Midge Dandridge
July 6,1938-
Lady Bowhunter Extraordinary
Midge Dandridge was born in Bisbee, Arizona July 6, 1938, and moved to
California as a young child, She was introduced to archery in 1957 by Doug
Kittredge and her brother-in-law Jim Dougherty.
Midge first started hunting with a bow in Southern California in the hills
around the Los Angeles area. She started out with a twenty-eight pound recurve
bow, graduating to a thirty-five pound recurve, and eventually a forty-six pound
compound bow.
Hugh Rich, her friend and employer, encouraged her to pursue the art of
bowhunting feeling she would set an example for many women to follow this
challenging sport.
And set an example she did! Midge Dandridge has taken seventeen Big Game Animals
in South Africa including: Impala, Blue Wildebeest, White Tail Wildebeest,
Nayala, Sheep, Zebra, Blesbuck and a sixteen hundred pound Cape Eland, the
largest species of antelope in the world. In 1974 Midge was the first woman to
successfully hunt with a bow and arrow in Africa. Several of the eight different
species of antelope taken are listed in the Roland Ward African Record Book.
In North America Midge has taken with the bow: Mule Deer, two Black Bear (both
are California Record Book Bear), Wild Boar (which is listed in the California
Record Book), Angora Goat (Record Class), Spanish Goat, Moreno Sheep, Corsican
Ram, Canadian Honker, and two Mountain Lion (one of which is listed in the Pope
and Young Record Book and also in the Arizona Record Book where it was taken).
The hunting experiences of Midge Dandridge have been featured in many magazines
and newspapers throughout the world. For twenty-five years she has written many
articles promoting bowhunting which have been published in all the major archery
magazines. She has performed with the bow in many sport shows and has been a
guest speaker for organizations and conventions promoting the sport of
bowhunting.
Midge won the 1963 and 1964 CBH-SAA Broadhead Championship, Bowhunter Division.
She received the Archery Inc. Award of Merit in 1970 and was named "BOWHUNTER OF
THE YEAR" by the Sagittarius Bow Hunters in 1974. She was Secretary, Treasurer
of the Sagittarius Bow Hunters Archery Club from 1960 to 1975, and is currently
a committee member of Ducks Unlimited since 1985.
Midge is a senior Member of the Pope and Young Club, Charter Member of the Fred
Bear Sports Club, and a Life Member of CBH-SAA, the CBH-SAA Big Game Club and
NFAA. She is a Life Member of Idaho Bowhunters, and one of the original
financial contributors to the California Archery Hall of Fame.
Midge Dandridge - an outstanding bowhunter and promoter of our sport in the
State of California and throughout the world of archery.
Inducted 2000