Tribute to Jim

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Jim built his first bow in 1979, by 1984 he began making bows professionally part-time, and in 1988 went full-time.

"The first time I met Jim I had just come down out of a tree stand at a bear bait in Washington. Standing next to my vehicle a rig came up the road and stopped. An excited man got out of his truck and couldn't wait to tell me his hunting story. He had been hunting bears out of a friends tree stand a mile or so down the road from me and he had just had an encounter with a bear at close range. He was so exited he could hardly speak. He told me that when the bear was close he began to draw his bow and when the arrow came across shelf of the bow past the crown dipping it made the slightest sound and the bear heard it and was gone instantly. Telling me the story Jim was so excited he could barley speak. When I asked his name it was Jim Brackenbury. I had heard of him but had never had the pleasure to meet him before that evening. Later I joined TAO and Jims local traditional archery club and got to know him a little but that was the year before he died. I am proud to have one of his bows. Loosing him was a tragic loss to the sport and to all his friends and family. He was an inspiration to so many."