Trailing a Bear

Chessbum · 02-02-2002, 02:00 PM

I'm reading this book after putting it down a few months ago and I have a question for you Fred Bear fans. This is a two part question and if you read or have the book by Munger you may know why I'm asking so here goes. Was Fred left or right handed? I thought he was left myself but since reading the book I am not sure and I will give the reason I ask after I determine if he was left,right or bidextrous. Also How do you like the book?

pat daily · 02-02-2002, 03:17 PM

just finished Glen St. Charles Bows on the Little Delta. I believe he said fred was a lefty but at times shot both, as he and fred had shelfs on both sides of their bows back in the day. He also said in the book that fred invinted the infamous "POD". I am sure I will get some heat here but from what I read Fred Bear was mostly an opportunist, in that he usually let someone else pave the way for him. For instance GSt.Charles had secured some alum for fred during the early years in doing so GSt.Charles discovered fiberglass and began experimenting with it in some of his bows, he says he showed it to fred who showed very little interest and made small of the discovery, within two years bear bows had glass on em. There are several other alluded to points in the book.

Toxophiliac · 02-02-2002, 03:27 PM

I heard Fred started out shooting Righty then switched to left handed. One reason I heard was to combat target panic. Don't know how true it was though......heard it on the "other" forum.

arrowsmit · 02-02-2002, 03:49 PM

I don't know it to be fact, but I understand that Mr. Bear was right handed, but shot left handed because of a dominant left eye. IMO Fred Bear was a very crafty businessman & while "the Gentleman Bowhunter" certainly did a lot to promote our sport in general, he may have had other interests at heart as well. No doubt his legacy will live forever & my hat is off to him for his contributions to bowhunting, but he sure didn't die a poor man for his efforts. But then, that's not a bad thing is it?

Dick4bows · 02-02-2002, 04:01 PM

Now I will have to watch my Fred Bear hunting videos to make sure. I kind of remember him shooting left handed. As far as who dicovered glass? Who knows? Dick

Lilhunter · 02-02-2002, 04:31 PM

I had also heard he started out rt but switched to left but it wasnt for target panic like some folks believed. It had something to do with his hands, thought he had an injure on some of his fingers? St. Charles switced for Tp purposes, there was one other famous fella that switched to left becuase of TP but that Fred Bear switching was supposidly for other reasons.

Lilhunter · 02-02-2002, 04:32 PM

btw I really liked the book...not to mention the old photos!

Chessbum · 02-02-2002, 07:43 PM

I think you guys answered my question. Here is the reason I asked. On most of the pages his bow looks to be a left hand recurve with bow quiver then on the picures on page 96 of Trailing a Bear there is a couple of pictures of the Polar Bear with the back of Fred ready to shoot him. The thing that caught my eye was that he is shooting a right hand bow with the camera behind Fred so you only see the back of his head. With the other pictures I see the bow but am having a hard time making out if it is left or right and if his bow quiver is upside down or what? If he shot both he must have been more comfortable as a righty because he is shooting extremely dangerous game. This book has been a good read and I find Munger to be an interesting person who is little known but a personality as interesting as Bear himself. If you have the book take a close look at the pictures I mentioned.

pat daily · 02-02-2002, 08:33 PM

I feel that I should post that I am not and do not have any intention of asassinating character. I found it very enlightening that Bear did not innovate but was a modern business man. If he were alive today would he be considered another Chuck Adams?
also i checked my book and there is a full page picture of Bear at full draw left handed, in the book it states he switched due left eye dominance.
Chessbum, as far as the picture in your book, could it be that the picture was a slide and it was turned wrong when they copied it, I know this sounds crazy but I have seen where a slide is xeroxed from the wrong side and it produces the reverse image.

Lilhunter · 02-02-2002, 09:28 PM

do you think a master of productions as the man was would let a slide go like that?