Byron Ferguson is an expert marksman and Hartselle native. He has toured all over the world talking about his primitive archery style and performing trick shots. | Special to the Enquirer

Joy Harris

Hartselle Enquirer

Hartselle is home to award-winning and nationally ranked schools, original restaurants such as Pig Stand and Dari-Delite and even world-touring expert marksman Byron Ferguson.

Byron is a Hartselle native with an incredible talent for shooting the longbow. This talent has earned him the nickname Robin Hood and gained him attention from all over the world. Byron has been featured on numerous television shows, including a regular spot on “Impossible Shots” on the Outdoor Channel and appearances on “Extreme Marksmen” and “Stan Lee’s Superhumans,” both on the History Channel, “You’ve Been Warned” on the Discovery Channel and more.

Byron recently returned from an archery expo in Joansuu, Finland. He has also traveled to Canada, Japan, France, Chile, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Brazil for sports shows and performances.

A bow and arrow have always been a part of Byron’s life. He got a job and saved money to buy his first bow, a recurve, at the age of 12. Archery was all about hunting whitetail deer for him.

“I started bow hunting so I could hunt whitetail a month before gun season started,” Byron said. “At first I was what they call a two-season hunter. Once gun season started, I would put away my bow. Eventually, gun hunting lost its appeal and I started strictly bow hunting. I enjoyed hunting with my longbow more, and my success stayed the same.”

Archery is a family affair in the Ferguson house. He first started shooting with his father, and now his wife Wanda and two sons, Zachary and Shaun, go with him on tours and hunting trips. Zach makes his own Zbows, which Byron designed.

For eight years Byron shot a compound bow without having any hunting success. Finally, he made the switch to a longbow and never went back.

Before Byron started trying trick shots, he had a slow day bow fishing with his cousin on Flint Creek. His cousin threw a bottle in the air to see if Byron could hit it. When Byron made that shot, he started throwing smaller and smaller items until Byron finally hit an acorn out of the air. This success made Byron realize his potential.

“Once I started doing a few more trick shots, a friend of mine, Jimmie Lake, asked me to shoot at a jamboree at his archery place,” Byron said. “After shooting there, I got a call from Michigan wanting me to come shoot up there. I couldn’t turn it down when they said they would pay me to shoot a bow.

“Every tour or show I’ve done has been because of word of mouth. We have never solicited attention. I started going around hoping to promote my dad’s tree stand company. I never had TV on my mind.”

Byron has accomplished the hardest shot in archery, the Robin Hood shot, twice for television. The Robin Hood shot is when an archer shoots an arrow down the middle of the shaft of an arrow already stuck in the target.

He practices his primitive hunting and shooting style almost every day. It’s a primitive style because he does not use any sights or other modern gadgets for aiming. His favorite bow “Sweet Thang” hangs in his living room. He now shoots his “Royal Safari” longbow made by his son.

“‘Sweet Thang’ is probably more famous than I am,” Byron said. “That bow is retired now. I’ve had offers to buy ‘Sweet Thang’ from me, but it’s not for sale.”

Archery taught Byron a lot about life.

“Bow hunting forces you to wait for your ideal shot, unlike gun hunting,” Byron said. “Archery has also introduced to me to so many people from around the world that have the same passion I do.

“I like to say the bow and arrow are my psychiatrist. When I’m out shooting, I have to clear my mind and stay focused on the target.”