Going to Kalkaska, MI

[portugeejn]

I posted this over on Pow Wow also, but I wanted to check here too, just in case there are any collectors I may have missed.

I am visiting the Kalkaska MI area later in the month of July, mostly to see my wife's family (whom I actually like a lot), fish for walleye with my brother-in-law, and hunt for a Fred Bear bow!

Outside of visiting Grayling and wishing I was a whole lot sooner, is there anything in the way of traditional no-to-be-missed stuff, as long as I'm in the area?

If anyone wants to get together for coffee and trad talk, let me know.

RonP

[portugeejn]

I  heard it was  torn down a couple months ago, but regardless I was going to go over and get pictures anyway.  I'll post them here when I get back.

RonP

[The Great Jashu]

The museum was torn down a couple months ago. I think the factory buildings are still there. I am not certain where the factory was but have a very good idea. There is a Fred Bear Drive off of M-72 and I think the factory is back in there. The old museum was at what is now called Hanson Hills, back then it was called Bear Hill. Its just south of M-72 toward Camp Grayling military camp. I have a camp close to there, maybe I could meet up with ya. If you look in the book "I remember papa bear" it mentions the road Fred lived on in town...Old Dam Rd comes to mind off the top of my head. Michigan Traditional Bowhunters holds the summer Jamboree at Hanson Hills. I always take a couple of my bows "Home" for the weekend to shoot them where they were born. My recently aquired 1969 Super K went back for the first time in 39 years this summer and performed like she was new. Too bad you arent coming in October so you could chase whitetails in the same woods Fred did. I always take Bear bows when I go to hunt at my camp, it just seems right to have them back there. I have a friend in Grayling who worked at Bear Archery when he was first out of High School. I will contact him to gather more info. I will be in Grayling for the Canoe marathon the last weekend in July, if thats when you will be there, we can meet up. The Canoe mararthon is a spectacle in itself and something Bear Archery would sponsor when they were here. About 70 teams will race down the Au Sable all the way to Lake Huron at Oscoda. They start at 9 at night and finish about noon the next day. Those guys do 60-70 strokes a minute for 15 hours...

[johnnyrazorhead]

Ron,
 Glad someone is actually coming to Michigan and not leaving it.Economy has been a little rough here in the "motor city".I live in the southern part of the state,Milford/Highland area and collect old Bear Archery stuff.I would be more than happy to have you over for a visit,shoot some bull and a few arrows.On your way "up north",be sure to stop at Jay's Sporting Goods in Clare,Michigan.They've got a nice supply of traditional equipment and a nice display of some vintage Bear Archery bows and memorabilia on the back wall of the archery dept.If you're a Fred Bear fan then I think you would enjoy it.Let me know if you would like to stop by. John

[The Great Jashu]

One other thing I came up with after speaking with my friend in Grayling. There is a guy in Frederic (a couple miles north of Grayling) named Pete Kocefas. He has a museum of his own on Bear Archery, you can visit that by appointment. I will get you the contact info for him too.

My friend in Grayling says most of the Bear Archery plant is torn down with just the shipping and receiving docks left.

[The Great Jashu]

Somewhere in this link is Petes contact info for his tribute museum to Fred and Bear Archery.

 http://www.frederic-mi.com/fredbear.shtml

Hope it helps.