Book by mateo kaiser

BOWHUNTERS UNLIMITED

Shooting for a Better Life Mateo Kaiser

BOWHUNTERS UNLIMITED

Shooting for a Better Life Mateo Kaiser

T

his book is dedicated to the members of Bowhunters Unlimited, past and present, who keep this amazing place alive.

iii

T

his book would not have been possible without the support of the staff of Freestyle Academy, the MVLA School District, and Bowhunters Unlimited archery club. Special thanks to Debbie Golzen, Mike Dickerson, Mike Guerra, and Robert Wright.

v

Table of Contents

Preface 9 Introduction 11 Chapter 1: The Range

12

Chapter 2: Archery

16

Chapter 3: Hunting

20

Chapter 4: Conclusion

22

vii

Preface

W

hat initially drew me to this project is that I had recently taken up archery and had begun to visit Stevens Creek archery range. I knew about the club but was curious to learn more about it. Going into the project I knew it would be difficult for me to find enough time to work on the project with all of my other commitments. It was especially difficult for me to devote enough time to my documentary film, which required that I drive up to the archery range quite regularly to shoot interviews and B-roll. My partner and I also faced challenges with shooting our film in that our location was entirely outdoors which meant that we were at the mercy of the weather and the sun, which sometimes made shooting difficult. Having finally completed this project I now hope that in reading this book and seeing our film, audiences are curious about this unique location and sport.

9

Introduction

T

he ever-present background hum of the Bay Area is drowned out by the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind. The peacefulness of this silence is broken only by the sounds of nature and the occasional soft thud of an arrow hitting its target.

For the past 15 years the Silicon Valley has been a center for the booming world tech industry and with that has come a culture of speed and competition which has led to a hectic and stressed out society. Not only are people stressed, but as the valley has become more densely populated it has become more difficult to connect with nature. As places for relaxation and the enjoyment of natural beauty continue to diminish, locations where these conditions still exist become all the more important.

One such location is Stevens Creek Archery range which is situated within 20 minutes of the heart of the Silicon Valley, offering 3.5 miles of walking and shooting trails, as well as a 70m target range. The range is nestled in the hills of the Santa Clara County Park and boasts trails for hiking and shooting with bows of all types, as well as easy access to the adjacent reservoir and hiking trails.

The unique thing about this archery range is that it combines the oftentimes relaxing sport of archery, with a beautiful and serene location as well as being

one of only a few archery ranges in the Bay Area.

The range also offers a location for people to practice archery. Archery is an ancient and often overlooked sport which attracts people from all walks of life. Archery and hunting with bows and arrows are also deeply rooted in American and world culture.

CHAPTER ONE: The Range

S

tevens Creek County Park, which the range is a part of, dates back to the 1930’s when it was established by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). During this period the CCC was active across the country cutting trails and developing park facilities, with the goal of employing young men and giving them an income during the Great Depression.

The development of the range began in 1957 when members of the San Jose Archery club placed range butts mounted on wooden platforms on the range. Early contributors included electricians, carpenters, and Lockheed Martin employees. One such early member was John Daly, a local archer whose father worked for PG&E and who helped install many of the current bridges that were built out of telephone poles Many of the original members of the range had some connection to the Lockheed Corporation, then located at Moffett Field, and San Jose PG&E (Bowhunters Unlimited). Around 1958 the range was temporarily relocated to a Christmas tree farm off of Skyline Boulevard due to vandalism. During this two year period, the land on which the range now sits was developed and fences were put up. During the 1970’s the range was maintained by the Lockheed Employees Recreational Association (LERA). According to longtime member Mike Dickerson, one of the metal bow stands near target 21 on the field range still bears the engraved letters “LERA”, put there by some of the original members of the range.

During the late 70’s the range had begun to fall into disrepair and was vandalized with all-terrain vehicles which damaged the trails. In 1980 the range began to be refurbished under the leadership of Glen Silva. Silva worked with the county park to install barbed wire fences around the perimeter of the range to keep vandals out.

In 1983 Al Nelson and around 20 others founded Bowhunters Unlimited (BHU) and formally began a use agreement for the site with the Santa Clara Parks & Recreation Department. In 1986 Silva became president of the club and the construction of the covered seating area began, built using poles donated by United Technologies. The club also received 3,000 feet of heavy rubber conveyor belting from United Airlines to create what is now the 120-foot backstop on the practice range (Bowhunters Unlimited). In total, over 150 local companies donated tools and supplies to the range.

Today, the club is open from sunrise to sunset seven days a week, every day of the year. BHU hosts tournaments and club events as well as corporate events and Junior Olympic Archery development programs.

The club now has around 300 active members who participate in club events, as well as many drop-in visitors. Members of the club come from a wide variety of bac kgrounds such as engineers, carpenters, mechanics, and doctors.

the range offers haybale targets at 10 yard intervals

Robert Wright, the current Rangemaster and a heart surgeon by profession agrees, “it’s kind of neat, we have everybody contribute their skill to things on the range or to things that happen. First aid, you’re looking at him, Mr. Robert! Everybody, they lend a hand at what we need at the time.” This holds true over the course of the club’s history as people have contributed their skills and connections to build and improve the range. According to BHU president Debbie Golzen, “What’s special about our range is the people because the people up here are so friendly, you can come up and just say, Oh, what’s this about, and then we’ll tell you all about the range, sometimes we’ll even grab a couple of bows and we’ll give you a quick free lesson and then we’ll get you started on archery.”

13

“We’ve seen some adults looking for something to do. And really for some people who just didn’t know what they were doing, and now they are some of our best shooters. They are relaxed, they are confident, they have a purpose. They found something they really love.”

CHAPTER TWO: Archery

A

rchery probably began in the Stone Age and was first recorded being used by the ancient Egyptians for hunting and warfare (“A Brief History of Archery”). Archery originally came from an even more ancient technology known as the atlatl, a device for throwing a spearlike dart at a greater velocity (“A Brief History of Archery”). This makes archery one of the oldest arts still practiced today. The importance of archery is evident by its prevalence in mythology and warfare.

Archery is featured in folklore such as the story of Robin Hood, as well as the Greek story of Odysseus, who was known to be an excellent archer.

Archery was also part of early American cultures, with Native Americans using primitive type bows to hunt for animals as large as bison and elk.

Archery also featured heavily in the nomadic cultures of the Asian Steppe such as the Mongols and Persians. Archery was so important in some Eastern cultures that are was woven into their cultural and spiritual world.

During the 18th century B.C.E. archery went on to become an important part of Chinese and Japanese culture. In Japan, Kyujutsu (the art of the bow), became an art form practiced for spiritual and moral improvement. Archery also came to be connected to Mahayana Buddhism in Japan, now commonly known as Zen Buddhism. Japanese masters of Kyujutsu believe it is necessary “for the archer to become, in spite of himself, an unmoved center. Then comes the supreme and ultimate miracle: art becomes “artless, shooting becomes not-shooting, a shooting without bow and arrow; the end the beginning, and the beginning perfection” (Herrigel). This principle echoes the principles of Zen Buddhism, which emphasize meditation and intuition. The Japanese considered Archery to be an extremely meditative experience which when practiced by a master became “artless”, and thereby an act of complete intuition.

Most archers today might not be Zen masters, but archery remains a calming influence in people’s lives. The focus necessary for archery, and the serene surroundings of the range help many to de-stress and forget about their other problems. According to Robert Wright, “when I get stressed at work – I work in surgery – I come to the range after work and I just vent, it’s just relaxing. And I see many people do it. There are all walks of profession here. If you have a stressful day, you get out here and it’s just so relaxing to stretch your muscles, pull back, and let the arrows fly. It’s not so much about the hitting the targets for me, I just love to see the arrow fly. Just

pull back and look at what I see, is just very relaxing.” Wright also feels that archery can help people find more focus and direction, “We’ve seen some adults looking for something to do. And really for some people who just didn’t know what they were doing, and now they are some of our best shooters. They are relaxed, they are confident, they have a purpose. They found something they really love. So I think it helps in a way.”

Archery also has physical health benefits such as getting good cardio exercise as you hike the trails. Archery strengthens core muscles like chest, hands, arm and large upper back muscles, and non-core areas like the rotator cuffs, which support your shoulders (Vasquez). According to Mike Guerra, who joined BHU after retiring from the military, “Getting into archery initially, it’s pretty easy. You don’t have to buy the most expensive stuff that’s 2000 plus dollars out there, and you can buy a whole setup for $500. Your initial costs can be a little bit steep, but after you have all your stuff. It’s just going out and shooting.”

His shooting has become effortless and intuitive; as we watch him tense his muscles and draw the bowstring back, a moment of stillness ensues before he releases the arrow to hit the 3D turkey target squarely in the head with a soft thud.

CHAPTER THREE: Hunting

B

owhunters Unlimited was originally started with the goal of promoting bow hunting, a passion which remains with many of the members today. Many BHU members have been shooting and hunting with bows and arrows their entire life.

Longtime club member Mike Dickerson recounted how he got into archery, “I started archery in Florida, when I was about five years old. I saw some other boys shooting. So it was for me. I decided I wanted to do that. …

So made mine out of sticks. I lived in Florida at the time, Florida is covered with swampland and ditches and in the particular location, I lived at they had alligators. So my intent was to go out alligator hunting and of course I didn’t get any, but I did see one. So I was hooked. From that point on.”

Dickerson hunts using primitive and recurve bows and has been a member at BHU since 1989. He said that what makes hunting appealing for him is how engaged it requires him to be, “why I enjoy hunting with a bow and arrow is because it requires the individual to participate with nature. It’s not a distance activity, My favorite aspect of archery is that I’m participating, more so than with firearms or even the compound bow because you’re relying on sights and mechanical releases on this equipment. Utilizing the traditional equipment, the individual has the opportunity to make his own gear and participate with taking care of it, maintaining it whereas with a compound bow, most people are not technicians, so they have to take it to a shop to have any repair done” (Dickerson). Some of Dickerson’s bows were handmade by another longtime BHU member, Willy Abat.

Another somewhat similar story is that of Robert Wright, the BHU Rangemaster, who also grew up in the south with archery. “I grew up in the swamps of Louisiana, I’m a Cajun. Hunting alligators, hunting fish, we were not allowed guns. We had to make our own bow and arrows so it just stuck with me through my growing years, through my adult years. When we got older and my dad said we could have guns, I stayed with the bow and arrow. I really liked it. Using your own skills, your muscles. The decisions you have to make before you shoot it because you can hurt an animal if you don’t do it right. So I think that’s a skill you learn and it’s a skill you keep all through your life. And here I am, pretty old guy, and I still have it. I’m one of the top shooters in the club and I teach and I spread that skill; it’s a great skill to have,” Wright reflects. He goes on to recall how he was introduced to hunting as a child: “Growing up in the south, our food was not from the

grocery store, our food was alligators, our food was turtles, our food was squirrels and rabbits and ducks and pigs, all wild. My mom even hunted.

Those things have not left me. I still go to the grocery store but it’s not for meat. So we just learned to hunt, and I just come here to practice. I just love the outdoors. When it comes to hunting season, we go out and hunt quarry. So we go through the wind and the rain and the snow and we hunt in any condition just like the animals” (Wright).

After we spoke to Wright he showed us first hand his skill at archery.

He shot arrow after arrow into an array of targets all without using a sight

Wright stands by a fallen tree along the upper field range

or any such device to aim. Wright told us that when he shoots he becomes completely focused, tuning out everything else. His shooting has become effortless and intuitive; as we watch him tense his muscles and draw the bowstring back, a moment of stillness ensues before he releases the arrow to hit the 3D turkey target squarely in the head with a soft thud.

21

CHAPTER FOUR: Conclusion

W

Within the growing concrete jungle that is the Silicon Valley, it has become more and more difficult to find places where one can be in nature and simply enjoy the silence. Such places exist across the valley, often unbeknownst even to longtime residents.

Stevens Creek Archery Range is one such place, where visitors can step out of the hustle and bustle of the Valley, if only for a few hours. At the range, people can immerse themselves in the sounds of nature and in the rhythmically calming sport of archery. When people shoot at the range they are able to let go of other worries and distractions and focus completely on their surroundings and the exercise of shooting.

Watching Wright shoot recalls the skill of the Japanese masters of Kyujutsu (the art of the bow). His even breathing and total focus when he shoots is combined with intuitive aim as he draws the bow and fires in one fluid motion. For Wright and others like him, Stevens Creek Archery Range is the place where they are able to discover their “unmoved center� (Herrigel).

You can learn more about this amazing place at bhuarchers.org

23

Works Cited “A Brief History of Archery.” World Archery, 27 Mar. 2017, worldarchery.org/news/93847/brief-history-archery.

“Club History.” Bowhunters Unlimited, bhuarchers.org/bow7/history.

Debbie, Golzen. Personal interview. 5 March 2018.

Dickerson, Mike. Personal interview. 21 March 2018.

Guerra, Mike. Personal interview. 2 April 2018.

Herrigel, Eugen, et al. Zen in the Art of Archery. Vintage Books, a Division of Random House, 1999.

Hurley, Vic. Arrows against Steel: the History of the Bow and How It Forever Changed Warfare. Cerberus Books, 2011.

Vasquez, Andrea. “8 Health Benefits of Archery.” World Archery, 8 June 2017, worldarchery.org/news/147916/8-health-benefits-archery.

“What Are the Health Benefits of Archery?” Healthy Living, healthyliving.azcentral.com/health-benefits-achery-5454.html.

Wright, Robert. Personal interview. 22 March 2018.

25

About the Author Mateo Kaiser is a Junior at Mountain View High School (MVHS) and is currently studying film at Freestyle Academy. Mateo also serves as the Managing Web Editor for his high school newspaper, the MVHS Oracle. In his free time, Mateo enjoys swimming for his school’s team, gardening, reading, listening to podcasts, building things, and working on projects for Oracle.

Scan the QR code for more

27

BOWHUNTERS UNLIMITED

Shooting for a Better Life Mateo Kaiser