Fred Bear and the Super K

[Trooper]

Now that I've been bit pretty hard by the Super K bug, I was wondering, does anyone know if ole Fred hunted with a Super K, anyone has pictures of him with one.  I've seen pictures of him with many of his other bows but none that I remember with a Super K.

[johnnyrazorhead]

I believe the cover of the Archers Bible,one of the earlier editions,shows Fred shooting a Super Kodiak.

[bowhunterfrompast]

Is this the cover?

 

[reddogge]

In Fred's "Field Notes" he seemed to use that year's bow in that year's hunt.  The next year he used the lastest Kodiak and so on.  The last hunt in the book was in Brazil in 1967 and a couple of the B&W pictures show what looks like a Super K in them.  You can only see the profile though but I'd have to assume it was due to the other years photos.  Unless of course the hunt was before the Super K was introduced in 1967.

[jcar315]

THAT is what a bowhunter is supposed to look like! Just to take that photo apart piece by piece. Bow / quiver / arrows etc.

[johnnyrazorhead]

Yes,that's the cover I was thinking of.

[seboomook]

Heres a ('68?) super K on the album cover. It's a staged hollywood pic though.
 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=14;t=002911

[The Great Jashu]

The Super Kodiak was introduced in 1967 1/2. A mid year introduction. According to Dick Lattimer in the the book "I remember Papa Bear", it was introduced as "Fred Bears personal hunting bow". In the book it speaks of Fred using the bow for African Lion, Cape Buffalo, Polar Bear, Grizzly Bear, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer. I know I have seen photos of the Polar Bear and Fred with the 67.5 Super K.

It also says the bow sold for $99.95 with a carrying case. If anyone has a new 67 1/2 Super Kodiak with the carrying case, I will gladly pay you full retail price!   :D

[PAPALAPIN]

The 99.00 price tag was the base price.  Dealers used that to base discounts.  I think I actually paid $62,50 for mine in 1968...a '68 model.

If I recall correctly, the '64 Kodiak listed for $50 and I paid $32.50 for mine.

Man, wish I could get those bows for those prices now.

[johnnyrazorhead]

I believe the bow Fred shot his polar bear with was a 1966 Kodiak.He had the back painted white for camoflage.I seem to remember that bow on display at the Michigan Cabela's store when it first opened.Riser was brownish in color as was the belly glass.His lion was taken in 1965 I believe with a regular Kodiak model.Don't know if he used a 1967 1/2 Super K on any other animals,I don't recall seeing any photos of him with one with an animal but then again I haven't really looked for any.Somebody will post them if they're around.

[The Great Jashu]

The Polar Bear hunt was in 66. But, I am quite certain from the things I have read that it was a Super Kodiak. Fred used the bow that would be coming out to the public the next year for his hunts. I think his tiger was killed in 1962 with a 63 dogleg Kodiak.

[johnnyrazorhead]

Here is an advertizing poster from Bear Archery showing some of Fred's personal bows in color.The second bow from the top shows Fred's 1966 Kodiak with white painted limbs that he used to kill his polar bear.This is the same bow I remember seeing at Cabelas on display.
 
 In Fred Bear's Field Notes book,chapter 10,India 1963 starts out with "In the spring of 1963 a New York photographer and I went to India to hunt tigers and make a film of the event."
 According to the same book Fred went to Mocambique in 1964 and again in 1965.In 1965 he shot both a Cape Buffalo and an African Lion.In pictures I have seen his bow does not appear to be a 1967 1/2 Super Kodiak.These hunts were a little before the introduction of the Super K.

[Tom I.]

Man!  Look at all the lefties!!!!
Tom i.

[Grant Young]

The bow of the cover of the "Archer's Bible" is not a stock Super K though it is phenolic with many of the same appointments. Look carefully at the lower paert of the riser overlay and you'll see that this bow squares off even more than the '65 and '66 Kodiaks and the limb is wide wher it meets the handle section. The Super Ks are very narrow in this section- obviously a prototype....Grant

[johnnyrazorhead]

Grant-You are right.I knew when I looked at that photo that something looked funny.At first I wasn't sure if it was a '67 1/2 Super K.It is very square in that area compared to most all 1967 1/2 Super K's I have seen.I am looking at a broken one right now and that area of the bow is very narrow.Good eye.

[reddogge]

If anyone has the "Field Notes" check the photos of the 1967 Brazil hunt and see if you can tell anything from them.  They are too dark and grainy B&W photos.

[jcar315]

Great pic John. Which one would you pick Tom???? As a lefty I might go for either the top one or the bottom one. What is the bow 3rd from the top? TD?

[Tom I.]

John,
I like the top one too....looks close to a '59-60
Kodiak.  Yeah, I think the middle bow is an experimental take-down....seems I've read where he took one to Africa but decided against production...possibly because it looks like it requires a tool to take it down.  He wanted a take down that didn't require tools...
Tom I.

[The Great Jashu]

Well I am all wet! My books must be touting more propoganda than fact. I watched a video today of Fred talking about his personal bow. A takedown he said he used since 1965. And, that was right from the man himself.

[johnnyrazorhead]

Fred did use a take-down bow in the 1960's,one of his early proto-types.He was doing some field testing before going public with them in the 1970 catalog.
I have pictures of Fred with an Asiatic water buffalo he shot in Brazil in 1967 or 1968 and a moose he also shot in the late 1960's,both with a take-down bow.Not sure on the year of the moose hunt,I'll do some more research.He was with his good friend and hunting partner on both hunts,Bob Munger.