James Akenson (Enterprise) is a traditional bowhunter. He uses his pack animals to reach the more remote hunting areas in the region, and prefers ground hunting for elk, mule deer, or whitetail deer. Akenson learned to hunt as a teenager, and works today as president of the national Professional Bowhunters Society to promote and preserve the traditional values of the wooden bow.
Bio
Bowhunting and tracking are living traditions among Oregon hunters. James Akenson was eight or nine when he first became intrigued with bowhunting. During high school, Akenson hung out at Cascade Archery in Portland, where he first learned to hunt. He joined various bowhunting associations, such as the Oregon Bowhunters and Eagle Cap Traditional Archers, and is now president of the national Professional Bowhunters Society. In traditional bowhunting, archers bear the full weight of drawing the bow without the aid of pulleys and cables. "What we call today the 'traditional bow'...[goes] back 10,000 years or more," Akenson explained. Akenson is drawn to Oregon bowyers. "I will tend to buy bows from people I know; to me that's important, that's a part of it." Akenson has a sense that the bowyers "are with him" when he is out on the hunt. Akenson honed his skill in Idaho's Frank Church--River of No Return Wilderness area, a region he and his wife, Holly, called home for many years. Now living in Enterprise, Oregon, Akenson uses his own pack animals to reach remote hunting areas in the region. Ground hunting for elk, mule, or whitetail deer is his preference because of the added challenge of either ambushing or stalking the prey. This method gives "the game the greatest chance for escape." Renowned bowhunter Vern Struble of Corvallis mentored Akenson. Today, Akenson still emulates Struble's approach to bowhunting, a combination of "sheer knowledge and patience and help from friends." As a spokesperson, Akenson works to promote and preserve the spirit of the wooden bow and its traditional values. "Every one of [our] hunts has a tradition with it...it's then about taking these experiences to the younger generation and engaging them."
