Compton was a blast

[John Havard]

My hat is off to everyone associated with the Compton Rendezvous.  It was very well done, the vendors were great, I spent a bit 'o cash, shot a bunch of really neat thread-the-needle 3D targets, enjoyed the weather, ate too many brats, and generally had a great time.  It was good to see many old buddies there and to also meet some new ones.  Thanks again to all involved.

John

[R.J.]

It certainly was a well planned and executed event. The weather was great too!!!! I sure enjoyed shooting that gawdy bow you were packing around as well as Bob Morrison's and Jim Reynold's bows.

Ron Goodrum

[jarhead]

Wife and I just got back. What a wonderful weekend! The weather was great! Food outstanding, I saw quite a few big boys take advantage of that all you can eat breakfast. LOL LOL. The speakers were all very good. I really enjoyed the guy who spoke about the wolves, but I don't agree with the trapping part. What an abundance of vendors. Picked up some leather goods (arm guard, glove and quiver) for the little lady, and she got me some footed shafts ( forgot the guy's name but he was very reasonable), one of Asbell's books, nock sets, etc... etc...  Saw some old friends, Kevin Bishop, Jim Reynolds (that new MOAB is a real smoker), Gary Davis, Bernie, and made some new. It was really a great event. Planning to go again next year.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

It was an absolutely outstanding time. The weather was great and camping was excellent.

I managed to locate "Camp Norris" saturday morning and was treated to breakfast by Roger and his family and friends. Lord help me, I might have gained a half a pound or two, but quickly burned it off being chased by mosquitos. As a side note, Roger ain't no slouch with that little Shrew of his.

Thanks again Roger. Your "group" are all top-motch folks, and your buddy's knives are works of art.

My friend Franks' creation of "beans & ash" was only good enough to entitle him to help eat all the other contestant's food...which was his sole reason for cooking it in the first place.    

Above all, there were an abundance of children and events for them to participate in. IMO, this was the best part of the entire weekend. With gatherings like this, I know bowhunters can expect a bright future.

In short: Well done CTB!!!

[Mason]

My family and me had a great time!I didn't meet anybody from here that I recognized the names of but probably most of you that were camping walked by our site getting out of the campground,we took the yellow caution tape off the fence post and tied it to our tent to make a pathway where you didn't have to duck under the tape. Great shoot,great weather,great people!Thanks to everybody who had a part in putting in on.Already looking forward to next year!

[Terry Green]

Well I'm definately going to enjoy the remainder of this thread....since I finally went to a trad shoot "Clovedale"...I can surely relate.

Lets hear more!

[John Havard]

Thankfully I managed to get out of the Compton shoot without buying another bow.  That danged Bob Morrison is a snake, I'll tell you!  He can sell refrigerators on the North Slope.  However, his ability to sell bows is aided by the fact that his bows are awsome!  

On a separate note, I've never, in my natural life, seen any human - man, woman, or child - drink as much water as Bob.  He's got to have a hollow leg!  

Seriously it was good to see old friends and visit a bit.

John

[Roger Norris]

Just finished unpacking. What an awesome weekend! I got into the campground about 7:00 Thursday night, and we didn't leave until about 4:00 today. I put a shift in at the Compton booth each day, so I got a little taste of what the Compton board members and active regular members do for us (I got a "tiny" taste, these folks work thier butts off to put together and wrap up an event like tis). Jason, it was great to finally meet you, after agreeing with you so much in some of the "other site" wars.    Thanks for the Grizzlies. I was originally putting them on my sons arrows, but I think I may put them on the footed shafts I bought from "Rusty's Feets". Through a whitetail they will go!. If you guys have never shot with Jason, he is one hell of a shot. 2 years running now he is the 100 yard Polar Bear money champ, and his team made it to the final round of the speed shoot. We will share some campfires and fling some arrows again Jason. Thanks.

I spent way to much money, spent some quality time with true gentlemen bowhunters like Ron LaClair and Fred Asbell, and met tons of interesting folks. One of them, a 90 year gentleman, Mr. Cash from Wisconsin, was amazing to sit and talk to. He sat with my wife and I for about an hour last night. Still makes his own selfbows, bowhunts, AND DROVE HIMSELF FROM WISCONSIN TO BE THERE!. Amazing gentleman.

Quote of the weekend award go's to Jason, for "I don't shoot 3-D wearing pumps anymore"  

[jarhead]

Roger, thank goodness some one has a better memory than me. I think we will be seeing a few more of those shafts around in the future.

[Steve O]

Roger Norris-it was nice to meet you.  We need to get a "blind" chili contest-Ron just has too much "stage presence" to overcome.  He sure does make a GOOD chili though.  That was a fun weekend.  I think I'm going to switch over to the apple pie division!

[Roger Norris]

 I couldn't be to disapointed with the result of the chili contest...some folks were making thier chili step by step all week, I whipped mine up a couple hours before the contest. At least Ron males REAL chili. That one guy fro 3-Rivers had something that looked like a cross between nachos and a fruit salad!  

[BillW]

This was my third year and it does keep getting better.  Great job Compton!  Finally had G. Fred sign my book, talked to Ron LaClair, Denny Sturgis and Ken Beck.  Finally got to ask Denny how far his shot on the wart hog was from his Africa hunt.  He said 35 yards, that was a great shot. These guy's are genuinely good people and they are eager to share with the rest of us.  As mentioned before Fred Cash is a great guy.  He is a member of our archery club in Lake Geneva, WI and he is a pleasure to be around.  If you are smart enough to ask him how to do something he will teach you.  He practices what he preches and is in amazing condition.  Every month we have a pot luck at the club, Fred is a nutritionist and had stopped by on pot luck day.  I told him hey Fred if you are hungry there is plenty left.  He said "No offence to the gals but I don't eat that stuff and you should not either". He was right but our ladies are good cooks, I guess if you want to be 90 and still be able to shoot the big 3d shoots Fred has a proven point.  He also still does pushups, I would not be the guy who challenged him to a pushup contest.  See you all again next year.

Bill W.

[Ray Lyon]

Ron won again???     :rolleyes:    

Those judges must all be drinking (free) Basil Hayden and smoking Fuente cigars.          

Well Ron does make a pretty decent pot of chili. I'm sorry I couldn't make it this year, but hopefully next year.

Looking forward to seeing some of you next weekend at the Michigan Traditional Bowhunters Jamboree in Grayling.

P.S.
 I don't know that I'd be using "Comptons was a Blast" and talking about chili contests in the same thread!  

[Ron LaClair]

Ray and Steve, are you saying I had to bribe or intimidate the judges to win the Chili contest for the 2nd year in a row? Come on now, don't you think just maybe I make a great pot of Chili?    

The Compton Rendezvous this year was probably the best run shoot I have ever attended and that's saying a whole bunch because I've attended a lot of them over the years. Now to give credit where credit is due, it was because all the volunteers, over 100 of them from both the Berrien Springs club and the Compton members that donated time to make sure all the bases were covered and everything got done that needed to be done. Without them it wouldn't have gone so smoothly I'm sure. So, A big THANK YOU from me and all the other Compton Officers for a job well done.  

[Roger Norris]

I will come clean now that it's over....my chili was only an hour old. I totaly forgot that morning to get it going. I know some you better cooks had yours brewing for days. If I had won I would have had to defer...........not!

[mooshkat]

This was my third year at the Compton shoot, and it just keeps getting better, had a great time. I got there thursday and hated to leave sunday. Hope they work on shower situation for next year.

[Steve O]

Ron,

You do make a great chili.  My young cousin (who never shot a stickbow befor this weekend and is now hooked on traditional due to Compton)called the outcome of the contest after tasting all the entrants.  I don't mind coming in 2nd fiddle to a legend  :D  .  I am so glad I finally got to stay for the campfire tales, I could have sat and listened to that for days.  Next year, the whole family is going to camp out for the weekend.  I'm just going to have to do a bit of "research and development" on the chili to dethrone you    .  See you in Grayling.

[groundhawg]

one of the things i noticed about the comptons shoot was a smile on everybodys face and a general relaxed demeanor. its what it set out to be, a group of hunting buddies getting together for a "archery party". its quickly becoming a shoot that i wont miss. thanks to the sportmans club and comptons..............groundhawg

[Raincloud]

I don't get here often but I just had to see what things everyone had to say about Compton's.  We were there for the first time and I can't wait to go back again!  Thanks to everyone involved in putting it all together, it was a great event.  It was really fun to be able to get together with our friends from under the bridge too!

We brought some friends with us, it was their first shoot and they are hooked.  Julie wasn't sure she even wanted to go but now she wants to head to Grayling too.  I kept telling her how much fun these things are but she never expected all the great things she found at Comptons, including some new friends.

There are a bunch of us women dreaming up a women's traditional whitetail hunt in the U.P. so when the guys all head up to Shrew Haven, we'll go just a little farther into the woods and get it done ourselves.  This is something I have always hoped for, getting involved in traditional archery and meeting some new friends is going to make it a reality.  The weekend at Comptons' just helped to fuel the fire.    

Some of the memories of the weekend include the two young boys shooting the course with bows they made themselves.  We took the time to talk to them a bit and they really impressed us with their skills and their manners.  Later we came across 3 young boys who were having a contest on the course.  We were talking to them and I mentioned that I noticed they each only had one arrow.  They informed me that was part of the contest...if you lose your arrow you are disqualified.  Incentive to make the shot count! Our group of 6 adults was very impressed.

Again, this was a first-rate event and everyone who helped make it happen deserves a lot of credit.

[Ron LaClair]

Steve, I'm planning on writing an artical for the Compton Newsletter on the art of making Chili. I'm going to be telling all the secrets I've learned in over 50 years of brewing the deer camps most popular fare.

 My Grandmother who was a cook in upper Michigans lumber camps passed on some of her cooking techniques to me when I was 15 years old. Over the years I've changed her recipe here and there to suite my own taste but there's still a lot of Grandma's secrets in my Chili.