Dan "the Man" Quillian has left us

[DW]

The gentleman on the right in Van's photo is SYLVESTER SHAW, a great guy who promoted archery hard in the 1980's. I had the honor of hunting with Dan in the early '90's at BENT CREEK LODGE in Alabama. It was just after the Brown Bear hunt. The stories were amazing. I love the old stories on here of Dan. They are just as I remember him. Don Wilson

[ChuckC]

If there isn't already space, I think Dan needs a little space in the history section of this site.  We lost another of our important ancestors.  

We all need to be able to read about our past, recent and not so recent and remember these gentlemen for what they were and who they were.  Chronicling our history and remembering is very important for our future.

I didn't know Dan personally, never even talked to him, but I wish now that I did.  Like many of us, I know him from pictures and stories and articles and would recognize his face anywhere.

He and his kind will surely be missed.
ChuckC

[Bowspirit]

I did not know him, and I barely knew OF him, but he sounds like a fine patron of the sport, and I am sorry for his passing...

[Van/TX]

Thanks DW.  I'll mark the photo accordingly for future reference    ...Van

[ozarkcherrybow1]

God speed Dan! Prayers for the family. That big camp fire in Heaven just keeps getting better....Terry

[pine nut]

I've known Dan since the 1960's.  Bought my first "nice bow" from him at his home.  It was a "Cheeta Special".  Traded it back to him a few years ago for one of his "Canebrakes".  I like the Canebrake and will keep it to remember him by.  I was a boy then and he was very willing to help me with any questions I had.  He was an inspiration to me, a great guy, a great boone to archery in Georgia, and apparently someone who "touched" a lot of us along the way.

Dan, Thanks for the memories and may you stalk well in the Happy Hunting Ground.  Bill

[Jock]

Only dealt with him once. Most definately a stand up guy!!

[Brian Krebs]

Never met him; but I shoot an Archery Traditions Bamboo Longhunter- and it has led me on many successful trips; and thousands of arrows have been launched from it.
 It has a new meaning now.
 Thank-you Dan. Hope I get to meet you in the light.....

[Arrowslinger]

Shoot my first deer with traditional gear using a canebrake recurve.  Great bow.  Dan you will be missed.  Prayers sent out to all of the family.

[Jeremy]

I bought some stuff from him on the 'bay back in '99 before I got back into trad archery... didn't have a clue who he was then either, but he was extremely helpful and patient dealing with all my questions.  I spoke with him a number of times over the next 6 years as I started shooting and hunting more.
He did more for this sport than most people realize.

[Mike Walker]

Sad news.Prayers sent.

[joebuck]

I always admired Dan's marketing zest. Ron LacClair nailed a side of Dan when he talks about Dan and his arrow experience. Dan loved bowhunting,talking it and walking it but man ole man he had a passion promoting it and his product at the time. Most people thought Dan was in the back of the shop gluing up Longhunters, he probably could but that would take time away from his love, talking shop with his customers. he farmed out the Longhunter,Canebrake,gull and others to a handful of manufactures mainly I believe the Jefferys and Martin Archery but he dang sure had his wishes in the design. Furthermore you didn't try to trip him up with fancy physics equations on force curves because man that rascal knew it. Stop for a moment and think about all the new longbows in the past 10 years with carbon, light tips, inlays, this bell and whistle, flimsy limbs, hinged handles,etc.  Now think about jumping off a bush plane for 1 year in Alaska, no contact with man or anything and you can only have one bow.....Give me the some black glass and red elm...the Longhunter!!!!!! As tough as the man that designed it.

[Roger Norris]

One of the things that makes traditional archery great are wonderful characters like Mr. Quillian. I never met him...I'm not sure if he posted here, but I seem to remember him posting on the LW years ago. I always admire outspoken folks, folks with opinions. He seemed like one of them to me.

Godspeed, old-timer, you will be missed and remembered.

[jonsimoneau]

My condolences to the family.

[joel smith]

sorry, had a call then got off on a tangent, just got back. Anyway, right after that we stopped for gas and Dan was going through all the stuff in the van (that old egg-shaped Toyota, which reminds me of another story) and when we started back up the road, i asked him what he was looking for. In a very matter-of-fact tone he said he was looking for his rattlesnake (i think it was a Canebrake named Baby). I got pretty excited, took my foot off the gas pedal and up into the seat with me and coasted to a stop. Dan thought that was pretty funny and then I figured he was just pulling my leg so off we went again. I didn't even think about it anymore until we were unloading our stuff at the show venue and Dan happily announced he had found the snake !    

Dan was a pioneer in many ways, he was one of the first to market an RD longbow (now the norm more than the exception) and fought hard with many who said it wasn't a longbow and at least one state organization outlawed his Longhunter from their competitions. He was one of, if not the, first to use modern string materials on stick bows (again, something that is now considered the norm)and waged a campaign for it's use to improve trad bow performance. His Longhunter (in DD's and John Hood's able hands) successfully competed against and won national competitions against FITA type recurves complete with sights, stabilizers, etc. His treestands, the Deerhunters Dream and later the Fox Squirrel (still one of my go-to stands) were some of the very first succesfully marketed teestands in what has become a giant industry unto itself.

I could go on and on but just bore you because some of the stories would only mean something to me or to a few others---like the time right after they'd amputated his leg and he hailed me from the other end of an aisle at the Bowhunting Trade Show. He hobbled quickly over to me, pulled up his pants leg and said "How do you like my new limb ?" When i looked down, he indeed had a new limb---a laminated bow limb had been put in the place of the lower half of his leg. i was so flabbergasted I was speechless (unusual situation for me) and Dan thought that was hilarious.

Yeah, i'm gonna miss Dan a lot. No other individual except my own father has had such a profound effect on the man that i am today.

And i'm jealous, too, of where he sits today, of the other faces lighted by that fire, of the stories to be told and relived, of the spirits of great animals called back to that campfire to live again. i'll never be worthy to join that circle but i'm praying they'll let me stoke the fire for 'em.

[benderofwood]

My prayers to the family and can't wait to shoot another round with him in heaven; see you Mr Dan and thank you for everything;

[joebuck]

Hey Joel, I remember that story but someone else told me it happen to them!?. I guess Ole Dan must have played that trick seldom. He needed a snake to control the mice in that Astro Van!

[Biggie Hoffman]

DD just called....he said Big Dan fought a good fight. Brought a welling up in my chest........

Arrangements are not confirmed yet but he thinks Friday night for visitation and Saturday for graveside.
Will keep all posted.

[Gene Langston]

He lived in my county, and I'd spoken with him about a year ago. Apparently he had suffered a series of strokes.

Dan was Dan, he lived life like most of us would like to live it. He contributed greatly to archery. He and I did not always agree, but those petty (and sometimes heated) disagreements matter little now.


RIP, Dan.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Shakes.602]

I have heard his Name mentioned a time or 2, can I ask How Old Dan was? If he was in Pain, he is in a MUCH Better Place Now. God Bless him and His Family.