Whats archery mean to you?

[legends1]

Tradganger just wanted to throw this out there.Im sure alot of you have wonderful memmories that happened while you had your bow in hand.For me im thankful i came from a archery family.All the times spent with family members who are no longer with us,but have wonderful memeries spent  with them.Im gifted with having a bow shop and the wonderful people i meet and thier stories.Just this last weekend i shared a Elk hunting trip with a wonderful friend and hunting partner.I might add, i meet him while hunting years ago.We spent four days in Oregon look'n for a cow.We didnt even see a single Elk,but had a awesome time that i will always remember.Some of the crazy things you find to laugh about after days in the woods.It's not always about the animale you harvest.For me its more about the memoiries.What are some of your most wonderful memeries while spending times with your bow?

[carpenter]

Back in the 60's Missouri had a great rabbit population.My dad and I spent a lot of time together along with my 4 brothers chasing cotton tails with our bows. He always made sure that each one of us had a bow and arrows.I miss him.

[JV Rooster]

Speending time afield with my dad and two brothers is always a makeing of a good memorie for me. Now that my son will be hunting with us next year should bring a lot of good memories. i love being afield with family and friends.

[horatio1226]

I'm a father of 3 young boys who is the guy starting the traditions and trying to make those memories for my sons. So far its working great. I love archery!  

[Rob DiStefano]

For me it's always been ...

A simple bent stick, the tug of a worthy string, and the flight of a feathered shaft true to the mark.  

The logical outcome of that action is the camaraderie of the sport and the taking of game - food for the table and the adventure that bowhunting provides to nourish the body, spirit and soul.

Amen.

[Pinecone]

It means more than words can ever hope to say...
In short, for me trad archery has become a metaphor for life...the best of life.  The bow has been the instuctor and I have learned more about perseverence, patience, discipline, gratefulness, humility, spirituality,and comraderie than I would have likely learned anywhere else. My passion for the bow and arrow has been one of my life's greatest blessings and I hope to be able to pass this blessing on to others so they too can experience this unique and amazing joy.

Claudia

[joevan125]

I can close my eyes and still see my roommate from college walking up to my stand knowing i had just killed my first deer with a bow. The excitement on his face and mine are forever captured in a picture that sits on my desk in my man cave.

Bowhunting is something i think about everyday several times a day and can never get enough of it.

Im 42 and man i hope i have a lot of days left to sit in a stand and watch the sun come up.

[Peter Smith]

Trad archery for me is a bond that can never be broken with my friends and family. I started out with a recurve as my first hunting bow, I missed my first buck with a recurve bow and now I have harvested the biggest deer of my life with a recurve bow. Yeah in the 80s I switched to that other gear, only took 1 deer with it the whole time I used it. My wife, teenage daughter and 9 year old son all participate in 3-d trad shoots together as a family and we have the best family trips that way. Trad archery also keeps me in touch with my best friends that I grew up with and their families as well. We all get out to shoots and hunt together every year. I have also made lots of new friends and enjoy the time we all spend flinging arrows and teaching each other by sharing our experiences.

Have a Merry Christmas!
Pete Smith

[sou-pawbowhunter]

I don't think I can say it any better than Claudia did.
Indeed, a metaphor for so many other aspects of my life, and one that has taught me to value self reliance and simplicity to a greater extent than ever before.
The reverie induced by the flight of the arrow has become a salve for the soul, and time spent with likeminded folks has begun to feel like a safe haven in a troubled world.

[Mudd]

I know it's a part, a good part of who and what I am.
I only regret that I spent so very many years between my walks with the bow and Christ.

Archery is a kind of metaphor of my walk with Christ in that in the very beginning as sweet as it was I lost track of myself and wandered away.

It took me years of learning and not always the easiest of ways to wake up to the important things in life.

Archery is a blessing in my life and a lot of that blessing is because of the people I get to rub shoulders with, you and others just like you.

I see great diversity and such commonness of spirit with the people I've met through the love of archery. I am reminded that I am a part of the body(as with Christ) but not always the prettiest of  parts.

I am not a wordsmith but do my best to let people know that I care about them. It is a labor of love.

I hope I haven't put anyone off with my sentimental drivel. Please forgive me if that's your case. I think I could go on and on... but what's the point... I love archery and what it brings to my life on so many different levels.

With all the love that is Christ Jesus
God bless,Mudd

[Grayseas]

Shoot an arrow is a stress reliever for me. I just enjoy the flight of the arrow.  The pursuit of perfect arrow flight (long ways from being there l.o.l.)

[bornagainbowhunter]

Its time with my family and a sport we love.  My two boys (3 and 5) would rather shoot their bow than eat.  It gives us a time and a place to be togather and to be with like minded friends.  The 3d shoots we attend made a special group when my oldest started "under 3 longbow" just to make sure he would get started into the sport.  Bunch of great folks carrying a stick and string.

[joevan125]

Well said Mudd.      

[jamesh76]

These are some great responses. I feel as if you could add them all togather and get a great description. But with every experiance, each its own with this great sport. The what archery is to me definition would be based on my past experiances, the people and friends that you meet with the sport and the time spent with my children while hunting, shooting or just simple arrow building.

[straitera]

I'm sincerely thankful for my interest & ability to hunt with a longbow. It isn't that I can't hunt any other way but that I choose inspired experience from this most simple basic method. You can't buy these experiences! I'm not elitist disparate from any hunter gun or otherwise.., just grateful to know the difference.

[legends1]

I also love reading these responses.I truly love my job.For some people thats not the case.I love to craft a wonderful bow and often think about the stories and memories that will go with it long after im gone.Sometimes its nice to seat back like so many of you have done in your responses and think of memories that you havnt thought about for some time.We all have them.They make us laugh and make us cry.Sometimes in our crazy lives we dont allow are selves a quite moment to think about the wonderful memories the sport of archery has brought us.I like what Mudd said about some of his memories being sentimental.I think we all have those memories too. Allow yourselves 5 min. and think about your wonderful memories this sport has brought you.We all love reading them.
Thank again,
Mike

[BEN]

A chance to step back and  get away from all the "better", newest, modern approach to EVERYTHING, be it hunting, at work, or just daily life.

A better chance to enjoy nature---- knowing that I must be quieter and move more carefully and get closer to my intended target and in the meantime, I've found that I enjoy all the other little things in teh woods more.

Finally, a real opportunity to spend QUALITY time with my family and friends. This is  something that me, my wife, and 5yr. old daughter can all do together and have fun without hassle or prior planning.   Plus, I have met SO many good people who share Trad Archery, that I will always call friends who I would have never met.

Ben

[lpcjon2]

Shooting in my yard with my kids That always will be the best moment!

[robhunter]

Teaching my grandchildren the sport I love.

[klm5121]

I enjoy just being in the woods and enjoying all the sights and sounds. Also i was recently told by my girlfriend that she would like to start shooting bow with me, just that news was the high light of my year.