Trad Gang

Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: charles suttles on August 29, 2022, 10:26:53 AM

Title: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: charles suttles on August 29, 2022, 10:26:53 AM
Does anyone know if Kent is still around. he hung out in Iowa, New Mexico And Texas making bows and hosting Javalina hunts near Sierra Blanco
Title: Re: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: flntknp17 on August 29, 2022, 11:31:28 AM
I was actually really wondering the same thing over the weekend.  I remember he was a regular at the trad shoots in Iowa in the 90s and I owned a couple of his bows.  I assume I might have shot the final deer of the millennium in Iowa in the last minute of legal light on Dec 31, 1999 with a Mahaska bow.  His bows weren't necessarily "flashy" like some custom bows, but they were tough and well made and elegant and honestly priced.  He was sort of on the leading edge of the modern surge of custom trad bow makers for sure.  I remember wanting a Bighorn or a Wapiti or a Martin, but the Mahaska was definitely friendlier to the wallet in the mid 90s and made locally. 

Hope to hear something.

Matt
Title: Re: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: Wudstix on August 29, 2022, 01:06:20 PM
 :campfire:
Title: Re: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: charles suttles on August 29, 2022, 03:48:03 PM
I met Kent on a javalina hunt he hosted at Sierra Blanca. he helped me hook up with a rancher in Weed,NM that had a landowner elk tag for sale. I think he was staying nearby in Pinion and he took me out in he desert and cut wood for a bow he was going to make for me, which he did.  I did one more Javalina with him and haven't heard anything from him in years. I think his wife lived in Oskaloosa, Iowa. I still have the bow and its a great shooter. He quit advertising in TBM years ago.
Title: Re: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: kennym on August 29, 2022, 04:09:15 PM
Quick search found this on linked in but I didn't sign up to see full profile...

kent ostrem
bowyer at mahaska custom bows
Artesia, New Mexico, United States
Title: Re: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: ron w on August 29, 2022, 07:51:58 PM
Had a couple of his longbows, great shooters
Title: Re: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: Jorge on August 31, 2022, 05:31:54 PM
Kent is fine, just retired and busy as grandfather
Title: Re: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: BUCKY on September 01, 2022, 09:21:14 AM
My first custom bow. It was a nice recurve.
Title: Re: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: LoneRanger on June 01, 2023, 05:03:47 PM
Does anyone know if a Mahaska recurve will tolerate a D97 string?
Title: Re: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: Terry Green on June 01, 2023, 05:09:51 PM
Yeah, Kent was a character for sure.  He called me out of the blue and said he was done with tbm and that he wanted to advertise with us and get a banner.  He also told me I'd have to get him started as he didn't even know how to turn on a computer. :biglaugh:

He Sponsored here until he retired.  :campfire:
Title: Re: Mahaska Bows Kent Ostrem
Post by: Tajue17 on June 03, 2023, 11:16:34 AM
I loved his bows,,, his bows were like the working mans pickup! not a Raptor Laramie or Denali but the truck you see with the load in the back pushing those springs down!