Dan was the only person I ever met that was personally taught by Howard Hill. I first met him in the early 90s at the SE archery shoot near Augusta GA. He was gruff and rough around the edges. I had about 20 years experience at the time and kept badgering him with questions. BY the middle 90s he finally would sit down and tell me stories. One time at the GLLI in Michigan (96?) we sat in lawn chairs by his truck and he talked for about 7 hours. I learned more about archery and shooting the bow for hunting that day than I had in the 20 some years of hunting and shooting up to that date. He had diabetes and had a wound on his foot that would not heal. He booked a kodiak bear hunt and when the guide saw his rotten foot he refused to take Dan out. Dan went out by himself and shot a giant kodiak bear at like 10 yards( I think he was 73 then). The next year I was at GLLI and had been looking for him, I saw him walking across the field like he was brand new (he limped with the bad foot). I said "Dan, I see your foot finally healed", he said "nope", and raised his pant to expose his "new" leg, "I made it from a used car spring". Typical Dan, nothing could faze him. I did not have the opportunity to see him again after that, but I think he lived well into his mid 80s. He was making simple wood bows and selling them on the auction site almost to his death. A true great and truly thankful to have had the chance to listen to him. He hated wood arrows and light draw bows. He loved fiberglass arrows but shot heavy AL due to no good glass arrows, big snuffers, and 70# plus bows with a pull through release. I can tell you his methods are still big medicine for hunting.
Topic: Dan Quillian (Read 649 times)
