All posts by 3Rivers Archery

I recently found this photo circulating some forums, on its face it’s pretty cool looking – in fact it’s said to have been on the cover of Navy Times during the Vietnam War. Pictured is Lieutenant Commander Donald D. Sheppard, USN, who went on to write several books after the war.

One such book, which is now standard reading for naval officers, was Riverine: Brown Water Sailor in the Delta 1967.

Interestingly, one of the Amazon.com reviewers (Thomas P. Stiller) implies to have known Sheppard and said, “The history surrounding Don Sheppard is incorrect. Don was actually the Commander of RIVRON 5, Section 51, part of Task Force 116.1, the most decorated unit in Viet Nam. Don did not usually participate in patrols. Every time he was on my boat PBR-39 was for a photo op. One time he was on the cover of the Navy Times with a flaming arrow starting hutches on fire with this primitive device…bull…the guy not in the picture was behind me using a flame thrower, starting the fires. This is one of several instances for photo ops, the rest I will not indicate.”

Despite the apparent controversy surrounding the images – it’s still pretty cool.

Clinton Miller lives in the hills south of Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia, where it is currently deer season. This article has been re-published here with permission of Clinton Miller. “It’s the first kill for this bow. The shot went in as pictured and came out about 6” lower on the opposite side. Got one lung and the liver. He only went maybe 70 meters. The Axis arrows, grizzly heads, adapters, feathers, inserts, and some various other bow accessories used were purchased from 3Rivers Archery.”

By Clinton Miller

A long time goal was achieved last weekend. For quite a few years I have been trying to take a deer, any deer with a bow. I have been unfortunate to have lost some and until now I haven’t been able to seal the deal. It felt like there was some sort of protective force field around every deer I shot at.

Well March and April for us is what September and October is for you guys and the fallow deer that I have access to do their thing in these months. I vowed to myself to make 2015 ‘the year of the deer’ and I’ve put in a day every second weekend since February at the property hoping to put to bed this deer hoodoo I had going.

The property is relatively new to me so I started going out there in February to get to know the place and to scout for deer. On the 1st trip, I spotted some does in their beds and made a stalk to about 20 yards but was foiled by a tree that was just behind the crease of the doe I shot at. Yep, dead centered the tree. Remember that force field I told you about …

Fast forward a few trips and the end of March rolls in. This time I was hoping that by now they should be responding to the rattle of a pair of antlers. Up until then they haven’t been.

I arrived at the place by mid afternoon and planned on an afternoon hunt, stay the night, a morning hunt and be back home by lunch the next day.

I checked the wind and accordingly, made plans to circle wide and come in behind the area I wanted to hunt, which is a trail with scrapes I found the week before. The idea was to setup in sight of the scrapes and rattle hoping to deceive a buck into thinking a rival was on his turf and coax him into range.

A little way into the walk I dropped into a rocky little creek, dotted with small rock holes full of water from recent storms. It was a beautiful little locale. A small cascade, surrounded by steep sided walls of rock. I thought to myself, “This is a nice little spot.”

I was standing in the creek bed enjoying being there when I looked up stream and saw a white figure walking down into the creek. My first thoughts were that it was a Billy goat and I casually lifted the binos to check him out. I had no intention of shooting a goat this trip so I was just going to watch him do his thing.

However the binos revealed a white buck. PANIC mode! Get out of the creek before he sees me. Hurry up and find a spot to setup for a rattle. Get the pack off and get the antlers, quick, hurry.

There were two ways that he might come in to the rattle, if he did at all. Down the creek or from above on the creek bank. I wasn’t sure where he was so I was watching both areas as I started rattling. Sure enough he must have been still in the creek bed because after only a few light rattles I saw his antlers coming down the creek. Now that I knew which way he was coming I knelt down and got into a more concealed position. As I did I drove the barbed spikes of a tiger pear cactus into my shin. What a time to do that. Here I was trying to get into a comfortable position with a tiger pear hanging off me.

The buck kept coming and revealed himself broadside at around 13 meters (roughly 14 yards). His chest seemed to fill my field of view. It looked so big that I remember thinking I can’t miss this, I must have been so focused.

As soon as he stepped out I drew and released. As I was drawing he turned his head and looked at me. It was too late though, the arrow was about to hit and seal his fate.

The instant it hit him I knew it was a good shot and thought for sure I’d just killed my first deer with a bow. He crashed off in the direction he came from and not wanting to push him I turned my attention to extracting the tiger pear from my leg. These things have 1.5″ spines that must have microscopic barbs because they are a right pain in the butt to get out. They will hang on, pulling a big fold of skin with them when you attempt to pull them out. They freakin’ hurt too. A couple of them went in 3/8″.

By the time I sorted that out it was time to take up the trail. At the site of the hit there was a good splash of blood on the rocks but it soon deteriorated to just drops then further to having to follow his tracks. I found the arrow and there was blood on it, the dark red type, not as reassuring as the bright pink stuff. Though there were a few little bubbles amongst it, indicating some lung damage.

Continuing to follow his tracks I seemed to lose them after about 40 meters. Puzzled to where he might have gone I went ahead a little too where I thought he may have gone.

I remember looking at the ground wondering where he could have gone and then looking up to my left over the other side of the creek and bingo, there he was, a pale figure lying in a small gully that runs into the creek.

“How did you get over there,” I thought. I backtracked a little more and soon found the spot where he entered the creek and crossed over and joined a trail leading right to where he was. It pays to look for the trail even if you have found the animal as you will most likely learn a valuable lesson about the situation.

The first emotion that hit me was that of relief. I finally proved to myself that it is actually possible to kill a deer with a trad bow. They aren’t an immortal creature after all.

It’s hard to describe the emotions felt, but you all know what I mean. A mix of sadness, deep respect, gratitude, contentment, sorrow, relief and more I don’t understand.

I sat with him for a moment and laid my hand on his fur thankful for this moment and I silently said to him that I will carry out every bit of meat. I would feel like I didn’t fully respect his life and the fact that I ended it if I didn’t.

I took some photos then started the task of field dressing him for packing out.

It was getting on and darkness, I knew, would beat me. I got a lot of it done before I needed my torch, just as well too, because the batteries went flat after about 15 minutes, leaving me trying to dress my first archery deer in the dark. It was time to use something I’ve been carrying for years in my little first aid kit; I finally got to use the most traveled light stick in Australia.

It was a whole lot brighter than I thought it would be and made the job heaps easier. After about an hour I had it all packed up on the kifaru spike camp ready for the haul back the Ute. I reckon it would have weighed easily 50kgs, (100lbs). I left the skin and ribs there for the night and went back in the morning for a second load.

The pack out was tiring but rewarding. Under the light of a half moon, thank goodness.

I remember thinking as I was walking out, that this is how it should be and how I wanted it to be. Working hard, earning the venison. I didn’t want the first to be any other way.

Our good friend Ted Judson, age 68, of Blissfield, MI, passed away Friday, April 3, 2015. He was a good friend and was incredibly active in the traditional archery community. Ted hunted not only throughout the United States, but all over the world. He was a good friend of the Karch family and of 3Rivers Archery. He shared many hunting camps with Dale and the boys and even enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with the Karch family.

He was a member of the Blissfield Sportsmen’s Club, he was a previous Compton’s board member and lifetime member, a regular member of PBS, an associate member of Pope & Young, a lifetime member of the NRA, and a member of the Michigan Longbow Association.

Ted graduated from Blissfield High School with the Class of 1965, and attended Stautzenberger College as well as Jackson Community College. On February 14, 1976, Ted was married to Janet Crammond in Toledo, Ohio.

Funeral services will take place at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, April 7, 2015, at Wagley Funeral Home, Tagsold Chapel in Blissfield with Pastor Samuel Pooley officiating. Burial will be private. Friends may visit the family at the funeral home on Monday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. and again Tuesday, from 10:00 a.m. until the service.

Contributions in memory of Ted may be made to the Wellsville United Methodist Church or the donor’s charity of choice. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.WagleyFuneralHome.com.

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Theodore “Ted” Judson please visit http://www.wagleyfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Theodore-Judson/#!/Obituary.

For the spring season, if you want to bag a turkey, you’re going have to scout, scout, and then scout some more. Expect this to take a good bit of time and effort. You’re scouting to find where the turkeys are roosting and where they feed or strut in the morning. Usually, they’ll keep to the same patterns in good weather.

When you’re scouting, you’re looking and listening for where the birds are, where are the hens going after they pitch down, what are the Toms doing, which Toms run together and where do they feed.

Go out at dusk the evening before your hunt and listen to where they are gobbling at sunset, use a call to get e response gobble letting you pin the roost tree. When you call and finally do get a gobble in response, do not keep calling.

Turkeys do not call as much as you think. Yes, there are times when a hen will just crank away, but not all the time, in fact, she only does that in specific situations. Until you know why she’s doing that, your best tools are patience and knowing your land.

Get there about an hour before sunrise the next morning and set up your decoys in a spot about 100 yards away from the roost tree. You want to be roughly 15 yards from your decoys (or whatever distance you feel comfortable taking that shot), positioned so your back is against a tree or some brush. Remember to stay still; you don’t want all the work you’ve put in to go to waste just because you can’t sit still. That said, look at where you’re going to sit before you put your butt down on an ant hill.

Five minutes to light, make a tree yelp – resist the temptation to continue calling. Wait for about 10 minutes and see if the birds fly to your setup from the roost. When the turkeys fly down and head to your decoy, it’s time to bag your bird. If you have a bird come in, you wait until he is in full strut. As soon as he turns around and his fan is blocking all view of you, get in position and get ready to draw back on that bird as soon as he turns around again. This may take 5 minutes or an hour, be prepared to be able to hold your bow in an odd or uncomfortable position for a very long time.

However, if you don’t hear anything for another 10 minutes, make a couple more yelps.

If they fly down, but not to you, try a few more periodic calls, but it’s probably not going to work out. If they flew down, but you’re not sure where they went and you’re not getting responses to calls stay where you’re at for at least an hour. About 80% of the time this won’t work; you, however, are hoping it’s the 20% that does work.

If, after an hour, you’re still coming up short it’s time to start hiking your hunting area. Remember, if you’re on public land it’s a good idea (and in many states it’s the law) to wear some orange while hiking; just remember to put it away when you find your next spot. Periodically you’ll want to stop and call to see if you can strike a gobble. If you don’t hear anything then keep moving. If you get a response, it’s time to quickly setup again (just like at the beginning of your hunt). After you get settled in, call again and listen to see if the Tom is coming your way.

If you think that everything is going well and the birds are getting close and then they go silent, be ready for them to show up in stealth mode. If, however, you’re pretty sure they’re gone wait 20 minutes after the last time you called before you either call again or leave. There is nothing more heartbreaking than thinking you’re done for the day, standing up and hearing the familiar sound of a turkey taking flight.

Remember, turkeys have nowhere to be and all day to get there. The hunting shows on TV cut hours of waiting to fit into their 30 minute show. Be patient and most importantly, have fun.

For some great shot placement tips, check out this video on turkey anatomy and proper arrow placement from Hoyt. It’s geared toward compound shooters, but the skills are pretty easily transferable to traditional archery.

By Jason D. Mills

BBC Film maker and writer Terry Jones discovered a colony of new, very rare penguins, which have developed the ability to fly. This incredible feat is made possible by their enlarged pectoral muscles and high stamina – effectively nullifying their small wings. These penguins sustain themselves with a high fat, high carbohydrate diet, which gives them the energy they need for long distance flight. Their wings, as it turns out, are aerodynamically perfect to cruise at high altitudes and dive bomb their prey beneath the ocean surface. Scientists believe there will be a sustainable, huntable population of these penguins within the next decade and we could expect to see them in North America before 2020. Watch the video for more information.

One more thing, April Fools.

The days are getting longer and the air is getting warmer, which can mean only one thing – turkey season is almost here. Getting a trophy tom with a shotgun can be hard, but when you decide to do it with your bow, especially a recurve or longbow, it can be considerably more difficult. The last thing you want to do is to be caught unprepared on opening day – making an already challenging hunt nearly impossible, but don’t worry 3Rivers Archery has your back.

There are a few things to consider before venturing out into the woods this season, and the best time to start thinking about them is in the weeks prior to opening day.

Where are you hunting?

Many bowhunters will likely already have their hunting area secured. If you fall into that category, now would be a good time to start scouting – you should become intimately familiar with your territory. If you’re still not sure where you’re going to be hunting this season, the advice is the same; don’t wait for opening day to find out where the birds are roosting and feeding.

Will you be hunting from a blind or ‘running and gunning?’

Many archers find it easier to hunt from a blind because it can conceal the extra movement of drawing a bow. When hunting with a shotgun it’s easy to simply get set-up, put the gun on you knee and wait for a bird to get within range. With a bow, however, it’s never that simple. If you do decide to ‘run-and-gun’ consider using a bow sock in conjunction with some bow camo and a ghillie suit. Although this won’t hide your movements completely, it will soften them and it can be much more effective at concealing the human form than camouflage alone.

Is your blind ready to go?

A good ground blind is invaluable to the bowhunter when he is matching wits with a seasoned tom. Turkeys have some of the sharpest eyes in the woods, and your trophy tom has been hunted before, so he’s already weary of even the slightest movements. You can’t hold your bow at full draw for too long and drawing takes a lot of movement, so what do you do? You get a ground blind. There are many different kinds of blinds from single panels to large pop-up blinds and even the high-tech GhostBlind®. Which one is the right one for you? That depends on preference, hunting style, and budget, but I love the GhostBlind®. It works just about anywhere and can be moved easily and setup quickly.

Are your decoys ready to go?

Most hunters can get the old longbeards within 50 or so yards, but arguably the most difficult part of luring a tom within shooting range are those last few yards. A good decoy can be the difference between success or failure this season. That said, it’s hard to find a reason to not recommend the Miss Purr-Fect Hen. It just works. The Miss Purr-Fect weighs about as much as a bottle of water and features perfect pose technology, allowing for detailed adjustable neck/head positioning.

Do you have a good hunting seat?

Whether you will be sitting at the base of a tree or in a ground blind this season, it is important to think about comfort. If you can’t sit still then you might as well not go out at all, because a turkey will see your movement and your hunt will be over. If you’re going to be sitting on the ground, then at least make sure your back is comfortable with some lumbar support. Or, if you’re going to be hunting from a blind you might want to check out the Chama Swivel Hunting Chair.

Is your camo right for the season?

You’re going to need to get your bird within your kill zone, and for most traditional bowhunters that means 20 yards or less. This means the detail of your camouflage is critical. The wild turkey’s ability to pick up movement is truly impressive, so you need to make sure you’re camo is on point. The new Core4Element Realtree Xtra® Camo line by Easton is impressive and has been designed for early season hunting.

Do you have the appropriate broadheads?

What’s the best broadhead for hunting turkey? The one that flies the straightest and gets the job done. The vital area on a turkey is roughly the size of a fist; that said, the best broad head is the one you can shoot confidently into that small of an area time and time again. You do not want to be second guessing how an arrow will fly or your ability to hit a tom when he is at 20 yards.

However, it’s best to avoid a pass though with turkey, because if they can run or fly after the shot, they usually will, which won’t leave a blood trail or, if it does, it won’t be a good one. If you can, try and place your arrow so it penetrates at least one wing, both would be better, while also hitting the vitals. Another good way to avoid a pass through is to add a Zwickey Scorpios Broadhead Stopper to your broadhead.

Have you practiced shooting enough to be confident?

As with all things, the key to successful traditional bowhunting is practice. In the military they have a saying, train like you fight. It would be a good idea to find an area where you can practice shooting, which will closely replicate your actual hunting conditions. It’s also a good idea to get a decent target for practice. I love practicing with a good 3D target, but not every hunter can afford that. The next best option is to get a high-quality lifelike paper target.

Have you purchased your hunting license?

This one seems like such a no-brainer, but it never fails – someone will forget or put it off too long. So, do it now, well not right now, but as soon as you’re done reading this article.

Finally, how are you going to display that big longbeard once you bag him?

Because you will get him, if not this year then maybe next year, but it will happen. I suggest mounting the tail feathers and longbeard yourself. It’s a good DIY project and is much more satisfying to point at your trophy and say you did everything. Try mounting it on our Arrowhead plaque to show off your pride as a traditional bowhunter.

In closing, I hope this helped. If you think of anything that I might have forgotten, please leave a comment and let me know. Remember to stay safe in the woods this season and as always, good luck and shoot straight. Be sure to share your tom with us and we’ll add it to our Trophy Room.

By Jason D. Mills

By Jason D. Mills

Heather Culler, our design specialist, will be leaving 3Rivers Archery today to join her husband in running The Angler, a local hunting and fishing supply store in Hudson, Indiana, full-time.

Heather has been a dedicated member of the 3Rivers’ staff for more than four years and, although we’re sad to see her go, we know she and her husband will do great things for the hunting and fishing industry. Originally, Heather joined us as our manufacturing manager and she quickly found herself juggling multiple projects.

Our vice president of operations knew Heather had a degree in interior design and she quickly approached Heather about assisting with our email marketing. Heather was happy to accept the extra duties and said that she leaned as she went, teaching herself how to use design software. Heather also quickly became the manager of the Safety Department and was, in fact, the entire safety department.

Heather explained she thrived on the challenge and said that she will miss working with her best friends every day, but is excited about running the marketing of The Angler.

“Every day was a challenge for me,” she said. “I was able to have that creative outlet with the marketing and I was also able to have that structure as the manufacturing manager.”

After Heather and her husband bought The Angler last April, she slowly began spending more and more time at their new store until, eventually, Heather had to move to part-time here at 3Rivers. Although it can be scary, especially when you’re moving to something as challenging as running your own business, Heather she said she is excited about working with her husband.

“I’m excited to share in the stress and the excitement of what [my husband] does every day,” she explained.

All of us here at 3Rivers Archery would like to wish Heather and her husband the best as they take this next step together. We hope you will join us as we say, “Thank you” for her years of hard work and dedication to the traditional archery community.

I recently had the opportunity to pick-up the new Martin Independence Recurve. Speaking with the Martin representative over the phone, he told me that the Independence Recurve’s light weight, small size, and stabilizer bushing made it perfect for bowfishing. I was intrigued, and being that bowfishing season will quickly be upon us, I decided to open one up and share my findings. That being said, this is very much an opinion piece and is far from comprehensive. If you have something you’d like to add, or if you feel I missed something please leave a comment and let me know.

My first thought when pulling the Martin Independence Recurve out of its box was, “Wow, this thing really is small.” However, that’s to be expected from a bow with a 52” AMO. I was happy to see the stabilizer bushing looked clean – like it was born there. I did notice that there are no sight bushings, I expected this, but it does mean that if you want to use side mounted reels, such as the extreamly popular AMS Retriever® Pro Bowfishing Reel or the AMS Retriever® TNT reel, you’d either have to install sight bushings or buy the AMS Bowfishing Traditional Mount Adapter. If I were going to use it strictly as a bowfishing rig I’d likely install sight bushings, but the AMS adapter works great if you want to just try out a side mounted bowfishing reel without having to drill holes in your bow.

Before going any further, I’m going to tell you a little about me (so you have a baseline of where I’m coming from). I’m a bigger guy, 6’ 2” and 225 pounds. I shoot with either an X-large Big-Shot Elk Archery Shooting Glove or a large Safari Tuff 3-Under Finger Tab. Don’t ask me when I shoot with which one, because I really do enjoy shooting with both – just depends on how I feel that day if I’m going to shoot with a tab or glove. Also, because I’m a bigger guy, I have a long 31” draw, which means I have long forearms, so I use the 8 ½” Vintage Leather Stiff Back Armguard. I’m right eye dominant and a right handed shooter. I shoot 3-under, string walk when I’m shooting with a tab, and shoot purely instinctive with a glove.

Moving on, the handle on this bow is tiny. I mean it’s very small; smaller than some longbow handles. That said, my hand does fit comfortably, but I could see my pinky either getting squeezed after a while of shooting or opting to shoot using an open grip. Someone with smaller hands would probably not have this problem. However, most bowfishing is done very quickly – there’s a lot going on and a lot of moving parts, which means the smaller handle probably won’t bother you even if you do have big hands.

Holding this bow it occurs to me that it is light as a feather. I weighed it and it comes in at a little more than a pound and a half. I could hold this thing for a while without worrying about fatigue, which means I could likely be out on the water with this bow all day.

While inspecting the limbs I noticed that the bow is not “stamped” with the standard Damon Howatt logo, instead it looks like it was drawn on by hand. This kind of gives it a nice custom vibe – they might not all come this way, but the one I’m playing with did and I like it.

I really like the cornucopia of colors featured in the riser of this bow, they make it stand out and it makes the bow feel more like a custom bow than a mass produced bow. That said, colors are really a taste thing, and the laminated look might not be for you.

Included in the box are instructions, a bow string, an arrow rest, a strike plate, and a bow stringer. There’s nothing wrong with the included strike plate and arrow rest, but I’d certainly put something on it that is more my taste – something a bit less generic.

Personally, I shoot the Leather Arrow Rest and the 1959 Leather Strike Plate because they are super quiet, smooth, and I like the way they look because, let’s face it, that’s important too.

The string could benefit from an upgrade. I don’t care for the included 14 strand Dacron bowstring and would probably upgrade to a Fast Flight Plus™ Flemish Twist Bow String if I were going to use it as my personal bow. I don’t care for the Dacron because it seems to give the bow a very low brace height and is a bit more “twangy” when shot.

The included bow stringer is adequate, but there are better ones out there (I use the Limbsaver). It’s pretty much what I’d expect from a free stringer. It was, however, a little bit snug to fit the bottom tip into, but I’m sure that would change with use.

Upon stringing the bow I wasn’t surprised to find that the brace height immediately feels very low (like I said, that can happen with a Dacron string right out of the box), so the string will need to be twisted quite a bit. Out of the box the brace height is 5-1/2” and the manufacturer recommended brace height is between 6-3/4” and 7-3/4”. This just reaffirms that if I were to get the bow for personal use I’d put on a Fast Flight Plus ™ string.

The bow is certainly snappy when shot; it’s a very quick little bow. It’s really easy to get on target quickly, the sight window is just right. That’s important when bow fishing, you don’t want to struggle to get on target. The string has a lot of twang to it, but it quiets down quick. If I were going to use this as my personal bow I’d probably put on felt pads, which would likely fix it right up, but if it didn’t I’m certain that some string silencers would do the trick.

There is quite a bit of stacking, it’s very noticeable. That’s probably because I have a longer draw, but it’s uncomfortable for me to get the bow to anchor. I’m finding myself unconsciously bending my left elbow to reverse the stacking affect. I expect some stacking from bowfishing bows (because they are generally smaller bows), but it would keep me from using the bow for anything other than bowfishing.

I decided to try on a couple of different reels with the bow; one for the seasoned bowfisher and one for the not-so-seasoned bowfisher.

The first setup I tried was what I called the RPM rig, which consisted of an RPM Vise Bowfishing Reel Seat, RPM Synery TI-20 Bowfishing Reel, and RPM Breakout Power Rod.

It took a little adjusting to get it set correctly on the bow (and by little I mean very, very little), but it’s certainly nothing an adjustable wrench couldn’t make short work of. The first thing I notice about this rig is the weight. The RPM equipment alone weighs nearly 2 pounds, which is more than the bow. However, it feels SOLID and well-made. This rig would be good for quick shots (most bowfishing shots are quick shots), but would wear on you quickly. If your left arm (or right arm if you’re a left handed shooter) isn’t used to holding the weight I could see stamina becoming a real issue with this setup.

The bow is well made, so it can take a little abuse – let’s be honest, if you’re bowfishing with friends on a small boat going after big Carp your bow is probably going to take a couple of hits. The reel is ready to use out of the box, which is nice. It comes pre-spooled with 125 feet of 200 pound Monkey Wire, an abrasion resistant string made from the same material that goes into creating bulletproof vests.

This rig would be PERFECT for quick shots on big fish in small boats.

The second setup I tried consisted of the Cajun Screw-On Bowfishing Reel and nothing else.

My first thought in looking at the Cajun was, “is this thing going to get in the way?” And the answer was a resounding, “Nope.” It’s much cheaper than the RPM rig, coming in at $24.99 plus shipping compared to more than a $100 for all three pieces of RPM gear.

The next thing I noticed about the Cajun was the weight – or the lack thereof. I weighed it and it came to roughly 6 ounces, which makes the whole bow weigh a little less than 2 pounds (which is less than the RPM rig by itself). However, there is a trade off, it looks and feels much cheaper than the RPM rig. This probably has something to do with the fact that it’s plastic instead of titanium.

Bottom line: if you’re a bowfisher with a standard draw length and you love (NEED) quality this is the bowfishing recurve for you. If you’re looking for a small, accurate, quality bow (one that you know isn’t going to blow-up on you) that gets on target quick and doesn’t look like every other run of the mill bow, then look no further than the Martin Independence Recurve.

If you’re after the big fish and you’re addicted the having the highest quality, best gear then you want the Martin Independence with the RPM rig.

If already you know you know you want the Martin Independence Recurve, but maybe you’re on the fence about bowfishing (or on a budget) then the Cajun is the rig for you.

Finally, 3Rivers Archery offers a couple of pre-setup bowfishing bows (all they need is the fish), which might be the best option for the budget conscious (or just plain curious) bowfisher. The Kingfisher™ Bowfishing Recurve Bow Kit and the 3Rivers Recurve Bowfishing Kit, both are good bows at a reasonable price.

Are you thinking about trying archery, but you’re still not quite sure where to start? Olympic silver medalist Jake Kaminski is here to help.

In this useful video, Kaminski covers what the different parts of the bow are called, basic bow set-up, eye dominance, proper bow size, draw length, arrow selection, form, grip, release, and aiming.

Although this is not the end-all-be-all guide, it’s a good place for new shooters to start.

If you’d like to learn more about accessories, the difference between wood, aluminum, carbon, and fiberglass arrows; general arrow selection, or how to string and unstring a bow, visit our website for additional resources.

By Jason D. Mills

Today is March 5, which also happens to be Fred Bear’s birthday.

Born in Waynesboro, Penn. on March 5, 1902, Bear was an American author, video host, bow maker, and traditional bow hunter. Bear left his home, a small farm, when he was only 21 years old to pursue opportunities in Detroit’s growing auto industry.

Although Bear grew up in a hunting family, he did not start bow hunting until 1929. In fact, Bear said that after hunting with a rifle he was not all that interested in the sport – as there was not enough challenge in it.

“I grew up a gun hunter, my dad was a hunter,” Bear explained in a 1985 interview with Mike Avery. “I shot a deer in 1933 up in the Upper Peninsula [in Michigan] that dressed 285 pounds, the biggest deer I ever saw. And it was so easy. That opening morning I walked up the draw and there he was looking at me and I was looking at him and I shot him and went down and that’s when the work began. So, I thought this [traditional bow hunting] would be a little bit better.”

Bear first had his interest in traditional archery piqued in 1927, when he visited the Adams Theatre in Detroit, where he watched “Alaskan Adventure,” a film featuring a Californian bowhunter named Arthur Young. In that same year, 1927, Bear met Young and he soon began craft his own bows, arrows, and bow strings under the tutelage of Young himself. If Bear had never watched Young’s film or if he had not met Young it could easily be said that archery, as it is known today, would have never existed.

However, Bear did not begin hunting with a bow until 1929, when he ventured into the woods with a bow carved from an $8 Osage orange stave. It took Bear six years before he finally connected with his first whitetail deer with a bow.

Bear Products Company, which made advertising materials for the automotive industry, was founded in 1933 by Fred Bear and Charles Piper after the plant where the men were working burnt down. The business was started with a $600 loan from Piper’s mother and used $600 in Bear’s personal equipment to function.

“I was running a plant for a fellow in Detroit, during the depression, terrible depress of ’29-33 and [the plant owner] wasn’t doing so well and the place caught fire, the insurance company owned it and I was out of a job,” Bear explained. “So, he had a nephew in there, been there about a year. Fresh out of Dartmouth, who came in with the selling capacity and he made friends with Chrysler. We were doing automotive work, in the beginning no one could live off the archery thing. We were making advertising materials, the same business where I was running the plant. So, I got ahold of him and I said, ‘Chuck, you can get the orders for this stuff and I know how to make it, why don’t we form a partnership and get back in business.’ And that was in ’33. Well, he didn’t have any money, and I didn’t either, really; we took inventory of the equipment I had in my basement and it came to $600, and he borrowed $600 from his mother and that was the beginning of this whole thing.”

It was only during his off hours that Bear crafted archery equipment, usually only for his circle of friends. However, the demand for Bear’s products steadily grew and in 1937 he patented his first bow glove and hired Nels Grumley, a master bowyer, to begin making bows under the name “Bear Products by Grumley” fulltime.

In 1939 the side business of archery demanded so much of Bear’s time, he decided to devote himself to it; and in 1940 Bear Products split into two companies, where Piper retained control of the automotive business and Bear retained the archery business. This is when the Bear Archery Company was officially born.

This was no accident, and Bear’s business didn’t grow organically. Bear tenaciously promoted the sport of archery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF6PEw5_yRI

“I had to not only make a product, but create a market for it,” he said. “So, I got into the promotional business and I soon found that the newspapers weren’t interested in the scores of the tournament, but if you could run down there with a deer or a bear you shot with a bow, you might make the front page.”

Further, Bear’s clout as a target archery champion helped him champion Michigan’s first bowhunting season in 1937, which prompted many other states to do the same. This, likely, was no small part to Bears success in the archery business.

“In 1937, four years later, we had our first archery season with 193 hunters; 193 bow hunting licenses were sold,” he said. “And it got to a point where I could some days; maybe eat three meals a day. And then I kept on promoting and as the business grew we did better and I found myself in the position where I could go hunting anyplace in the world, I could, you know, take some pictures, write a story, or make a film and I could expense it out tax wise and I could pay myself for doing it. Well, I’ve been doing that for 30-something years now and having a ball. So, I’ve shot a lot of animals and had a great time. I’m still having a great time.”

Shortly thereafter, in 1942, Bear produced his first hunting movie as a move to further promote the sport of archery. The next year Bear began experimenting with what would later become his favorite and most popular bow model – the take-down.

“On a trip I made to Alaska with a conventional longbow that I had to check as baggage along with my other gear; I took a flight nonstop, Chicago to Anchorage, and I got off the plane, but my archery equipment didn’t,” Bear said. “The stop in Anchorage was for fuel, and my hunt was a fly-in hunt and I’m being left handed, there were no other left handers in the party and I found those moose pretty hard to kill with rocks. So, I determined that I would make a bow that could be taken apart and put in a small enough case to go under my seat in the airplane.”

It took Bear years of trial and error before finally perfecting the design to his takedown bow in 1970, but his efforts were not in vain. It is not only a bow style that is still sold today, but Bear said “this is the bow that is the ultimate … this is my personal hunting bow. I’ve been hunting with this bow since 1965; I still shoot this bow.”

Four years later, in 1946, Bear patented the first bow quiver and the next year he moved the Bear Archery company from Detroit to Grayling, MI.

However, this growth did not sit well with Grumley, the bowyer Bear hired in 1937. Grumley knew that this move would mean mass producing bows by machines instead of individually crafting every bow by hand and, despite Bear’s attempt at retaining him, Grumley left Bear in 1948. After Grumley’s departure, Bear began using the famous “Running Bear” decal.

The next year, in 1949, Bear began mass producing the Polar, Grizzly, and Kodiak bows. It was also in 1949 that Bear championed the use of fiberglass in bows.

“A salesman for Corning Glass Company … dropped in – he was an archer, bowhunter – dropped into our shop in the very early ‘40s,” Bear explained. “And he had a piece of fiberglass cloth and I had never seen or heard of it and I was very surprised that glass would be flexible like it was … but I had not any great interest in it until he mentioned that it was elastic. He said that it was elastic and very strong and it would stretch or compress and unlike any other material it would always return to its original position until it was overstressed and then it would break. Well, that interested me because if it’s elastic maybe it’s a material we needed for the back of our bows.”

At the same time, Bear was doing some work with Chrysler and he knew their head chemist. Bear knew that Chrysler had developed a glue for bonding rubber to metal, which was called cycle-weld cement. So, Bear took the fiberglass cloth to the chemist at Chrysler and asked if he would put three or four layers of it on the back and belly of one of his bows with the cycle-weld cement. He found that the fiberglass, currently in a crisscross pattern, worked great on the back of the bow, but did not work well on the belly. This prompted Bear to begin manufacturing bows with fiberglass laminated backs and aluminum bellies. Interestingly, the aluminum was scrapped from B-17 bomber airplanes of WWII.

However, Bear found that the aluminum caused too much handshock when shot and there were also a large number of bows returned because of delaminating, which was caused by the large amount of shock. This warranty problem caused a substantial strain on the company’s finances; nonetheless, Bear insisted that all bows be replaced if returned broken.

This prompted Bear to begin developing a unidirectional fiberglass and, in 1951, the aluminum belly bows were discontinued entirely.

Two years later, in 1953, Bear patented the working recurve limb, which is the design that almost all modern recurves use today. The next year Bear began marketing their new fiberglass working recurve – the Kodiak II (see all Kodiak models still in production). Then, in 1965, Bear began marketing his, now famous, Bear Razorhead broadhead for the first time.

Despite his successes, Bear sold his company to Victor Comptometer in 1968 in an effort to grow the company even more. After the sale, Bear stayed on as President and remained active in the design and promotion of products, even after Kidde Corporation took over Victor Comptometer in 1977.

Shortly thereafter, in 1978, a strike at the Grayling plant forced the new owners to move operations to Gainesville, Fla., where the company remains today.

Notwithstanding the turbulence, Bear was an active part of his company until his death on April 27, 1988, at the age of 86.