Tell me about the PBS

[Biggie Hoffman]

I'm not a "joiner" by nature but PBS represents everything good in bowhunting to me. like any group we have our disagreements but when it comes down to it, we are all involved for the betterment of bowhunting.

Life Member #25

Whip if you don't come to P'burg we're gonna change your handle to Whimp!

[Steve O]

For a LONG time, I thought PBS was only for people "in" the industry...how wrong I was!

Whip--you MUST go to the gathering--you have to fill my spot!  We went to the last one in SLC (my first, because I had just joined)and I was blown away.  I never figured I would miss one after that, but my buddy and I are going to draw Iowa deer tags next year and we have to spend a lot of time on the ground out there...we are going to scout on our way out to Kansas for the archery turkey opener April 1st.  Bad timing for sure, but we only get so much time off work! But I digress...

When you GO to the gathering, you will find one big family and more bowhunting knowlede in one place than you would think possible.

"Professional" I have found out, means not how you make your living, but how you portray yourself in the field (and life in general).  PBS members care deeply about everything bowhunting.

[Jack Denbow]

What Mark said. Come to Pittsburgh and see for yourself what we are about, you won't be sorry.
Jack

[PrarrieDog]

I went to Salt Lake and enjoyed it. When I went home a E-mailed them and they never responded so I dropped the thought of joining.
Prarrie Dog

[Rick McGowan]

I didn't join for a long time either, because I thought it was only for those in the business, I finally joined in 85 and went to the first banquet with PBS very much on trial IMO, I was blown away, here was all these idols of mine just standing around shooting the breeze and they also were blown away! Thats the strength of PBS imo, you really need to go the banquet and meet the members of the family! You also will not believe the items donated, I haven't seen anything to compare to it.

[Kevin Bahr]

PrarrieDog, sorry for the unsatisfactory experience.  For some reason, the email you probably used has yet to be changed on our website (I just checked it).  So the office probably never received your inquiry.  The correct email is: [email protected]
if you are intersted, and I hope that you are.

[Nook]

There isn't much more I can add to the previous discriptions.  The PBS is the home of serious bowhunters.  At each banquet I have attended I leave with a feeling of kinship thats hard to discribe.  Many people with the same passion as mine.  I will be in Pittsburg with my fellow members.  It always feels like a homecomming. Some of the most ethical and nicest folks you'll ever meet are proud to be PBS members.

Jeff Harper  PBS Regular Member

[Dirty Bill]

I was an associate member for several years,but I didn't see any brotherhood going on,except the "famous hunters" hanging together,and the "rich guys" hanging together,patting each other on the back,and ignoring the regular folks.I got tired of it and let my dues go.  

The only guy who was down to earth and treated me like he knew me all his life was Fred Asbell,one of the people in bowhunting that I really admired.I saw him a couple of years later and he remembered me.I would ride the river any day with him.

[Ray Hammond]

Dirty Bill,
I'm an absolute nobody...regular folks. Every PBS member I've ever run into has treated me with respect and civility...well except for Marty McMahon but that's another story! HE HE

I have been to a banquet and had everyone speak to me...and none of them knew me from Adam's housecat.

It couldn't have been that you were shy,
could it?

There were 300 people there, and of course, after years of going to these events a great many of them know one another, and when you are able to get together with people you know you reminisce, you catch up...but I bet if you went again and this time tried a little "walking up" to some of the groups that are talking and introduce yourself you would be included right into the conversations...I was.

[alligatordond]

Attending the PBS banquet in Charlotte in 96 introduced me to several " big names " who took the time to chat with me and would later become great friends. Here I am , a"nobody" yet I sat next to Mr. Glenn St. Charles for the banquet supper and had Mrs. St. Charles treat ME like a celebrity simply because I owned a bow her son made. She even insisted on taking MY picture. The event was an enriching experience. And if I recall, there was no way to distinguish a regular member from associate. Everyone was treated equally.

Don Davis-PBS Reg since 1991

[Terry Green]

Originally posted by Dirty Bill:
I was an associate member for several years,but I didn't see any brotherhood going on,except the "famous hunters" hanging together,and the "rich guys" hanging together,patting each other on the back,and ignoring the regular folks.

 

I went to San Antonio, and I never saw a hint of that.  I also didn't know who was 'rich' and who wasn't....didn't ask them their income.  Everyone I talked to was very genuine, and took time to chat...don't know if they were 'famous' or not....didn't care.  Everyone seemed to be on the same page and having a great time, and glad to be there.

And back to the word 'famous'...how many of the general public know any trad bowhunters that are so called 'famous'?....I don't know any.  I know some guys that have been around for a long time, and done a lot for the sport, but none of them ever make the tabloids.....and that's a good thing.  

[Marty]

Ray, Ray, Ray..... This is the Holiday Season. Where's your Holiday Spirit?
The only  celebrity I know in PBS is Biggie Hoffman, at least he told me he's one anyway.We were havin lunch at the Bass Pro Shop in Mo. this November and a guy came up to us outside the store and asked if he was Biggie Hoffman the bow hunter.Biggie told me later it happens all the time. He must be a celebrity. I never knew it.

Go to Pittsburgh and make up your own minds!!

[Terry Green]

Hi Marty...good to see you keeping Biggie in check!!!!!

[Steve O]

DB,

That is not what I experienced in SLC last time.  I am a NOBODY...my wife and I rode the bus from the airport with with the Wensels (and their VERY tolerant and fantastic wives), they made us feel like family.  We went to the dinner Friday night; we didn't know ANYBODY and sat down at an empty table...it filled up with "famous" people and they made us feel like family.  We went to the dinner Saturday night and again sat down at an empty table on the other side of the room...the same thing happened    .  

All the folks that were in SLC were OK in my (and my wife's) book!

[Forester]

And there is always somebody else to meet.  I have made it to two Gatherings and am sure I will meet folks in Pittsburgh for the first time.  And I'm sure there will be the instant connection found between hard core bowhunters where ever we meet.  One thing about PBS that has impressed me is that the "famous" people have proven to be just regular guys and they treated me like a "famous" person, honestly.  We all seem to be equal in our passion and nobody is really making judgements.

Aside from the Gatherings, it seems that the serious bowhunters and conservationists that I meet through other channels (forestry, QDMA, bowhunter ed, etc...) are PBS members.  And the PBS members are often involved in state and local clubs promoting bowhunting and archery.

I could sum it up by saying that, outside of home and family, PBS is where I am most comfortable when not in the woods...and PBS is a great group to be in the woods with also.

[Barry Wensel]

I sincerely hope this comes out the way I intend it to. Some of the high profile (and wide profile!) bowhunters were thrust into the limelight simply because of circumstances. I personally enjoy helping others and sharing experiences. The truth is most "celebrity" bowhunters are just regular, down to earth guys who share the love of our sport. We're all human. When one immerses themself into a passion for thirty or forty years, attends annual rendezvous, banquets, shoots, sports shows and deer classics you get to meet and talk with literally thousands of great people. Thousands. I personally lose my voice after a couple days. But the bottom line is somewhere in those multiple conversations you might have offered a seemingly worthless piece of advice that will change some persons life forever. I sometimes get embarrassed when I can't remember a persons name when I should. I'm sure age has something to do with it. In the same respect sometimes too many years slip by between visits, people physically change and I fail to recognize them. I've also found more often than not I end up apologizing to some of my closest friends for seemingly ignoring them when being pulled in different directions by those I don't see as often. So, at the PBS gathering in Pittsburgh this March, please come up and say hello. But also please cut us older guys some slack as there's a fine line between wisdom and senility. bw

[PrarrieDog]

Thanks for the link Kevin. The address I used was taken from the PBS magazine I picked up.  I might try again.
Prarrie Dog

[Dirty Bill]

I've been to a few of the banquets.I was in NC in 96.I was also at ogelby park,only about 20 minutes from my place.I've met barry and gene several times,as they used to come to the west virginia bowhuntes association and do seminars.I even know why barry wears his hat sideways.

I guess I let a small number of bad experiences over shadow the good things.I met Glenn St.Charles and he even signed an arrow for me.

I'll be coming up to pittsburgh if I can afford the gas...it's about an hour from me..   :rolleyes  

Maybe I'll rejoin even.. By the way how does one become a regular member instead of an ass member...  

[Dirty Bill]

Originally posted by Terry Green:
 

Originally posted by Dirty Bill:
I was an associate member for several years,but I didn't see any brotherhood going on,except the "famous hunters" hanging together,and the "rich guys" hanging together,patting each other on the back,and ignoring the regular folks.

 

I went to San Antonio, and I never saw a hint of that.  I also didn't know who was 'rich' and who wasn't....didn't ask them their income.  Everyone I talked to was very genuine, and took time to chat...don't know [/b]

I didn't have to ask their income,they let me know it,and it showed very plainly when I sat at their table. I should have sat in the corner somewhere.

Anyway,that was my take on the PBS,but I shouldn't judge the whole club by the actions of a handful of snobs.

[Dirty Bill]

Originally posted by Ray Hammond:
Dirty Bill,
I'm an absolute nobody...regular folks. Every PBS member I've ever run into has treated me with respect and civility...well except for Marty McMahon but that's another story! HE HE

I have been to a banquet and had everyone speak to me...and none of them knew me from Adam's housecat.

It couldn't have been that you were shy,
could it?

There were 300 people there, and of course, after years of going to these events a great many of them know one another, and when you are able to get together with people you know you reminisce, you catch up...but I bet if you went again and this time tried a little "walking up" to some of the groups that are talking and introduce yourself you would be included right into the conversations...I was.

I tried that a couple of times,it didn't work.I was blown off more than once.I enjoyed the displays and seminars though.