Girls with Guns: My Personal Introduction to the World of Archery
OutdoorHub Reporters 06.27.18
“Fred Bear believed in making archery accessible to all people without sacrificing quality.” He has done just that for me and MORE. I started hunting when I was 10 years old. At the time, I was not strong enough to draw back the 35-lbs necessary to legally hunt. I started hunting with a shotgun, and later got into muzzle loading. It wasn’t until this past August, though, that I finally dove into the world of archery.
On August 15th (not that I remember the exact date or anything,) my husband told me he had a surprise planned for me.
He apparently had a bunch of Cabela’s Points accumulated, and saw some great deals on Diamond compound bows in a Cabela’s add. The awesome man that he is, he used all his Cabela’s points on me!
I remember telling my husband that I didn’t need a bow. Bows were too expensive. “Don’t use all your Cabela’s points on me,” blah blah blah.
But he insisted, he WANTED to buy me a bow so I could bring home more deer for him to eat.
Since getting a bow was a surprise for me, I can’t say there was a lot of thought and preparation that went into picking it out. When the Cabela’s staff member asked what I was looking for, I answered, “I have no idea.” What my husband and I did know, was that we wanted something economically friendly, especially since I very rarely can rationalize spending money on myself. My husband explained to the associate that I needed a full set up, and was looking for a bow that was RTH, or “ready to hunt.”
The store associate picked out a few RTH bows for me to try that were under $450.
The Diamond compound that my husband had his eye on was one of the bows I was handed, along with the Bear Cruzar and Bear Cruzar G2. After flinging a few arrows, I kept going back and forth between two bows- the Diamond Archery Infinite Edge Pro and the Bear Cruzar G2.
I continued shooting, and both my husband and the sales associate agreed I looked more natural with the Bear. Something about the bow just felt right. I am always apprehensive to splurge, however, and it was a little more than the one on sale. My husband said I deserved whichever bow I wanted.
I smiled and said, “Okay.” Inside I was jumping for joy, like a kid on Christmas morning. I was finally going to start archery hunting with my pretty new Bear bow.
Once I decided on my bow, arrows were the next thing on my radar, and of course the sales associate was extremely helpful when describing what arrows I would need. She picked up a few different brands and explained why I needed a lighter arrow. Since I would be shooting a low poundage, and I have a draw length of only 25″, a light arrow was essential to avoid the arrow from dropping in flight.
After she showed me a few different arrows, I couldn’t hold my excitement anymore. I, being a stereotypical girl, excitedly asked if there were any pink arrows in the grain I needed. She said, “of course” and picked up Easton Carbon Ion 600 6.4 GPI arrows. She explained that she previously shot the exact arrows and they’d be perfect for me. Since I was clueless when it came to the world of arrow weights and GPI, I put my trust in the sales associate’s hands.
As we were walking up to the register, my husband started singing the “Fred Bear” song by Ted Nugent. He started telling me all about the legendary Fred Bear and explained that all of his dad’s old bows were Bear. He told me back in the day, a Bear bow was the ONLY bow to have. I was even more excited now, because the bow that I say “picked me,” happened to be the brand his dad used. I couldn’t help but think that his dad was probably smiling down on us.
Unfortunately, my father-in-law is no longer with us. He passed away on November 2, 2016, just 10 short days after my husband and I got married. It was unexpected, after the melanoma he was diagnosed with just a few months prior spread like wildfire.
My father-in-law was an avid bow hunter and a traditionalist when it came to the world of archery. When I first met my husband, he was drawn to the fact that I was a hunter. That was apparent because everyone in his family knew I was a huntress before I even met them.
I’ll never forget the first dinner that I had with my husband’s family, back in 2009. I had already met my mother-in-law, but this was the first time I was meeting my husband’s father. He was a rather intimidating man, and the first thing he said to me was, “So you hunt?” I remember saying yes, and talking to him about how I shot my first deer when I was 10. My nerves became at ease as the focus of dinner moved from meeting parents to a shared love of hunting.
After that, it was my father-in-law that took over the conversation. He was a rather opinionated man and loved to tell stories to anyone that would listen.
That person soon became me, as the rest of the family had already heard his stories numerous times. He went on about how archery took real talent, and I could hear the disappointment in his voice when I told him I didn’t bow hunt.
But, with my Bear Cruzar G2 in hand, I am ecstatic to be able to say that in my 2017-2018 archery season, I have harvested not one, not two, but THREE deer.
Every time I climbed into my deer stand, I couldn’t help but think of my father-in-law. Somehow, I knew he’d be proud to see me up in a stand clutching onto my new Bear Cruzar G2 bow. When I shot my first deer with my bow, the feeling of accomplishment was like no other. It was different than any other deer I had shot, and it took me back to shooting my first deer at 10 next to my dad. I told my husband that I bet his dad was smiling down on me, probably laughing that I was bringing home more deer than his sons.
I always tell my husband that I can’t help but think archery would be something his dad and I could bond over. My husband says he thinks about that all the time. I also can’t help but think he’s probably proud of the woman his son chose to marry!
Fred Bear has changed my world as a hunter and has created an addiction inside of me. Shooting my bow brings a calmness and serenity to me that is hard to find elsewhere. Since getting my Bear bow back in August, I have never felt more proud and accomplished as a hunter. Fred Bear has also impacted me as a bow hunter, in a way that I never thought was possible. He has given me a piece of equipment that connects me to someone that is no longer here. That connection is something that only the legendary founder, Fred Bear, could ever provide.
My introduction to archery has been nothing short of a great experience. I was previously apprehensive to start bow hunting because I was afraid of criticism. There are so many people that are quick to judge and poke fun at “another girl that wants to be a bow hunter.” I’ve learned that you can’t let others stand in your way of happiness though.
If you are someone that has contemplated picking up a bow, I strongly encourage it. There is a community of strong women, including the Girls with Guns family, that is available to offer encouragement, support, and advice. Archery is a sport that has changed my life, and I feel everyone should give it a try.
If you have any questions about archery or hunting in general, feel free to reach out to me on social media. I love connecting with others that share the same passions as me!
Instagram: @haleyfitfaith
Facebook: Haley Faith
Email: Heffley1@go.stockton.edu
Haley was born and raised in southern New Jersey, where she currently resides with her husband and two goats. She is an environmental educator, with a love of wildlife and the outdoors. In her spare time, Haley enjoys hunting, fishing, cooking, hiking, farming, and spending time with her family and farm animals. She is passionate about living a field to plate lifestyle and loves being able to cook what she grows and harvests in the field. Haley takes pride in being a Girls with Guns representative and loves connecting with other women that love the outdoors as much as she does.
