By Todd Gruber, Knox, Pennsylvania
In the age of archery technology changing rapidly and archery equipment becoming obsolete almost immediately after you purchase it, there still are many that are converting back to the way archery used to be. Bows and arrows made of wood and no sights to guide your shot are gaining in popularity more than most would think.
Emma and I with her first bow.
I have been shooting a traditional recurve bow for about 7 or 8 years now, and even though I have not hunted much with it because some back issues had kept me from practicing as much as I would have liked, I am looking to start hunting strictly traditional this year. Over the past 3 years I have been able to introduce my wife and two daughters to the sport as well as some of my friends and their families. Pennsylvania is home to two of the largest traditional shoots in the country. I was fortunate enough to attend both events this year. The STAR (Ski Sawmill Traditional Archery Rendezvous) and ETAR (Eastern Traditional Archery Rendezvous) and they are both located within an hour of the beautiful Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. This year I was able to camp for the weekend at STAR with my family and my good friends Bill and Laura Evans with their son Tanner.
The STAR shoot is much smaller in comparison than ETAR but is a great shoot to take the family to because of the flatter terrain and laid back atmosphere. STAR consists of 5 3-D archery courses, novelty shoots, and the canoe shoot. Vendors are present at the shoot to stock up on supplies. Last year my youngest daughter Emma was only about 18 months old but we were able to use a cart that you pull behind a bike to maneuver her through the courses. I would not advise on taking a youngster up the ski slope to the two courses up on top because it can be very steep at times. This year at 2 years of age she shoot her own bow made of CPVC and walked about 90% of the course. My nine year old daughter Dani has been shooting for about three years and out shoots many of us adults. My wife Deanna has been shooting for three years also and seems to enjoy it more and more. Every year we attend we are seeing more and more families attending. Both shoots offer a great atmosphere and we have met many people from all over the country. The one thing that I have noticed is that most of the people that attend the traditional events are very laid back and willing to share there knowledge of the sport to offer tips and tricks of the trade.
My daughter Dani is left handed so she must sit backwards on the horse for this shot.
STAR is a great shoot to go camping with your family because it is not real crowded and there is a lot of room for the kids to play. Last year at STAR we shot all day on Saturday and saw only a handful of people on the courses we were shooting. This year there were more people and the shoot seems to be gaining in popularity. Seminars are available at both shoots to help you become a better shooter or enjoy some of the trick shooters that attend the event. STAR and ETAR also have programs for the kids to improve there skills or just have fun.
ETAR is one of largest traditional archery shoots in the world. I am not sure how many shooters this event draws, but I know it is in the thousands. ETAR consists of 9 3-D courses as well as many novelty shoots and a raccoon shoot at night. If you want to camp at this event I would suggest getting there on Wednesday because it fills up fast. There are many vendors at this shoot and you can shoot some of the best made bows from the various bowyers that attend the event. The vendors sell bow making materials, archery accessories, furs, and quivers among various other supplies.
My wife Deanna with friends Bill and Laura
Both STAR and ETAR offer great accommodations with on site camping available, nightly swap meets, and unlimited shooting. STAR is usually the last weekend in June and ETAR is the last weekend in July. Both shoots start on Thursday and run until Sunday. On Sunday both shoots end with a door prize drawing. For more information on the shoots you can google Ski Sawmill or Denton Hill ski resorts or look at Archeryfestivals.com. Ski Sawmill and Denton also offer compound shoots but I have never attended.
Bill taking aim!
If you are interested in trying your skills with a recurve or longbow this is a great place to go. Even if you don’t shoot, it is worth making a trip to see what they have to offer and you can stop and see the sights of Pine Creek and the PA Grand Canyon.
A view from atop Ski Sawmill Resort
Thanks for the great story and photos Todd. You can send us your hunting or fishing story and if we use it on our web site we will send you a Pennsylvania Sportsmen Portal T-Shirt. The Pennsylvania Sportsmen Portal is all about folks who hunt and fish in PA and we love to feature our site visitors. Only criteria is, you must be a Pennsylvania resident. Stories can be from out of state adventures also, but we are really looking for stories that feature hunting and fishing in PA. Click Here For More Information.
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