My oldest daughter is 11, She has been shooting a recurve since she was 8 and a little long bow since she was 4. Last night after we got done shooting in the yard with a couple niegborhood kids she comes up to me and say "daddy i think I want to start shooting a wheel bow with a site" all I could say is "O Thats fine I guess we will get you a wheel bow and then we will put your training wheels back on your mountian bike".... What do I do??????
Keep shooting with her no matter what bow she wants.. This is all about quality time spent with her...!
What is wrong with a kid shooting a compound? Is it really putting training wheels back on?
I know some guys who shoot longbows and recurves have an extreme distaste for compounds or feel that because of the bow they shoot they are better but in reality they are not.
Enjoying archery is enjoying archery regardless of what one shoots!
If she will still get outside and shoot why not support her decision?
Your comment more than likely did more harm than good!
After shooting a compound for awhile maybe she will decide she liked her recurve better and switch back...or maybe a compound is for her.
Either way she is your daughter and you should try to support her regardless of how you feel.
She could pick other things to do other than shoot a compound that you might not like her doing. Let her try it. Life is about trying new things.
Remember, kids love toys. She sees her friends with shiny bows with wheels and sites and she can't resist.
sk her to get in the car to drive to the local archery dealer. At least that's what I would do.
She will probabbly get bored after a few years and go back to a recurve, either way you still have a shooting buddy. Now the good news is, "If she wants to" take her to a trad shoot and she can still shoot the recurve.
Good luck!
My 8 year old switched to a compound this year and I had no problem with it! He got really frustrated with his recurve and it got to the point he didn't really want to shoot it. He absolutly loves shooting his compound and it is great to see the joy on his face and the time spent together is priceless regardless of what he is shooting!
Shoot with your Daughter my Man.
Sounds to me you didn't go wrong at all.
You have a Daughter interested in archery.
PLant the seed re trad vs tech. Reinforce the issue before taking her to shoot wheels. Ask if she can understand the significance while she is trying the techspecs with bells & whistles & special machined screws? Just might see the light. If not, wheels need love too. And, she's your beautiful daughter. Get her the wheels.
I agree with chris 100%
I was in the opposite turmoil when my son reached hunting age. I nearly begged him to use a compound that he had been shooting for years. He was very good and confident with it and I wanted him to learn how to kill a deer before making the final decision. He went trad and finally 5 uears later scored on his first deer. Let them go and experience the hunt and the wheels may or may not come off later but would rather have her hunting with you using a compound or going out alone?
Counseling sometimes helps with these things. Medication maybe. You clearly did not read the manual on how to be a good traditional father.
Kidding of course :)
You can get some great deals on used compunds at craigslist.com
Personally I'd rather have my daughter shooting with compound than not shooting at all. That's what she hunts with primarily but has picked a recurve a time or two to help me chase bunnies.
I'm sure between the two of you that you'll get it all figured out or at least that's my hope for you.
I also want you to know that you didn't go wrong.
We teach our children to think for themselves and then we are sometimes disappointed when they do.
Your goals need to be your goals and let her goals be hers. She in no way has the ability to stop you from reaching your goal. I suggest you find a way to to help her reach one of hers.
God bless,Mudd
Time with your children is what matters, let them shoot what they want. So long as they stay interested and you get quality time with them all is good. Everything else is just semantics.
QuoteOriginally posted by John3:
Keep shooting with her no matter what bow she wants.. This is all about quality time spent with her...!
What John said. Be lucky she still has interest, she will come back someday.
It seems sometimes we, in the traditional archery circle view using a compound bow as a sin or something, like the archery god is going to punish us.
Really, it's alright if we or our kids want to shoot a compound bow, there's nothing wrong with it.
You didn't go wrong but you might with the "training wheels" thing! I just helped my son pick out a new compound since the last one I got him he has used for 20 years! We love to hunt together and I really could not care one iota less if he is shooting compound or traditional style bows--he's my son, we're spending time together. That is priceless!
What do you mean what do you do? Get her a compound bow and enjoy the outdoors with your daughter. Don't belittle her for wanting to shoot a compound.
Both my boys started with compounds, my oldest is now starting to think Dad's recurves are pretty cool and shows them off to his buddies. I had them start with compounds because I wanted them to be able to feel some sense of accomplishment early on so they didn't loose interest in archery and hunting. They really get jazzed shooting in the back yard and hitting what they are aiming at (tight groups). They both have small bucks under their belts already and are excited for hunting season. Kids have so much stuff competing for their time and we are defintely in an era of instant gratification, I want to make sure hunting/archery has a fighting chance.
Although, I do struggle some times wondering whether I'm doing them any favors by not steering them more to the traditional bow, teaching them that not everything comes easy and that there is satisfaction in doing things simpler. But, I think they understand that, for now they just want to have the "cool" techy stuff their friends have - just like I did when I was that age.
At least she isn't spending all of her time texting.
My 10 year old son is on the small side, and I don't feel the least bit slanted toward taking him out hunting- while he shoots his Browning Micro Midas. The little thing zips arrows at 40#- and he hits what he shoots at. I'm geeked about his prospects to run an arrow through a deer this fall.......
Enjoy HER regardless of what she chooses to shoot and count your blessings (which i know you have many times over already)! :)
It's not the equipment that you choose that matters, it's the ethics of the person behind it. Compound or trad, shoot with her and enjoy every minute of it.
Get her one. And if she wants a rifle and a shotgun and a handgun. Get her those too :) ...Van
Van, I wish you had been MY dad!
Killdeer :thumbsup:
(She'll need two rifles. A .22 and a deer gun. :D )
My daughters are 22 and 24. One is just now showing interest in shooting archery. Her boyfriend wants to get a wheel bow and she's been trying to shoot my 40# longbow with small success. The other daughter brightens my day if she just calls so let me know she's OK. The point is, they're both grown and doing their own things. No sons.
Count your blessings now. They will change as your daughter grows. Let her shoot what she wants. At least it's time spent together.
Buy her a wheel bow. Time spent with your children is priceless.
When I hear that song, "Your gonna miss this," I just about come to tears. I miss my kids being little.
Grandkids are the next step in my process. I'm not sure they are ready for kids though.
Like I said, enjoy it now. You'll blink and she'll be grown.
Get her what it takes to keep her close. My 10 yr. old hunts with a compound and rifle. But roams and loves to shoot his long bow just not enough pounds to hunt with.
Why not put a sight on her recurve?
Get her the compond.If she ever wants a rifle get her a rifle. Keep her hunting with you. Us trad shooters do not walk on water.
You have to get her a wheely bow now- but not the training wheels on her bike.
You really missed your opportunity - when she asked you should have fallen to the ground and cried like a baby !!
or maybe not. :dunno:
Its not about the equipment at this point,its about time spent with her. It will pay dividends in the future for both of you. Enjoy what you have going.
Get the compound and try and get her to shoot both some. Then she can decide what she likes best. Try and take her to some trad shoots where she has to shoot trad bows. Those are a lot of fun and will help her enjoy trad bows more.
A compound is probably better for hunting with a young girl or even a smaller boy. They can probably shoot more weight and get more stored energy. Sites are a big plus when you are shooting at an animal early in your hunting experience. Mine will probably shoot a compound for hunting to start out. They shoot trad bows now because the light compound I have for them is too heavy mass and draw for them still. I plan to let them shoot both and pick what they want.
Traditional Archery is a enjoyable sport and I shoot Trad. all year , except this fall I will be hunting with a compound bow. Have had some bad shots last 3 years, also killed 2 deer with a Widow recurve . And will still squirrel hunt with it . When I feel more comfortable with my stick will hunt deer with it.Hunting with a Trad. bow does not automatically make me a better hunter.Enjoy archery your way . One opinion , thanks , Roy
Trad bows are NOT better that wheel bows, only different. It is silly to put one on a pedistol and trample the other. Each choice is personal.
oh good grief.
As others have said.. do whatever you can to spend time with your kids when they are young. You've probably heard it before, but this time goes by way too fast..
Easy Fellas.. I don't have any problem with a wheel bow at all. I have one and shoot it from time to time and all my friends shoot them also. I could careless whats she shoots. Well maybe a crossbow. I just thought it was odd and funny that she would be intrested in one. Trust me I dont think I did or have done anything wrong my grils do everything from duck hunt to deer hunt to run the trap line with me. I was just making a comment. ALL YOU ARE RIGHT. SPEND AS MUCH TIME WITH YOUR KIDS THAT YOU CAN. You never no what tomorrow brings. And I do apprecate all the replys and concerns.
I remember someone writing (maybe in Shooting the Stickbow?) that they though compounds were preferrable for kids in that range as it gets them shooting with less frustration and more confidence. As they get older the switch back to traditional is more fruitful.
I've got three girls that love to shoot. (The oldest is 11.) And I have to say, another girl showed up at the range a month or two ago with a pink compound, and my 6 year old couldn't stop staring. Most kids are easy sells on flashier toys.....
Oh and Brian, I love the:
"THE VOICES HAVEN'T BOTHERED ME SINCE I STARTED POKING THEM WITH A Q-TIP."
I'm going to put it up over my computer at work.
-Dave
with kids it's always a fad,if the other kids are shooten one they want to shoot one to.Remember she is a woman so by a cheap one she will probably change her mind when she gets it.
I agree with what others have stated, just because we like traditional archery it does not make it better than shooting a compound. It is better to share time with her regardless of equipment used.
Sights folks not sites! Have her shoot what she wants and enjoy it with her! Shawn
let them shoot it, atleast there still intrested in our sport. i look down at no one for there equipment choice. we do it for enjoyment. also who's to say the won't come back to the stick?
Let her shoot what she wants and just enjoy every minute.
I think she is really interested in shooting and especially doing so with Daddy. I don't think I would worry about the type of bow she uses. She wants to do this with Daddy. I have 4 kids ages 11,18,20,22 and if they want to do whatever with Daddy I am a happy man. Trust me as they age these times don't happen as often.
QuoteOriginally posted by JDL:
Why not put a sight on her recurve?
!!!!FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!!!
Keep her happy and in archery my friend.
Maybe she isn't aware of "modern" recurves with metal risers and such.
Might be what she'd really want but she doesn't know it exists.....
Why does it have to be 1 or the other? I was brought up on fita recurves. I now shoot trad and compound to European level at comps. However at club shoots and regional opens I have been known to turn up with a recurve.
You may find out she enjoys both, recurve for stumps and compound for precision.
At the end of the day, isn't it time with your daughter the important bit..