The Adventurous Bowmen

Saxton Pope (1875-1976) was one of a group of archery enthusiasts in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Will Compton and Arthur Young, who might fairly be considered the fathers of modern archery. Pope recounted his and Young’s frequent excursions in Hunting with the Bow and Arrow (1923). He and Young conquered the mighty American Grizzly Bear in Yellowstone and, in 1925, ventured to the Dark Continent in search of the African lion. Over five months their trophies included Thompson gazelle, wildebeest, antelope, eland, jackals, hyenas, and lions. The Adventurous Bowmen (originally published in 1926) chronicles this Safari. Saxton Pope died shortly after his return to America. He and Young are immortalized as the namesakes of the preeminent North American archery organization, The Pope and Young Club.