heroes go, I guess The Lord Jesus Christ and then my Dad. Neither shot bows, but were pretty cool!
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From: Dan W
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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Encouraged for years by my older bro; I thought he was nuts, an eccentric. Then my oldest son found a kiddie bow in someone's garbage can when he was 7, (now he is 35) and that pushed me over the edge. A growing diversion, hobby, pastime & now one of the most important things in my life.
I pass it on to whoever shows up at the Sunday (9 - 1pm) range I co-run with my longtime shooting buddy & friend Michael Lang. Dozens of kids, and lots of parents. Three weeks ago I taught 3 generation of a visiting Norwegian family- the kid, his dad, and his grandad- who leaned the most quickly of the bunch.
A blessed & uplifting occupation, incalculable rewards!
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From: Dan W
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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My buddy/co-coach, Michael Lang doing what he does best- teaching the young beginners. He is a consummate blend of archery coach, martial arts sensei, drill sergeant, and (when necessary) baby sitter.
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From: Dan W
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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From: dire wolf
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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I think it was Richard Greene and the old TV series Robin Hood that got me started..
None of my family were into archery..
That and reading old literature that contained archery tales..
I had no mentors at age 8 when I made my first greenwood hickory bow and shoot arrows..I didn't know nuthin'..but persevered and now I know a few things..:) Jim
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From: George Tsoukalas
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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I grew up on a small farm, in a small town, in a small state. I just naturally gravitated to the bow during the mid 50's.
My cousin Spiro took me bird hunting. Those were magical days.
Later Fred Bear kept my interest in archery going.
Jawge
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From: AspirinBuster
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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Fred Bear was a hero and one of the best promoters of archery ever.
Frank
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From: The Lost Mohican
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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When I was 8 years old,my next door neighbor gave me a Bear cub recurve, then would take me with him cottontail rabbit hunting with his two beagles. One day the little hounds flushed a cottontail from a brush pile, and I drew and shot a cedar arrow tipped with a .38 shell luckily hitting the rabbit at full stride. My neighbor Johnny D, spent the next two days bragging to the neighborhood kids about me and what a good shot I was. God Bless him, as a bowhunter was born. TLM
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From: kenwilliams
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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My dad and grandad would shoot their Bear Kodiaks after work and my uncle Dwight would sboot his K-mag. Pretty soon , when I was around 8 or 9 I got a Bear Grizzly of my own 35# and they allowed me to shoot with them. My grandpa taught me how to shoot the Grizzly pretty well,which I shot till I was about 13, when he bought me a Bear Whitetail Hunter. Wish I still had that old Grizzly.
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From: Basscat
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Date: 29-Jan-15 |
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Just came in from bass fishing with 2 of my Air Force buddies & they literally begged me to come over to their house & shoot bows. I kept saying to them, why on earth would I want to try & shoot a whitetail deer with a dang bow when I have a fine rifle with a scope that works great. Leaving out a lot of details, I went & shot with them & was caught off guard by the bug I had just got bitten by. The very next day I went downtown & ordered my first compound bow called a "Robin Hood Littlejohn". This happened in the early 80's. About 30 plus years later I have bought way too many compound & recurve bows but I sure am having fun. Since my father didn't even know what a bow was, at least I was able to share the sport of archery with both of my sons at a very young age. I'll never forget the first whitetail either of them killed & the memories that will last a lifetime.
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From: MGF
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Date: 30-Jan-15 |
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Nothing so romantic here. My father got me started hunting and fishing but he was never into archery. In fact, he didn't even deer hunt. When I was in my early 20's I decide that I wanted to hunt deer. I lived in Illinois and the shotgun tags were county specific and there was no guaranty you'd draw the county that you wanted.
By contrast, the archery tag was state-wide so I bought a compound and set out to get ready for deer season.
Before long I developed an interest in archery and ditched the compound for a single string bow.
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From: AspirinBuster
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Date: 30-Jan-15 |
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KPC That's a wonderful photo. I wish Dick Lattimer were Still alive. I know he would have loved one of those photos for a book. That is great. Do you have any more? Please post if you do.
Ole Fred was way ahead of his time.
Frank
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From: AspirinBuster
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Date: 30-Jan-15 |
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Fred was a great promoter. He was helping archery grow. And yes you see a Bear logo in the photo.. It promoted his company too. But still he was always promoting the sport and Bear. He was a natural.
Those must be wonderful memories. Do you have memories of meeting Fred? Frank
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From: badger
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Date: 30-Jan-15 |
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Fred Bear was doing more than promoting himself and the sport he was also having a profound impact on the sport. He became an example of what others could aspire to be.
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From: AspirinBuster
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Date: 31-Jan-15 |
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I told Fred someday I would write a book, I was maybe 16, and would he write his favorite quote for me so that I could put it on the inside cover of the book. He wrote a page long quote, two quotes really, but the ending was "It is not required that a great man be without fault".
He was a very good man. Badger, you are right. Those "Fred Bear showed me how" stickers were very accurate.
Frank
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From: AspirinBuster
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Date: 31-Jan-15 |
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Here's a photo of Fred signing the quote.
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