No reason to draw a line. I'm aware. I'm not trying to define the term for anyone. I'm simply asking what the term means to YOU.
I see a lot of "traditional" bowhunters utilizing more "traditional" methods while hunting (I.E. spot and stalk; exclusively ground hunting; even apparel worn; etc...).
Where do you fit in? Do you draw the line @ simply the weapon of choice (i.e "I'm a stick and string hunter")? Or...are you seeking to go back to a time before treestands, trail cams, et. al.?
I don't plan on changing a thing when I transition from the compound, other than the weapon/tackle.
For now.
So....what does HUNTING "traditional" mean, to you?
traditional hunting to me really does not that much to do with tradition. the era that most of us would say that our "traditional" opinion is bassed upon that the people in those were using bows and aroorws made from wood, horn, or other nautral products. they were using the newest things they could think of because their lives depended on it. todays "mainstream" hunters are so unethical, wasteful, and greedy have peverted hunting all together. i use "traditional" equipment because it represents a time when people eat what they kill, did not hunt for horns or antlers, and because it teaches dicipline like no other hunt method out there. there is something romantic about using wood and string to hunt with.
Keeping the wind in your face, shooting a bow with limbs that bend and making sure your family and friends are along for the adventure!
tring to leave a lot of modern aids behind giving the quarry a greater sporting chance. my brain is my rangefinder, sign on the ground is my trail cam, (not that i've ever owned one), i use a weapon with one string and no sights. i don't use any scent aids, except the wind. but i do use binos so i guess i'm no indian. i just try and keep it simple. the enjoyment of the whole experience is my goal not world records.
Stick and string with no sights is, to me, the requirement. Everything else is a plus. Wooden arrows are more "trad" than carbon or aluminum. Natural blinds trump pop-ups.
That said, the more "trad" I can be the more I enjoy it. So, when I can, I spot and stalk and use natural cover. I cut and fletch my own arrows (aluminum) and, if I had the time I would try making my own woodies and fletching.
The reality is that I can't always do the things I want. There are only so many hours in a day and the convenience of aluminum arrows and pop-up blinds has its appeal.
If I had the time I would probably go so far as to make my own glue, bow, arrows, etc.. but I don't so stick and string with no sights works for me.
For what it's worth.
I think for me its about gettin close with a longbow recurve or selfbow.I will shoot al. carbon or wood arrows.Iam not intrested in hunting with a stone point an homeade arrow.only because Iam simply not that good. Ifeel I need straight arrows an good sharp heads to be effective.so I am a modern- traditionalist in some respect.how ever the biggest gift might just be its simple. an self reliant.
glad this came up,i use scent killer whenever im in the woods. usually i have my rangefinder when bow or muzzleloading.and dont forget my "leafy suit" and a 20 pound tree stand on my back!
i guess part of this trail ive taken is actually having fun again.i have retired my 7mm-08 and ordered a ruger 44 magnum (handgun) to hunt with in gun season.removed the scope from my frontloader,and really enjoying shooting the old recurve!
the bow was to strong for my son so i may use it to hunt with,its only 40# but i will embrace the challenge! im curious to see where this thread goes...ive already been thinking what i need and dont need.
I am not sure there is such thing as "traditional hunting."
Not even sure there is such a thing as "trad" equipment. My stuff is made with modern materials. . . so. . . .
I guess "trad" to me is recurve or longbow.
Traditional to me means no wheels, cams, sights, drop away rests, release aids, rangefinders etc.. It means taking my recurve and scouting, stump shooting, cutting my own feathers, building my own arrows and spending quality time in the bush with my brother and my son. If a deer gets in the way that's a bonus and too bad for him.
Rick
it's an attitude, and it is not limited to hunting
F-Manny
QuoteI see a lot of "traditional" bowhunters utilizing more "traditional" methods while hunting (I.E. spot and stalk; exclusively ground hunting;
Excuse me but where did you get the idea that ground hunting is a more traditional method than any other type of hunting?
Other then the bow I use - no wheels,cams, etc - I don't use the term.
Steve
Opps....don't want to start that argument...my question is offically "withdrawn"
OH MY... :scared: :scared: :banghead: :banghead:
:goldtooth: Biggie
lol biggie that was funny, any how , traditional means just that traditional. all this gps , scentlock,3d camo,popupblind, treeclimberscentblocker doe in rut buck lure is all corparate crap to get you to spend your money. the tv shows they have is a marketing tool to get you to beleive all that crap works. you do your homework in the woods and you'll bag what your after. all the other stuff is just marketing bull that just surfaced within the past 30 yrs
To me traditional hunting is killing for food with the best weapon you can make or buy. Trad hunting is picking some point in time, and hunting with the weapons and methods of that time, when legal that is. I am a traditional hunter that likes the challenge of shooting low tech bows just because that is all I really need to shoot deer at the ranges I generally shot them. Once you can shoot a compound bow with constant accuracy twice the distance you would consider taking a shot on live game the fun of shooting kind of goes out the window. Trad bows make it fun again to shoot.
"Traditional"- old Indian word. Means" NO COMPOUNDS!".
Nice one!
If you have to ask.....
You haven't "been there" :archer:
Pretty loosely, I look at it as "no wheels". That doesn't mean that I'm anti-wheels. I've killed critters with compounds and crossbows also, and make no apologies for either. Are they as cool as my sticks? No way! Did I enjoy them? You bet! But, ain't nuthin' like the longbow and recurve in my opinion.
"FUN" and "ETHICS" are my two guidelines. I thoroughly enjoy the shooting of the basic archery equipment and follow the game laws to the letter AND impose my own set of limits on the individual game I am bowhunting. What others do influences me in no way-I follow my own path and have done so throughout the wonderful years I've spent in the great outdoors. I can only hope everyone else is experiencing the same "high" I get from exploring the woods with stick and string in hand. Wow, I can't imagine living day to day without it!
Traditional to me certainly means stick and string - and perhaps even no sights. Although I hunt on the ground and have never been in a treestand, I don't include my personal hunting preference under any definition of "traditional". The truth is that I hunt on the ground only because that's the way I was taught and therefore that's the method I am more comfortable with.
My Opinion is of Course "No Cams,Wheels. or the Finery Involved with That Professional Compound Shooters." I still have my wheelie bow, got too much $$$ money to just Sell it for Discount Pricing.
I started in Junior High shooting Their "Equipment, Bought a Used Recurve" (Back in the Day as my Children are so pleased in Reminding Me)
Divorced, Moved Into City Limits,Compound Bow Freaked Out the :rolleyes: Neighbors,Tried Stick & Recurve, they didnt pay any attention :banghead: then. Peace and Tranquility Rules, until I happen to find some "Farm-Land" and get the HECK out of Dodge!!
I Am CRAZY over the Idea "I MADE That!!" And ALL of the FRIENDS I Have Made. Its a Lifestyle that I enjoy,Very Much. :archer:
me, traditional is none of the following:
wheels,compounds,sights,release aids,rangefinders,night cameras,guns,4-wheel quads,cell phones or electronic stuff of any kind.
Binocs are ok. map & compass ok,stick,string,and arrows ok, modern materials ok.
Walk in, pack out.
r
For me "Traditional Hunting" means using simple gear to take game. Believe me, if there was a "spear deer season" I'd be out there. Not gonna put any other legal method down. It's all good! And then to be accurate with our bows means alot of practice. This can be fun all year round. Hey... I can't shoot my .243 in my driveway! But Judos are another story. :)
... mike ...
* Read My Signature *
To me "traditional hunting" is more of a mindset then XYZ= traditional hunting. I was drawn to "traditional" bowhunting, and tradgang, not only because of the challenge but also because of the overall mindset and ethics of its participants. Trad hunters respect the game, and the chase first and foremost. It is not just about "kills". With that said I don't think you have to make your own arrows, points, bow, and wear a wooly mammoth tunic to be "traditional". But one better come pretty close to that setup before they take a holier then thou attitude toward others (not many, but there are a few around). Hypocrisy can be seen pretty easily. I mean someone might critize me because I have a SRF sight on one of my bows, because "sights are not traditional" However the same "ultra traditional" person uses a state of the art self climbing treestand. Go Figure.
I just hope to get enough seasons in before the apathy, greed, and laziness of the modern hunting scene brings the end on itself.
good question, i looove hunting, archery, and the outdoors. It was only a matter of time for me to take it to the next level. I grew up hunting with a compound and loved hunting with it, and have no problem with people that shoot them,but a few years ago i started thinking there had to be more to archery than what i was experiencing. So last year i ran into one of JD's wisperstiks in a local archery shop and all i can say a year later is wow, that's archery baby, instinct, intuition, hard challenging but so awesome hunting and shooting. I'm hooked so hard i bought an old school hawken muzzleloader to take gun hunting to a new level as well, so i think traditional hunting is plain and simply true hunting to be enjoyed, without being so concerned about what outcome of each hunt is, and when you are successful you know you have really done something.
As far as my traditional goes im new at the bow thing but i have hunted for years with my muzzleloader in a trad manner. which to me means totally dressed in what a longhunter from pa would wear with my flintlock and taking my game from the ground or a huge tree i hunt out of that has no modern stand its just a tree.i would hope to take a deer in the same manner with my newly acquired longbow.ok now that i think about it maybe traditional should be changed to period or historically correct. traditional could be any way that someone has learned from his father and his father before. tradition is something that is handed down.
Hard work with a bigger appreciation at the end.
How about trying to do more with less. There are those days that you just want the bare essentials. My longbow, quiver/arrows, knife and nothing else.
Traditional archery to me is a whole lifestyle in and of itself, a simpler mind set using ancient tools, becoming more self proficient and self reliant with the simpler weapons and in the woods. No need for all the gadgets and gidgets.
Since coming back to the wooden bows, I have personally slowed down. I take more time to appreciate the sights, sounds, and smells that nature has to offer.
Daren
Traditional hunting to me is trad bows. No wheels.I hunt with a longbow I can throw in the boat,beat back briars and still hit what I`m shooting at with it.RC
Tradional hunting for me is to hunt the way I hunted in the 60s, same equipment and techniques. I even regressed to wooden arrows as we had Microflight fiberglass back then. We did hunt from tree stands then too, very small dangerous little tree stands. I'm using the same homemade little items from back then also.
Spirit
It must be a personal contest, prey verses predator. The earthy breath of pragmatic survival must satiate the veins of both parties. When that sense leaves one participant, a spiritual process is cheapened. Left alone, that process can exalt both parties, man and beast. Might as well magnify what we have been given and respect the cycles we have dominion over. "Traditional" hunting is my attempt at glorifying my portion, out of respect for the Giver. Vastly personal in their own right, those decisions are.
Right now I find myself hunting with heavy arrows (800gr)
a 71# handmade curve, with antler embedded. I prefer learning the language and calling in critters, elk, antelope, deer turkey. Though, spot and stalk is is right up there. I hunt barefoot when possible. I try to slow down and smell the pine, feel the terra firma and be part of the experience. I wear plaid and camo at times, though I prefer plaid for its sex appeal. I have a lucky hat. I put in the time to know the land. I put in the time to know the creator of and give thanks for that land. I keep my range legit and only take ethical shots. I kill to have hunted. I enjoy the honest miss. and of course, always say grace over the meal.
I think wisdom comes from respecting what we do. And doing those things in humility, wishing no ill on any of the participants for our own gratification.
To me it is nature, friends, fun, the challenge to hit with a good looking and straight shooting bow without wheels or to much metal on it.
@tj:clapper:exactly my opinion
For me it simply means my bow no longer has wheels.
It really has nothing to do with equipment.....
It's hunting with "knowledge & woodsmanship" instead of "gadgets & gimmicks"
It has everything to do with equipment.
Yes....it does have everything to do with equipment, but the word "traditional" has been corrupted so badly that no one will ever agree how it applies to archery and archery hunting.
It was initially meant to mean bows prior to compounds, but now it has become some ethereal mindset, so where does one go from here.
Some, or even most folks confuse the word traditional with primitive so it's difficult to get fact separated from supposed fact. I have quit trying to define my hunting process....it is what it is and it doesn't include wheels and let-off of any kind.
traditional hunting is getting together with about a hundred buddies in a good stiff wind lighting a wildfire and drivin a herd of Buffalo off a cliff :smileystooges:
Still others feel the need to label every aspect of daily life. The Natural result is division.
for the purposes of this site;
"To offer a public access website for those that love the sport of hunting with traditional archery equipment - i.e., selfbows, longbows, and recurves."
Well... I suppose to define traditional it would be necessary to define a baseline of what we are trying to go back to, a standard for traditional. "Traditional" does mean, "long-established, or time-honored". What should be the representation of that standard? Should our standard be the American Indian? I don't think so, they (I include myself in that they) bailed on the bow and arrow as soon as firearms were available to them (us). Why? They worked better! There was no phony spiritual whohaw about the magic flight of the arrow. A rifle brought down game and enemies at a farther distance and with greater authority. This was important because survival was the name of the game, not lookin' good at the 3-D shoots.
How about the image of Ye Olden Archer? Again, this doesn't really work for me either. First there were crossbows and then matchlocks, and then wheel locks, and then flintlocks etc. etc. etc... These took the place of archery equipment in war fighting. Why? Again, they worked better at the job they were required to do. There were some who held to the use of archery equipment because it was a quiet way to kill the King's Deer without being caught.
I hate to say this (I really do but I gotta) TRADITIONAL IS AS TRADITIONAL DOES! The GPS is no more or less traditional than miracle fabric long-johns (I'm not going to do without those) or an illuminated dial watch. I believe "Traditional Hunting" is not what you hunt with; it's all about HOW you hunt with it. I have good friends who shoot compounds that are very traditional minded. My opinion is that traditional hunting equipment is a product of a traditional hunting mind set.
So, is a GPS traditional as far as archery goes? Sure. If that is what you need to be safe where you hunt and it allows you to go farther, trek deeper and hunt longer or harder... Get yourself one and use it. If my ancestors had access to a GPS in the 16th and 17th centuries while they roamed around in the swamps of Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee, I guarantee they would have used it. If sitting in a tree makes you more successful or is a better way for you to hunt, use it. Would Ye Olden Archer have sat in a tree stand? You bet. The Sheriff of Nottingham would never have seen what was coming.
Once more, this is my opinion. The reason traditional hunting is so difficult to define is that each of us has our own point of view defined by our own experience. How can someone who has never hunted in their life, coming from a family who never hunted have a hunting tradition at all? They would have to borrow one.
My personal tradition is to shoot recurves. It is what I grew up with, all I really knew until I got out in the world on my own. It fits the way I like to do things. It compliments my traditional nature. Picking up a long bow or a recurve (with or without sights) doesn't make you a traditional hunter. Hunting traditionally (regardless of equipment) does.
OkKeith
QuoteOriginally posted by mwmwmb:
traditional hunting is getting together with about a hundred buddies in a good stiff wind lighting a wildfire and drivin a herd of Buffalo off a cliff :smileystooges:
NOW THERE YOU GO! Frank :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
ETHEREAL??? Jeez George, now I gotta go find my traditional dictionary.........
I don't necessarily think of myself in those terms,who sets these standards anyway? Ihunt with longbows and recurves period.I'm a bowhunter no more no less. Seems alota people like to brandish the terminology traditional bowhunter and wear it like a badge. We all like to hunt,and we love archery. Don't think its a good idea to seperate our selves with labels. Some people don't like alota gadgets,I don't so I don't use them.But I don't put down hunters that do,as long as it doesn't destroy habitat,is fair chase,and not an infringement on others. Just my personal opinon. :thumbsup:
"Fair chase" epitomizes "hunting" IMO.
Trad (for me) is longbow only w/o bait, guides, fences, or fees.
Besides becoming one with your equipment by having to live with it all year round, less pressure, more relaxing and greater joy.
Traditional, To me it means everything. I love the woods and the water, the sun coming up in the morning and setting in the evening. The smell of spring, and the color of leaves in fall. To be able to experiance all of God's creation with something as simple as a bow and a few arrow's. The taking of deer or turkey or whatever else I my hunt I do with respect and remorse for the life taken and consider it a gift!!! Jason
To me it means modern times, because I started bowhunting in 1963, before the word "traditional" was applied to archery. I was 14, and finally killed my first deer, a spike, 13 years later. There weren't nearly as many deer available back then. If you saw one, it was a good season. Compounds got popular about then, and I shot one for a few years, but never really trusted them, being a true believer in Murphy's Law. Went back to the stickbows for good.
As I said before.....It has NOTHING to do with EQUIPMENT!!!!!
We tend to get caught up in our "elitest" attitudes and focus on our equipment choices as a badge of distinction,setting us above "all the rest".....
We tend to forget that the key word here is HUNTING.
I traditional hunt with an old iron sighted 30-30 rifle. Gun,shells,and a knife.(sometimes a compass,I'm not THAT stupid) Bare bones,No frills,just my knowledge & woodsmanship against my quarry's senses & instinct. It's as "traditional" as it gets,as old as time itself, Predator against Prey.
I hunt with a longbow because I like it's lightness and simplicity. I hunt with my old Bear recurves because they bring back memories of my younger days and simpler times.
As I said before in an earlier post, If you have to ask..... you haven't "been there" :archer:
"traditional" means "no wheels, no mechanical release" to me.
That doesnt define what I want out of hunting but it defines the word.
I agree, Don (I'm about 2 years younger). When I was 5 or 6, we kids would make bows and spears out of bamboo that grew everywhere in Florida. We would cut new bamboo shoots for arrows, split them with our pocket knives, stick a chicken feather in them for fletch, and tie a string aroung the arrow just below the knock. We shot with a pinch grip, just like all the Indians did on th old TV shows. We couldn't hit sqaut, but we sure had fun. About the itme you took up bowhunting, my grandfather gave me a lemonwood longbow and tought me to shoot "correctly". Other than him, I knew no adult that even shot a bow. There were only 2 kinds of bows, longbows and recurves, and only one kind of arrow, cedar. It was 1975 before I met anyone else who shot a bow or used fiberglass arrows. I shot a compound for about 3 years, even learned to use sights. If I missed what I was shooting at, I was sure the sights were bent. The bows were heavy, I couldn't shoot in low light with the sights, so I quit and went back to my recurve. I haven't shot a wheelie bow since 1982.
When I think of traditional, I think primarily "low tech". Recurve or long bow without carbon. I like wooden arrows. I do wear camo but not always. I use both ground blinds and elevated stands, depending on location and personal whim. Sometimes it is what makes me feel "simple", realizing that others might not agree. However, I do like the idea of cell phones and GPS, because I am not that good with map and compass.
Traditional hunting to me is not about a weapon or material or equipment list. It is about abiding by a personal standard for behavior that honors our hunting heritage. It is about the spirit and traditions of the hunt. It is about friends and memories.
IT HAS EVERYYHING TO DO WITH EQUIPMENT .
K.I.S.S.
Keep It Simple Stupid!
Also it was Barry or Gene Wensel that said "IF they had to explain it to someone,They wouldn't get it anyway!!I truely believe in that statement.ED
If traditional hunting has everything to do with equipment, then it follows that everyone who uses traditional equipment is a traditional hunter. If you are seriously trying to sell that, you will starve to death. IMHO of course.
just for the sake of playing devil's advocate....
If it has nothing to do with equipment (as some would say), is it plausible for a man shooting a new Hoyt AM35 to pen himself as a "traditional" hunter?
Jeff,
According to my definition of traditional hunter, it is plausible for a man toting a scoped 3006 to consider himself a traditional hunter. I am perfectly satisfied to consider Gene Hill, Peter Capstick, Robert Ruark, Ernest Hemingway, Grits Gresham, Craig Boddington and others of that caliber as traditional hunters.
Approach the hunt with integrity, treat the game with respect, conduct yourself as an ambassador for the past time and I will happily call you a traditional hunter.
I understand that my view is the minority opinion on this topic and I am fine with that.
gregg:
It's a valid opinion. Respect.
There can be no wrong answers.
Thanks.
Jeff,
You are so right!!!! I know a guy shooting traditional that went to a heavier bow so he could take full head on shots at deer. I know another guy with a scoped shotgun and a rifled barrell with slugs that won't shoot over 60 yards. Guess which one I consider traditional and guess which one I WON"T hunt with!!!
I hunt with people because of their ethics, not because of their equipment.
Phil
Interesting replies and it (this thread) opened my eyes a little to how some of you view "traditional".
I consider myself a mildly technical hunter, to date. I study topos/aerials; use a gamecam for inventory (over my mineral licks); shed hunt; post-season and in-season scout (minimal intrusion); study any and all media I can soak in; etc..., etc..., etc... . So...a lot of people would consider my techniques "new school". Valid!
I got into bowhunting just a few years ago, but I've been hunting over 35 years. It wasn't long after I picked up my first compound that I picked up a traditional bow again (shot a recurve for a very short time as a teenager, but never at game). I think I knew then that I'd come back to it........when the time was right.
I've had 4 mildly successful seasons (22 big game animals) and I recently just felt "something" was missing. Orion said something to me that really helped me to make the recent decision I made to switch to all traditional tackle. I'll paraphrase what he said (too lazy to look it up!)
When how you take animals becomes more important than how big or how many, you'll make the switch.
That's beautiful. That fits. That hit home and I jumped.
But I don't see me (at least, for now) changing my "new school" tactics (other than changing my setups to better suit my tackle). Call it old school tackle with new scoool tactics. No apologies (offered or necessary). That, too, may change as I go along. I've had some desire to hunt and take animals in a certain manner and I realized that the only thing holding me back.....was me.
I want to thank everyone for adding their thoughts. I wish all of you luck......but most importantly I wanted to commend you all on staying true to yourselves.
And thanks for the "push".
Sincerely,
Jeff
Interesting replies. I guess I initially misunderstood the question. As far as regards to strictly "hunting", traditional for me is hunting near the cabin my family has had for years. Hunting the same blinds my dad and grandfather used. Carrying the same knives, compass. Etc. Telling stories at camp after the hunt. My equipment has changed many times over the years but the traditions remain the same.
It's all good. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
As I said before being a traditional "HUNTER" has nothing to do with equipment.....
Hunting has been a "tradition" for hundreds of years(and a necessity for thousands of years)long before the tag "traditional" was ever hung on archery equipment.
The bowhunter that uses a recurve or longbow,then decks himself out with all of the latest gadgets,gimmicks,and gear,is just a bowhunter. Actually really not that much differant than a "compound" bowhunter. He just uses a "different" style of bow.
I myself am content to call myself a bowhunter,and really see no need to attach the word "traditional" to it. As I said before,I hunt with a longbow and my old Bear recurves for the simplicity and the memories they possess. I also carry several old rifles and shotguns for the "tradition" they carry of many fond years afield with them. Many of my friends bowhunt with recurves and longbows,but I also have a couple of friends and family that bowhunt with compounds. I would never not hunt with them,or consider myself "above them" because I hunt with a "traditional" style bow. I hunt with them because they hunt with the same attitude and ethics that I do,predator against prey,one on one.
I hunt from the ground mostly,sitting upon whatever nature provides. I have nothing against tree stands or "pop-up" blinds,I just see them as bulky and cumbersome and an un-necessary expense. I also will not buy nor use "scent-lock" clothing.Plain and simple,I'm convinced it doesn't work.I had a friend dressed head to toe in "scent-lock" let rip a "ripe one" in a pick-up truck cab one morning. If it really worked none of us would have smelled a thing,instead of having to stop the truck and all get out for a breath of fresh air!!!!!
The weapon we chose to hunt with is simply a tool,predator against prey,one on one.....
For me, THAT is traditional!!!!!
Just this Old Fart's opinion..... Thanks for listening!!!!! :notworthy:
(I'll get off my soap box now)
QuoteThe bowhunter that uses a recurve or longbow,then decks himself out with all of the latest gadgets,gimmicks,and gear,is just a bowhunter. Actually really not that much differant than a "compound" bowhunter. He just uses a "different" style of bow.
No worries, here....just wondering what "gadgets and gimmicks" you're speaking of....and how they take away from "traditional". All of the things I "think" you're going to mention (other than treestands) allow me to be a more ethical hunter (IMO). And treestands only allow more opportunities to "most". They also allow me to be a more successful hunter (no apologies).
Just curious as to which of the aforementioned takes away from the traditional experience, for you (and your reasoning - why).
I've used a rangefinder (won't , now). I've used binos (and will continue to). I use wind checkers (still will). I call these things "gear" or "tools". Gimmicks? Hardly (IMHO).
Thanks.
Jeff,
My point is, There is no line to be drawn. However,many try to draw a "traditional" line. I usually carry what my ancestors the Penobscot Indians carried a bow,arrows,and a knife. I carry my longbow or one of my recurves,wood arrows,and a hand made knife that was given to me by my Brother "adkmountainken" here on TradGang. Does this make me more "tradtional" than you????? No, It does not!!!!! Is the man who carries a selfbow and wood arrows tipped with stone points,more "traditional" than the man who hunts with a D.A.S. and carbon arrows off an elevated rest????? No, not really!!!!! We hunt game one on one,like it has been done for thousands of years. As I have said before,"traditional" has nothing to to with equipment,the weapon is simply a tool. Using primative equipment may lead to a greater sense of satisfaction in your hunt,but does it make you more "traditional"????? Simply put,no it does not. I you choose to carry the gear that you do,that is for you to decide,and nobody to judge. Each one of us will choose our path,and the "tradtion" that we should pass along is to encourage others to find their path.....not "follow me"
I personaly don't like the phase "traditional bowhunter" it has an elitest tone that some people tend to pin on their chest like a medal. "Look at ME I'm a TRADITIONAL bowhunter" I do what I do,because I want to. I do not judge others on their choice of equipment,for that is a personal thing,just like finding a bow that "feels" right.
I have enjoyed this thread,and thank you for starting it!!!!! But it was titled (maybe in error LOL) "What does traditional hunting mean to you" and as you have seen,there is a "line" there are "hunters" and there are "equipment critics" I am a hunter,but I don't judge the "equipment critics" either. They have found their path,and that is a "Good Thing" :thumbsup:
Jeff,
I read your post and jumped to a response. Haven't read anyone elses.
Sorry but I don't think of hunting as traditional or other, it is just hunting. I use what I call traditional gear, but to me, that gear simply implies that it has no wheels, gears, cams or other mechanichal advantage devices on it.
In my way of thinking, all gear that does not use wheels etc as above is traditional gear. "Traditional" is a name we give that stuff and that's all. OR we could call wheelie bows "red" and the other ones "blue" and it could have the same meaning. It is just a name.
Techniques for hunting really haven't changed. We still do the same things, well, we probably don't run the herd over a cliff anymore, or run them into a blind canyon by burning the entire prairie.
Stalking, standing, blind hunting, tree hunting.... all those have been around since nearly the beginning of time. Whether you use a gun or a bow or a spear doesn't make it traditional or not. It just is what it is.
To try to answer your question. I hunt with a longbow more than anything else, although I am not averse to using a gun or a wheelie bow... Heck I might want to try a spear some day... why not. I just usually use a long bow.
I hunt in all of those ways. Last year I spend a ton of time on the ground in a ghillie suit or in a simple ground blind and had the time of my life.
ChuckC
Traditional, well getting together with my father, bother an cuz every labor day shooting doves is tradition, hunting the 1st week Nov. on are lease with the boys every yr is TD, hunting the last day bow season no matter how cold or nasty it gets for the last 12yrs is TD. Taking my daughter out of school the day before youth day in turkey season(an deer season) so we can get up 1hr before sunrise to hear location of the birds, then spend the rest of the day at the beach is TD. Far as my bow, well thats just my preferred weapon, sum think its a higher level, to me its my level of satisfaction... I anit better than anyone else cuz i shoot a longbow it just who i am period
From reading through these responses, I see 3 distinct groups. Some feel that the type equipment used is the primary determinant. Others see the attitude and ethical considerations as more dominant. Then there are those who seem to consider that the equipment and ethics ideas are so intermingled that they are not really separate considerations. All these viewpoints are valid. Hopefully, we all embrace the same basic sense of doing what is legal and honorable no matter what definition we use.
Tradtional is a state of mind for me. It puts the fun back in hunting, not worrying about all the gizmos on a compound that can go wrong. I wont pinhole myself about using only certain bows/ arrow combinations. I practice way harder, scout way harder, wait longer on the game to get closer and, take more precautions to be succesfful in taking game, and am just as satisfied if I dont, am thankful for the day afield and the journey I am on as a person,and a hunter, and the friends that are with me. I respect my quarry now more than ever, enjoy shooting a bow more than in the last 20 years, have refound the joy of wathcing an arrow arch through the air and hit a target, whether it be a can, a3-d , or a live animal, that my only sighting method is the one God gave me, just looking at the spot and watching the arrow magically plunk into. I become a 10 year old, watching Roin Hood, or Tarzan on the evening show moview when getting home from school and then going out and shooting my bear solid fiberglass bow till mom came out and got me with a belt because supper was getting cold! I feel free from all the junk sold on so many hunting shows, hunt more from the ground, for me, and walk slower, really enjoy the woods around me. One of my best memories bowhunting, sitting in chair in a natural blind, when I heard a noise and looked down to see a rabbit come up and sit down between my feet. He looked around, took his paws and cleaned his face off good then took him a little nap, between my #11 boots. He sat there for close to 1/2 an hour, then just moved on. I never felt more at one with the world and woods.
When i hear the words(traditional hunting)i think of,the way it was done in the old days.(cowboys and indians) :campfire:
Koger, i had a small yellow bird land on my arrow one evening, i was in not the best mood when i left to go hunt, i seen nothing that evening but it was so special of hunt cuz of that little bird. I will never forget as he landed on the arrow slowly bouncing like a tree branch, he just stayed there for at least half hr or it seemed.It was nothing short a remarkable experience, i left that evening in much better mood. That bird seemed to simplify things me just a tad, the way they should be
Nice story, warmed up my heart.
Well, at least we all have shown that nobody can really give a blanket definition of what tradional is. Again, the term is misused and taken out of context more than any other that I know of. So I suspect eventually it will be meaningless to bring to a discussion. You see, with all the thought process put into this, we still haven't figured out that we didn't use this term (traditional archery) until after the compound bow was invented and being used on a regular basis. That tells me exactly what traditional archery is.
Now as to what is "traditional hunting", I would say that would vary according to region and history.
I dont really like this threads question as I think about it.
The site is about traditional BOW hunting. By taking "bow" of of it you end up with a lot of personal opinions in the form of definitions on a subject that is potentially divisive.
"Traditional hunting" is generic term and we are probably best served by not creating a definition for it.
Im all for talking about what you as an individual enjoy or want out of hunting.
But theres no need to start manufacturing new classifications.
time well spent
Thank you broketooth for clearing my mind.
Rand
Excellent thread! The more I read, the more I enjoyed this. For me, traditional is more about what it ISN'T than what it IS. It isn't using every bit of technology available to make your time in the woods shorter and easier. I am glad that most people participating here agree on ethics and taking a couple steps back from technology. I am not interested in using feeders, range finders, scent block technology, etc. I am not interested in trophys. I AM interested in being ethical and respectful. I AM interested in going hunting and learning from my experience in the woods. If I am not successful all the time, so what. If I learn something, or experience something unique, while in the woods, I will be happy.
According to the dictionary the word tradition comes from the Latin traditio-to hand down. Based on this definition then, traditional is anything that's handed down, be it compound, longbow, recurve, firearm, every Thanksgiving morning, every New Years day, opening day, last day. In it's true meaning it's not necessarily
weapon type, method type, ethics type, or anything else, just what's handed down.
What does a traditional look like?? Do they taste good? I've never hunted a traditional but I'm willing to give it a try. Are the tags expensive?? :biglaugh: :biglaugh:
Traditional archery to me, is the "Simplicity & nostalgia" of using the recurve or longbow with wooden arrows (tools) for shooting or hunting fish/game. Just my simplistic view on the subject! :bigsmyl:
Traditional bowhunting (stick and string) to me Is respect to the people who do It whether they are successful or not!! It's not a walk In the park by a long shot!!!! Being successful Is more on you then It Is the equipment.
I really enjoy the way it takes you back in time! Just walking in the woods with my Longbow in hand and it just gives you that "feeling" of being in tune! Its me, the bow, the arrow and the game I'm after! Nothing stands in between us! I also enjoy the way it challenges my woodsman ship skills, I need to put myself in a exact spot, not in an area so to speak! I need to be my bow, I need to be my arrow and I enjoy this very much! I also enjoy the simplicity of the bare bow! Too much fun!
Traditional hunting...I wanted to jump to a response from reading the first page but I decided I'd better read the thread...
The term Traditional is used (or over used) way out of context most times. I guess I'm in the camp that says it is a state of mind driven by your personal choices as a hunter other than by the specific equipment you choose or the title that you call yourself.
Too Good To Miss this One!! TTT :archer: :clapper:
To me, a barebow hunter, "traditional" means relying upon yourself first, and your equipment second. The more your equipment does for you, the less you do for yourself, and the more folks you must (by rights) share your kill with.
I'm a 1 vs. 1 kind of guy. The closer I can put myself to that scenario, the better I feel and the sweeter the meat tastes.
Call it a matter of pride...and that's one marinade you most definitely won't find at the grocery store.
I could kill the largest P&Y buck ever with a dead-sighted wheelie from a tree, with a rangefinder, but that success wouldn't hold a candle to the pride I took in the yearling I got with a barebow-onestringer while stalking.
The more I think about it, the more I believe 'traditional' is a personal mindset and ethic rather than the equipment used; we all have our handicaps. Overcoming them by whatever means is what makes us human, and reveling in them is what makes us individuals.
Like it's equipment it's a path you can not define. A personnel quest. Doing it with less.
I do like reading the posts for this question, I guess someone has to ask the question now and then.
I wonder how much of this question goes to the fact that most of us here; did not experience bowhunting before compounds hit the woods.
I remember fall as a time when the leaves changed color; and bowhunters were not seen in any large groups; rarely more than a handful of them anywhere in any one spot.
We hunted on the ground because the law said we had too; although 'Native Americans' had built stands over trails for thousands of years.
But we were virtually unseen by each other and certainly by the public.
Most gun hunters let their guns collect dust; until it was time to sight them in; and get ready for the opener. They didn't walk the woods before hunting season. They did in Michigan cause nearly 300 miles of solid cars on the freeway just before the opener.
I can remember sitting in my blind; with gun in hand on opening day - waiting for the 500th shot heard. It was not a good year of hunting unless you heard that many shots by noon.
Contrast that to when I started hunting for deer with a bow and when I shot my first deer. The guy I was with didn't believe I had killed the deer. Oh there was ample evidence; my arrow in a dead deer - but he just doubted it. He called me a couple years later; he had finally figured out why he thought I had not killed that deer. He had not heard a gun shot! The two ( a dead deer and a gun shot) were always associated with each other.
Then as time went on; and compound bows made the bow hunt easier; the woods began to fill up with bowhunters.
Fred Bear espoused "be a two season hunter". If you stepped into the world of bowhunting at that time - well you missed the quiet woods; the serenity; the gentleness of bowhunting upon our psyche.
I see now arguments about how its a law in places and just a common courtesy to remove a tree stand from the woods; as not to step on another bowhunters shoes.
Well - don't blame it on 'traditional' bowhunters - we just don't have the numbers alone to create that atmosphere.
So - to try and think what traditional bowhunting is now; living now; seeing what is going on now - on television shows and in the marketing of archery; on inclusions of crossbows; and you just don't get the picture of what some of us have in our minds of what 'traditional bowhunting' was; and is.
Take a step back further. Go back to 1959. What was bowhunting then ? Go back to 1949 - what was it like then... go much further back; and there were no established bow hunting seasons.
But go back 9000 years; and the bow you used then; well 99.9% of us here that love traditional bowhunting - could pick that bow up; pick the arrows up and go hunting just like we do now.
Tradition. I had a neighbor that laughed at my traditional bowhunting and said I reminded her of 'fiddler on the roof'. Well tradition is more than a song; or prayers; or a love for what things used to be like. It is an action though that does try and keep the 'old ways' alive.
It is indeed like stepping back in time. Yes we have fiberglass; and modern glues; and modern string materials and arrows made of carbon and aluminum etc; but if we were restricted to wood arrows; what percentage of us would 'drop out' of traditional bowhunting ? I bet a very small percentage.
Native Americans took months and months to make a bow; they put laminations on bows with glue made from fish skins and other things; what we shoot now; as I said; is not that removed from what they shot ( take a look at the 9000 + Holmegard[sp] bow).
The tradition of traditional bowhunting is seen here in all its glory. We talk about our bows; our arrows; our sons and our daughters; and their sons and daughters. We talk about it in such romantic terms - that we are criticized for it.
When we see that deer we want approach; we have to wait until its close enough; or get close enough; and ~then~ we have to draw back the bow and shoot; which is traditional.
Whereas seeing the animal coming; and drawing back the bow and holding it at full draw for minutes until the animal presents a shot- well that is rifle hunting with a bow. Its not traditional.
We here post pictures of any deer we shoot; big or small; most of us drool over Paul DeHues' buck. Thats because we can see in his smile and his attitude his happiness over getting a buck with a bow.
That is traditional bowhunting.
Others you see - they would wonder if it was an 8 point -- or a 9 and if it was a 'cull buck' or why did he shoot that buck before it matured?
Pictures of a little girl pulling back a 5 pound bow shooting what looks like a knitting needle are closer to what traditional bowhunting is; than Chuck Adams with a 180 plus whitetail.
And I like it that way. Its tradition being passed on; in a smile; in an accomplishment that is centuries old.
Traditional bowhunting to me is practicing and practicing and then missing the target by a mile; and looking at myself for what went wrong; not the bow. It is submitting myself to what others would consider a handicap; to hunt without sights; or cams or wheels; or a hand held release; and 80% let off. I don't do it to spite those that do; I hunt with traditional equipment because a long time ago I saw what it was; and knew it was for me.
I remember when compounds came out; and I hunting with one. But I watched Fred Bear shoot a grizzly bear with his bow; and I distinctly remember thinking - if I ever get to that point where I get to hunt a grizzly- what bow do I want in my hand?
I put down the compound and have not looked back.
Instead I look forward to each years challenges and opportunities and feeling the string pressing into my fingers -as that animal I am hunting- gives me the chance too.
Thats what traditional bowhunting is to me.
I started hunting at age 10 with a bow and arrow back in the 50's and after a while the rabbits were falling to my lemon wood longbow. In the early 60's I saved enough money to buy a Person recurve and over the next 10 years I acquired 2 more bows. A Hoyt pro-hunter and a bear take down. In the 70's I like many others went to the wheels. Just didn't feel right in the woods. In the 80's I went back to where I started with a martin long bow. Since then I've hunted with self bows, longbows, and recurves. I hunt from the ground not because I want to but because my legs wont allow me to climb a tree. I can still get back in the woods a good ways but I have to start earlier. The most important thing is I'm still having fun. :goldtooth:
QuoteThe most important thing is I'm still having fun.
Yep. That's it in a nutshell. :)
Anything getting folks closer to the woodlands is a pursuit worthwhile. Wheels, stands, or none of the above.
There isn't an 'us & them' until we define, or create, a "them" and "us". We're bowhunters. All of us.
So what, if for me, more mechanizations diminish my satisfaction? So what, if for others, those same things I eschew grant another the ability to pursue their passion?
...and then some day we meet. I'll wager the coffee will be just as fine as if I'd brewed it myself. And I'm a badass when it comes to my coffee.
Yes, I love the feel of the string on my fingers.
Yes, I love feeling the arrow fly and knowing it's true. To me this is the epitome of "living in the present". Is it, should it, be any different for anyone else?
Took a groundhog at 30+ yards this morning, in my own style. Do I feel good? Not really, but I feel successful...and that's a way better feeling than I get from my 9-to-5. ;)