Trad Gang

Hey Guys/Ladies,
I have some questions for you all and just curious if we think the same:

1. Why do you pick Trad hunting over Wheel Bows?
2. Young folks are typically sterio-typed into wanting faster/newer gimmics all the time...do you fit that mold?
3. What style of hunting with a trad bow do you like? (stands/stalk/blind)

I am asking this because I here alot kids and younger folks at the archery shop always wanting the "fast" bow (mostly becasue Michael Wadell or some other show host shoots it...and that is surely the only bow that will kill).

Just curious about you younger guys (like me) who have just started the trad journey ....

I guess I should go:

1. picked up trad fro the simplicity of it, I started focusing too much on pins, distances, and everything working right....didn't like it.  I get the same exciment at kill time but the getting there is what I didn't like.     :archer:  

2. I dont fit the stero type...I like the old school methods (some anyway), and actually dont want gimmics.
- I think baking soda works in the washer
- I dont think carbon clothes aren't worth near the price for what they probably dont do
- I dont think you need High Def patterns to camo up with
- I dont think you NEED electronics outside of a flashlight (one exception is for a GPS...but if your woods savy, a compass will do the job)

3. I am a tree stand guy.

I always tell 'em that the deer killed with trad equipment is just as dead as one killed with those speed contraptions.

p.s. I don't qualify for the younger crowd status.  :readit:

for me:

1. there is just something appealing about shooting a piece of wood with a piece of wood. i just got into bowhunting and went strait to trad. i like the simplicity of it and the idea that for hundreds of years people have been shooting relatively the same way.

2. yes and no...i like the newest mac computer, but i drive a 25 year old mercedes. other than a few exceptions, i do like the old school, tried and true methods as well.

3. haven't hunted enough, but i'd say stalker...i'd get bored in a tree stand after too long  :)

1.  bought a compound in 96 sold it in 97 started with a recurve in 98.  hated the mechanical failures on the compound...

2. I bought camo for the first time in 10 yearslast year (walls had a crazy sale)...still have the camo jacket i bought 15 years ago works great...do have an old Bear Co. camo shirt I wear occasionaly.  I think television is going to ruin hunting as we know it.

3.  Love hunting on the ground until I get a feel for the area than I hang a stand...had a store bought ground blind (actually bought two) and gave them both away after everything looked like it was 20 yards farther than it was LOL, so now it's natural ground blinds when on the ground.

If young kids actually got out and hunted (instead of watching the "bamshamalamdingdon whacked that joker" bunch on television I think we would have more "hunters".

QuoteOriginally posted by toehead:
If young kids actually got out and hunted (instead of watching the "bamshamalamdingdon whacked that joker" bunch on television I think we would have more "hunters".

I cannot tell you how much I agree!!   :clapper:

1. I never shot a compound bow, but I don't like them. Every time I tell people I'm into archery, and they ask if they may see my bow, they're always surprised when I pull it out of the bowsock, 'cause they expected to see another compound bow.

2. Well, I love fast, powerful bows. But I'd never go compound just to get the fastest bow. Then again, my bow is already powerful enough to take out pretty much anything!

3. I haven't yet been out hunting with a bow yet, simply because I don't have a license yet. I've hunted with rifles though, and I definetely prefer stalking  :)

It is to challenge myself.  I love archery.  And I like the simplicity of trad.  I just wish I had found trad years ago.  

The wheels became too easy. Too much like a gun with the trigger release and sites.  So for me the next step was trad.

I will never forget years ago, I used to hunt with a guy I worked with.  His father used a recurve and for the life of me I couldnt figure out why.

It took more than 10years but I now know why.

I hunt mainly out of stands but I do have a couple natural ground blinds  I use if the wind is right.

I'm 21 and I just love it for the challenge... It just feels so natural when I shoot my recurve and I don need the fastest bow( I do love fast cars tho ha) I could care less about the latest trend and I normally always hunt out of a stand. I love telling people I shoot traditionally and they look at me like I'm crazy and say "can you actually kill a deer with one of those?" ha I tell them it is a bow and not a sling shot

I started shooting Recurves and Longbows when I was 6yrs old continued shooting them till I was 22 went to the store saw a compound asked what is that they told me thats the best bow and arrow on the market. I bought it shot it for a year and a half and then finally realized with the help of some good friends to get rid of that darn contraption. So long story short I Traded my compound for a guitar and a couple bucks bought a new longbow and will never go back to compound shooting.I am 25 now and have a lot of years (good lord willing) to spend in the woods with longbow in hand.

1.   Why do you pick Trad hunting over Wheel Bows?  

Pros:
-point of aim is much much much faster
-shooting in the dark is much much much easier b/c no peep and no pins
-shooting from awkward positions is much easier
-the bow is quieter on the draw and on the shot
-its super light for carry b/c I commonly hunt 6AM – noon. break for 2 hrs then 2PM to 7PM.
- fewer moving component to break
- tuning is easier so I can do it myself (or at least try to do it myself) which I could never do w/ compound b/c I didn't try and didn't care.
- its enabled me to meet a great group of guys who are into hunting and not horn porn
-the simplicity, the history, the tradition, the old school challenge
- # 1 reason is its just SO much more fun to shoot.

Cons:
- Practice time eats into my other hobbies (women/fishing).

2. Young folks are typically stereotyped into wanting faster/newer gimmics all the time...do you fit that mold? -  

No, not at all.  I'm going in the opposite direction.  Its weird how so many people get into archery for the challenge and do everything possible to make it as easy as gun hunting.  I have never shot a release in my life so I cannot attest to their ease of use but I have seem MANY first timers practice w/a release for a few days (OR EVEN HOURS) and then shoot kill zone groups at 15-20 yards.  To me, thats not the challenge I was looking for in bowhunting. That's why I always finger shot compounds which took me months to get the hang of (and is still nowhere near perfected) and its also what drove me to shooting trad equip after mastering (and I mean that on a very PERSONAL & SUBJECTIVE level) the compound in my own mind.  I have nothing against compounds, only the way their use is applied.  I have not picked up mine since the first time I picked up a trad bow.  For me, its either trad bow or nothing.
I think one of the main problems today is that lotsa people don't want to put in the time necessary to become proficient w/ the old type gear and the old type hunting. Nowadays its all about instant gratification. Horn porn and obsession with killing big bucks is another problem.  Texans are the worst with that.  I tell my hunting buddy when we go out "I'm going to kill the first legal deer or pig that's positioned for good shot presentation (broadside or quartering away) regardless of what it look like"
One thing to keep in mind though....if you are trying to convince someone to try trad hunting I wouldn't frame it as 'this is real hunting b/c its more of a challenge and your compound bow is not real hunting".   Hunting (whether via compound, recurve, crossbow, gun, atlatl) is a personal thing.  It's a personal challenge and we should feel the right to speak up and voice our opinions but at the end of the day its up to each person individually to know their challenge and a 3rd party should not dis on another hunter's modus operandi.  Me telling someone that their hunt method is not really hunting just smacks of pent up anger.  It would be like telling someone that they have an ugly wife.  The appearance of someone's wife to you as an outsider is irrelevant, the only thing that matters is the husband's viewpoint.  Calling someone's hunt method unchallenging/lame is not the answer. The answer would be to explain why your method is more fun b/c after all (I hope) most of us just want to have fun thru this hunting thing.  And if you really love something the way many of us love trad hunting you will want to show others how its done to bring them into the sport or if they're already a compound shooter to bring them to the dark side by showing em its more fun and more effective.   But we cant assume we know whats best for our fellow hunters.  In 90% of my hunting the recurve trumps b/c its stalking at close distance and recurves win hands down under those conditions.  When compond hunting I missed numerous deer at closer ranges (12 feet and under!!!!) due to sight pin confusion, not being able to and get to anchor quickly enough, not being able to get a shot in the air quick enough, etc!.  Those problems have all been solved by the curve.  If you want to show someone how fun it can be take em shooting and outline the PROs to shooting a recurve. It IS a better weapon!

3. What style of hunting with a trad bow do you like? (stands/stalk/blind)
Every hunt is different (which is why I love this stuff!) but I usually sit in a tree stand or tripod until 10 AM (or 11AM or Noon depending on how I'm feeling about the spot and how animals are moving).  Then I will get down and stalk.  I never ever ever hunt ground blinds b/c I feel they take away from the whole experience (one of the main reasons I'm out there in the woods is to 'see' stuff and be close to nature and IMO the ground blind limits me from doing so).  Also my bow is 66 AMO and doesn't fit well in a blind. About the closest thing I do to a ground blind is sit up against a big oak tree and let animals come to me.  That's how I arrowed my first deer .... A stalk that led me to one side of an oak tree to get close to a buck about 18 yards from the other side of the tree.  While trying to figure out how to arrow the buck a young deer walked up to me from behind and I slowly turned, swung the bow and let it rip.

I am 27 and have never owned a wheelie bow.  I shoot trad because that is what my dad shoots and it is all I've ever known.  

I would say I do and dont fit that mold.  I like most of the old ways.  I like hunting with caplock and flintlock muzzleloaders.  But I also enjoy some modern things as well.  I still enjoy taking my rim fire rifles out and small game hunting with them.  

I enjoy walking around the woods more than anything else.  So I find that I usually end up still hunting.  I do sit in ground blinds and tree stands as well though.

I'm 36, so I guess that makes me an "old guy" but to answer your question:

I like any advantage I can have with regards to self-reliance. If **it ever hits the fan, I can - at least in theory - build my own and not need to rely on factories. All I need to do now is learn how to fashion my own self bow and knapp stone...   :knothead:

I might be 34 yrs old but wa taught by some old time hunters who had taken everything from tigers to just about anything worth shooting in India,was taught tracking by a 74 yr old man who poached till a few yrs ago in india,the man who taught me to shoot was my dad's driver a retired 80 yr old sargent who was highly decorated in the british army in ww2.He taught me how to build machans what to do for leopards.The bows I saw in the meusems in india attracted me to archery in the begining and I started making bamboo bows in india when I was 6 yrs old.
Growing up I went on hunts with my dad's friends and other army officers who were friends of my dad's.
The reason I took up archery after moving to the U.S. is that I love the challange of taking game with the equipment I have made myself,I prefer to stalk game as I do not like to sit still for too long and love stalking ass it is what I grew up doing.

Im 34 and I shot wheels since I was fifteen until three, almost four years ago. I killed numerous deer, turkey and various small game with my wheelie bow.
When I was 14, my dad gave me an old shakespeare recurve, some wooden arrows and said go hunting. I missed turkeys, deer, pretty much everything I shot at.
After I began working, I bought a compound(later finding out that my father was very disappointed in that puchase, although he never said anything).

I began taking game every year. I think there were two years that I didnt harvest a deer.

Enter Shawn Leonard, and one of my best friends Damon Wilber. All thi talk about a bunny hunt with recuves and longbows. I sai I would go, and Damon and I started shooting regularly. We even went on a deer hunt with some close encounters, but no shots.

I had the time of my life. I was excited about the hunt, the simple gear. Not worrying about yardage, what pin, where is my release, etc etc.

I started getting to be an ok shot. Three rabbits later, I committed to form, anchor points and accuracy.

I harvested my first trad deer this year, a scrubby little four point.

Anyway, traditional is the way my dad taught me. I strayed for a while, but I think Im here to stay. Some friends get it, some dont.

Anway, I prefer stands or a good natural ground blind.
I did fall for the speed bug when I was younger, but quickly realized quiet was better.

I'm 28 (guess I'll be 29 in a week and 1/2) but for me...

1. Why do you pick Trad hunting over Wheel Bows?

I'm just getting into archery myself (don't even own a bow yet) but in talking to a couple guys that shoot traditional, it seemed like a good fit for me. I like the simplicity of the setup compared to all moving parts on a compound. I also like the thought of shooting instinctively - no sights to rely on or worry about getting knocked out of whack.

2. Young folks are typically sterio-typed into wanting faster/newer gimmics all the time...do you fit that mold?

Yes/No - I work in IT so I've always got new technology however I can shut it down in a heartbeat, grab some quality outdoor gear and forget about the daily grind. I'm not a fan of all the "scent lock" stuff, I think it's over priced - I'd rather play the wind.


3. What style of hunting with a trad bow do you like? (stands/stalk/blind)

Since I haven't had a chance to bow hunt yet, I can only base my response on what I've done in the past. By far I've hunted the most out of blinds (typically natural blinds I've built). Last year was my 1st year in the stand and I can see some advantages but I really enjoy having the animals in close when hunting on the ground - it gives me a huge rush for sure! The place we hunt isn't real big so stalking is something we haven't done yet.

1. I have tried to shoot friends compounds, and it was never "natural" to me, line up this with this, make sure that the bow is level, and after about giving the salesman a heart attack several times fro almost dry firing, I put down the compound and never have picked one up again.

2. I don't have the money for all of the latest and greatest stuff, so it does not really matter.

3. From what little hunting I have down I would much rather be on the ground. Either a ground blind or spot and stalk.

I am 32.  Never had a compound.  My 1st bow was my father's old 1952 Ben Pearson.  I just love the romance of traditional.  No I do not fit the mold.  I love to have old things and bring them back to life.  I hunt all 3 ways.  Just depends!  Good thread.

I am 34 and I keep my options open. I am not biase towards any method and not shy to say that I enjoy shooting both my compounds and my recurve. I picked up a recurve this spring year and enjoyed it just a much as my compounds. Depends on what mood I am in. I gun hunt and I still like that as well.

Kevin

Im a little older than 35 (41) and the reason i made the change this spring is because i have killed 178 deer with a compound. Living in Alabama all my life and hunting all the time thats really not a big number and please dont think im bragging. I just needed a change and i have found it in spades with these trad bows.

I killed 8 deer with my compound last year and all but one shot was under 15yds. I have always wanted a trad bow so this spring i ordered a ACS and WOW am i hooked. I now own 5 custom bows with 2 more on the way.

I love hunting from treestands but shot a decent 8 pointer this weekend from a ground blind 70 feet from our cabin, acorns falling everywhere. It was a 25yd shot and i hit him to far back and then it came a flood so i let him lay overnight and looked for him all day. Im going back tomorrow with a friend of mine who has a dog, i know he is in there but its so thick a rabbit would have a hard time moving around.

Sorry for being so long winded but i just love this trad life.

I'm 34 and yes, I used to shoot a compound.  The only thing I killed with it was a turkey.  Hunted with it somewhat seriously for probably ten years.  I switched to trad about 5 years ago and have killed bull elk and two muley bucks and two turkeys.  So for me the reason for going to trad had nothing to do with it getting too easy, or boring.  Shooting my compound just wasn't any fun!!  I originally got into archery to challenge myself as a hunter, after a few years the only challenge was centering the bullseye at 60 yards, and if I didn't I was frettin' over sight pins and rests.....none of which translated into my becoming a better hunter.  Now I'm enjoying every second spent shooting and hunting, and am enjoying a drastic increase in the number of opportunities to shoot critters.

Do I fit the steriotype gimmick mold....I would have to say NO.  I drive the same 65 ford four wheel drive I rode in as a child (bought off grandma after gramps died), don't own a four wheeler, do own a gps (don't use it much, but happy to have it a couple times  :)  

I'd say 90% of my hunting is stalking with about 10% natural ground blind.  Not that I have any hangups with tree stands or pop ups, just have never used them.  Next season I plan to dabble in tree stand for whitetails and popup for turkeys though, we'll see what transpires.

Good luck to all

Travis

I'm 28 and after rifle hunting and using a wheelie bow for most of my teens, and killing numerous big game animals, hunting lost some of it's allure and turned from hunting into killing. After looking at the sport from an outsiders perspective, I stepped away from hunting due to the loss of excitment for a few years. Then six years ago I was cleaning out a neighbors attic for her and found an old bear recurve, when a made a cooment on how "neat" (the lady was almost 90) the bow was she offered it to me as a reward for helping her out. I took it and bought a new string for it. Although the limbs were twisted, I strung it up and shot a few arrows. Instantly I was hooked and bought a few cheaper production longbows. I have hunted every year since then with a longbow and despite getting a lot of flak from my buddies I am having the time of my life. I have taken some small game with the trad equipment but have yet to harvest any big game, but I don't care. Hunting is now about the pursuit, the challenge, and the hunt itself and not how many, or how the big the animal harvested is.

I used to fit the sterotypical mold of buying new faster, expensive products every year, but I found that once I made the switch to trad equipment, the rest followed suit. It can be hard sometimes being the only member of a hunting party without scentlock, or camo for that matter, but looking to the icons of the past I know these things are not necessary to be successful.

I hunt on the ground 100% of the time and probably split this time evenly between spot and stalk and using ground blinds.

I'm 34. I bow hunted with a compound for 17 years. I loved it. I was into the fastest, smallest spaceblaster I could find. I still think they're neat as heck. 2 1/2 years ago I shot a doe with my compound. I realized I didn't feel as excited as I used to. It almost felt like "another day at the office" Right then and there I knew something had to change! So I did a little research and picked up a used recurve, had some wood arrows made. Now shooting my compound was a lot of fun. I thought I worked hard to shoot well with it. I felt like an archer. It wasn't until I picked up this trad. bow that I realized what archery was and how EASY shooting my wheelie was. Sometimes it gets to be really hard not to take my compound into the woods. I've passed on 3 deer this year that I would have not a second thought on taking the shot with my wheelie. But I'm committed to this wood stuff. It'll happen...right?? ;~) Anyway, I was just looking for something to excite me again. Maybe after this I'll try atlatal. lol

Sorry that was answer #1
#2 Sure I like fast cars, fast bikes, and fast high tech stuff is cool. But the simple things are great too.
#3 I'm a ground hunter. 85% deadfall blind, 15% stalk

1. Why do you pick Trad hunting over Wheel Bows?

- I hunt with both but prefer trade because it feels more natural and I feel like I'm truly connected with nature when I have a stickbow in my hand and I don't get that feeling with a wheelie bow.  However I don't eat any meat that's not wild game so when the freezer is empty I'll reach for the wheels or a firearm.  I also use wheels when it's really cold outside until I get used to shooting my longbow with thick gloves and clothes on.

2. Young folks are typically sterio-typed into wanting faster/newer gimmics all the time...do you fit that mold?

-It's been an on and off thing for me over the years; I got wrapped up in the BS and had to have all the lastest gimmicks thinking I couldn't possibly kill an animal with anything less.  Then while home in WV, I saw my old Bear wheelie bow that I had ripped the sights off hanging there and thought about all the deer I'd killed with it, and I remembered that I never had anything else but that bow and arrows and the clothes on my back.  I still buy some things like a decoy, or scent but I'm trying to stick to the basics now.


3. What style of hunting with a trad bow do you like? (stands/stalk/blind)

- I prefer to stalk and still hunt on the ground, but I've only got a little 2 acre chunk of woods I have permission to hunt here in Indiana so I bought my first treestand and have been using it.  When I finally get access to some more land I'll be on the ground again.

Ken

I'm 29...
1. Why do you pick Trad hunting over Wheel Bows?
I still hunt with both and shoot both year round.  I enjoy them equally and for different reasons.  I actually like the mechanical tinkering and "puzzle solving" that goes into setting up a compound.  But I love the allure of shooting trad.  
2. Young folks are typically sterio-typed into wanting faster/newer gimmics all the time...do you fit that mold?
I disagree with this statement.  Young people shoot whats available.  Where I grew up there were NO trad shops...so obviously a shop owner will sell you what he can, it's a business.  I feel there is way more self-rightesnous, snobbishness, and prejudices within the trad community towards the compound shooters.  There are bums in both genres, just as there are phenomenal archers and ethic sportsman in each genre.  
3. What style of hunting with a trad bow do you like? (stands/stalk/blind)
I hunt stands and still-hunt.  I move stands alot via portable and climbers, as I strictly hunt from scouting sign and choose not to hunt bait.  but that's merely a personal choice.  

There is more than enough room for compounds and traditional in a man's life!    :bigsmyl:

1. Why do you pick Trad hunting over Wheel Bows?

Well, when I shot target archery (both compound & recurve) I found myself being disappointed if I missed my spot, rather than happy if I hit it. I was expecting to hit everything I aimed at & got disheartened if I didn't. The more this happened, the more I felt I was aproaching archery a$$ backwards. It was supposed t be a fun challenge, not a stressfull chore.
As soon as I picked up my first longbow, without sights I knew that I'd found what I was looking for. Every hit was (and still is) a celebration & every miss is another reason to keep practicing. I'll never be as good at this as I'd like to be, but because I recognise that, I'm never dissapointed.

I never hunted with a compound & to be honest never wanted to. I don't think ever conciously 'picked' traditional hunting, it just kinda happened. I hunted with air-rifles back in the UK, due to the stresses & legal limitations of owning firearms, so the close range stalking  & hide-hunting aspect of huning seemed normal to me. I never warmed to the idea of being able to take game at extended ranges.


2. Young folks are typically sterio-typed into wanting faster/newer gimmics all the time...do you fit that mold?

Well, kinda. I want the fastest traditional bow I can get, up to a point. However I don't try to aim forthe fastest arrow speed possible. I translate fast into efficienct & use that efficiency to shove a heavy arrow at moderate to fast speed. I don't have all the bells & whistles, in fact I've only ever bought 2 new bows. If someone brought out a new bow tomorrow that was faster than the bows I'm shooting now, I wouldn't care. I'm happy with what I've got, although I had to kiss a lot of frogs to find where I wanted to be.


3. What style of hunting with a trad bow do you like? (stands/stalk/blind)

I like spot & stalk, but out of nescessity down here I hunt out of a treestand. I'd take 1 week of spot & stalk for Texas hogs & Javies over a month of sitting in a stand for Whitetails (which I firmly believe are a mythical creature  :rolleyes: )

Been waiting for a thread like this...

I just turned 21 this year, too...

1) I have no idea where this urge to use a traditional bow came from. My mother never liked hunting, and my father quit long before I was born. I was never around it, at all. But it just showed up around 10 years of age. All I knew was, I wanted to hunt. I wanted to bowhunt. And I wanted to do it with traditional tackle.
My dad set me up with everything I needed, except I was given a compound instead of a recurve. Said it was the only way to shoot a bow these days. So I used it. Shot it with fingers, barebow. Used heavy 2117's tipped with Bear Razorheads, rather than the usual graphite darts/mechanicals or replaceable heads. But it still didn't feel right. So after the season (passed on 14 deer, the last I would see for some time.) I finally got my hands on a Bear recurve. Been feeling right ever since...

2) Tough call. This year I've been using a longbow with wood arrows, and I can't say any of that is a gimmick. Not to mention, I've never been happier with my tackle.
Although I do tend to follow the crowd sometimes. When I shot carbons, I was big into EFOC, as are alot of people. I shoot Surewood shafts, which are very popular right now. And I just slapped down more money than I care to admit on a set of the new woodsman heads.
In my defense however, these aren't gimmicks. They're popular for a reason. EFOC is popular because it works, and works well. Surewood shafts have such a following because they are supremely good wood shafts. And the new woodsmans are merely a great broadhead, with all the slight flaws removed. I shoot what I shoot because I know in my heart that it'll work, not because some flashy packaging "guarantees" it'll make me a better hunter.

3) Man oh man, give me all three. I shyed away from stands for a while because of an extreme fear of heights. But a friend got me back in them 2 years ago, and it's been love ever since. Sure, they get you outta the animals awareness level (a little bit; not entirely) and give you more time to prep for a shot, but you want to know why I use them? The view. Not because it allows you to see deer earlier. No, I just mean the fantasic views; best in the woods. Darn those lucky squirrels and birds.
Blinds are fun. I used one all through 2008's spring turkey season before selling it to someone who needed it more than I. But the moment I through a little more cash together, you can bet I'm getting another one.
Stalking is just something I'm not that good at. But I'm not that good a deer hunter either, so who really cares? It's just too much excitement to pass up. Trying to take a deer on the same essential level as a bear/coyote/bobcat. How can that not be amazing?

1.

I hunt with both.  I have taken many deer with a compound and still hunt with it.  I haven't yet taken a large game animal with my trad bow, but am working on it.  The allure of a trad bow came to me as I noticed I was focusing too much on the gimmicks and wanted to get back to actual hunting.  I wanted to make myself a better hunter.

2.

I like both new and old.  I prefer older equipment when it comes to farm equipment because i like the heavier built stuff.  But having something new and shiny is always fun too.

3.

I do all 3, but prefer to hunt from a treestand.

1. Romance / Nostalgia / History / Fun / Challenge / Beauty.

2. Nope.

3. Stalking, mostly; or waiting behind a tree next to a water point or carcass.

Im 24 and I choose trad over compound because it got to easy if I saw a deer I wanted to shoot it was already in range. just didnt feel like hunting to me!

I'm 28 and I chose traditional archery because of the simplicity of it. I don't have to worry about knocking off sight pins that you with a compound. I've shot a compound since my early teens and before giving it up I was caught up with the speed of them. The faster the speed and flatter the trajectory makes it easier to make the further shots, and that in my opinion is the downfall of bowhunting. Bowhunting is supposed to about how close you an get and not about how far you can shoot. I think alot of people, including myself, have forgot all about that. Since turning trad I've paced myself with my shots, which in turn, has helped my aiming and concentration.

When it comes to hunting, I've always always prefered to still hunt/spot and stalk, unless it's been a long day and then I prefer to hunt from a stand.

It's took me a few years but i'm finally glad to be rid of my training wheels! Hopefully I can try to change some family members minds on traditional archery. I've already changed my wifes mind and she is willing to give it a try!

I'm 19 .. Started hunting with a compound when I was 12. Shot one with a compound then shot my buddies Big Horn, ever since then I have had no desire to shoot a compound again. I found shooting a recurve or longbow was ten times more fun the shooting a compound. I also enjoy hearing people say "you hunt with that old equipment?!" after they ask what kind of bow I have.

As far as having the fastest equipment, when I was younger I always did, I thought that's what was needed to kill an animal. After finding this site, I realized that is no longer my opinion. Currently I have a Whisperstik Mojostik which in my opinion is a very quick bow, but I am currently hunting with my buddies longbow that is quite a bit slower then my Whisperstik. I find enjoyment hunting with something that is not the fastest thing in the world, gives the animals somewhat of a chance instead of a scary fast compound.

I have tried to stalk deer and other animals and have never really had any luck. I enjoy sitting in a stand and waiting for deer to come to me.

Jack

I'm 28 and I've never owned a compound.  I shoot trad bows cause they are just plain fun to shoot, and I love the look on peoples faces when they see what we hunt with.

im 39 yrs so i guess i really dont qualify... but i did hunt with a compound in my twentys, and not for very long i might add. i had been on a hunt and was hunting from a tree stand. i had a slip and dropped my wheelie bow. after i had the bow fixed i had tried with it again but it wasnt the same. i sold it. then one wekend i was watching american shooter , and saw byron ferguson doing the shot of the week with his long bow. i knew right then and there that trad was what i wanted to do. ive been shooting trad for 14 yrs now

QuoteOriginally posted by J. Cook:
  I feel there is way more self-rightesnous, snobbishness, and prejudices within the trad community towards the compound shooters.  

:clapper:  
Since I started shooting trad again I've noticed this.

On to the questions-
I'm 29.
1-
I really didn't pick it.I guess my dad picked if for me when he bought me a garage sale Bear grizzly.I started out with that around age 10,missed alot of deer.I was always taping things on it for a sight.Had three compounds inbetween now and then.Something in me just wanted to pick it back up.So I started shooting and getting tuned up.Then I joined here and went to Vermonster's for shooting lessons.Stared shooting correctly and the rest fell into place.I shoot both,but I love trad for the self reliance.I can literally make everything,take it to the woods,and hunt.Can't do that with compounds.

2-I have my moments of wanting new stuff,but 95% percent of the time I don't fit that mold.

3-I prefer treestands,but I stalk sometimes on new ground.Blinds are new to me.I've tried to shoot from them and it will take alot of getting used to it before I'm hunt ready from one.

I got bored with the compound.  Picked up a longbow and never looked back.  I love the flight of an arrow.

No I do not fit the mold.  I like high carbon steel knives, leather-lined norweigen welt boots (non gore-tex), and fly fishing with slow action rods.

I prefer still hunting, but find myself in a tree more often.

I'm 36 and shot a Compound for 17 years.I used to trade my bows off ounce mabey twice a year.

I always had " a thing" for Traditional archery, and the more and more I got into it the less and less I liked the compound. I feel that the Longbow is "my calling" and will never pick up a compound again. I've shot alot of deer with my compound and out of all of the deer I shot NONE of them comes even close to the sense of accomplishment I feel when I did it with my longbow.

Theres a  overwhelming feeling of PRIDE when you finally connect with with a deer, bear, pig ect.... Words can not describe it. Knowing YOU did it without the help of rangefinders,sights ect...Is UNBELIEVABLE. Its all you peroid.

I have alot of friends of mine that just don't get it. To them what makes you a "man, or a Hunter" is strictley the size of the antlers. To me its the experience, and  feeling closer to nature. Its sort of  "religous" to me, and take it very personal. Its not about the "killing", its about the journey!


(http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn125/frassettor/DSC00665.jpg)
Happy shooting

I learned with a recurve.  Moved to a wheelie bow when I was 15 because it was what was available at the time.  I hunted with it for years, it was fast, I missed deer with it killed a lot of carp with it.  It was heavy and cumbersome.

I shot a recurve at a 4-H booth with my wife's 7 year old cousin.  Not to brag but I hit every single target exactly where I was aiming. Granted it was 15 yards and less. I shocked the booth workers and to be honest myself.  They gave me another bunch of arrows and asked me to shoot again this time at what they asked me to.  I hit every single target between the eyes (as asked).

I decided right then to put down the training wheels, I ride better without.  

1.I think killing a deer will be more rewarding.
2.It's lighter
3.I like the poetry of a simple bow
4.they are quieter
5.I prefer the crowd and camaraderie of trad archers over any other outdoors man.

1. I hunt from trees and ground.
2. I would stalk given the opportunity but am not good at it so don't do it much.

1. I love this thread

Charlie

Just turned 29.
1)I shoot longbows, because they are just way more fun to shoot than compounds.  The reason that I bought my first though was because I didn't like all the gadgets and techno involved in compound archery.
2)No
3)All three, probably more ground blinds than anything, then tree stands, mixed in with occasionally still hunting.  I don't mind hunting from tree stands. I just get tired of carrying portable around for hunting on public land.

I'm 27. I got into shooting because I wanted a stress reliever and didn't see shooting a bow with optic sights, cams that let you hold them back forever, and finger releases as real archery. I still don't. If I miss a shot I like to know that it is me that missed the shot, not a sight being off. I love instinctive shooting.

I've never been a hunter until now either. The idea of stalking up on game with a traditional bow just seemed so natural - honorable. A true challenge.

I hunt on the ground - still or stalk. I'll probably try a stand too but I haven't bought one yet. I like being on the ground.

I feel old I'm 37!! When I put a wood bow in my hand my whole hunting world changed, its difinitely about the journy! I have a 10 year old son and I want him to excperiance the true meaning and romance of traditional bowhunting! theres just somthing special about it!! Jason

Im sixteen I shot a compound since I was 8  just switched to trad I got the montana longbow 50# 28'' a month ago and I already shoot it better and feel more confident while shooting but for me its the simplicity and longing for a more simple time I always thought I was in the wrong era and I got my first deer last year with a smoke pole really didnt feel much and today two small bucks came in 5 steps from me never presented a shot and I was more exited then than any other moment in my life and I dont ever go off what the other guys do and ill hunt on the ground,stalk,treestand you name it sorry for rambling im just hooked.

im a simple kind of man. i cant stand to even sight in my rifle for work.  im 25 and absolutly hate all the hype about all the scent masks, faster lighter crap.  any one can go out and kill things with the stuff they have out now.  it takes a real  hunter  with all skills of hunting to harvest game with out sights, without rangfinders, high fence cages and decoys.  to the elders of our way, thank you for holding to it and teaching our younger genration

1) My dad lives by the motto, "If you can make it, why buy it?"  I can remember working with him as a kid in his woodshop and putting a string on any stick I could find that would bend.  Now the sticks are prettier and shoot farther, but I still enjoy showing dad my latest build.  I've never had the desire or need to shoot a compound.  They get a lot of people into the joy of hunting that would otherwise not do it, but there is something indescribable about taking an animal with a bow and arrow made from materials found in the same patch of timber you sight them down in.  A beautiful harvest start to finish.

2) Nope.  I would love to split wood, drive a team, chink my cabin walls, write a real letter, do business face-to-face, and cuddle up with my wife by a fire on a cold winter night...although I write this while I sit in front of the newest MacBook Pro!  Ha ha!  Maybe I could keep my computer and modern medicine!    :)

3) I mainly hunt from a blind, whether natural brush blinds or my pop-up.  I also enjoy stalking, but am contented just to get close to game when doing so.  Sometimes I just sit and watch them pass and smile knowing I fooled 'em.

Great questions!  I could go on all day.  Thanks for posting this thread.

34 here, been shooting trad about 5 or 6 years. started bowhunting when I was 10 and always wanted to take a deer with trad gear. got my first the first year out with a lonbow and ain't never looked back Plus I think trad bows look cooler than compounds anyways.
Don't fit no stereotype most people just think I ain't wired up right anyways so I figure why dissapoint'em and keep'em guessing. LOL
I hunt anyway I can legally and every chance I get in the woods but prefer a stand or good natural ground blind.
Kris

I am 16 and got into archery about three years ago. I started with a starter wheelie bow and then progressed to a Hoyt Vectrix pulling 67#. Last season I shot my first deer with a "bow". It was really fun and all, but it seemed a lot like gun hunting at that point. I could still shoot out to 60 yards with ease, I was still lugging around a hunk of metal through the woods, and I had to make sure I was always sighted in and whatnot. So at the end of that season I ordered a Bear Montana longbow, which I quickly renamed ukasuhi, pulling 50# @ 28". I have let a lot of deer pass this season that I could have easily shot with my hunk of metal, but I find that just carrying a longbow into the woods is better than shooting a deer with a compound. A couple weeks ago I shot at my first deer with Ukasuhi. The arrow bounced off her back and she ripped outta there, but it was some of the most fun I've ever had hunting. I doubt I am going to return to the compound. I did recently get into making selfbows thanks to a lot of help from you people. I should be done with a sinew backed hickory bow by the end of the week, and I hope to be hunting with a selfbow next year. My dad says that if I continue on this progressively traditional track, I should be standing in the middle of the woods with a loin cloth and a club during deer season by the time I'm 40. I just smiled and secretly liked the idea.

Im 25 started out with a compound but never could get the hang of sights i always canted my bow and didnt like all the mechanics. been shooting trad since i was 16 and havent looked back. Dont need technology but a comfortable tree stand and a GPS are nice.

Great thread! At 43 I'm too old to answer this so I'll just enjoy the read!    :D   Awesome!   :clapper:

quote:

---

Originally posted by BowHuntingFool:
Great thread! At 43 I'm too old to answer this so I'll just enjoy the read!     :D    Awesome!    :campfire: