Fred Bear never shot a Pope and Young buck ... "He was a bare bow shooter and had a rhythm to his shooting," Carlson said. "The compound bow added a whole new dimension he never felt comfortable ...

That bow was handmade by Fred Bear himself, sometime between the founding ... They'd be in there every morning shooting the bull." Ease of conversation was a trait that endeared Bear to townsfolk ...

Learning that Fred Bear was a beginner at the same age made the challenge more approachable. I pored over stories about Bear, and even used several photographs of him shooting as an example for my own ...