Hey guys, does anyone know where a I can take a class near VA to become a licensed bow tech, or any recommendations on the best classes to take across the nation?

try contacting BOWTECH for advise??

i believe he means bow technician...so bowtech would work and check with other manufacturers

If their graduates are any indication of the level of training, than every technitian cert course I've ever run across has been little more than a red badge of courage. 95% of the grads of these types of programs I have encountered still can't tell sh*t from wild honey. Those that can knew the difference going in.

What it gives you is a certificate or plaque or whatever that says... hey... look at this... I'm bonafied... what are you? If you don't have a reputation to back your work... then it may well net you some customers. If you are just looking to learn how to work on your own bow... then its just designed to separate you from your money.

Bowtech (company) actually has a dealer school where you can go and build your own bow (at least they used to, not sure if they still do). But from what I understand... thats pretty much it... and having worked on bowtech's for the last five years... I've gotten to dissassemble and rebuild PLENTY enough of them to never need worrying about paying $1500 to go do in Oregon on my free time to do what I GET PAID to do in Virginia.

PSE still has a dealer school.. its in Tucson, AZ, and from what I have heard its a damn fine program. Again though.... gotta be a dealer.

If you are just interested in learning how to better work on your own equipment, then latching onto a mentor or taking a side job at a pro shop is the best way to do it.

Push comes to shove.... I'm in Richmond a lot and work in tidewater... I'll show you whatever you want to know about it.

I got an offer to work on bows at a shop about 1 hour away from my house in PA. I showed them I could get around a shop pretty well. Just do it to hang out, and hone my skills, and pick up a trick or two on other brands.

I mean I am a Optics engineer full time and more but thought it would fun. Barely pay for the gas money and snacks. But then they told me the time I would be working the most and it was basically Sept, Oct, and part of Nov. So I declined.

So beware, it can cut into valuable hunting time especially when you work 50-60 hours a week at another job.

I agree 100% plus if you want to make any money find something else to do.. You're not going to get rich working on bows.

That you definately won't do. Unless you have other people working on bows for you (ie: you're the boss), and even then you won't exactly be a Rockafeller, but you can get by.

Only good reason to take that side job is to learn, or in the cases of some friends of mine who work at other archery shops.... you get a nice employee discount, and the money they make at the second job goes directly into their own pocket to fund their hunting needs.

Plenty of places that hire inexperienced help, good way to learn.