The Perfect job!!!!

[rg176bnc]

I sell fishing equipment in a retail store.  I fished more when I didnt and had a better time.  Ive worked in retail for about 15 years.  Gotta say its made me appreciate my dogs.  Could be worse though I could be working swing shift again or outside.

With that being said Tradgang is my escape.  Everyone here is top notch!  Best site and people on the web regarless of your hobbies or interests.

[Rusty Hatter]

What you guys are saying makes alot of sense to me.  I agree if you turn something you love into something you have to do even if you don't feel like doing it right then it could make you not like it as much.  I just wish that more schools would have archery in them.  Any ideas of how someone could get that to happen.  I am not looking to have teaching job or anything like that, but I wouldn't mind one bet trying to get younger people the future of Traditional Archery into shooting these kind of bows...

[John Nail]

"For every friendly customer there are about 9 that are jerks."

Gee, Jacob, what kind of bows/people do you work with?

[Kevin L.]

JN got it and is a heck of an orator. I love to guide, I'd do it even if I never made another nickel at it. Same with the bamboo rods. I don't feel good unless I get some shop time each week.

When someone asks "What do you do?" I reply "I'm a Registered Maine Guide and a bamboo rodmaker." It becomes more than what you do, it's a part of who you are.

 I've made up my mind to make a bow or three, and I'm sure it'll be the same. I like to fish/hunt with gear I made myself. Plus it's a real kick when someone asks me whose rod I'm fishing and I say "Mine.". "No," they reply,"who made it." "Me." I really want to do that with my bow this year. Not the fanciest or flashiest out there, but nice, clean lines and the knowledge that I made it happen.

The key is to go fishing, camping, hunting, whatever recharges you. When you make the choice to work when you have the opportunity to go out and enjoy the outdoors, you're on the slippery slope to losing your passion that made you want to do it in the first place.

[Roadkill]

aNYTIME YOUR TURN YOUR HOBBY INTO A BUSINESS, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT HOBBY ANYMORE.  Traxx and I volunteer at our friend's archery shop, and we get to teach, make strings, arrows and fix/tune bows.  Plus we get to be around archers...

[Brutus Hedgeapple]

Rusty, Look around and follow your dream. It might take some time before the right thing comes along, but when it does, you'll know it.

 How was Alaska? Tell your dad I said hey.

  Brutus

[Jedimaster]

I'd never tell you not to go for it, but... do look at your options and maybe talk to the people who are doing your dream job now. See what they like and dislike, what they would do differently if they could start over.

I only say this because I have friend who works in an archery shop. He works on/sets up probably 30 compounds to every stickbow he sees. It gets real hectic a couple of months before season and lasts that way throughout. He works from can to can't and hardly has any time to enjoy his own bows. Like someone said earlier, everybody is more important than anyone else and some are real jerks about it. His job is not "the one" but if you look hard and are flexible enough, the right opportunity WILL present itself. Then go for it!

[longbowben]

I love fishing and hunting,But i want work to be diffrent,when you get a day off all you think about is hunting and fishing.Im a correction officer love my job, but cant wait for the rut or bass spawning.

[Jason Lester]

Rusty,
  See if your county has a 4H shooting sports program. You can help out with the archey and at least at my club trad is the way most kids want to shoot. Of course I have alot to do with it when I show them I can outshoot them with trad gear and do things thier compounds can't like aireal shooting.

Its a blast youd love it!

[d. ward]

Wow JN you hit that one right on the head...I have not had 9 jerks as customers the whole time I been in business.Fact is,I don't think any of my 600 or so plus customer base are jerks.I like them all...But food for thought is,I am certinly glad guy's like Glenn StCharles Fred Bear Damon Howatt Gail Martin Larry Hatfield,I won't go on.But sure happy they never burned out at what they loved....we may not have so many old bows around!!!!!!!!!   bowdoc

[joe c.]

I really miss working outside,Im stuck in A factory, which ain't so bad It pay's the bill's. What is nice though is coming home to A wonderful wife and kids,they can make even the worse job seem worth IT.

[Steveoz]

I've often said my job would be much more fun if it was a hobby,  I would hate to make my hobby a job and regret it.

[celticknot]

Not all its cracked up to be. You never have time to hunt except gun season and who wants to be in the woods with a bow with all of the gun toteing crazys.  You never get a chance to shoot your bow. Even if your not helping customers your constantly fletching arrows, fixing bows, ordering,......  Its actually very taxing on your love of bows. Because your there 10 hours a day dealing with bows and archery equipment. Your there late every friday night for the 3D shoots and there till mid afternoon on saturdays and by the time you get off your not in the mood to rush home get suited up to get in 2-2.5 hours of bad hunting in.sunday is your only day of rest if your a store thats closed on sunday. So try to remember the old adage of keep your hobby your hobby and your day job your day job because theres nothing that will take the fun out of a hobby like making it work. Matthew George  volenteer part time employee fairfield outdoors

[chesapeakeblend]

I am a Landscape Architect that focuses on Ecological Restoration.  I create wetlands, forests, etc.  I think this is the best job in the world because I am creating habitat for the hobbies and passions I enjoy so much.

[DeerSpotter]

I do work in a bow shop, well sorta to speak, we have 4 traditional bows, and the rest have wheels, and working weekends, and it's supposed to be every other weekend, but I have worked the last three Saturdays in a roll, so they're right about the weekends, it stinks, and as far as working with the customers, the best thing is when I get an uncle, or a grandma or Grandpa that wants to set up their grandkids with a bow, that's the best.

And I do send them to  www.3Riversarchery.com  every time I get a chance when I get young kids and parents that want to get kids started.
and I tell alot of people about Tradgang.com

I've been archery tec.  And worked on bows longer than some kids been alive that I work with, but I had some manager thinks he knows more than all hes never worked on bows, tell me that I was not a tec, so now I get the choice, where I can hang the bow on the rack and let that tech work on it LOL, or work on it myself !

It's not what it seems, a get old after a while, the only thing that makes it worth it. Is I get the chance to talk to people and sometimes we talk more than archery.  If you catch what I mean


Pastor Carl

[DesertDude]

While I was in the Navy (20years) Stationed in San Diego. I went into my local archery shop and asked if I could work for free. I just wanted to learn all I could about archery. I worked weekends and after work when I could. After a couple of years doing that, a friend wanted to open an archery shop cross town and asked if I would help him build it. From 91-98 I worked between the Navy and the archery shop, Life was great.... We had the largest Traditional stock in southern California.  We also sold other bows and items to support all type of archery.  

Mark

[celticknot]

the proplems i encontered were i was working was all the pulley jockys none gave treaditional bows a chance. about once every 2-3 months there would be some people come in interrested in getting a bow to enjoy archery now all the other guys in the shop wanted to get them compounds and out the door. but i have yet to see a compound shooter that can take his bow out for a day in the outdoors and have a good time and not be hunting. thats what archery is about being able to enjoy all aspects of the lifestyle. most people see all the fancy gizmos on compound and think traditonal bows must be completly out dated. and other compound shooters make them think this way too.  when i go in to the local 3D shoot at the shop i work at mind you. all the people there look at me like im dumb for holding a stick when i walk in the door all there concered about is hitting that 250-290 on there score card there are very few there to enjoy archery. please take this with a grain of salt im not bitter about compounders i just wish more of them actually enjoy archery and the great people in it. instead of concentrating on there score cards. working in a shop that is compound based is very taxing. people just dont give trad guys a break. because we dont hit the 14 99% of the time