I just wanted to take a moment and say hello to all. I've been reading as much as I can here as I have decided that at 46, I may be starting late to the bow hunting world, but I'm gonna start regardless!
When my bride and I started having kids 18 years ago, I thought I would be sharing upland bird hunts as well as fishing and my newly acquired wheel bow with the kids. Son number three was born with a multitude of special needs, which made that wish difficult, if not impossible. Well, Nicky is now 12 and although we still need to be on watch constantly, I started reading and found tradgang. I've always loved the look and history of the traditional bows. The wealth of knowledge here and feeling of camaraderie is refreshing. I also think that at the very least, I can pick up a bow and shoot in the back yard with the other three kids. If we get proficient enough, day trips for deer and turkey here in Northern Illinois probably wouldn't be out of the question.....
I'll stop rambling now, I just wanted to say hi. I doubt I'll be able to contribute much until I learn a little something and I apologize in advance if I ask too many stupid questions!
Thanks,
Hank
Welcome htaylor3,relatively new here myself. lots
can be learned here. northern Illinois huh,your
pretty close to Kzoo. Are you planning a trip?
Welcome,enjoy the journey.
Welcome to the gang :campfire:
Welcome. :archer:
WELCOME! Tradgang has wonderful folks that are always willing to help.
WELCOME :campfire:
Never to old! Welcome and learn with the rest of us.
Didn't start archery until I was 47. Don't worry about it. Shoot lots. Learn more. Shoot again. Welcome. :thumbsup:
Welcome Hank. Enjoy the Gang.
Welcome from the other end of the the state.
Welcome, enjoy the journey
There no stupid questions....period.
Welcome to the tradgang family.
I hope you enjoy your journey along with the rest of us.
God bless,Mudd
PS: I am in awe of you as a father raising a child with special needs
Welcome, and don't worry I've got the stupid question asking covered and they havn't booted me off the site yet :)
Have fun, tons of good stuff here.
Thanks for such a warm welcome guys!
I've read Sorrel's Beginner's Guide to Traditional Archery book. First step for number two son and I is to get bows! He's a lefty, so so we'll need two.
In the book, Brian warns strongly against buying a bow that's to heavy from the outset.
I guess question one is, "What's a good draw weight to start with?"
I'm a 210 pounder and while not really weak, I'm not what I used to be! Any advice would be appreciated.
P.S. to Mudd. Thanks for the kudos! However, as parents, I think we play the drawn hand with nothing to compare it to. We don't know any better LOL! The people I am constantly in awe of are the aides at school and the medical facilities who choose to work with these children for minimum wage. Talk about Angels on earth....
Thanks again!
Hank
Welcome; You're in a good place. Someone will know the answer to anything you need to know about traditional archery.
Good luck to you and your family.
Bob
Welcome Hank,
Pull up a chair and enjoy. It's a good place to hang around.
Welcome to the campfire and there are no stupid questions. :campfire:
Welcome,and enjoy the camaraderie .Some of my funnest memories of my sons when they were young flinging arrows at 3-D shoots.
Welcome Hank, I'm 46, started having children 18 years ago, have a child with special needs, and enjoy traditional bow hunting. We have alot in common already.
Hello Hank! Glad you are here!!
You asked a great and very important question: "In the book, Brian warns strongly against buying a bow that's to heavy from the outset. I guess question one is, "What's a good draw weight to start with?"
One thing you can do if you haven't already is to follow the link on the "new to trad archery" at the top of the PowWow forum. Rob has put together a lot of good info that should help to get you going in the right direction.
When you have ingested that stuff, come on back and the Gang will most certainly walk you down the road in the right direction.
If you can get away for a day, you might run up to the Michigan Trad Expo in Kalamazoo. There you will find a great combination of expertise and equipment. It will open your eyes and probably generate more questions. Best thing is you can shoot a ton of different bows and the bowyers there. At least you can get a feel for the draw weight you can comfortably work with.
Don't be in a hurry!! Try to find a good used bow for your trainer..there are lots of 'em on sale here in the classifieds.
See you around!
Welcome .I am fairly new here also . Great bunch of people here !!
Welcome Taylor, never too late to start. Get a bow and start shooting it now and you'll be ready to hunt by this fall.
Welcome htaylor3,
As a family, we are still human and make errors from time to time.
As a family, we strive to overcome and are bonded more soundly than before.
As a family, we shall travel the journey by your side.
Your never too old to have fun. Welcome! :thumbsup:
I think if folks here may be able to help you and your son get set up with bows and such.
Best thing to do is shoot a few. Find a fellow Trad ganger or bow shop in the area and see what 40,45,an 50 lbs feels like. This way you will have a better idea what to look for.
My first day back into trad I shot a 40 lb bow and was quite sore after. It didnt take long to build up muscles for heavier bows.
Hank I did 5 years as a para-educator for students with special needs so I know that I got nights and weekends off whereas parents are in it 24/7.
I think you might find traditional archery can be very therapeutic for everyone.
Plus I know for a fact that it's above all else... fun!!!
God bless,Mudd
Welcome to the forum!
Welcome aboard. Great forum.
Much welcome Hank! Have fun.
Welcome to the journey.
Butch L
WELCOME..
Thanks again to all for the fantastic welcome! This place is phenomenal.
I'm absorbing all of this and the advice is helping me out tremendously.
I think I'm going to try and break out for a day trip to the expo in Kalamazoo this weekend. Number two son turns sixteen on Friday. Chauffeuring dad on a four and a half hour trip to Michigan on Sunday would be good expressway experience for him! He's also looking over my shoulder quite a bit as I'm reading about bows and traditional archery hunting.
Will anybody from here be at the expo on Sunday?
Welcome Hank. Seems like you already know by now that you have come to the right place to get started. The trip to Kalamazoo would be well worth your time if you can make it. If you come on Sunday get there as early as possible - by early afternoon many of the vendors start packing up.
I'll be around - probably working in either the Compton booth or the PBS booth. If you get there make sure to look me up!
Where in N. IL are you located? I'm not that far north of the border, and generally have an assortment of used bows that I sell. Depending on what you're looking for that can be a good way to start out.
Hi Whip!
I'm in Loves Park, right between Rockford and Beloit. Where are you in Lake Mills? I have a couple friends who have places at Topols campground up there.
Also sounds like I may want to get the kid his license on Friday if I want to maximize a trip to expo.......
Welcome and enjoy!!!
Hank, I live about 5 miles north of town. Lots of Rockford people out at Topels in the summer.
Did you see the thread about the bunny hunt on Super Bowl Sunday? It's near Monroe, which isn't far at all from you. There will be a bunch of trad guys around, and all kinds of bows to see. If you don't have one of your own by then let me know and I'm sure I can find something to bring along to shoot for the day. :thumbsup:
Here is the thread for the bunny hunt:
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=099417
Hello from the middle of the state. :wavey:
you find this a great place to hang out.