I'm reading a biography of Daniel Boone and the author states that many creative geniuses did there best work in a decades time frame and gave several examples.

Many on here have been hunting with or shooting traditional bows for many years and some for a lifetime. So what was your best decade however you wish to define or qualify it but please keep it archery related.

1990’s for me. Only had 1 son at the time(have 3 now)and a stay home mom to take care of things while I worked and hunted. Killed 2 deer a year with the bow back then and countless other game animals. I hunted everything that walked or flew. Fished and trapped to. I was a relentless machine in those days……….Nimrod

2000’s for me. Close friend made me a Hickory self bow in 2006. That was my start to shooting a traditional bow. Hung up my compound and haven’t looked back. Since then, I’ve met and made many good friends and have had great times shooting together. Yes, I have a few custom made long bows now, but still pull the old Hickory back to reminisce.

I’d say mid ‘90s-early 2000s…. Resting heart rate of 40 in Denver. Biking 150 miles/week on Dirt. Minimally, but adequately employed. Hunted 25 days/year after Elk & Mulies. Week and a half early October camping on N shore o’ Lake Superior with grouse in the woods, salmon in the rivers and big waves for kayaking in the lake. Then ski instruction in the winter.

Wouldn’t forego my wife and boys, but man, was that a great lifestyle while it lasted….

Probably the 90’s as well for me. A lot younger, stronger and a lot better physically. 80# bows no problem, humping hills hunting deer in CA no issues.

Mine was a couple decades long. From mid 60s after 5 years Navy/Marine tour. I had a full time shop/lanes from 1964 thru 1982 & competed heavy & bowhunted none stop during the seasons. Now, 65 years of bowhunting biggame behind me, I'm blessed to still be competing & bowhunting I did a lot of crazy things in those young & dumb & fearless days..

I started bow hunting in 1984 when I was 12.

Every decade has been great in a different way I guess and I don't think I could pick a favorite.

The good old days are right now. I love to hunt as much now as I did when I was a kid maybe more because I'm better at it.

1970-80. For many reasons. It was a lot more fun to be in my 20’s in the 70’s, than to be in my 70’s in the 20’s.

For archery in general, the 1970's, since I was shooting a lot of field archery along with my wife. Bowhunting has never been my focus in life, but I've had some great times bowhunting, particularly with friends over the years. I've had a great life in archery so far, and most of it has involved others; mentoring kids, shooting in state tournaments, setting up archery courses, even running an archery shop. Now I mostly irritate the stumps here on Pennsylvania State Game Lands.

1953 - lbg

Some of us may not have had many decades to count.I got six.Hopefully a few more to go.I will assume the best decade is in regards to the outdoor lifestyle with an emphasis on archery and bowhunting

For me its 1985 to 1995 or so.I was done playing college ball and gotten heavily into bow hunting,angling and the shooting sports.Did alot of pheasant hunting,quail hunting and waterfowling.Serious turkey hunting as well with a gun all around the U.S.

The hunting was pretty good in bow season.It was becoming popular.But still some elbow room on public lands.I had gotten into trad bowhunting pretty quick and ditched the compound that did not appeal to me so much as the curves and longbows.I shot all the time.200 arrows a day or more to be ready and I enjoyed shooting the bow.Not hard work at all.I had gotten respectful with the bow and could shoot alot of different shots from different postions.Plus I was young and full of energy and strength and optimism.I did manage to harvest some hard earned descent bucks with my longbows and home made wood arrows.That was a tough slog with many ups and downs.All the more worth it ofcourse!

It was good times.I had the time and a cool and beautiful girlfriend who loved me and supported me and my free spirited pursuits of all things related to the outdoors and milking it for all it was worth.I did milk it and was all consumed with it.It was not the killing or the fooling of the fish and landing them.Though that was part of it.It was more about total emmersion into the natural world and mastering it over time with experience,knowledge,effort,sweat and the tools I used to do it.

I Lived on a tight budget and everything went into hunting,angling and the places I was going around the U.S.My Pickup truck with a cap and bedding and my gear.Thats all I needed besides the gas money,tags,food and beer.I hunted with a few friends and alone.We all shared the same all consuming passion.

My girlfriend who I married ofcourse :) funded some of it for me.I learned alot most can never know in the modern world.Nothing could stop me from it really.Naturally and instinctively drawn to it all.I was very lucky to do what I had done.Its in my memories and in my dreams all the time.Visiting me like an old friend.

So that was a good decade.What more do you want.Youth,energy.passion,the time and great outdoor adventures.Truelly a blessed time for me.

Amen!

The 1970s I mostly just bow hunted and most of the 1980s (8 years) I served in the U.S. Army and only did a little bit of target archery if there was an archery club near where I was stationed. So, I'd have to say the 1990s. In the 1990s not only did I bow hunt a lot, but I also shot a lot of outdoor and indoor 3D competitions and D.A.R.T. System archery competitions. In 2002 I quit shooting competitions and only shoot two or three 3D shoots a year for fun. But from 1988 to present I still bow hunt hard. Shooting 3D courses and competitions was fun but bowhunting has been my main focus since 1969. Even now I bow hunt as hard as I did when I was younger.

the 2000's. i was at my best physically and finally had the elk figured out. also had my best bird dog. had some good times.

The 90's were the best for me. Being in my late 60's now I am slowing a little. Still shooting and hunting a lot though. Had my own "hobby" traditional archery business in the 90's (Kaufman Traditional Archery) back then.

I was a mare driven hunter back then. I am a better shot today.

I'd have to say the 70"s . It's when I met my wife . When I played football and when I got my degree. All these things put me put me on the path to happiness .

Deer, 80's and 90's. For all hunting, 90's. I was going all over hunting, elk, mule deer and of coarse whitetail.

I know I have posted this picture before but this last decade, after antler restrictions, I

was blessed with my biggest buck ever. I had just went back to Trad after many years,

and bucks with a compound. This is huge for my area and the 98 pounds of meat was

well appreciated.

The 70s thru the 90s I was young there was a lot of game I mostly hunted pheasants, grouse, quail,and deer those to me were the golden years. Bergie

1990 to 2000.

Great wife, great home, great health, great career, great hunting dogs, great hunting, and lots of love and happiness.

The late 60s through the mid 80s in Iowa minus several yrs for Uncle Sam. Iowa had it all for hunting with very little restrictions to hunting access, just a knock on the door and 95% you were in.

Holiday Gas Station was the place for hunting supplies, it was fairly inexpensive to get in the field with little hunting pressure. It is all a memory now but I did enjoy making the memories.

1966 though 1976. Got married in '65 and a year later went full bore into archery. Two customers got me into field archery and I joined a sportsman's club with a field, animal, and indoor archery ranges. I started bowhunting in 1967 but didn't do anything until I hooked up with a staff sergeant in the Army at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in 1969. He went to Germany the next year and I hooked up with my BIL's coworker at APG who sponsored me and we became fast hunting buddies hunting APG which was loaded with deer. A son born in '69 and daughter in '71. Life was good.

90's for me. Just more deer in wv

1990s best shooting time of my life won over 30 3d shoots and took several bucks over 160. shooting mostly original Paul schafer Silvertip and His ghost recurve. 2000s was good too sstarted shooting bob morrison bows and continued taking some dandy whitetail bucks.

Pics

The first 6 decades !!

I have only had six decades, each was better than the previous.

The 1990's would be my decade as well. Initiated and designed a 28 position woods course at my club after keeping the limited facilities going for a few years before that. We had a small group that went to a 3D shoot every Sunday for a number of years in that period. I shot a compound that still looked like bow with fingers then moved to a Canebrake RC towards the end. Didn't bowhunt or hunt big game much back then though.

Spending years working on the cabin put archery on hold for more than a decade and since getting back into it about six years ago I have learned more than the four previous decades combined and would say my enthusiasm level is currently higher than ever because of it even though hunting success has been limited.

well the last 8 decades have been wonderful enjoying life! 80,s was probably the best decade for hunting as my 2 boys were bowhunting by then and my old hunting buddy was still alive! thank the good LORD for his wonderful blessings!

I'd have to say 1975 to 1990. All my brothers and my Dad hunted. One brother quit hunting in the early 80s..another quit 10 years ago. My Dad is 94..hasn't hunted in a while, only me n my younger brother still hunt or shoot bows.

Lots of good memories in the 70s..did a lot of bowhunting and playing music.

So far my 40's

But I haven't lived through my 50's yet so ask me in a few years.

:D

the 1970's when I was fifty years younger.

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