Michigan Hunters There is Now a Fred Bear Statue

When it's archery hunting in Michigan, one synonymous name stands above all, Fred Bear. A statue has been unveiled in Fred Bear's honor.

Fred Bear

Growing up in Michigan and watching Fred Bear using a recurve bow to hunt mountain lions, bears, polar bears, moose, and several other wild game animals was surreal.

Even though Fred Bear didn't begin bow hunting until he turned 29, he would eventually become known as the "Father of Bowhunting."

After stints working for Chrysler and the Ford Motor Company in the late 1920s and early 1930s, Fred Bear and a partner formed Bear Archery in 1933.

Ted Nugent paid tribute to Fred Bear with his famous hunting anthem "Fred Bear." The song has been a favorite of hunters worldwide and continues to be an anthem every fall.

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The quote from Fred Bear at the end of Nugents song is epic he said, "If some of our teenage thrill seekers really want to go out and get a thrill, let them go up into the northwest and let them tangle with a grizzly bear or polar bear or brown bear and get that effect that will cleanse the soul." 

A Fred Bear Statue Has Been Unveiled in a Michigan City

On Saturday, September 7, 2024, hundreds gathered in Grayling, Michigan, to witness the unveiling of a life-sized statue of Fred Bear. After months of raising money and finally breaking ground in 2022, the bronze tribute to the father of bowhunting has finally been unveiled to the public. Ted Nugent was on hand for the unveiling and even performed the classic "Fred Bear" for the fans.

Above is a video of the Fred Bear statue unveiling. Below is a video of the whole ceremony.

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May Fred Bear guide your arrow in the woods this season and every season. I will stop in Grayling on my way to the Upper Peninsula for this year's bear hunt to see this statue in person.