About 25 years ago my father in law (ex wife) who is still a good friend of mine asked me to go deer hunting. My dad would never take me hunting and I would lay awake all night as a kid the night before he would leave to hunt hoping he would take me. He never did. But Ron Lester asked me so I went and killed my first deer at 30 years old. I loved it and everything about it except all the guns in the Woods made me nervous. A guy I knew from work killed a monster that made a magazine cover with a bow. His name is Steve Garverick. I asked so many questions he approached me and told me he would be willing to teach me if I would listen to him and only him. He wanted to mentor me. I accepted. He told me to get a compound so I got one. He showed me how to shoot, scout, pick trees for stands, how to get permission to hunt, how to sharpen heads...pretty much everything. He did everything with me and got me started in bow hunting.
A few years later I was at a Christian Bowhunters of America deer hunt in Tar Hollow State Forest in southern Ohio. I knew nobody there. I was out back shooting my compound into foam and there was a guy sitting on a picnic table watching me. He said something about my compound being quiet and we made small talk. He asked to shoot a few so I took a seat. He picked up a Recurve and after a couple shots I asked him how he was able to be so accurate without a sight. He explained and I couldn’t understand so he invited me to shoot. He handed me a glove and armguard and I didn’t know how to put them on so he put them on me. He walked me to the target and coached me through a couple shots. I was not impressed at all. When it was time to pull arrows I handed him his bow and he said “just drop it on the ground”. I wouldn’t so he took it from my hand and dropped it and said “ it’s just a piece of wood”. I told him if he dropped my bow to the ground we would be rolling on the ground and he said that’s why he won’t shoot one of those things.
The second half of that season I kept thinking about that. I killed 4 deer all on the ground and all under 10 yards. Every time I would think I could have done that with one of them recurves. Then I dropped my compound from a treestand and had to go home to fix it thinking I probable wouldn’t have to do this if I had one of them Recurve bows.
His name is Hoot Gibson and at that time he was president of the Ohio Society of Traditional Archers. I am also a former President now. I re met him on the Ohio Forums on the Bowsite after all this and he helped me get my first Recurve and longbow. He coached me over the phone on how to shoot. One time on the phone he told me if I don’t get rid of them compounds I’ll never get any good with a traditional bow because I would always have a crutch to fall back on. After some hard thinking I sold my 3 compounds, presses, and everything I had compound and bought my first custom longbow made by Dave Dwyer. Yes I sold it later...stupid.
Ron Lester got me into deer hunting.
Steve Garverick thought me how to hunt with a bow.
Hoot Gibson brought me into traditional archery.
Lee Cornelius taught me how to make Flemish twist strings and how to sharpen a two blade broadhead.
Jamie Miller, another past OSTA President taught me so many things about Traditional archery and hunting I don’t know where to begin.
Over the course of twenty years I have had the pleasure of meeting and even sharing a meal with the likes of Dean Torges, Dan Quillian, John Fazio. I did not realize who Dan was when I was talking to him. We talked for hours on the phone many times. I hunted Rabbits with Dean in Ohio. He invited me to the second Great Ohio Rabbit Hunt in Ohio. I later took it over when he stepped down. I sold John Fazio’s bows in my shop and became good long distant friends and almost made an Alaskan bear hunt with him. All of these men are gone and sadly missed.
Traditional archery and bow hunting has introduced me to a lot of people who are now dear friends. One is my best friend Dusty Steele of Louisiana who I introduced to traditional and watched him kill his first longbow buck. I also met and hunted with Jerry Gowins who owns a couple of my bows I would like to get back. He put Dusty and my backside on the cover of TBM a couple years ago. Mike Peters who is on the board of the Christian Bow Hunter of America has also been a big help many times and a good friend to share a hunting camp with.
This year is my 20th season with a stick and I’m 55. I wish I had started sooner but I’m glad I didn’t miss out on the last 20 years. I love this stuff.
This was a long one and if you made it this far I appreciate it.
Probabably the most incredible journey I’ve heard of. Good on you sir. Carry that torch!