LAST UPDATED: May 8th, 2015
This past weekend I had the opportunity to work in the Bowtech Archery Experience Trailer with Hans Saunders. This man is obsessed with introducing new people to Archery. The Trailer is a 3D range set up in the back of a tractor trailer that is pulled from one event to another by a Big Rig Diesel Truck equipped with living quarters. Hans spends roughly half of the year on the road manning this operation for Bowtech. I met up with him at The Truth and the Outdoors Expo in Union, MO Friday afternoon. This expo was a family oriented event set up at a Christian Retreat Center.
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The trailer with the windows closed waiting for the show to start.
The big rig that pulls the trailer from one show to another. And home for the weekend.
The trailer open for business.
Targets at the end of the range.
This was the first time had worked in the trailer introducing people especially kids to archery. I have worked hunting shows before, but that is mostly talking to hunters about the latest equipment and swapping hunting stories. This was a totally new experience for me. I know we had over 100 young kids and teens come thru the trailer that had never shot a bow in their lives or maybe shot an old recurve in someone’s back yard. To see the excitement on their faces just to be able to hold a real compound bow in their hands was a joy. And when they actually got to shoot the bows and hit the foam animals, sometimes with a little help on the aiming, their excitement made my whole weekend. And some of them left with a smile on their face that will last the whole day. Needles to say we had a long line of people outside of trailer all day long, waiting in the rain at times for their turn to shoot.
One of the teens that had never shot a bow before this weekend.
After working with Hans this weekend, I have found a whole new enjoyment to this wonderful sport of ours. Introducing people to archery is a great way to give something back to the sport that I get so much enjoyment out of and to help promote it in a positive way. If some of the kids that came through the trailer this weekend end up becoming bowhunters, it can only benefit our sport with keeping the tradition alive and growing. Much appreciation goes out to Bowtech for providing the Truck and Trailer along with all of the equipment and to Hans for his passion to recruit new archers to the sport.
Hans, if you are ever in the neighborhood and need someone to help you man the trailer, you have my phone number. Give me a call and I will do my best to make it there and help you out.
