I just had to reply to this one...

Man... I tinkered with recurves and compounds around the same time. (Age 12.) But my very first bow (which my father bought for me used from a friend of his at work) was a Bear Whitetail Hunter. (The original that was something like 40" ATA with tiny wheels and the crazy criss-crossing cable system which went around wheels attached to plates at either end of the riser.)I was 13 years of age. It was a 50 pounder which worked out okay... Draw length was a little long, but I managed.

Pultruded carbons were just beginning to hit the market then and, to be honest, none of the stores around me even carried them. So, naturally, I was shooting aluminum arrows. (Feather fletch... I think it was even 4 feathers instead of 3 on several of my arrows.)The bow had no sights and a flipper rest; I shot instinctively. I didn't use anything but bare fingers for the longest time, but thenmy fatherand I were visiting another friend of his and he wentinto his shed and startedpulling out all kinds ofold gear when heheard I was into archery. He gave memy first3-finger glove. Man, I thought I was happenin'.

I never killed a deer with that bow (and in retrospect I'm probably glad I never got a shot with it) but I was out there "killing" targets and "sneaking" through the woods in my mil-surp camo with trusty bow in hand. If I close my eyes I can almost see myself... Good memories!