Picture of Will and Jimmy Primos. Will was five and Jimmy was 10. Circa March or April 1957

By Wil Primos

My cousin, Jimmy Primos, was my hero growing up. He now works with and for me as Chief Operating Officer of Primos Hunting Calls. When I was five years old, I thought he was the neatest guy. Jimmy was one of my idols. He rode horses, hunted every day before school, and shot bows. He was only 10, but he even drove his parents' car around our home place. Wow!!!

I wanted to be like Jimmy, so I needed a bow. I made my own bows from whatever I could find. Cane and hickory limbs were just some of the things used. I made my arrows mostly out of Crepe Myrtle because they were easy to get and because they made pretty good arrows. You could shave the nock end on four sides, leaving the shavings hanging to create a crude feather. Then the arrow would fly somewhat straight. My mama never could figure out what was happening to her beautiful bushes.

I finally talked Mama and Daddy into buying me a bow for Christmas. It was my first store-bought bow. I believe it was a Ben Pearson that was made in Pinebluff, Arkansas. It did not have an arrow shelf. You just launched the arrow off the top of your hand that was gripping the bow.

Picture of Will holding his first bow and pointing out the home made arrow shelf that is on the wrong side of the bow for a right-handed shooter.

A couple of years later, I went to see Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. Before the show started they showed a preview for the movie Robin Hood, explaining how it was made and how Howard Hill was hired to do the trick shots so Robin Hood would look like a real archer.

I was mesmerized with Howard Hill's talent. I noticed that he did not shoot off of his hand. He had a shelf on the side of his bow right above his hand where his arrow rested. I could not wait to get home and build an arrow rest for my bow so I could be as good as this guy Howard Hill. I am sure my daddy could have built a shelf for my bow, but I could not wait. Imagine that! I fashioned a piece of wood into a shelf and glued it on the RIGHT side of my bow. Of course, now I know better. I am a right-handed shooter, so the arrow rest should have been on the left side of the bow.

I never could figure out how this guy, Howard Hill, could shoot his bow so well. Maybe he had his arrow shelf glued to the PROPER side of his bow!

Sneaking up to and calling critters has been a major part of my life and bow hunting has always been my favorite. Jimmy influenced me in many ways, but I have to give him credit for starting my love of the bow and arrow.
Fall is upon us and before long the rut will be in full swing. My wish for you is that the buck of your dreams will be standing broadside at 15 yards before the season closes.

Will Primos

NOTE: The string on my bow is not the original. This string is a Flemish Splice String that I made myself in 1978. I was building a Long Bow from a Yew stave that I bought from a Bowyer in Oregon.