Best Bowhunter's of all time?

[BT]

Now here is a question that takes some consideration
Generally this is posed as WHAT ONE PERSON IS BEST

I don't think this is a fair question or one that can be answered correctly.
There has been a pretty long history in America of modern Bowhunting and saying that one person surpasses the feats of all others is a bit of a stretch

I believe that Chuck Adams IMO is the embodiment of what I consider to be the ultimate bowhunter today.
Here is a guy that went through the grand slam while financing himself
That in and of itself is a huge undertaking
He is also a great hunter in as much as his skill in the field beyond being able to shoot well enough to take game cleanly.

But Does that make him the best
I think it certainly makes him as good as anyone but what about Howard hill?
Here was a guy who was using equipment that by comparison was not even out of the dark ages and although he was not a great hunter , he hunted and did so with great success.

Or was Fred Bear better than Howard Hill
Fred certainly wasn't the shot that Howard was but he was a far better hunter.

Or was it Ishi
Here was a guy who used a bow to survive till near the end of his life in the wilds of California.
He was not the marksman of either the two afore mentioned but his skill as a hunter was unsurpassed IMO.

These are the men that I hold in high regard and it is hard to define who would be better

Who are the top Two in your mind?
It doesn't have to be from the list above but who and why is what I am wondering here.

[michihunter]

In all honesty, the best is probably someone none of us has ever heard of. I of course am familiar with those you mentioned above but as far as BEST goes, I'd say none of the above. Most famous maybe. But certainly not best in my opinion. That would be left to those that have survived for lifetimes on their use of a bow. May be an American Indian, or a Chinese native or someone long lost forgotten. Heck, it may even be someone currently feeding his family in the darkest regions of this earth. A better querstion may be who do we admire most. And that nod for me would go to Fred Bear for a multitude of reasons.

[BT]

Good point Michi and one that I was thinking of at the time.

Of the persons known to the majority in modern day circules.....who is the best
That would have been the proper way to have asked the question.

Of course....that would have been a bit difficult to have gotten in the title box

[rreda]

I agree with Michi in going with the Michigan Home Boy! IMO it is Fred Bear. He was the entire package. He was an archery innovator, and many of his designs brought us to the "modern archery" age. He was a tremendous bowhunter, who helped promote our sport with his books and films of his hunts. And lastly from everything that I have ever read of him, he was a true gentleman. A true ambassador for the sport that all enjoy today.

[stilllearning]

This may not quilify for a proper answer but being new to archery (relatively speaking) I would have to say the guy that took the time to teach me to shoot and then proceeded to help me learn the love of hunting with a bow. He as of yet has not got a deer with a bow and neither have I but may have I learned how to enjoy it from all angles.

Easternhunter. Wendell Messer.

[easternhunter]

Gee....I'm all a'flustered.

[BT]

That's very cool Stilllearning

You two should really get your licenses and sneak down here for a weekend.
I can assure you that you will get your shots and may even be able to fill your three tags

[Greg Krause]

i have to go with Fred Bear as my first choice. He not only was one of the pioneers but he helped bring archery to the public. I know a few people, including my taxidermist, who were friends with him and said he was a great guy. Howard hill was up there as well.
For a little more modern guy, i vote Chuck Adams. He goes unguided when not required to have one by law, he has hunted and killed every big game animal in NA. He also did a huge portion of his trips on his dime.
One of may favorite hunters is Mike Waddel. He is just a good 'Ol boy who has gotten lucky enough to hook up with realtree and make a living doing what we all love to do. Everyone who has met him says that he acts the same way on and off film. He just loves to have fun and goof off. He really shows the fun side of hunting with friends and family. He's one heck of a shot too,

[easternhunter]

admin said:

That's very cool Stilllearning

You two should really get your licenses and sneak down here for a weekend.
I can assure you that you will get your shots and may even be able to fill your three tags

Oh yeah...there ya go..gettin' me all worked up...Sl won't be able to work now due to his daydreamin'.

Did I mention I MAY be headed to Niagra Falls NY in June?
Nothing gauranteed of course.....

[smj]

You know, Fred is certainly up on the chart. I don't know that we will ever really understand who the greatest bowhunter of all times is, has been, or will be. There is simply no way to really compile that data and come up with something really solid!

However, with that said, I am going to pick Saxton Pope. He never shot a compound, but don't hold that against him! He did real research on archery and testing that would make BT grin! He laid the ground work on which Howard Hill and even Fred Bear worked from. Mr. Pope took up archery in a time when archery was all but forgotten. People didn't believe that a bow could really kill large animals - he proved them wrong. Then Hill did it again, and then Fred did it all again. We seem to have very short memories indeed!!!