Greetings Members! This Saturday, April 27, 2024 is our scheduled Litter pickup on Highway 55, milepost 72-74. Following the litter pickup we’ll join together for a barbecue provided by the ITB club and shoot flying discs, aka Bowbirds!
The barbecue and Bowbirds will be on Pearl Road at the summit of Horseshoe Bend hill. Hopefully you can join us for this fun event. Many hands make light work! This is our chance to do a club service project and it promises to be a beautiful day, but we will go ahead with the pickup whether rain or shine. Bring gloves and wear sturdy shoes or boots as the terrain is steep and brushy. See you soon!
Greetings from Cascade Idaho! We are experiencing the typical Idaho spring weather where it alternates between snow and sun about every 30 minutes. I’m coming in from snowblowing to write this reminder about our up-coming monthly Zoom meeting happening this Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 6:30pm MST as the big snowflakes swirl in the cool afternoon breeze. Attached is the agenda for the meeting. The Zoom link is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87546586054
Hope to see many of you there! We have some great events coming up!
Be sure to make your nominations for our officers, especially for the position of secretary-treasurer, on the official website (see Shawn’s recent email for the link). Lisa has given us her notice that she is resigning from the secretary treasurer position. She has done an amazing job with the secretary treasurer duties of writing the meeting minutes, preparing and helping with event and member registrations, and keeping our financial status up to date. We are incredibly grateful to her for her careful attention to detail and the integrity with which she handled the affairs of our club. She has offered to continue to help out and guide the newly elected secretary treasurer. If no nominations are made for the outgoing secretary treasurer, then the bylaws state that the Board of Directors (President, Vice President, Secretary Treasurer, four Regional Directors and the Director at Large) can appoint someone to fill that position. The ITB club needs YOU if you have the skills and aptitude required for the job. It is a very rewarding opportunity to serve the Traditional Bowhunter community and we all need to take our turn to make our club vibrant and growing. You may nominate someone who you think could do the job, or you may nominate yourself if you are qualified. We appreciate your help! Thank you!
We couldn’t have asked for nicer weather for the Friday afternoon setup and Saturday Fallen Archers shoot! Beautiful clear skies and a light breeze, with cool morning temperatures warming to the low seventies by mid afternoon, made it a perfect day for our shooting event. The sky would frequently erupt with the sight and sounds of snow geese and Canada geese circling enmass above the marsh. They were joined by a pair of marsh hawks cruising the mown fields for rodents. Bill and I arrived about 11am and were visited by the Fish and Game officer, Steve Dempsey, out checking the Wildlife Management Area and happy to welcome us for the shoot. Dave and Lisa arrived with the target trailer at about noon and other willing folks began to show up; Jack Wassard, Don Schroeder, Pat Lopez, Butch Olson, and Scott Neville. With two ATV’s and a well seasoned crew, the 23 targets were quickly set up, and we were able to shoot a round of targets well before sunset. Don Schroeder set the entire course with Bowhunter Challenge stakes, so everyone who came to the shoot got a chance to try out the “archery yoga” positions from the colorful stakes! Thanks Don, for the flexibility exercises!
A nice warm fire took the chill off the frosty morning air, while we got organized to begin registration and welcome new and returning traditional archers. Shooters began showing up and filling the parking area with vehicles, unloading chattering, smiling people of all ages, young and old!. Our lone, exceptional vendor, Pat Lopez put out a nice selection of beautiful bows, arrows, and leather gear. Our apologies to a couple of folks who had difficulty following the directions on the flyer. We made a note to be sure and update the information about getting to the shoot next year. Sixty-nine shooters signed up to do the course.
Archers hiked around the course, usually in small groups, with lots of kids enjoying the fresh outdoor air and the fun of learning and practicing traditional archery. Bill and Janet, Lisa, and Casey Cogan supplied three different kinds of chil: traditional burger chili, chicken white bean chili, and vegetarian chili with fresh morel mushrooms, a gourmet fare! Other folks added food to the table and it was a hearty lunch for all.
People continued to shoot through the day, often doing the course two or three times, picking different stakes to shoot from, or trying the bowhunter challenge positions listed on the tags hanging from the stakes.. At about 2:30pm the cards for the kids competition had been handed in and the awards ceremony for the categories were given: PeeWee up to 6, (Berkley Oversby 1st, Finley McDaniel 2nd, Merrick McDaniel 3rd); Cubs 7-10, (Landon Carman 1st, John Christian 2nd, Alister Martin 3rd); Youth 11-13, (Quinn Carman 1st, Aiden Cogan 2nd, Wyatt Oversby 3rd) and Young Adult 14-18 (No shooters in this bracket).
The parking lot began to clear out, as tired folks headed home and the big crew of faithful hard workers stayed to help take down the course and load the target trailer. A big thank you to those who pitched in to make the course take down a quick and efficient task, a true community effort!
It was great to see familiar faces after the long winter and to renew friendships and welcome new members. Thanks to all of you who showed up, and those of you who have renewed your memberships; it keeps our club going and everyone is appreciated.
Warmest regards to all and a special thanks to the many volunteers who made this shoot possible and really fun!
In Gratitude, Janet Houlihan
Coming up: Zoom meeting April 11th and Bowbirds and litter pickup April 27th.
Hello Members! Here is a copy of the meeting agenda for the Thursday March 14, 2024 Zoom at 6:30pm MST.
We’ll be discussing email election of officers for 2024. Check the web and get your nominations listed.
We’ll be going over forming a task list for Western States Traditional Rendezvous so we can make sure our planning is complete. Check the agenda for the first draft of the task list and be ready to add anything and to volunteer to help for this exciting event in northern Idaho.
We’ll also be discussing final details of the Fallen Archers Shoot happening this coming Saturday, March 16, at Black’s Bridge Wildlife Management Area near New Plymouth. See the flyer on the website for directions. This is a fun spring tune-up shoot with 22 targets on a level circular course. Volunteers are needed to help with target set-up on Friday afternoon between 1pm and 5pm.
What a wonderful weekend in Pendleton! The vendors rolled in on Friday and set up their displays in the low ceilinged Let ‘er Buck rooms, creating a corridor of tables laden with countless beautiful bows, shining knives, exquisitely fletched arrows, quivers, leather and Gortex goods, and a variety of traditional equipment, clothing and decor. The rooms were humming with the sounds of men and women talking Trad Archery and socializing with folks they hadn’t seen for months! It was truly a beautiful scene! Thanks to all the vendors who made the journey to the Expo and helped make the event really special.
Mike Porter and Bob Draper faithfully manned the registration table and handled the distribution of tickets and money for the entire weekend. Big thanks to them! Bob Bourland, Riley Savage, Jim Akenson, Jeremy Depiero, Bill and Janet Houlihan, Adam Floyd, John Warford, Mike Schlegel, Dennis Michael, as well as countless other willing volunteers (sorry I didn’t name all of you!) stepped up to get the venue set up, signed and ready for action. The weather was beautiful, with blue skies, mostly gentle breezes and temperatures in the mid fifties.
Dave and Lisa Hall arrived with the target curtain and we got it installed so we could have a bow testing area that was safe and functional, as well as shooting in the grassy field of the arena for 3D targets and automated bowbirds. Lisa and I manned the ITB table and sold a few memberships and “swag”.
The seminars started Friday afternoon with Compton’s representative Chris Jasmine talking about hunting mule deer. That talk was followed by the usual evening drinking and story telling that we all love! The rooms were locked and Chad and Larry Harsin took shifts during the night to watch over the vendor tables.
On Saturday a steller array of speakers presented on topics of Public Land Elk by Trent Wengerd; Instinctive Elk Calling by Joel Turner; followed by the Elk Calling contest, and a Mule Packing seminar with pictures (no live mules) by Jim Akenson. The evening keynote speaker was Paul Forward, a young Alaska MD who spoke and showed pictures of his crazy-breathtaking-rocky-icy-steep cliff camping and hunting for bighorn sheep and other large mammals. He showed slides of his lovely wife after she harvested a massive bull caribou and their blond curly haired young son enjoying the exciting life of Alaska backcountry hunting and family camping. Each speaker was exceptional in their presentations.
About 200 people packed into the banquet hall on Saturday evening for a simple tasty meal of barbeque beef or chicken sandwiches, salad, beans, and dessert. Unfortunately, some folks had to wait in line for quite a while for their food, but eventually everyone was served, and no fights broke out while we were waiting. The raffle and photo contest prizes were distributed at the close of the meal, and the lucky winners left with smiles!
On Sunday we heard again from Joel Turner, this time on “Shot IQ“, a fascinating discussion of the mental principles behind shooting a controlled shot and techniques for overcoming the mental and physical blockages that so often arise in traditional archery. Joel offers an online course on this topic that has attracted the attention of high level sport coaches at an international level. His talk was amazing!The vendors packed up their wares and we cleaned the grounds and left the area by mid-afternoon on Sunday.
There is a consensus that the event went very well and talk was made about doing it again next year, hopefully bringing Washington Archers onboard. I was impressed by how congenial the Oregon club was and such a pleasure to work with in putting on the event. Bob Bourland and the TradQuest Podcast folks really helped to get the word out and were instrumental in getting Compton’s onboard. Our VP, Shawn Carman was fully engaged in creating very beautiful professional flyers that really boost the legitimacy of the event and give respect to the sport of traditional archery and bowhunting. Nice work, Shawn!
The Pendleton Round Up venue has a folksy cowboy vibe that really resonates with the traditional archery group. It was definitely well worth the trip.
I personally loved the Expo and thought it was a wonderful, encouraging and inspiring experience. The finances are not completed yet, but it seems like we’ll get the money back that we invested ($1500) and maybe if we’re lucky, a little extra. To quote Thom Tash: “I’m still buzzing from this awesome event! I really enjoyed every moment of the weekend”. Thom won a Great Northern quiver in the raffle and it had the logo that Shawn designed for the event laser etched into the leather. He said of the quiver, “It will remain with me as a constant reminder of this awesome event.”
Mike Schlegal has composed an excellent letter to his local representatives regarding the proposed bill: HO 469. I have attached a PDF file of the letter and Mike gives his permission for you to copy this letter to respond to your local representatives. It is truly in our best interests as traditional bowhunters to pay attention to legislation that can have an impact on our seasons and choice of equipment. Please voice your opposition if you haven’t already. Thank you!
Hello ITB members! The excitement for the upcoming Northwest Traditional Archers Expo is growing as final plans are being made. I would encourage you to listen to a podcast with Riley and Bob Bourland that just came out 2 days ago. (Podcasts: Episode 129 NWTraditional Archers with Riley Savage). Their enthusiasm is infectious! They go over the details of the schedule and who will be presenting. Over 35 vendors have signed on to attend. It’s an event you won’t want to miss. There is also a PowWow with many western Tribes involved at the adjacent convention center with crafts on display, and western themed shopping at the Pendleton Store and Woolen Mills, so varied opportunities for family fun. Register at tradarchersoregon.com. Hope to see you there on February 23-25, 2024 in Pendleton, Oregon!
Don Thomas has confirmed to be our speaker at Western States Traditional Rendezvous and has given us a list of five possible topics that he could present. We need to pick two. I typed the list as an addendum to the meeting agenda attached to this email, so take a look and be ready to cast a vote on which one you’d like to hear. Don has graciously offered to speak to our event at no charge, which is a wonderful gift for our organization.
Thanks for your participation in our traditional bowhunter club, especially those of you who are renewing your memberships for 2024. Everyone of you is appreciated! Zoom link for the meeting is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87546586054 See you soon!
Come join us at the Pendleton Round Up Rodeo Grounds on February 23rd – 25th, 2024. There will be a variety of vendors, interesting seminars, bow testing & shooting opportunities, in general — fun for all in an old west atmosphere!
The upcoming Zoom meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 11th @6:30pm (MST). Check out the agenda to review what we’ll be discussing and be thinking about any ideas/concerns you may wish to share. Thanks for your participation!
