Page 55 - Jeffersonville Journal Visitors Guide

The Outdoorsman, Natures Minister. Featuring Bold Archery Design.
“My equipment is made to put you in touch with the excitement one feels in the woods, creeks, lakes or swamps, hunting for whatever is in season. Even just to go out stump shooting or to traditional archery shoots with friends. The challenge is not to beat others, but to beat yourself." –Joseph Frye
This is not just a story of a stick and a string, but of a boy and his girl. Joseph Frye met his wife and partner Annette Nazari, or as she is better known by her nickname Nuné, more than 10 years ago at an S.C.A. (Society for Creative Anachronisms) camping event in Albany. They fell in love around a campfire drinking Guinness and talking archery. Joseph came to live with Nuné about 5 years ago in her Jeffersonville home with his two oldest boys Reece, his apprentice bowyer and Jeremiah, his student outdoors instructor. Nuné created a small homestead, complete with family garden, and wild edibles. Together they focused on being strong land stewards. They rejuvenated the forest around their home, creating a deer plot and squirrel and crow sanctuary.
Their outdoors skills classes teach what to do when things go wrong in the wild. The primary objective of the course is to make you comfortable in
cane arrows to help feed his family, to an accomplished bowyer. As a teenager living in Nebraska he learned wilderness skills from spending all his free time in the Badlands. He also volunteered his time to become certified with Search and Rescue through the Forestry Service in Boulder, Colorado.
His work not being limited to only making Longbows. he is also a fletcher, customizing every arrow with string-on-fletches and their own unique cuts and colors. He is also an experienced leather worker, tooling all their gear with custom designs and lots of knot-work. Locally, he takes orders from the Sportsmen’s Den in Callicoon for gun holsters and knife sheaths, which have become a local favorite. Joseph also knapps glass and stone arrowheads for many of his functional arrows. Whether used for hunting or just decoration, they are a beautiful addition to any outdoorsman's home collection.
Today, Joseph and Nuné are expecting their first baby and saluting the older boys off to the Military after they graduate high school this June. Once things settle down they hope to continue Bold Archery Designs work in outdoorsman education and traditional archery. They do plan to continue teaching this summer and you can keep posted by checking their website calendar or other local publications for area events they will be attending.
One day Nuné suggested that instead of Joseph giving away his bows for free to friends in the S.C.A., they start a business geared to bring all the things they were passionate about to the community they lived in.
Joseph spent his time in the S.C.A. studying, researching, teaching and doing everything involved in building the English Longbow the way it was done before the 1600s. Many call him a purist in his attempt to rejuvenate this dying art. He prides himself on his ability to re-create historical piece's and customize each item he makes to the individual. Since joining the Society he has held the East Kingdom's highest-ranking archers position as well as Baronial Champion year after year. He was a certified Range Marshal for 10 years where he taught archery and managed event archery ranges across Northern NY.
Being a German cabinet maker’s grandson, and spending over twenty years as a skilled carpenter, Joseph already had a solid knowledge of woodworking and an extensive collection of his own woodworking tools. It wasn’t a stretch for him to go from a young boy living in the swamps of Florida hunting frogs, squirrels and rabbits with a sugar cane bow and river
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