FYI about me

Dryridge · 08-20-2008, 03:20 AM

Guys and Gals. Some of you know about me some don't. I like to come on here this time of year when archery Questions are at the peak and help out all I can. I don't come year round as much as others because I moderate another site (WVSportsman.net) and that plus my other duties as an elected official keep me pretty busy.

But, I am disabled. I have had 4 back surg. been paralyzed and put back on my feet by surgeons hands and Gods Blessing 3 times.I now have both of my shoulders completely shot (one reconstructed but not too useful) and battled back from a "Moderately Debilitating" closed head injury from a MVA.
I can no longer draw a bow.

However, at one time I was a top listed shooter and had my own ProShop. I evolved with archery. I saw the first Allen Compounds, Hunted with Shakespeare and Bear Recurve until I finally went high tech and got a Bear Whitetail.... It had 10 pins on it.One for every 5 yrds and it needed them.LOL!when they stated coming out with "Safety Pin" rests and you had to actually "tune" them...I was hooked.

I love the dynamics and Technical side of Archery. I can appreciate the "flight of the arrow" from a stickbow and all it's romance, but gimme a technical issue with a bow that has "training wheels" and I am close to heaven. I take pride in fixing the ones no one else can. I help 2 shops as needed now. I try to teach them all I can but it just seems they can't remember to apply ALL the rules at the same time.

I am not the Guru or Czar of the archery world and there are others on here that are probably much better than me. I just ask a favor. Tolerate me for a while and I will go away again. Giving up archery 2yrs ago still has scars left unhealed and this to me is my way of holding on. Don't mean to step on anyones toes or try to make myself out to be something I am not. Just trying to help others by what I worked so hard and diligently to learn. In the meantime if you have any ???'s and i am not on here feel free to send them my way at Dryridge2@netzero.net

Thanks for tolerating this washed up old dude.

PS: I now own and hunt with a crossbow. I hate it! If I could use my bows I could outshoot it. Heck, I taught my son and he can outshoot me at 50 yrds with me using sandbags and a scope on that thing.
Could be I need to learn how to tweak a crossbow, but I don't want to. Don't care that much for the thing to take the time to learn! It does get me back in the woods and it does launch an arrow. But It ain't a bow to me. I complained last fall that I squeezed the trigger and blood flew. Not much challenge. Then my best friend and my son razzed me saying that I went 17yrs without a miss w/my bow so.....Maybe I just need to give it a chance.

Carpmaster · 08-20-2008, 07:50 AM

Welcome back!

brucelanthier · 08-20-2008, 07:52 AM

I enjoy learning from those that know what they are talking about and I am sure I will enjoy learning from you. I would ask that you stick around all year, though, because some of us enjoy learning all the time, not just right before the season LOL. So, even if you are busy with the other site maybe you could just stop in from time to time in the offseason. We would enjoy learning from you

.

txjourneyman · 08-20-2008, 10:47 AM

I'm glad to learn a bit about you and I'm glad you are here.

nodog · 08-20-2008, 02:54 PM

Something your missing, here shoulders don't matter, words do. You can be king here if you care too. No czar aye? Let us be the judge of that.

Pile it on, take what you can and give nothin back.

Just have some fun.

SwampCollie · 08-20-2008, 03:04 PM

Hey the mind stays sharp if you keep it honed. Those Allen and Bear Compounds were pretty much the rage about the time I was born... plenty I don't know about archery I'm eager to learn. "Old farts" always tell the best stories anyway

Hang around as long as you can or care to!

khawk · 08-20-2008, 09:40 PM

Dryridge your advice to me was both informative and written in a way that a newbie like myself, can relate easily too. Exactly like nodog said, shoulders dont matter, words do. As far as you hunting with a crossbow goes, if I couldnt hunt with anything else except a slingshot and a pebble, thats what I would do. For me it more than how we hunt and with what. Its the time spent outdoors with all of gods creatures and passing along the knowledge from years of experience in the sport we alllove. Hopefully I can do the same with my children.

Dryridge · 08-21-2008, 12:38 AM

Hey, Thanks for making an "Old Fart" feel welcome.
Will help all I can and probably learn more than I teach.

As for the crossbow. I know it's a great tool, just like Crescent Wrench and Duct Tape, but when tuning and tweaking and shooting bows was your LIFE then it's hard to give it up. I know it's not the crossbow I resent, it's that I am forced to use it. My dislike is misplaced, and if and when I ever get the emotional scars healed then I will like it a lot more.

Tell you one thing I dearly LOVED about the crossbow. My teenage daughter just absolutely has not patience for hunting with a bow and her big thing is L-o-n-g range rifle shooting/hunting. She has taken whitetails from 183yds (closest) to 497yds (furthest) with a rifle I built for longrange playing and varminting. Anyway, I got her in my groundblind with her portable varmint stool with arm to rest the gun (in this case crossbow) in and she took a huge old dry doe at 4 steps from the blind. It was probably our best moment ever together. The look on her face when the deer got so close and offered her a perfect QA shot was priceless. Not to mention her coming off the stool and onto her feet in one motion then realizing she had the roof on her head and was holding the blind off the ground....LOL

What an evening. .... Now according to the state of WV she can't legally use a crossbow. So its a good thing she shoots a Micro Midas.

ain't it !

Thanks again folks for allowing me to share your cyberspace as we all share our world....of archery.

Dave

AL... F · 08-21-2008, 10:19 PM

Dry,
contrary to my profile i have been here awhile, before this place was moderated, i stumbled on this forum about 1995 or 6, those who knew me then may remember my wife is in a wheel chair because of muscular dystrophy and 7 back surgerys due to deteriorating discs and has had a dorsal column stimulator put in 5 years ago,has been in a wheel chair since about late 94. Well she had been feeling down and, well, truthfully useless because she could not do the things she used to do. Until our neighbor told her what i am about to tell you.She was about 70 and she doesnt care much about peoples feelings.
she said "the sun is gonna come up tomorrow wether you want it to or not, and you can sit there and feel bad about what you cant do, or you do what you can do the best you can do it.

OHbowhntr · 08-21-2008, 11:53 PM

Dave,
I think I speak for nearly ALL of us when I say, "You're welcome at our campfire anytime." Sharing that knowledge gives back a little to younger or less experienced archers, and helps keep fueling the fire of the hunt.