Carolyn Duncan- Featured Lady Archer/Bowhunter

Love at First Shot

A good friend of mine once commented, "Put a bow in a woman's hand, stand back and watch her go!" I guess that is my story in a nutshell.

I began dating my future husband, Lorne, when we were in high school in the early 1980's. I would watch for hours as he practiced with his Bear Whitetail, shooting fingers and no sights. At 80 pounds, there was no hope of my ever drawing his bow. Flash forward about ten years, give or take. Lorne and I were in a local archery shop getting his new bow tuned up for deer season. As I wandered around killing time, I noticed a little bow... one that was my size. It was a Martin Tiger and when we backed it down I was pulling a massive 27 pounds (a far cry from the 50 I shoot today). I looked at Lorne and said, "I'm going to buy myself this bow." He got really tickled and said, "Well honey, you go right ahead." Lorne encouraged me from the start, but felt that it was important that I wanted to shoot for myself, not just because he enjoyed archery. For me, it was love at first shot.

A couple of years later, one of our friends called up and told us about this thing called "3-D Archery". By this time we were using releases and sights, so we felt pretty high tech. I was not quite sure what to expect and had never judged any yardage in my life, but we had a blast. I have been hooked on 3-D ever since.

It was the confidence I gained through shooting 3-D that inspired my interest in hunting. Before I discovered my love of archery, I honestly did not think I could sit still enough to hunt. Now I can’t imagine life without my "tree time". I have a full time position as an administrative assistant at RBC Centura Bank and compete in the Women's Pro division on the 3-D circuit, but I manage to hoard those precious vacation days for deer season. I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina and am fortunate to be able to hunt in my backyard... literally. We also travel out-of-state - Kentucky and Illinois are a couple of our favorite destinations.

It is difficult to explain to someone who has never hunted, but I do my best to share the experience. That magical time when the dawn creeps into the tree tops and the woods wakes up. The chickadee that lands between your feet and pecks on your treestand. A curious squirrel that touches your leg, mistaking you for a branch. The spotted fawn that munches the acorns at the base of your tree, never having a hint that you are watching from above. And the rush of adrenaline that surges through your body when that big buck appears out of nowhere, your heart hammering away so loudly you feel sure it will give you away! These are the moments I cherish.

Archery is a wonderful family hobby. Lorne and I spend a lot of time working with beginning archers and especially enjoy introducing women and children to the sport. For the past three years we have been invited to Washington, D.C. to attend the Congressional Bow Shoot sponsored by the AMO and the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation. This event is designed to expose members of Congress, their families and staff members to archery and bowhunting. It is very exciting to return each year and see that the people you instructed have purchased archery equipment and some have even gone bowhunting. The great thing about archery is that you can begin to shoot and hunt at any age and become successful. My life has been richly blessed over the past ten years since I purchased that first bow. I hope this positive experience has been passed on to all of the new archers I have had the opportunity to meet.

My thanks to Johnny Kennedy for nominating me for this feature and to Sue Burch. I would also like to recognize Hoyt USA, Easton, Tru-Flite, Doinker, Classic Scopes, BCY, Custom Bow Equipment, TRU Ball, Rocket Aeroheads and Nikon. These wonderful companies all do a great deal to help promote archery, especially to children. They are true leaders in our industry and their efforts are to be commended.

Proud to be a bowhunter,

Carolyn Duncan