The next one will be better..

Seconds after the first shot from my longbow hit 8 inches left at 10 yards, I heard Craig say, "Not bad, you almost look like you know what you're doing." After two more shots that similarly went wide, he asked to see the bow and shoot one. He repositioned himself next to me, drew back, and sent a hand-made wooden arrow directly into the yellow bullseye of the 20-yard paper target. Smiling as he handed me back my bow, he simply said, "Stop overthinking it. Focus on the spot you want the arrow to hit, and hit it." After a few more arrows and more coaching, I was grouping well at 10 and moving out to 20. After a few dozen shots, it was time for coffee. That's how it always went with Craig: coffee, some stories, some archery, and more coffee and stories.

Shortly after making the switch from compounds to traditional equipment, I quickly realized I needed someone to help me figure out what I was doing. After a quick google search, I found C&N Archery in Great Falls, and shortly after, I met Craig Compher. Craig spent his days making bows and offering free lessons and coffee to anyone that stopped in and wanted them. I often stopped by more to hear stories over coffee than I did to shoot bows. Whether he was telling me about the 6 point bull on the shop wall, his time as a 1st Air Cavalry radio operator in Vietnam, or going to Woodstock, I always looked forward to hearing it. After I switched to traditional archery, my son became interested as well, so of course, it was time to go see Craig once again. After buying my son a 30lb longbow from Craig, he emphasized multiple times that once he was a little stronger, he should come back and trade it in for something a little heavier free of charge.

This past summer, I expressed interest in building a bow, and Craig offered free lessons provided I bought the bow we created together. During the time I spent working on the bow, Craig also taught my son how to build bowstrings and take their bows on walks to thin out the prairie dog village that lived on his property. During the process, I wish I had been a better student. The bow turned out well enough, 52lbs & 27 inches, but I wasn't thrilled with my shaping of the handle. It stacks some, and I don't shoot it nearly as well as I do my recurve. Craig's response to my personal criticism was simple: "the next one will be better." We talked it over a little and agreed that I would make another, and he simply said, "I'll cut you a deal." Over the summer, we started talking a little about the upcoming hunting season. Both about me using our longbow to fill my deer tags and going to the Rocky Mountain Front, where he hunts elk. I was incredibly excited about the opportunity but let him know that I drew the Missouri River Breaks archery tag and had already committed to pursuing that tag with a friend this year. Craig responded in typical Craig fashion; he asked me if I wanted a cup of coffee and said we could always go next year.

That ended up being one of the few decisions that I wish I could take back in my life. While trying to focus my attention on the Missouri River Breaks and thinking I would explore some new country next fall, Craig became ill with COVID. After a hard-fought battle, he passed away on Monday, November 1st. I've found it's often hard to understand how much a mentor and friend means to you until you are faced with the realization that they're not going to be a part of your life anymore. I spent the remainder of my hunting season trying in vain to fill a tag with our longbow. Though I did not punch a tag with that bow this year, I am fully committed to taking an animal with the bow we built together. Until then, I'm just going to try and focus on what I want to hit and hit it.