Big men, big shoes....us young fellers got a lot of steppin to do to carry on what these men have done.

Just wanted to give my thanks to all y'all who are posting pictures here for us to enjoy...being over 50, I'm really enjoying this thread. Thanks again.
I have just a few and will try to get them scanned, to share.

JC, Very true...very true.Awesome thread!!  

Ron , Glen Parker one heck of bowyer , I always wanted a Glen Parker bow, just for my wall!..mark#78....

Yes, Glenn was a good bowyer and a one of the nicest men I ever met.

His love for traditional archery shined like an aurora and he loved talking about it to anyone who would listen. It was a great loss to the traditional archery community when cancer took him from us.

Man oh man, what a thread! Thanks to all of you for sharing your memories. I haven't missed an entry on this one. Thanks again!

I think most of you know who Hugh Rich from California was. Hugh was an early archery pioneer that was a friend to men like Nubby Pate, Howard Hill and the Wilhelm brothers.

In the early 1980's I corespondent quite a bit with Hugh, both by phone and letter. Hugh loved to write letters. If he were alive today I'm sure he would love this computer stuff.

Anyway, in 1983 Hugh sent me this autographed picture of Walt Wilhelm that I though might be of interest to some of you.

I don't know if the writing will show up so I'll copy it here.

Walt signed the top right,    "Old Chief" My   favorite  hunting horse in 1934, Walt Wilhelm"  

Hugh wrote below,   " To Ron LaClair
 Born in 1893-we lost him in 1981-Walt Wilhelm was what ARCHERY is all about- I wish YOU could have spent an hour with this man in 1981 as I did     ....Best Hugh Rich      


 

I think this picture of Howard Hill with Nels Grumley, Fred Bears first bowyer is a rare one.

 

Here's my 1st longbow, I think it was made by Indian Archery & Toy Co...around 1957. I thought I was playing Robin Hood, but looks like some fringe on my pants; so I was an Indian.

This is a Ben Pearson Hunter recurve and the picture was taken around 1973. Took that little Indian a long time to get some game!

Oops, here's the bow, and the face...

As many did, I joined another camp that shot faster and flatter...Bow was a Bear Alaskan and it was a good 'fingers' bow...until it exploded! Picture taken in late 1970's.  

The closest I ever came to switching to the "dark side" (couldn't resist, I took my son to the new star wars movie last night) was when I saw a used Bear Alaskan compound at the local shop. I remember that picture on the cover of the Bear catalogue with Fred at full draw with a Bear Alaskan compound and Razorhead tipped arrow in a woods setting. About the same time, I read an article about John Schultz in bow hunter magazine (this was about the same time the original Star Wars movie came out!) and the longbows of Howard Hill Archery (I got my first Hill longbow in the fall of 1977) and the temptation was quelched forever. I was shooting recurves at the time so the transition wasn't too bad to the longbow.

May the force (of the longbow) be with you.    

Here's a picture of Del Austins buck taken in 1962. I remember reading the story about it in a magazine. There was an artist depiction of Del shooting the buck from a tree stand with a recurve. The story fasinated me, I cut the picture out of the magazine and framed it. At the time I only had two bow killed deer under my belt so Dels buck was a dream buck for me.... it still is        

   

Good Grief what a deer  

Cool pics Woodduck    ...Van

He must be kin to the Wensels! Thanks for sharing your treasures Mr. LeClair.

Hey, does that license plate say "The Beef State"?
Do you even see deer like that anymore, wow.

Now that is a deer!

Magazine covers... Who knows why, I'm not that good lookin.   :p  

 
   
   

 You sure you didn't have a part in that flick???    Good stuff, love the "Buckskinner" pic!!

Is the Buckskinner a new mag.?? Looks like a good read    ..........Raven