THE BEGINNING OF MUDJAW BOWMEN

The original members were all friends and acquaintances that lived in Point Place.  They were all interested in outdoor sports:  hunting, fishing, trapping and boating.  In 1951 the interest in archery was renewed by Fred Bear and spread through this area.  This group of friends talked about forming a club for the purpose of building an archery range for practice.  A study was made and it was determined that a field archery range should be setup to N.F.A.A. standards.  They all agreed that this club should be for recreation and enjoyment. It would be kept small and not become a work and problem group.  ALL FUN!

The club was named after MUDJAW CREEK located in Point Place.  It begins at a point on 131st St. and empties into the Ottawa River near Edgewater School on Edgewater Drive.  Presently it is about 1/2 mile long.

Historically the creek began at a point on Summit St. across from St. John's Catholic Church and ran Northeast into the Ottawa Ricer.  As time pasted and the area developed the creek was filled in, streets were constructed and homes were built.

The name "MUDJAW" is pronounced phonetically "MOO SHAW" and is a French Indian word Meaning: leaving, going away.  Opinion has it that the creek would dry up every summer leaving a dry culvert. History has it that there was an Indian Village located in this area.   

Mudjaw Bowmen is the oldest known private archery club in the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan area founded in 1953.  The Club is located at 6240 Benore Road between Detroit and Stickney Avenue.  The Club entrance is set back from the road and is accessed by a stone driveway that extends into Erie, Michigan and the club property.  The Club has 24 acres of land which includes beautiful woods, a stream, two outdoor archery ranges, a large clubhouse, storage building, and practice area.  There is an outside covered patio area with picnic tables that is used for meetings and other club activities.  The fire-pit area is a place where members can gather and enjoy campfires and conversation as well as snacks.  The Hunter Range is designed with primarily hunting shots and has 3D animal or hand-painted animal paper targets.  The Field Archery Range is designed for target archers and has paper or NFAA official scoring targets.  The clubhouse has a large inside shooting range which accommodates up to 22 lanes at a time with a distance of 20 yards or less and 6 designated shooting lines.  There is a special meeting room used for membership and board meetings.  The kitchen is full service with a pantry and the club has its own food license as well as a club liquor license.  These enable members to prepare and serve food and beverages at club functions and to the public during various events with approved licenses as needed.  Mudjaw Bowmen participates in the Greater Monroe & Toledo Area Archery Schedule and hosts several public archery shoots throughout the year.  A link to the Archery Schedule is provided below.