Greatest archer?
 

Who do you guys think was the greatest bowhunter of all time? Howard Hill, Aurthur Young, Fred Bear, Ben Pearson, etc.



"Hey ya'll, watch this"

RE: Greatest archer?
 

I'm voting for Ishi.


He wasn't the best shot, but who else that we know of lived off the land?

"Hey ya'll, watch this"

RE: Greatest archer?
 

Yep. How can anyone lay claim to being the greatest bowhunter of all time other than the people whose day to day survival depended on their bowhunting skills?

But, if you want to know who I think has had the most impact on today's bowhunting... NOBODY has even come close to equalling Fred Bear as an ambassador for the sport. Lots of guys have taken more P&Y trophies than Fred, but they're all more interested in promoting themselves than anything else. Bear promoted archery and bowhunting and introduced the sport to the masses. (And, as a side bonus, created a market for his products)

[Deleted]
 

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RE: Greatest archer?
 

I would have to disagree on Ishi, reluctantly. Wasn't he found when he stumbled out of the wilderness half-starved?

JRW

RE: Greatest archer?
 

I have to throw Byran Ferguson into the mix as well. Below Fred of course.


Wait, that didn't sound right. <img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_clown.gif border=0 align=middle>

Edited by - BobCo19-65 on 01/29/2003 14:05:01

RE: Greatest archer?
 

Since 1900?--Chet Stevenson
Before that?--The Holmgaard Clan

Your life is made of time, not money.

RE: Greatest archer?
 

Ishi was too old to take care of himself when he came out. If I'm not mistaken, he was the one that taught saxton pope flintknapping. Ishi's archery gear was very unique and it worked fine for him, But Pope said he couldn't make the gear work. I read alot about it but it's a long story that I won't bother telling unless someone asks.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

RE: Greatest archer?
 

I vote for Chad Weaverand Cujo<img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>. Okay I think I buttered them up enough. Chad and Marc are going to talk about picking out a sweet piece of wood for the riser of a Crusader I just ordered.

I think Fred Bear is the man. He was the total archer. He was a great hunter, archer, salesman and promoter of the sport!

RE: Greatest archer?
 

Paul Schafer was the greatest Traditional Bowhunter.

Rick Welch is the greatest Traditional Archer. JMO. :)

Fred Bear was the greatest spokesman.
Byron Ferguson is the best today.


Sag.





Edited by - Sagittarius on 02/01/2003 15:46:54

RE: Greatest archer?
 

Paul Schafer was the man!

I read that he was hunting antelope with his 80 some pound recurve out west. And he passed up tons of good bucks, but then found a HUGE world class antelope. He stalked whithin range and shot. Well when he shot the lope tuned to run and the broadhead just barely knicked the back of the lope's achillies tendon next to it's hoof. Needless to say this was a &quot;superficial&quot; hit and anyone would give up on it right? Well Paul tracked that lope over 10 days and 40 miles and he FOUND it (dead from the shot)!!! Amazing! He was an amazingly strong guy and a deadly shot too.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

RE: Greatest archer?
 

kodiakhuntmaster, this is straight from the Shafer Silver Tip site under tribute to Paul:

&quot;There's the story of Paul's 1984 pronghorn antelope that jumped the string and Paul's arrow broke it's front leg. Paul took off after the running antelope, keeping it in sight until it bedded. He'd try a finishing stalk only to have the pronghorn get up just before he got within bow range. The buck would bust from his bed and Paul would continue his running pursuit. When the buck ran, so did Paul. When he'd bed down, he'd try another stalk the best he could. He told me he felt it was just a matter of time. Darkness fell on the first day before Paul got him. He marked the spot of the bedded buck and walked to the nearest road, miles away, he hitched a ride back to his vehicle and hunting partner. The next morning at pink light Paul tried another stalk on the bedded buck only to have it move out once again. But he was getting closes. The second day the same story unfolded until late in the afternoon when the antelope stayed bedded long enough for the finishing stalk to come together and the final arrow found it's mark. Paul and his partner broke out the maps and estimated as best they could the distance of recovery. From where he first hit the buck to where he field dressed the animal...40...yes, FORTY MILES! Tenacity and relentless pursuit... that was Paul Schafer.&quot;

[Deleted]
 

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RE: Greatest archer?
 

Hey Gimp I didn't vote yet, I was just clearing up that fellow's story <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: Greatest archer?
 

Gorsh Fellers!....ya mean it ain't Chuckles Adams?!?
(I can't make a buck-tooth grin sign)

Your life is made of time, not money.

RE: Greatest archer?
 

coop, Thanks for clearing that up. I was getting my information from a very old field and stream magazine that had brief overviews of various outdoorsmen. It said nothing about him making a second shot or any of the major details. He's probably my favorite traditional bowhunter.



&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

RE: Greatest archer?
 

kodiak he's one of mine also. I read an article in Outdoor Life. I want to say it was 1994 maybe? I still have it; I'll have to look it up. It was basically a tribute to Paul Schafer and it's the reason I got back into archery. Granted I started back with a compound because I was taken back by the prices of traditional equipment. I actually bought a compound, arrows, quiver, etc. cheaper than I could find a recurve at the time.

Now old Gimpy here is the reason I'm back to stickbows. He heard on the Pa conference about a year and a half ago that I wanted to make the switch back and pretty much gave me a Bear recurve to use for as long as I wanted. Less than a year later my compound was gone. Now I have 5 or 6 bows and even make my own now.

RE: Greatest archer?
 

He's the reason I am back too Coop. Maybe we could start a club?

Man, is he an orney cuss though. :)

RE: Greatest archer?
 

If the last two posts are true, I vote for Gimpy!

Your life is made of time, not money.

RE: Greatest archer?
 

You Guys are forgeting William Tell! Oooppps, he used a crossbow. Let's not start that argument again! Dick

RE: Greatest archer?
 

You know alot of people didn't know that Tell used a crossbow? His didn't have sights on it.

Chet Stevenson, what was he known for? I've read a few stories about him hunting blacktail with a longbow but not much else.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

RE: Greatest archer?
 

kodiakhuntmaster&gt;
Read &quot;From the Den of the Old Bowhunter&quot; Excellent book. Chet Stevenson was an explorer in the truest sense of the word. He would take off into the Cascades and roam. Made a whole bunch of bows and Arrows and Killed a lot of Game with them. I'm not sure, but I think he shot a grizzly, too.

Your life is made of time, not money.

RE: Greatest archer?
 

I am voting for both Fred Bear and Gail Martin (my &quot;write-in&quot; choice). All of those previously mentioned are likewise worthy of the moniker, but Fred's unselfish attitude toward promoting the sport (i.e., not enforcing patents, etc) demonstrates the heart of the archer.

Gail Martin kept traditional archery going when traditional wasn't &quot;cool&quot;. He, like Fred Bear, was more interested in what was good for archery as a whole, rather than what was simply profitable.

And so I offer my two pennies for your consideration :)

YBIC,
Dave &gt;&lt;&gt;

Matt 6:33,34/Rev 3:20

RE: Greatest archer?
 

Fred Bear started the fire in my belly. Tough question though .... Howard Hill, Pearson, Pope and Maurice Thompson were all great.

RE: Greatest archer?
 

Greatest bowhunter? Hmmmmm. Greatest politician? Fred Bear.What he did had the most impact on the status of bowhunting today than any (all) of the others.