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WHITE RIVER BOWHUNTERS, INC.
About Our Club
"Ideas won't work unless........You Do"
WHITE RIVER BOWHUNTERS
WAS FORMED IN 1951 AND INCORPORATED IN 1954
The founding Purpose of the Club:
To foster, expand and perpetuate the practice of archery in the United States
and a spirit of good fellowship among all archers. To encourage the use of the
bow in the hunting of all legal game birds and animals and to protect, improve
and increase the privileges of bow hunters. To cooperate with the Federal and
State governments, and sportsmen and conservation organizations in the
propagation and conservation of game and its natural habitat, the forest
and fields. To conduct a continuous educational program designed to
acquaint the public with the bow and its safe use. To acquire real
property by
purchase or lease for use in the promotion and practice of archery. To
protect
and improve and increase the privileges of bow hunters. Perpetuate the
use of
the bow in accordance with its ancient and honorable traditions.
Our club was established in 1951 by five archers,
Jack Daub, John Daughtery,
Roy Cotozzi, Ab Lindsey and Bill McCart, and
incorporated on Feb 4, 1954
with approximately 50 archers from the Bedford/Mitchell area. These archers
were
made up from all walks of life, Doctors, Lawyers, Farmers, Businessmen and
Factory Workers who hunted. The groups shooting range was set up on the banks
of the White River on the old Murphy/Weitknecht farm, thus the name of the club
become “White River Bow Hunters”.
Since the start of the club their headquarters has switched
location numerous times.
The club members were determined individuals who held shoots in old Pig Houses,
Chicken Houses, Warehouse Attics, Airport Hangers, Commercial Basements and
at City Dumps, just to keep the club alive.
The club grew in popularity and became known throughout the
state as one of the most
competitive clubs in Indiana. The members were never satisfied with the type of
equipment
that was purchased off the counter of sporting goods stores. One of these
individuals was
Ab Linsey, who designed and built the fastest recurve bow of its time, “The
Flimsey Linsy”.
Linsey’s bows were in demand by shooters all over the country. Jack Daub was
another
top archer in competitive archery in the late 1950’s. He was chosen as the
archer in a film
shown to service men thru-out the South Pacific, to promote interest in the
sport as a means
of relaxation and personal accomplishment. The film was shot in Mitchell,
Indiana.
The club membership has varied from 5 to 150 people, from
the age of 6 years to an active
bowhunter 82 years of age.
The first shoot fees were $0.75 cents and winners received
ribbons. Over the years the
winners received bags of potato’s, turkeys (frozen or live), pies, silver
dollars, trophies,
arrows. etc.
The club worked with other clubs in the area to promote the
sport of archery. When one of the
area clubs had no place to shoot, Our club, Orleans, Salem, Paoli, Bloomington,
Pike County,
Greenwood and other clubs offered their grounds to each other to hold shoots on.
Field trips to Rabbit Hunt, Squirrel Hunt, Carp Shoots and
Deer Hunts along with Camp outs,
cook outs and indoor leagues are some of the many things that the members have
enjoyed
doing together.
Over the years the club has helped other hunting clubs
outside of archery get established in the
area. We teach I.D.N.R. & N.B.E.P. Hunter Education classes to promote the safe
use of
archery equipment while hunting. The many “Thank You Plaques” on the club house
walls from
Indiana Dept. Natural Resources, Schools, Scouting Groups, Hospitals and other
Clubs shows
our determination to live up to the “Founding Purpose” of the club which is to
promote archery.
The club hosted its first “Bowhunters Jamboree” in 1966.
This has been an ongoing archery shoot
ever since. This event was attended by 180 archers. They shot on Laminated
Card board 2D targets
and the top 25 shooters were allowed to attend the Crane Navel Ammunition Depot
deer hunt.
In 1968 the club purchased 47.7 acres, where they are
presently located. Over the years they
acquired more land and now have 121.09
acres on which we have a Club House with Indoor
Range, Outside Practice Range, 14 Target Field Range, 15 Target 3D Range,
Modern Camping
Area, Primitive Camping Area, Shelter House and a Catch and Release Fishing
Pond.
In 1985 the club became affiliated with the International
Bowhunting Organization and hosted the
2nd Jewel of the National Triple Crown. This event has since grown
to the largest archery shoot
in Indiana and has been attended by shooters from every state in the United
States as well as shooters
from Canada, Australia and Spain.
Over the past years the club has produced some of the top
male and female shooters in the field
of archery. Championship “Bowhunter National’s” Teams, Individual State Champs
and National
Title Winners.
Times were not always good for the club! During the
tough years, the members generously took
from their own pockets to keep the club afloat.
It is with both pride and gratitude that we recognize all
our past and present members as true
promoters of archery.
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