The grandfather pulled the old cedar-shaft arrow from the leather quiver for maybe the one thousandth time. He handed the arrow with the black and white turkey-fletched feathers to his grandson, provided a few words of encouragement, and watched as he knocked the arrow and prepared to draw back the longbow that was gifted to him.
With the familiar blast of the old horn indicating that it was safe to shoot, the young archer quietly drew the bow, instinctively established aim, and released the arrow toward the iconic running deer target.
The Pennsylvania Bowhunters Festival takes place Sept. 18-20 at the Sullivan County Fairgrounds in Forksville.
The running deer target is a featured attraction at the Pennsylvania Bowhunters Festival and has been present since the Bowfest began in 1957. The festival runs Sept. 18-20. (Courtesy of the PA Bowhunters Festival)
The three-day event, said to be the oldest gathering of bowhunters in the world, originated in 1957, prepares enthusiasts for the upcoming archery season by providing shooting opportunities at a variety of three-dimensional moving and stationary targets at different distances. There are also three trails on the mountain above the fairgrounds that archers could hike and encounter realistic shot opportunities, almost as if they were walking through the wilderness during hunting season. There are also several different competitions, including the steel-boar challenge, that will take place during the event. And if you attend, don’t forget to pick up one of the highly collectable patches that have been issued each year since 1957.
“It is not just the fact that archers can take their practice sessions to a higher level when they come to the bow festival, but what makes this special is that it has become an event that the entire family could attend together and many who come here are walking the same paths and trails and shooting the same areas where their parents or grandparents shot their bows many years earlier,” said Phil Holcombe, president of the Pennsylvania Bowhunters Festival and grandson of one of the founding members.
Holcombe explained that archery remains a popular sport for girls and boys alike, and many families come together to take part in the event. The festival also has a youth range that allows parents to help young children learn how to shoot in a fun and unpressured manner. He said it is also common to see groups of friends who stay overnight at local camping areas spend the weekend together enjoying the Bowfest as a type of annual voyage.
The bow festival features many vendors who are on site to accommodate archers who are looking to purchase new equipment – including arrows, need to repair a piece of equipment that may have malfunctioned, or simply require general archery advice.
Spending the day shooting at targets and walking on trails can work up a hearty appetite. The event offers home-made breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday, a robust charcoal-cooked chicken dinner on Saturday afternoon, and a menu of general food, drinks, and snacks that could be enjoyed throughout the weekend while sitting at one of the many picnic tables by the century-old maple trees that comprise the fairground. In fact, some come to the festival just for the food.
“The intent of the founding fathers of the Bow Festival was not only to provide access to equipment and supplies, but also to provide real-life scenarios and fellowship and to meet new friends,” Holcombe said.
For more information about the Pennsylvania Bowhunters Festival, visit www.pabowhunters.com.