Where did the time go?
When I was young my Dad would tell me stories about things that happened 20 years ago. One day I asked him why all his stories made reference to 20 years ago. He told me that when you have been doing something for 20 years you can talk about it like you know something. I was sittin here this afternoon, tinkering with my bow, when I realized that I have been shooting a bow for 20 years. Guess maybe I can talk a little about it just for fun.
I started shooting when I was 7. I started with a fiber glass recurve bow and cedar arrows. Now they make Mathews bows for kids. My first hunting bow was a Jennings Firestar. It was over 42" long and had round energy wheels that shot maybe 210 fps. The entire bow was a solid piece of metal and the grip would give you frost bite in the winter. Today I can't find a bow that long and a slow bow is under 300 fps.
I shot instinctive and used fingers. There was no such thing as a release aid. I remember getting my first sight and having to ask the shop pro how to use it. Remember the old rubber tab arrow rests? Yup I used them. Stick em on and hope they didn't fall off when you shot your bow. The TM Hunter rest was the best one a going and when you put the teflon taps on you were styling. Drap away arrow rests....if your rest dropped away it was broken.
The elite arrow was the Easton xx78 Superslam...endorsed by guess who...Chuck Adams. The most common was the Easton xx75 2117. Do they still makes those? Carbon arrows came on the scene a few years later and had outserts...not inserts. They were about as big around as a pencil. If you shot a deer with them, and they broke, you have to throw part of the deer away because they would splinter.
Mechanical broadheads were not invented yet. Screw on the old Bear Razerheads and hit the woods. I remember my frist upgrade...Satellites that must have been 140 grains. Holy crap.
Bill Jordon, Toxey Haays they were pioneers in the camo department. Realtree Hardwoods and Mossy Oak breakup. Those were the best camo clothes you could buy. Didn't sell them at Wal-Mart yet. I used old army camo for years. No such thing as scent lok. Hunt down wind or pray the deer didn't smell ya. Layering systems...ha. Put on every piece of clothing you had and try not to shiver.
If you wanted to hunt from a tree you built a platform stand. Buying a tree stand was unheard of. Hope you picked a good spot cuz climbig stands were not thought of...except for the Baker stand...and those would break on ya.
Like I said, my no means am I old but I thought it would be fun to talk about the changes that have been made over the last 20 years. In the picture are three bows that span the compounds life cycle. Far left is a Bear Archery Whitetail Hunter (Pops first compound, circa 1978), middle bow is a Bear Archery Bear Hunter (Bear's version of my old Jennings Firestar circa 1994), far right is my current bow a Darton AS300 2008. Holy cow what a difference.