Well I finally got a bow. This bow was my grandfathers. He passed away about a year ago. I was never able to hunt with him because he stopped hunting when my father was a boy. My father never hunted so I started late in life. My fondest memory of my grandfather is as a kid going out and getting to shoot a real gun. It was his 22. My father now has that and as the first-born son of his some day I will have it. Now that I think about it some day my 2-month-old son will have it too. Anyway I got way off subject.

My Grandmother pointed out that my Papa's bow was at the house and asked me if I would want it. Of course I did!!! You may remember me asking questions in here before Xmas about recurves exc. I am really excited to have a bow to try out. I had the bow looked at today at a local shop they put on a new string strung it and explained to me that I needed to take it easy and draw it a little at a time until I was at full draw. This was to be sure that I didn’t break the bow since it sat so long. Does that sound right to you all? I did it and after about 5 hours I am now at full draw. The tech felt the bow was in fine shape but didn’t know anything about it. I was wondering if anyone out there could tell me more about it. Its 54" and was used to kill whitetail deer about 50 years ago. My Papa was from Michigan near Detroit and traveled up north several times a year so I think there is a good chance that its a bear bow from when Fred Bear was in Grayling Michigan. The paper tag with all the information has fallen off the bow so I don’t know anything else. Oh the bow may have been used when my Papa bought it. So Its at lest 50 years old maybe more. You can shoot off either side of it. I have posted some pictures off it as well.

Oh and yes I know you can see my foot on the table dont tell the wife I stood on it.





Edited by - One Eye on 01/16/2002 19:19:36

maybe an old bear prototype? If I read correctly Fred was up there close to that time frame if not before. Sure looks like the old grizzlies riser minus a shelf?

I don't know, but that tablecloth looks quite a bit like mine, specially from that view. Don't tell my mom I know what her tablecloth looks like from that view. "I swear, I was fixing the light!"

Could very easily be an early Bear Bow. Fred first started making bows in the Detroit area, where he lived at the time. For quite awhile he had his factory in Detroit in the Grand River Ave/Shaefer Rd area of N.W. Detroit. I might be wrong, but I don't believe he moved his works to the Grayling, MI area until the '60s. So either way it's conceivable your Grampa could have purchased the bow from Fred's Co. in either Detroit or Grayling. I'll check around my club, because we've got lots of old-timers that shot in our Bush League (barebow league) when it used a portion of Fred's factory for a range. They might be able to identify the bow.
http:home.netcom.com/~jtmaurer/dahome.htm

Jack

Edited by - Floxter on 01/16/2002 21:19:20

Thanks Floxter anything you can find out would be great. Also do you know of any good traditional shops? So far all I have found is Jays in Clair and that is 2 hours away.

The only other traditional shops I know of in the Michigan area are Schupbach's in Jackson and Ron LeClair's in Potterville. Better than driving 2 hours to Jay's in Clare, is driving the same distance to 3Rivers in Ashley, Indiana.

I'll be shooting in the Bush League next Monday night and I'll see what I can find out about the bow.

Jack

Edited by - Floxter on 01/16/2002 22:00:08

One Eye,

I am not sure were you are located but I know a few years back that there was a very strong contingent of trad shooters at the Lapeer Sportsman club & there were a few of them there that were dealing in some traditional equipment.
Maybe this will help you out.

Straight shooting
MTBYAK

You might want to check this website for Pearson Bows:
www.angelfire.com/la2/pearsonbow/

Jack

cool site floxter. Clicked on a few of the links...very interesting!

Brandon, congratulations on the bow. What a history you have to go along with it! It does have Bear characteristics to it.



YBIC,
Dave ><>

Matt 6:33,34/Rev 3:20