Our Story

Robertson Stykbow: A Legacy in Traditional Archery

Chronological Timeline & Accomplishments of Dick Robertson's Journey in Archery

1953: Born in Wolf Point, Montana, and grew up in Northeast Montana.
1959 (Age 6): Received his first primitive bow from his dad, sparking a lifelong passion for archery.
1965 (Age 12): Hunted and harvested his first cow elk using a 40 lb Shakespeare Wonder Bow when the Missouri River Breaks area opened for elk hunting.
1969 (Age 16): Successfully harvested a 30-inch mule deer buck.
1972 (Age 19): Tagged his first bull elk with a bow—a large 7x7.
1970s: Became deeply involved in the Bitterroot and Missoula Archery Clubs and became a charter member of the Montana Bowhunters Association.
Mid-1970s: Began shooting Howard Hill-style longbows and started building and hunting with self-bows following instructions from Saxon Pope and Art Young’s “Hunting with a Bow and Arrow.”
Mid-1970s: Met Dale Jaspersen, who provided initial instruction on building laminated bows.
1973: Married Vikki Robertson and moved to Hamilton, Montana.
1975: Transitioned to full-time bow production; participated in various Pope and Young conventions, Professional Bowhunters Association gatherings, and state/local events.
1978: Founded Robertson Stykbow with wife Vikki Robertson.
1978: Yote Robertson was born, named after the "Co’yote," which was their main source of income while building the Robertson Stykbow business.
1980s: Along with Dale Kutcher, co-founded Traditional Bowhunters of Montana to host the North American Longbow Safari event in Montana and promote traditional bowhunting.
1983: Traveled to Alaska’s Moose John River with J. Massey, Doug Borland, Roger Rather, and Jim Emerson, where he harvested a small caribou bull.
1984: Yana Robertson was born, named after the Yana tribe.
1985: Yavon Robertson was born, named after the word ‘Yew Wood’ in French/Old German.
1991-1993: Undertook three hunting trips to Russia, hunting Siberian snow sheep and Russian grizzly bears. During one of these trips, Paul Bruner harvested the first bow-killed Siberian snow sheep with one of Dick’s bows. On the second trip, Dick harvested a Russian grizzly bear.
1993: Moved Robertson Stykbow HQ and the Robertson family to Lewistown/Forest Grove, Montana.
2000 & 2002: Won Best in Class for Recurve at the PBS Jerry Pierce Memorial Bowyer Contest, the only years he entered.
2001: Yana Robertson had her first traditional bow harvest.
2011: Watched his son, Yote Robertson, fulfill a life goal of shooting a Dall sheep with a longbow in Alaska. Three days later, Dick accomplished the same feat, making it a hunt of a lifetime.
2011: Yarak Robertson was born to Yavon Robertson and Ben Sullivan.
2021: Inducted into the Traditional Bowhunter Magazine Hall of Fame.
2023: Celebrated 45 years in business with Robertson Stykbow.
2024: Another milestone was marked with the birth of YY (name TBD) to Yana Robertson and Cody Heppner.

Accomplishments

  • Guest Speaker: Featured at over 25 state organizations, as well as in Canada and Germany.
  • Innovation: First to reintroduce clear glass and reflex-deflex longbow designs.
  • Takedown Longbows: Early pioneer in offering the takedown longbow with sleeve-type connection and bow bolt hookups.
  • Rover Point Design: Developed early designs of the Rover Point, incorporating a unique paintball point.
  • Self-Bow Hunting: Extensively hunted with self-made wood bows from the mid-1980s to the present.
  • Flint Napping: Created flint-napped arrowheads and successfully harvested big-game animals with them.
  • Mentorship: Taught numerous individuals how to make self-bows in his shop and at bow jams.
  • Community: Hosted several archery gatherings and bow jams at the Robertson ranch.
  • Family Legacy: Attended numerous archery events with his entire family.
  • Promotion: Played a key role in promoting traditional archery, including supporting Traditional Bowhunter Magazine by sharing his mailing list and advertising on the back cover for several years.
  • Writer: Regular columnist and contributor to Traditional Bowhunter Magazine.
  • PBS Awards: Won Best in Class for Recurve at the PBS Jerry Pierce Memorial Bowyer Contest in 2000 and 2002.

Special Thanks

  • Dick Robertson (Father): For crafting his first primitive bow, sparking a lifelong passion for archery.
  • Alma Robertson (Mother): For urging Dick to do his best and being present during his first elk harvest.
  • Ishi (part of the Yana tribe): For teaching Pope and Young his knowledge, which became foundational in traditional archery.
  • Pope and Young: For their contributions to the sport and for inspiring the pursuit of traditional bowhunting.
  • Dale Jaspersen: For providing initial instruction on building laminated bows and guidance in bow craftsmanship.
  • Gene Wensel and Paul Bruner: For their efforts in promoting Robertson Stykbow through their whitetail tours and helping to establish the brand in the world of custom bow building.
  • Dave Kueber: Co-founder of the Traditional Bowhunters of Montana, for his partnership in promoting traditional bowhunting and hosting the North American Longbow Safari.
  • J. Massey, Doug Borland, Roger Rather, and Jim Emerson: For their camaraderie during the memorable Alaska Moose John River float trip.
  • Jimmy Chin: For being the best friend anyone could ever ask for, we feel you watching down on us during every hunt.