Old Newspaper Clipping - Field Archery
Montana
I was going through some old photos and came across this clipping of my folks' archery club back in Vermont when I was a kid. Field archery was very big back then. Most towns had an archery club and we went to shoots about every weekend around the state. My Dad had an old Army tent that he would pitch. We didn't have much money growing up, but my folks found ways to get by. They made their own arrows, strings, etc. They had a feather burner and made their own feathers as well. I recall that they each ordered a Smithwick bow from California (I think). I learned to shoot with one of their bows.. I'm left handed, but somehow learned to shoot their right hand bows.. I think my mother's bow was around 35 pounds and my Dad's was 42. Those were great times.. We went to the range a couple times a week to practice, and of course, we had bales set up in the field behind the house. They shot indoors once a week in the winter. When we started shooting, pretty soon other kids would show up, some of the neighbors, etc.
My Dad shot the biggest deer in the state in 1955. It was a 155 pound doe. In Vermont the weight of a deer is what is registered. Back then not much thought was given to horns unless it was really big. Deer hunting is a big deal there. In the weekly newspaper each town had a list of who shot what, how big it was, etc. Deer are required to be reported in to either the town clerk or a check station within 48 hours. Each night during deer season on the radio there was as show, "Buck Stearn's Buck Report" and he'd read off everyone who had killed a deer that day. Great Memories!
A school gym would make a perfect indoor shooting range. I was wanting a close option around here this winter.
I learned to bow hunt in Indiana, and every deer was weighed and checked in too. Don't think I ever got near the biggest in the state though!
Sometimes makes me wonder how MT has any idea what is harvested each year.
