I paid DEARLY for it - but I'm excited.

[Migra Bill]

Well I paid top dollar for this one I think. It took ALL of my "snipe bid" I put in, so I guess someone else wanted it just as bad.

Here's the story.

It is a 1976 Fred Bear Take-Down bow with brown Magnesium Handle bought by Kent Daniels on 1/6/76 from Hehman Gen. Mdse. in Melbourne, Ky.  The bow has been Kent's possession since that day and has not been shot over 20 times, the most recent being two years ago. Limbs are serial #1-13496. Handle B is serial #5226. These limbs in this handle translates to a 52# bow-60" in length. Also included: original receipt; original box; Bear hunting stabilizer; original adjustable arrow plate; berger button with additional springs; Bear whisper brush rest with additional brushes; Bear 3 pin hunting sight which fits in slot in riser above shelf.Also includes three original Bear dacron bow strings for this bow along with a recurve bow stringer.

 

 

 

 

 

I have out 3 bows up for sale on "the big site" to hopefully defray the cost of this. Including a 1965 Pearson Mustang (ATTN- JACK!!!!!)

[sticknstring+]

Wow.... That's awesome! Great find.

[TRAP]

That's sharp. Congrats Bill  

When do we get to see that 64?

Trap

[yellow bow]

[vtmtnman]

Hey I checked that out!

That is a SWEET find!I would have loved to get that bow if I had the extra money laying around.Enjoy.

[d. ward]

ATTA boy Bill why to go.I'am glad you got it.Is the strike plate and arrow rest missing ?? I can't tell from the pic....bowdoc

[Migra Bill]

bowdoc-
I asked the same thing. The bow currently has the bristle rest inserted. I like to shoot of the shelf so I inquired about the adjustable strike plate. It is in the box. If you look at pic #1 - that rectangle in the lower left hand corner is the strike plate. He said the srews to put in on the bow are still in the holes on the riser.
The dealer he bought it from did the Berger Button, as Berger Buttons were not an option on the "B" handle.

[PAPALAPIN]

Will $50.00 for the Mustang help defray the cost?

Oh-oh...wrong Mustang

[Migra Bill]

I think 50 bucks is actually the high bid right now!

Mr. Millet I have a question Sir. Do you live anywhere near Brunswick, GA?

[d. ward]

Did the rubber arrow rest come with it too Bill ??? bd

[PAPALAPIN]

Bill

I live in White, Ga which is about 50 miles North of Atlanta.  Easiest way to find it on a map is tha I am half way between Cartersville and Canton, GA.

Brunswick is a Norther n Suburb of Jacksonville, FL.  I go thetr about once a year for conferneces.

If you need someone in Brunswick, you need Apex Predator.  He lives there.

[bear1336]

Congats on a great bow. Ask the Goverment for some TARP money everyone else is.  LOL

[Grant Young]

Good for you Bill- That's a pretty good specimen right there. Melbourne Ky is a pretty easy place not to find but Bear had general mercantiles and hardware stores as dealers all over the place. I'm glad you found one in such good shape; that bow design is still hard to beat regardless of what its detractors have to say.      Grant

[Takedown]

Hello Bill,
I live in Northern Kentucky and had visited with Mr. Charlie Hehman on a number of occasions. He was one of the great "old time" archery dealers.

His store was, as you mentioned, a general merchandise operation, a little bit of everything or anything you might want, but not MUCH of anything! LOL. He did however keep a pretty heavy stock of archery gear in small back room. Much of it recurves and a couple of longbows. Along with some compound bow equipment.

He was kind of locally fameous for looking like old Fred Bear himself! About 6' 2", gangley thin with large knarley (work)hands like Fred. Wore a felt fedora(at times) likd Fred's too! Spoke in a slow and controled voice, and he was really friendly to a young guy with many stupid questions about archery!(Me!)

He was a Bear Recurve bow shooter himself, liking the signature Takedown, As did Papa Bear did. I never shot with him but I had heard he was a pretty good shot. I know he hunted whitetailed deer and turkeys around his "home ground" of Campbell County, Ky. He told me he had hunted regularly just "accross the road (route 8) and up the ridge"! Melbourn, Ky is just a really small burg, dont blink or you might miss it!

He was a really nice old guy, and now that I am approching "old guy" status myself, and my interest in All things Bear Archery has grown, I think of him fondly, and wish I could speak to him about his meeting Fred Bear and others connected with Bear Archery as well as other noted archers of the day. Time moves on and I wish I had made the trip to his shop more frequently. He retired and sold the store I think in the late 80's. He's gone now but not forgotten by any means! At least not by me!
Harry.

[Grant Young]

Great background Takedown. I am a "freshman" old guy myself and wouldn't take anything for having known guys like your Mr. Hehman. I'd give about anything to get the chance to pick their brains again too. Glad you posted this.        Grant

[reddogge]

Looks like another good one, Bill.  I want to shoot that one too.

[d. ward]

I told Bill in a PM.I personaly sold one of those stabilizers just the stabilizer several years back when collectables were really booming(Rich knows hell he was there).I tried to look up the auction but my account was hacked and I changed everything since from bowdoc to bowdocsarchery and its no longer avliable.The auction read something like...Rare very good original condition Bear Archery Hunting stabilizer with original vinyl case.Man let me tell ya there were some real wacko's back then.Money was no object to some and they had more of it then brains..but I got 106.00 and some change for mine plus shipping and insurence.One used stabilizer...Wait wait that ai'nt all.I personaly saw someone here at my house using my pc(their user name) put a bid of 100.00 on a number #-1 mag handle rubber grip in the original blister pack...Thats no joke...he got it Oh yeah he got it all right he ended up paying about 71.00-76.00 I believe.I know Denny will pop in here and mention what he's seen some odd duck item like grips and stabilizers go for.Good hit Bill nice bow your gonna like it.As I mentioned in my note to you..the only problem with the B riser is your gonna like shooting it.Once you get it tuned with correct arrow and brace hgt.and the real trick to tuneing mag risers is if your shooting off the shelf do not forget that,that allen screw is behind the strike plate.If thats screwed way out it can cause your arrow to tail whip real bad.Check it out.Real nice bow Bill good hit.bowdoc

[Frank1107]

So Bill maybe now would be a good time to sell me your '68 Super Kodiak. That would offset your cost.


Frank

[PAPALAPIN]

BILL

If you buy it directly from an individual at the asking price, you will always wonder if you paid too much.  However, when you buy it at auction, someone else also thinks it is worth it, so you figure you got it at current market value.

In the car business we had a saying...  "A good deal is a state of mind.  If you think you got a good deal, then you did".

[d. ward]

So what the hell.This is like a strip show and the chick did not finish the show..Lets see some pics of her all put together..I love the profile of any Bear bow but one of the best looking of all are the Bear take downs...lets see her all dreesed Bill...bowdoc