Getting ready for the GB-Pats game and hearing a lot of goat talk comparing Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers... My question to all of yall is...
Who's your personal greatest of all time trad Bowhunter??
I know there's no right awnser because there's so many so swallow all of those comments please and just tell who and why if you'd like..
Dead or alive, doesn't matter.. It's just for fun!
Mine is Paul Schafer.. I think because he was so good and tragically passed in his prime.. Very close second is Ben Pearson because Pine Bluff is so close to where I grew up.. Only missed him by a couple decades unfortunately..
I guess Howard Hill will always be my favorite. Not only did he successfully take so many animals, but he has been a source of inspiration for thousands of bow hunters, as well as target shooters, across numerous generations.
For most of my hunting career it was Roger Rothaar, although I never met him. I spent many hours listening to Dan Quillian. I learned more in those hours than decades of hunting alone. Dean Torges taught me tons about building bows. And the Wensel twins never cease to amaze. I guess I did not answer the question. Okay, Barry Wensel.
Lots of greats in the past...Fred Bear, Ben Pearson, Bill Negley,...the list could go on for quite a while. Still around, the Wensels are the kings of whitetails, but all around...I'd have to give my vote to Denny Sturgis Jr. He doesn't brag about it or make a big deal of it that I've ever seen, but his trophy room is a sight to see...he should open it to the public and charge admission! Besides that, he's just a nice guy and the only person I've ever seen that knows exactly how to push Rod Jenkins' buttons (and loves to do it)... :biglaugh:
My vote goes to Fred Bear. When I think of bow hunters, he is the first name to come to mind every time.
Go pack go, listening to the gf and now at deer camp. Hard to say, Charlie Lamb has taught me a lot, Barry wensel's is another person I admire.
Let's go pats, but for your question, it's gotta be someone history has forgotten who could bring in game meat any day of the week for his family.
It's gotta be Bart Schleyer for me. :shaka:
There are so many great ones to choose from!
I have admired Fred Bear since a kid.
I admire the Wensels from all of their literature.
Who couldn't admire Paul Schafer!
Bart Schleyer was one heck of an outdoorsman and bowhunter to look up to as well!
So many it's ridicluous. But Fred Bear will always be my favorite.
Honestly, knowing all I know about the man, his intelligence, his nuttiness, his Browningesque approach to life, I'd have to say Monty Browning. World records, lifetime of memories, no hype. My friend Monty.
Monty Browning for me too.
I agree that this is a super-difficult question as there are and were so many greats. But you did ask us to choose and so I will. Fred Bear. That I own a half-dozen of his vintage beauties might have something to do with it, but I admired him as a sportsman, hunter, and generally fine human being on top of all that.
Swinehart
I do not have a favorite, but Don Thomas is way up there.
Fred Eichler. Reminds me why I Bowhunt.
Not to leave anyone out, but for me Monty Browning gets my vote. Funny thing is those quarterbacks have always strived to be the best in the league. Most of our bowhunting heroes are just great hunters, great human beings and have complete respect for the animals they hunt.
When I met Dan Quillian I had been bowhunting for 30 years, and thought I knew something. Dan taught me more in a few months than I had learned in the 30 years before, learning on my own. Before I got to know Dan personally, Fred Bear would have been my quick pick. My first hunting bow was a Bear solid fiberglass 40# ambidextrous longbow, and I shot Bear cedar arrows with Bear broadheads from the Western Auto store, $1.50 each. Back in the day, he was every bowhunter's idol, and his name was synonymous with archery and bowhunting. I was also enamored of Howard Hill, and saw his shorts during Saturday matinees at the movie, but Fred and his products were everywhere. I have to put Fred at the top of the list, with Dan and Howard as close runners-up.
Fred Asbells books helped me a lot.
Jay Masseys modesty
Fred bears bows are killers for me
Tim B
Don't we all stand on Ishi's shoulders in one form or another?
That could be a long list......Fred Bear, Paul Schafer, Howard Hill and the list goes on. All had influence on a couple of generations of bowhunters. And then there are the Wensels and a host of others that have shaped many of us.
Am not a big hero guy, but Saturday morning Fred Bear TV program in the sixties started if all for me as a kid, so Papa Bear would be my G.O.A.T...
Although, had the GREATEST respect and utmost admiration for Jay Massey...
Once met Glenn St. Charles, he was great to talk with...
All of those already mentioned. I always loved the way Jim Dougherty, Steve Gore, Fred Asbell wrote they all had a big influence on me. Almost forgot Denny Bhen.
I agree with zbone and nominate Fred Bear. Not so much that he was the best hunter ever. But he brought bowhunting into our house on Sat. morning as a kid, then later at monthly archery club meetings we would watch him hunt animals we had never seen. He was a gentleman and was the major player for introducing bowhunting to me. When I was 13 and started bowhunting I would try to figure out WWFD.
For me it would be either Fred Bear,Barry or Gene Wensel or Paul Schafer.
For me, Paul Schafer. Quiet guy, never looking for stardom yet still did incredible things with the recurve.
Love the Wensel boys.
My son...Charlie Lamb all the way.
Paul Schafer.
The first guy to figure out that if you tie a long piece of rawhide or something similar to a large bent stick it can shoot another smaller stick far enough and hard enough to kill something to eat, LOL!
No one can argue what a lot of guys like Fred bear, the Wensel brothers, Paul Shafer, Howard Hill , etc. They blazed a lot of trails and brought this sport to many people. I hate that I am not old enough to have met them. I currently would say that TradGang would be my GOAT. I have learned more about traditional bowhunting, bow tuning and pretty much everything else dealing with traditional archery. I truly want to thank everyone on this forum, yall have truly kept the first burning in me when I wasnt able to hunt.
So what is the criteria to judge by? Best shot? Best advocate for bowhunting? Person with the most trophies? Plenty of good people out there.
Strictly bowhunter means one thing to me : amount of animals taken/time spent. Or how effective one is.
I notice that I prefer Browning, Schafer because they are closer to my age whereas I missed Howard Hill, Fred Bear, Pearson, Swinehart and so many others when they were on T.V. or in print.
I've been influenced more by Asbell and the Wensels, because they are in my "era", but the original post was about bowhunter, not influence.
Howard Hill!
Fred Bear his adventures were the inspiration of my love of the bow.
Fred Bear's movies were the only bowhunting that I had ever seen when I was a young boy. They inspired me in my youth and drew me to the recurve bow so he is on the top of my list. I would like to give an honorable mention to the Thompson brothers Will and Maurice. They were trad when trad wasn't cool and are not thought about often enough in these type of conversations.
As we all know this breaks down in categeories, But to me Howard Hill/John Schulz was my inspiration.
Quote from: JohnV on November 07, 2018, 09:22:09 AM
So what is the criteria to judge by? Best shot? Best advocate for bowhunting? Person with the most trophies? Plenty of good people out there.
Your own personal preference..
Glenn St Charles for me .... not because he was the most prolific critter getter but because of his contributions to bowhunting. Glenn was a very successful bowhunter in his own right, taking many species. He was a pioneer and one of bowhuntings greatest advocates.
I had the good fortune to know Glenn and his family. I spent countless hours in his shop in my bowhunting infancy learning from Glenn, listening to his advise and great stories. That time was priceless and will always be with me.
Check out Glenn St Charles in the Legends and Pioneers Forum