I started in 1972 at 15 years old. I had a Ben Pearson recurve set at 50 lbs and some old easton arrows. I killed my first deer with that bow, A big doe from a makeshift ground blind. The next year I got a Baker climbing tree stand ( man was that thing dangerous ) It wouldn't grip a tree at all. I remember getting set up 15 to 20 feet on 3 or 4 different occasions the stand would loose it's grip and I would slide down to the bottom. Once I was hurt pretty bad, I thought I broke my tail bone. There wasn't to many bow hunters back then. I had most of my area to my self. That was great. My first compound bow was the Bear Alaskan, Man that was a nice bow I believe that was 1980. Where has all the time gone ????