From Jonathan C Clark On October 27 2013 I said my final goodbye to my father, my friend, my greatest hero James William Clark. I witnessed growing up one of the greatest bowhunters I have ever seen in my life and I was fortunate enough to have him as my Dad. Everyone that knew him knew that he had the greatest love for this sport we in this organization have a passion for and that is bowhunting. With that he also became a great artist a taxerdermist his work is amazing the things he could do with an animal to give people all around this area a memory to last forever whether it was a mount for your childs first harvest or your own he would do it well and he would do it right, he went the extra mile to satisfy everyone to do whatever he could to make you proud. He loved a tree he said there was no better way to enjoy God's work than to be in the woods enjoying the air, sounds, beauty, and animals of nature. He ate, slept, and breathed the outdoors. I remember running out the door in the evenings as a child seeing what he had harvested next sometimes it wasnt in his possesion we spent some nights in the cold tracking his next buck some memories were good some memories were bad we did not find them all Lord knows he wanted to but he told me son sometimes you just have to give up but then he looked at me and said son you might not find them all but put your time in, if you take the shot you owe it to the animal to try your best and find it and we did everytime. My father was simple he never asked anyone for anything he never started a rumor he never told a lie he would tell you what he thought and he believed with his whole heart and sometimes people wouldnt like it but he was honest and I have to respect him for that he did not have much but he had his heart and it was filled with a passion for this sport like no other I have ever seen he loved the NCBA and Gooch's Mill Archery Club he would do anything he could whether it was as simple as pulling arrows at the Dixie Deer Classic or Scoring Deer Heads to the most challenging raising money to give a child a couple more days of life with their loved ones he hurt seeing the children in the benefit shoots with cancer and he told me right after he was diagnosed with cancer son I havent asked God why I am not going to waste that prayer I know why. I chose my fate when I started smoking but I am happy that the good Lord gave me 60 years on this earth for the stupidity that I had to ever start he told me that he would save that prayer for a little girl who was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 10 or a disease preventing them to walk at the age of 5 he said they deserved the right to ask God why but he already knew on his own. He never blamed anyone for his faults nor did he ever quit on us he never quit a thing in his life that I know of, he worked one job his whole life for 43 years up until he couldnt walk out the door any more because he was short of breath, the same for hunting he hunted till he couldnt climb a tree anymore, same goes for his coffee and cigarettes. I also know that he never quit on me or anyone in this family he did not give up when times were hard he would cry or show his anger but he got back in the ring of life and fought for everything he believed. Did he fall short yes he did back when the winter turkey season was started with the bow he was the first to harvest on NCBA record that year with his Oneida Eagle and he told me he was eager to get a Master Bowhunter Award that he would enjoy that for what he thought would be his final year hunting before he had to give it up and I do not know if I am getting all of this right but he harvest a buck scoring over 100 that year with a ground hog, canadian goose, and a bob cat along with a grass carp there might have been some others that year with all that he has harvested it is hard to keep track but he fell short and did not win that award that year and I had never seen him so discouraged beating himself up saying he didnt have it anymore that he had put in his time and his hunting career was finished. I hate to say it Dad but you were mistaken you went on to harvest some of the nicest Whitetails and Turkeys of your life shortly after that and in my heart he is a Master Bowhunter he done things with the outdoors that I have never seen others do and he was very creative and unique a one of a kind but oh the memories the love for this sport he had. He did not hide anything he had no secrets he passed on the hunting tradition to anyone wanting to learn even his artistry of taxidermist he was a teacher of that as well. His dedication to this organization that he loved so much gave him desire to be a better bowhunter and a better teacher anyone that met him would learn so soon that he was a man of his word and sometimes quite a character he was a good friend and great father and an excellent bowhunter and Daddy I want you to know that your in my Hall of Fame and you are the Master Bowhunter that I would like to be your knowledge of this sport is in Steven and I and we will try our best to pass it on like you did so many times. You were the Wisdom to a New and Upcoming Bowhunter and a Whitetails worse nightmare and I wouldnt trade our memories for anything in this world. I love you Daddy Jonathan C Clark

| 10-21-2015 |