Toelke, Robertson, RER, Centaur are all in Montana. Why so many good bowyers are living in that sate?

Lotsa room

Bob Savage...Dale Dye...and some other rig in Hamilton that makes longbows, I think. ;-)

Howard Hill Archery as well.

Long winters!!!

schafer, bear paw, formerly Mariah,

oz

Duane Jessop, Kramer's , Rocky Miller,Wengerd,Red Chavez,Fred Hass,Jack Whitney who mentored Bob Savage, just as Savage mentored Paul Schafer,Gary Sentman once was a Montanan,John Morris,Jim Rempp,Marty Zufelt and many more, some no longer naking or passed already sadly.

Gibson's magnificent acoustic guitars are also made in Montana.

There's quite a bit of expert single and six-string "twang" coming out of that state.

That's where bigfoot actually lives

Who wouldn't want to be a bowyer there? I used to work with Rocky Miller, who made my first custom Savage Deathmaster. Its a state that kinda lends to those having artistic talent of the outdoor variety, esp. crafts you create for stick bow hunting and fly fishing. Its a no brainer why so many of these types of bowyers are in MT. I went to school with Bart Schleyer, knew him well, was in the same classes, and he epitomized the whole scene - even if he was from Wyo. He was a natural when it came to picking up on this skill set, wildlife research, hunting, bow making, etc., as were many of the afore-mentioned. I myself should have stayed there. The whole lifestyle is what I like and I could have be just as satisfied being 'poor' making knives and bows as I was living the institutionalized life commuting to Portland from far up the Gorge, and working the office scene but making more dough. It was a real dilemma. I chose the latter, but maybe should have stayed put and broke in MT, but becoming a artist/craftsman.

Unless you own a ranch, what else ya' gonna do, work corrections? Michigan has a ton of bowyers as well. Steve moved away, but Id still call him a Michigan bow builder.

Oregon has a lot also. Ken

if your going to be a hunter and make a living from archery you might as well live in gods country.

One more reason to love Montana.

If you review bowyers you will find they live lots of placeds. Montana is beautiful....at least the third of it from the eastern exit of the Going to the Sun Road west. Been there many times and crossed it on a bicycle in 1988. Lots of beautiful places on west of Montana as well, but it is right up there.

They all moved to Montanida because they couldn't get permission to hunt on private land in Iowa.

Custer had it coming. And it's a well-known fact that he wore Arrow shirts.

Ken, have you ever been to the Little Big Horn Battlefield? We were there in 2014 and it was an eye opener to me. Was happy to see the memorial to the Native Americans as well. It was an odd feeling to walk that area and visualize what had went on there. Yep, Custer had it coming. Unfortunately that whole debacle sealed the fate of so many innocent Native Americans.

alot of the unknown bowyers live in the UP......................

The UP is a funny place, one of the worlds best surf board shapers, designs world class wood water skis here,,,,

Now he is creating his own recurves, and makes custom bamboo rods

James Rempp.

Yes, George-- It gives you a weird, spooky feeling to visit those old battlefields. I got a similar feeling at the Sand Creek massacre site, Battle of Beecher Island (Colorado) and the Battle Creek/Bear River site just 25 miles away in Idaho. Sad chapters in our nation's history.

Custer is just easy to dislike in his arrogance.

You only have a few listed. At one time I started out to own a bow from every bowyer in Montana. I gave up the idea once I learned I would need to buy at least 25 bows.

DDave

The U.P. Is also where the NCAA basketball court used each March in Final Four is built.

Id say cuz of you've ever been there well you'll know why. If your self employed bowyer, may as well live in a state that offers a pile of ground to hunt and a lot of game species. I'd love there if I could. I have an aunt and uncle in Big Timber Montana.

Cheap labor

Going to miss Montana

I didn't see Jim Brackenbury in any of the lists.

That's because he wasn't a Montana bowyer.

Brackenbury bows were made in Oregon.

Lol, its wilderness so not a lot to do to make a living.

I left Montana years ago because I did not want to work for Anaconda Copper or in the woods. I could not make a living. Montana is where my heart still resides. Someday I hope to return.

If you shoot the longbow, Montana is where you want to live.

Grampus, same reason I left, but I did work there in fish and Wildlife Mgt. for 7 years. The other three I was going to school and working construction, cooking. tough place to get a decent paying job. WA/Oregon offered much greater financial hopes, and some decent bowers (Brackenberry made my other custom). George and Ken, I lived on the Crow Res. working fish research for 3 years and met a lot of tribal members. While some of the folks in Hardin had a rough go and (esp.) western Native American poverty is high, the Res. is huge, the land is beautiful, and I think whole outcome could have been much worse if not for some who chose to create reservations rather than eradicate the entire Indian population. Same goes for the Yakima Res., it is huge and contains a ton of beautiful land. Reservation life is tough, but I think better than what could have been. But there were those who made successful transitions while keeping the Native 'traditions' alive and living the good life ranching and working for a great bow-making company (like bowyer Larry Hatfield). I have worked with a lot of different Tribal reps. and individuals throughout my career - Crows,(Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Commission), Nez Perce, Umatillas, Yakamas, Warm Springs, and still am (Oneida). All seem to be doing very well in modern times. Oneida Nation has come so far since my high school days. The Turning Stone Casino is making money hand over fist. The Feds. certainly could have done things better when it came to Indian Affairs but it could have gone totally array too. The Custer battle I'm sure has some influence on the entire outcome of Native status in America. I'm sure there are many different opinions on the factors determining the outcome of the 'fate' of American Indians. I have seen both the good side, and the poverty.

I stand corrected.

Nobody mentioned Dick Robertson

I wish one of them was still building bows. Ric Anderson of Mariah Bows did really nice work. I have two of his Chinooks.

Because they can! What bowhunter would not want to live in Montana? If you are a bowyer you can conduct most of your business via telephone and the internet and as long as you have access to ship and receive merchandise you can live most anywhere you choose.

Seems to me that making a living as as bowyer won't make you wealthy and perhaps the cost of living there plus good hunting may have something to do with it.

Dont forget John Morris of Rocky Mountain Recurves.

Jim Nieves should be on that list excellent bows

My brother lives in Ennis Montana and it is absolutely beautiful. Great bowyers too. I am seriously considering adding to the list in Idaho. Salmon looks like a wonderful place and has everything Montana have except the extreme cold and a lot less griz/ God bless, Steve

Ennis! You've gotta love any town where a herd of pronghorns goes running across the village green--I saw that happen in Ennis, right in front of the supermarket, when I rode my bike through there a few years ago.

A few miles farther on, I also loved that the only place in Virginia City where I could find a cup of coffee at 8 AM on a Sunday morning was the saloon. The owner served me himself, and he was sporting a big ol' bandage over his right eyebrow--from the previous night's fracas, I assumed.

It's a manly life in Montana; who wouldn't love it!

Ennis is where the biggest pile of sheds you'll ever see resides (except maybe Jackson in May), and Virginia City/Nevada City is a 'living' ghost town. If you never see either, well, you should try to go see it. Here's a little piece of Nevada City. Montana is a bow hunter's and bowyer's paradise.

One tiny window into Montana.

nothing else t do I guess.

nothing else t do I guess.

nothing else t do I guess.

Think I'll move to Montana and become a dental floss tycoon. Might even make a song out of that thought. ;~)

One of the most famous bowyers was John Morris from Bozeman, Mt. He and his son crafted the Rocky Mt Recurves of which I own three. They're the best recurve bows ever made.

nomo, I have a Pigmy Pony I will sell you real cheap

I have some zircon encrusted tweezers. We'll all be dental floss tycoons.

Box,

I reckon you've got quite the tone box there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson#Factories

Good factory history on the Wiki page above.

https://reverb.com/news/how-to-date-a-gibson-using-serial-numbers-fons-and-logos

The above may help you nail down your guitar's manufacturing date and factory.

My acoustic is 1989 and from the Bozeman factory.

Check out the prices of the current models and then marvel all the more at that hip old piece you've been happily strumming.

(Then set a bear trap nearby so nobody dare mess with it!)

Also like Oregon maybe a long history of generations of wood country craftsmanship helps.

imma guess being archers/ hunters in the incredible majesty of that beautiful state overwhelmed them, and settled into their soul., there they now live. beauty of natural world can hit a man like that. it has overcome me many times in places here in the west. god i love it here in the west. been there to mt, wife and i kicked around living there....ended up in co, equally beautiful.

gordy mickens of selway archery is another from MT., although not a bowyer, he continues to be a contributor to our sport.

Black Swan was in Bozeman/Belgrade in 1990-1994 than moved shop to Alabama ,now in Tucson, that was the same time the Morris son and dad were making Rocky Mtn. Recurves and Rocky Miller was making his Heritage bows,Mark Baker was starting to make his selfbows over in Livingston and Monty Moravic was making his Monarch Bows over in Missoula, also in the Missoula area was a fella making the Shadow bows,than the Centaur bows came along in the Hamilton area, Paul Schaefer was making his recurves over in the Kalispell area and Dick Robertson started building in the Lewistown area, the Bear Paw bows came along up in Trout Creek , now we have the Toelke bows and the RER bows are made about six blocks from my house here in Bozeman. Mt has turned into the Fly Fishing capital of USA so lots of newcomers, houses that cost $90 K in 1997 are now selling for $320 K , if you move to MT. and want to live in Elk country, Bring Cash.

Soooooooooo If I move to Montana instead of Idaho will I be a Montana bowyer or an Oregon bowyer? LOL

God bless, Steve

I would live in Montana BUT I don't like Snow ! And they have big Grizzlies there !!!

I have been nose to nose with a Black Bear one time, and that's enough !!!

But I've traveled to and through Montana a lot of times ! The beautiful state. And from what I hear from Dan , it's great hunting, BUT yeah I got to watch the grizzlies !!! Yikes

DS

Sixby, you can move to Montana and you'll be a Montana Bow tycoon. A few of us can make you strings out of dental floss. Oh what profits I foresee. ;~)

Crikey, I lived in Montana for 10 straight years and have visited many times since, and even lived just north of YNP boundary and never once saw a griz. And I used to hike the mountains relentlessly in search of sheds and winterkills, and still never saw one. Griz are not an issue to worry about. Driving by oncoming cars within an average of 5 feet doing a combined 120 mph multiple times every hour, for hours a day, for days a week, with drivers nose to nose with Verizon, not THAT'S something to be concerned about.

I grew up in Montana, graduated from MSU, got married to a Montana girl and had 2 kids in Bozeman. I hunted elk every year just north of YNP and ran into grizzlies EVERY year. Some close encounters too. I slept with my 44 mag under my pillow when backpack hunting. I do NOT miss hearing every twig snap and thinking it was a grizzly.

Anyway, one bow I still have is my old Rocky Miller Heritage recurve but it's too heavy for me to pull anymore. I shot a lot of elk with that bow. I also knew Bart Schleyer from college and shot with him many times. Now I'm wondering if I ever met TrapperKayak?

Did anyone mention Byron Schurg? I have two of his Aspen longbows hanging on the wall that he made me before he retired, as well as refinishing one of them when I came back from Africa. He was connected with Monarchs, too, I believe. There are some good folks in Montana, like everywhere. I, too, ran into my first grizzly hunting spring black bear several years ago, and others since, and fished many times on the Madison in the spring.

Michael, did you live in Culbertson Hall? Have Prof Don for stream ecology? I started msu fall '78, grad in 81. Continued there working for Bob White on the Bighorn gas supersat. project 85-87. Worked with Rocky in 82-84 or so. Probably at least saw you with Wolverine if nothing else, eh? Bozeman is now a cluster of outsiders ( like I was...;) )

I saw, twice in two different years, the biggest, most beautiful cinnamon boar up Bear Trap Canyon, Madison R. It was four miles in, and the second time I saw it, I was only 150 yds out in some scrubby little aspens. It didnt see me. I thought aboht stalking it for a shot but all I had was my .357 revolver and I thought twice, did go for it. Had my dog with me besides. Gorgeous bear. I came very close to griz a few times but never saw one, just fresh tracks, fresh activity on elk kills, and had one in camp that chased all the mules out of camp. It was around our tent but I slept through it all. Cant tell you how many blackies I came up on, all but one bolted out of there like a freight train. The one stood up at close range but Kayak tore after it and he took off. Thats a beautiful riser Michael. What draw weight are the limbs on it? Last elk I was after above Jardine was an est. 340 6x6 that I was following for 2 hours when I caught up to it, but there was a hunter standing over it. He intercepted it first. In around '98.

Did NOT go for it...cin bear.

I always suspected great hunting and fly fishing and living free in clean air and water. Just thought that.

LongbowArchitect: A quick story to relate. You know of Dan and don, who didn't then... the year they pulled their shenanigans my father, uncle and two cousins came out to hunt that fall. We hunted up the Gallatin mainly, and everyone tagged a mulie buck or bull except my father. So the last day of their trip before they drove all the way back east, I took my Dad up Beartrap to the first main side canyon and parked him in a nice overlook. I continued further up to the top to try and locate some animals and push them in his direction. We were probably two miles in, and of course the only access was from the parking lot. No sign of humans should have been there unless someone was trespassing on Turner's ranch and came if from the top (or some of Ted's men came in). Well, I ran into two sets of fresh within the last several hours human tracks way up top, and wondered who in hell was up there and how did they get in? The Nichols' never crossed my mind, had kinda figured they died back up high in the Spanish Peaks closer to Big Sky where they shot Kerri, having been out there since July, and it had been well below zero up there for a few weeks now. This was early November around '84 or '85 maybe. Anyway, those tracks made no sense. I continued looking for deer and elk, and thought it weird that I cut none whatsoever. So back down to Dad I hiked, and on the way out he shot a 4x4 mulie from across the Madison, probably a 500-600 yd shot that just boggled my mind. Had to drive back to the bridge, and go up the road to Norris, park in the last lot and hike in over a mile to get to the buck. A story in itself. So, a few weeks later after my folks went home, Dan and Don were captured by Sheriff France, down near Will of all places. They had to either cross that same bridge to get there and stay dry in the process, or cross the shallow Madison near the mouth of Bear Trap. Either way, they were probably the ones who made those tracks up where I was hunting that day, since they had to have been living in that area to be obscure enough but close enough to get where they were when caught. Its was severe cold when they were caught. I just thought you'd find that story interesting. I could have been seen by them that day. Just glad I didn't have to confront them. Someone would have been dead if I'd stumbled on them...

Will = Willow. Keyboard sucks. Doubt they crossed the river, they would have froze their feet. It was double digits below 0 when they were caught. They crossed that bridge. Probably slept in the outhouse there at the campground that night.

My brother has a place on Beartrap. I was right where you shot that buck last year and my Bro and a friend have a friend that owns a huge ranch up on the Beartrap who let them go in from the ranch and they shot a huge buck across the canyon on the other side of the river. Drove to the bridge , crossed it and got parked , I believe by the dam and walked in to the buck and packed him out/ My brothers other house is just out of Norris. He fishes Norris lake all the time and kills his elk and deer every year

God bless, Steve

Don Nichols was paroled in April 2017 at the age of 86 and is not allowed in Gallatin County, his son Dan was paroled in the late 90s and has repeatedly been arrested on drug charges, Kari Swenson has a Vet practice in Bozeman, Jim Schwalbe is the guy that found kari and helped rescue her he is an avid traditional bowhunter and lives in Big Sky,two falls ago he was in the local paper for shooting a record Elk on public land. Kari Swenson was on the USA Biathlon team and was kidnapped and shot while training for Biathlon in the mtns. above Big Sky.

Wow, I can't believe they paroled Don. Figured he'd die in prison. Where does he live now? I did hear about Dan getting paroled and having a lot of drug charges on him several years ago. He was more of a victim of his father's antics than anything really, being brought up into the mountains to live every summer since he was a little kid. I used to see Kari in the Rockin' R sometimes but never actually got acquainted with her. Sixby, we came in from the mouth of Beartrap, the other end, and hiked in two miles from there. The parking lot is at the lower end there. The bridge I'm talking about is the one on Norris Road coming from Bozeman, a couple miles from the road that goes back down to Three Forks. I used to live on that road to TF, rented a little cabin from a young couple there. His name is Scott and I can't remember his wife's name (Amy comes to mind), but she was the jailer for Dan and had to escort him to his trials and hearings when he was arrested initially. She told me stories about him and them both. Showed me some artwork he did while in jail. That's the cabin I was living in when we had that wicked cold spell in Feb late 80's and it was 50+ below zero every night for a couple of weeks. The one the toilet froze solid in... When I got drunk with Scott and Amy, then built a huge fire in the woodstove, had to open all the windows and then passed out with them all wide open. 20 below in the cabin the next morning. Craziness. I remember the name Jim Schwalbe and their unfortunate friend who Don took out, Alan Goldstein. Beartrap Canyon is my favorite place to hunt and hike. That whole area is a hunters paradise. I used to go in from the bridge on the upper end of the BT where you're talking about Sixby, and hunt the mountains beyond, up into Spanish Peaks. Do you know Rob Van Ausdol who runs Pacific Steel? I went hunting up there with him once and shot at a big 6x, and only grazed him. Its the only elk I ever shot at and missed (with rifle - missed some with my recurve). Tracked him all day until near dark and had to finally give up. Next spring I went in and found his sheds right next to another big 6x set. I still have the ones from the bull I shot at, probably around 320. Found a huge set of mulie sheds up there too, right above the trailhead. My Lab Kayak found them actually. I have a ton of stories from the Beartrap, Indian Ridge on the Gallatin side, and I used to hunt and shed hunt the Deer Creek/Hellroaring drainages near Big Sky. Was a whitewater guide on the Gallatin, Floated House Rock section - Big Sky to Canyon exit. I freaking miss all that.

i think Don lives in Deer Lodge, not sure though,Gallatin County has changed,lots of people lots of traffic everyone in a hurry,the traffic to Big Sky and the canyon is awful.Last Best Place , not anymore.

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