I can’t help but reflect on all the great things my Dad has done for me throughout my 47 years. It also causes me to reflect on my role as a Father. It’s a tough job, but the rewards are surely worth it as we watch our kids grow and follow in our footsteps. 

One of the greatest things my Dad has gifted me was passing down his love for archery and the outdoors. I don’t believe this was intentional, but he exposed me at a young age to the things that were important to him. As a result, I grew passionate about being at his side and experiencing all the outdoors had to offer. It honestly started with his willingness to take me along, everywhere he went.

Some of my earliest memories were following him around the local archery course. This was long before 3D archery targets existed. Outdoor animal rounds consisted of paper targets secured to a block of foam or a dirt backstop. The paper animals had scoring rings and the game was played much like 3D archery today. I was too young to remember much about the rules or even keeping score, but I do remember walking the trails from target to target and shooting with my Dad, before the age of 5. 

My first bow was a green fiberglass recurve with a plastic yellow handle. My arrows consisted of wooden shafts, fletched with feathers and tipped with a lightweight metal point. Most adults at that time would use their hunting bows, swapping out broadheads for field points. This was a bowhunter’s game to simulate hunting situations. It was great practice for hunting season, a lot of fun and would eventually evolve into the 3D archery game that we enjoy today.

Dad was very active in the local archery community. In 1982, he and a group of friends chartered a new local club and called it “Knob Creek Bowhunters.” I literally grew up at Knob Creek, as we transformed that raw 300-acre tract of land into one of the premier archery venues in the State of Kentucky. My whole family was involved, including my Mom and Sister. Nearly every two weeks, from February to August each year, we worked to plan and host 3D archery shoots. Our best weekends would draw up to 120 archers from Kentucky and adjacent states. The club was active there until the late 1990’s, but eventually folded for a variety of reasons. We met some amazing people over the years through our association with Knob Creek Bowhunters, many of which are still friends today. 

Dad was also a great archer. I can remember watching him shoot and being amazed at how easy he made it look. Archery equipment has come a long way since then, but he had the best that was available at the time. The Martin Cougar Magnum was probably his favorite of all-time. It had a beautiful metallic gray riser, with laminated wood and glass limbs. He took 2 nd Place at the State Championship with it in the mid-1980s and I can still hear the sound of it when he would release the arrow. 

Every year the club would host an “invitational” team shoot. Other clubs from the surrounding area were invited to send a team to compete for the traveling trophy, consisting of an impressive set of deer antlers mounted to a wood plaque, with engraved brass plates to memorialize the winning club from year to year. I remember watching Dad and his Knob Creek teammates win that team trophy and being excited for the day that I might be on that team. Guys like Danny Catlett, Jake Collier, Roger Hatfield and Dale Pottinger. They were the “big dogs” and I wanted to be just like them. 

Eventually, that day would come. Dad supported me every step of the way. Teaching me how to shoot a bow, encouraging me to practice and providing me with good equipment. We started traveling to national events after the International Bowhunting Organization was established in 1984. I shot the IBO National Triple Crown for the very first time in 1987 at the age of 11. Even after Dad stopped shooting competitively in the late 1980s due to work related injuries, he continued to support my passion for archery, as well as volunteer his time to support the club at Knob Creek. We were an archery family. 

My love for competitive archery grew from the seeds that he planted when I was just a little boy. That lead to a passion for bowhunting, which overlapped with many other outdoor activities. When other kids were going to High School football games on Friday nights, Dad and I were slipping off to the woods for an evening bowhunt. Whether hunting, fishing or shooting, we spent our weekends together. I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. Although Dad can’t keep up the pace like he did back then, we still share those bonds today and enjoy time in the field as often as possible. 

Truthfully, my lifestyle hasn’t changed much since I was a kid. Nearly every weekend, my family and I are volunteering at the local archery club, traveling to a national archery event or chasing critters on the family farm. Dad passed on his archery and outdoor legacy to me for which I am very thankful. Hopefully, my kids can pass it down to their kids and will cherish the memories that we are making as much as I cherish those days with my Dad. Thanks Dad, I wouldn’t change a thing.