Dave gets the point. Makes it easier for you to get it too
Monday, September 24, 2012 by: Connie Carello
Imagine yourself holding a bow and arrow.
Feel the thinness of the arrow between your fingertips as it rests alongside of the bow.
As you pull back the string and adjust to the heavy draw-weight, you take your aim; hold your breath and release.
Archery has always been a hobby for Dave Boston, a retired Essar Steel Employee who maintains an archery shop.
“I got into archery in the early 70s around 1975. However ,it all started when my parents were going away and had asked me what I wanted. I replied a bow and arrows since I knew they thought beebe guns were dangerous. Little did they know…” Boston laughs.
“A few years later, my friend and I went to Manitoulin with a compound bow. Although we didn’t shoot any deer it stirred some interest and I had friends who wanted to learn. So we decided to go hunting on Drummond Island, the five of us, and we had a great time. We decided to form an archery club which back then was called the Soo Lions Arch Club.”
The Club still remains active today although under a different guise known as the Sault North Archery Club.
With a 20-yard indoor range, a 30-target outdoor range, and two shooting towers, the club maintains approximately 70 members.
Boston, owner and operater of Dave’s Archery, could not be more pleased that his love for the sport caught the inspiration of others.
In 1981, he recognized the demand for archery supplies.
For close to 31 years, Boston has supplied Saulties with a variety of bows and arrows for both hunting and leisure use.
The three types of bows that can be purchased at the shop include the long bow which are usually handmade, the recurve which is lighter in draw weight, and the compound bow which has an eyesight for both close or far range shooting.
Draw-weight is referres to the amount of weight an archer can pull while drawing the bow.
Compound bows have the capability to adjust draw-weight and are preferred for beginners.
The cross-bow is also an alternative to reduce draw-weight as it can be manually cranked to a maximum of 180 pounds.
This prep time requires the archer to be prepared while hunting, as it takes several minutes to prepare the next shot.
In addition, Boston sells a variety of arrows which include wood, fibre glass, carbon, and aluminum.
Some, he has placed on display above his shop’s door which is located in the basement of his house at 774 Third Line East.
One is a rare artifact, an arrow from Africa which Boston treasures for its unique craftsmanship and sharp arrow point.
Long telephone poles, which are painted brown and carved the shape of arrows, point in the direction to Boston’s house where his shop can be found.
“For me,” Boston said, “I prefer to shoot with the compound. I can get three shots off before the crossbow. However, all forms of archery increase the level of difficulty for a hunter. You need to be within 60 yards of an animal and in most instances, you only have one shot.”
An avid hunter, Boston refers to an encounter with an owl as his favorite hunting experience.
“I was sitting on a trail and an owl had sat beside me. He was wondering what I was. When it flapped its wings to take flight, I could feel the breeze on my face. The best experiences hunting have been when being surrounded by nature, animals in their own environment. If I wasn’t out there hunting, I wouldn’t have seen that.”
Interested archers are encouraged to phone the Sault North Archery for further information including league memberships for both the indoor winter and outdoor summer seasons at (705) 248-2505.
Those interested in purchasing archery supplies can visit Boston where the variety of bows can be tested in his basement with a sandbag as a target.
