Some 30 years ago, this photo appeared with my first story in Bowhunter.

BOWHUNTER MAGAZINE WAS BORN in 1971, and this, the December 2006 issue, marks the end of Bowhunter's 35th Anniversary. It also marks the last issue in which M.R. James has an "official" presence. As M.R. wrote in his feature, "A Magic Carpet Magazine Ride," (Oct/Nov 2006 issue), his official "retirement" date is December 31, 2006. So this seems like the appropriate time to thank him officially for all he has done for Bowhunter Magazine, for bowhunting in general, and for me personally.

Obviously, without M.R., Bowhunter Magazine would not exist. Whatever his job titles have been in the past or his relationship with the magazine may be in the future, one thing will never change -- his title as Founder. That is etched in stone. In "A Magic Carpet Magazine Ride," M.R. wrote a brief history of the magazine, so I won't reiterate that here. However, I will emphasize that starting a magazine is risky business. New magazines die like flies, and keeping a magazine alive until it becomes viable takes vision, perfect timing, business acumen, and bulldog tenacity. M.R. and his partners displayed these qualities, and we, the readers of Bowhunter, are the beneficiaries. For the magic carpet ride, Thanks, M.R.

During Bowhunter's 35 years, M.R. has been a major force in bowhunting. He has used his position with the magazine to champion numerous conservation and prohunting causes. He has presented dozens of seminars and corresponded selflessly with anyone who has written to him, touching the lives of thousands of bowhunters. He has dedicated himself to worthy causes such as the Dr. Arnold S. Leonard Cancer Research Fund, and Physically Challenged Bowhunters of America. It's anybody's guess as to how much money he has committed to bowhunting and conservation efforts. M.R. served for 14 years on the Board of Directors of the Pope and Young Club, 10 of those as First Vice President, and was recently elected President. Again, all hunters are the beneficiaries. Thanks, M.R.

IN 1971, THE SAME YEAR M.R. and his cohorts launched Bowhunter, I set out to be an outdoor writer. My first stories were about fishing, duck hunting, even rifle hunting for deer -- whatever it took to pay the rent. But from the launch of my first arrow in 1969, bowhunting was my passion, and selling my first story to Bowhunter ("Five Steps to Success," October 1975) was a major milestone in my life. The fact that Bowhunter bought the story was amazing enough, but the fact that Editor M.R. James personally wrote and encouraged me to submit more stories to Bowhunter had far greater impact.

Taking his words seriously, I did write more stories for Bowhunter, and in 1984 M.R. added my name to the masthead as a Contributor. That huge vote of confidence stirred me to work even harder at bowhunting and writing. Getting stories into Bowhunter became a top priority for me.

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