SENIOR councilman
WILLIAM "BUBBA" GRAVES
I am William “Bubba” Graves and have been a member of the PBS since 1998.
I have had a love of archery from my earliest memories growing up in the city. An elderly neighbor who lived across the road from us used to makes my brother and I bows that we would shoot till they broke, this coupled with watching the two brothers who lived a few houses down shot their recurve bows fueled the fire that has been burning in me since the early 70’s.
I have been bowhunting for the past 44 years after being mentored by my high school teacher, Tom Barthel. I would listen intently to his bowhunting stories and watch as he shot his recurve bow in his back yard. Mr. Barthel instilled in me what it takes to be a bowhunter; persistence, woodman ship, integrity, responsibility, ethics, the love for the outdoors, and the respect and love animals we pursue.
After months of saving my hard-earned money from hauling hay, I was finally able to purchase my first hunting bow and spent many hours under the mentorship of Mr. Barthel practicing, until he thought I was ready and proficient enough to hit the woods.
I was hooked when at the age of 15, I missed my first deer on my first bow hunt in my home state of Texas. What a rush it was to be so close to an animal on the ground under his terms. Since that first encounter with that deer 40 years ago, I have hunted across this great nation for small game and big game alike in all types of terrain from the desert mountains of West Texas to the high peaks of the Brooks Range in Alaska. I am fortunate to have taken all my big game animals with the recurve and longbow. I have long since retired my recurve and find the gracefulness of the longbow the love of my life. (Don’t tell my wife that part.)
I served this great nation for 21 years in the U.S. Army as an Infantryman and it gave me the opportunity to meet many different like minded bowhunters across this nation and beyond, some who are still friends to this day.
My wife of 19 years Kathy understands my love of bowhunting. She tolerates and supports my time away from home pursuing what I love.
The PBS has given me many great opportunities to go places and to meet people who instantly became friends and brothers and I could not think of a finer place to be.
I have had a love of archery from my earliest memories growing up in the city. An elderly neighbor who lived across the road from us used to makes my brother and I bows that we would shoot till they broke, this coupled with watching the two brothers who lived a few houses down shot their recurve bows fueled the fire that has been burning in me since the early 70’s.
I have been bowhunting for the past 44 years after being mentored by my high school teacher, Tom Barthel. I would listen intently to his bowhunting stories and watch as he shot his recurve bow in his back yard. Mr. Barthel instilled in me what it takes to be a bowhunter; persistence, woodman ship, integrity, responsibility, ethics, the love for the outdoors, and the respect and love animals we pursue.
After months of saving my hard-earned money from hauling hay, I was finally able to purchase my first hunting bow and spent many hours under the mentorship of Mr. Barthel practicing, until he thought I was ready and proficient enough to hit the woods.
I was hooked when at the age of 15, I missed my first deer on my first bow hunt in my home state of Texas. What a rush it was to be so close to an animal on the ground under his terms. Since that first encounter with that deer 40 years ago, I have hunted across this great nation for small game and big game alike in all types of terrain from the desert mountains of West Texas to the high peaks of the Brooks Range in Alaska. I am fortunate to have taken all my big game animals with the recurve and longbow. I have long since retired my recurve and find the gracefulness of the longbow the love of my life. (Don’t tell my wife that part.)
I served this great nation for 21 years in the U.S. Army as an Infantryman and it gave me the opportunity to meet many different like minded bowhunters across this nation and beyond, some who are still friends to this day.
My wife of 19 years Kathy understands my love of bowhunting. She tolerates and supports my time away from home pursuing what I love.
The PBS has given me many great opportunities to go places and to meet people who instantly became friends and brothers and I could not think of a finer place to be.
