About 1980.....
I was home on leave from the Marines. My future(and now) brother inlaw, his youngest brother & I, took a trip up north, to my uncle's mountain in Schoharie Co. My brother inlaw had 1 of the first compounds, a 50# nonadjustable Bear Blacktail Hunter. His younger brother had a Pearson recurve, and I had my old 50# Bear Alaskan. I had camo painted the old Bear and it was now wearing a green tape on 4 arrow bowquiver. We were all shooting 2117 Easton "Gamegetters" with plastic vanes, off of a Bear Weatherest. Mine were tipped with old green Bear Razorheads. I was dressed head to toe, in my Marine issue woodland camo utilitys, and my face was painted with G.I. camy stick face paint. We were SERIOUS Bowhunters!!!!!
I stillhunted my way up the upper logroad of the mountain, bumping a few deer along the way. 1 was even a buck, a nice 4 pointer!!! On top of the mountain, was a big overgrown pasture field. I stillhunted along the edge of the field, and came acrossed another bowhunter sitting on a rock alongside the field. I slowly walked up to him & said "Good morning".....
He was an old grey haired gentleman with a grey beard. He was wearing green wool pants & a Red&Black wool Mackinaw. On his head was an old Red&Black wool "Jones Style" hat and he had L.L. Bean Guide boots on his feet. He had a backquiver of arrows on his back. In his hand, was what looked to be Ben Pearson recurve, with black glass & white limb tips. Nocked on it's string... was a beautifuly crested cedar arrow, fletched with barred turkey feathers. It was tipped with the BIGGEST Pearson Deadhead that I had ever seen!!!!!
We talked awhile, He lived at the base of the mountain & knew my uncle. I told him about the buck, and he said he had seen it a few days before. It had spooked before he could stalk close enough for a shot. We wished each other "Good Luck" & I stillhunted on my way.....
I remember thinking how COOL he looked, and wondering how long he had been bowhunting??? Looking at me, I'm sure he was thinking that bowhunting was going to hell in a handbasket, Lmao!!!!! I wish I could have got to know him better, I'm sure he had some stories to tell.....