I am wanting to switch from shooting compounds to all traditional. I have been shooting a friends longbow for quit a while now and have become obsessed with it. My problem is I cant seem to bring myself to sell my compound to fund myself a new longbow. It's just so easy for me to take the compound out and hit whatever I intend to. It's just not as enjoyable as the stickbow. I haven't even shot the compound since deer season.
I guess what I'm asking is what are some things that u guys did to overcome the transition to all traditional?
I sold my compound right away so I had nothing to fall back to. That has been 13 years ago, and I never got the temptation to go back to the wheels. (I can't stand to even look at one of those machines anymore)
just make the leap! you will be very happy you did.
Buy a cheap but usable bow off of E-B#y. You seriously can get a decent bow to hunt deer with for $90-$120. Buy some blemished arrows cheap, 4 bales of straw (so arrows don't pass through), a glove or tab and start shooting!
You can get started for about $200 total. Lots of us put in way more cash than that, but it isn't necessary.
I never shot compound, but I got a friend of mine set up for a little less than $200 total.
Look at your compound and then tell me it is pretty. It is ugly and nothing but a machine. Look at some of the bows these guys have and tell me if they aren't some of the most beautiful things you have ever seen. They are works of art. Why be seen with an ugly thing like that when you can be with the prettiest. Didn't you say it was more fun shooting the long bow? Why are you shooting? I shot a compound to win and kill. That isn't all the reason I shoot trad. Getting to talk with these outstanding folks on this site is reason enough. How's that? Did that help?
GO FOR IT , SELL IT and buy a bow you really want to get, that way when you have her you know you made the right choice...I did , I sold the whole ball of wax and dont regret it a schosh...now I am obsessed with all the beautiful Longbows out there, Take a look at Toelke's stuff or any reputable boyer the boys here on Trad Gang recommend. Use these guys for all their worth (which is alot)and just go for it!!! Life is short. Now shooting is both FUN and Challenging...like it is supposed to be!
I just sold both my Mathews bows and have never looked back. (NO REGRETS)
I'm the same as Shedrock.I can't stand to even look at Machines anymore.I think its the compound attitude and everything associated with them,from the manufactures to the people using them and their attitudes.When I go out shooting its just me and the bow,no excuses,no tools,so simple .The way archery has been for thousands of years.
We have it easy,we don't have to defend our families or have to shoot anything to live like our foefathers.Think about it.
One thing to remember, the longer you keep it the less you will be able to get out of it.
Thats the reason I sold my business out before leaving MO.
You spend tons of $$$$ each year to keep the latest and greatest on hand. Once the new line comes out the equipment you have on hand are worth a heck of a lot less that what you paid for it.
The trad bows I bought or made several years ago are still holding their value.
Troy
When I made the switch to compounds over 15 years ago, I said when it stopped being fun that I would return to the stick and string... (I have a difficult time calling it Traditional, because I grew up knowing it only as archery) that time came late last year and I immediately sold all my compound equipment and used the money to buy wooden bows... no more gadgets just me and the feel of a wooden bow.
"I guess what I'm asking is what are some things that u guys did to overcome the transition to all traditional?"
Have fun. That will keep you headed where you want to be (trad or not). Challenge is fun. Trad is challenge. This hunting site is a great catharsis of folks many who switched just like you, me included.
On the flip side, you can always buy a new set of training wheels should you decide traditional isn't for you.
My money goes with the stick and string.
There is nothing like it, I've never looked back.
Like was posted here before, the machine is doing nothing but depreciating.
Wood, glass, craftsmanship is art.
Good luck on your journey.
It was easy for me. You will have to decide that one for yourself. Its a "personal thing" that only you can answer. Good luck with your transition, keep us informed.
Keep doing what you are for now. Save money as you can. Just tell your friend, that "friends don`t let friends shoot compounds" :D
Before long, there will be no interest in the compound bow. Eventually, the dust layer on the compound will be permanent.
I don`t think a used compound bow brings much at re-sale, so even if you do sell it now, you`ll still need some extra funds.
I kept my compound, I was really proud of it and how I shot it. BUT
I swiched to trad (longbow) and will never go back unless I have no choice.
The Ulta-Tec is so heavy and just does not feel at home in the wood like my Kanati and I kill just as many deer.
Do What I did. Tied a string to it and it is now my boat anchor. Only regret I had was that I did not get rid of it earlier.
I was given an old PSE F2 compund earlier this year. I have always had recurves, and until recently longbows. I looked up what a new string setup would cost... well lets just say that bow will NOT be getting a new string. When it is no longer usable,to the garbage it goes. The bow depreciated soooo much since 98' it would cost more to have the thing tuned than the bow is WORTH ! wheelbows suck, stick and string is the way for me.
Ky Stickshooter, same boat here. I haven't picked up my compound since last year. I won't sell mine because it has some good memories and it is an 06 (I didn't chase the insane yearly compound racket). I will let people borrow it.
It does suck a bit that 2 buddies of mine who just started compound can outshoot me, and you can't easily reach out and nail stuff at 45 yards. They are also threatening to buy me a fringed, beaded jacket to complete my look. :D
My big negative is where I hunt it is already difficult to kill deer with a compound because of low deer density and super spooky deer, so now I've got a real challenge on my hands.
BUT, I'm having fun and love it, and I can feel the stress leaving with each shot, so I'm fully addicted.
I to haven't made the complete switch but rarely do I touch my compound. Just bought a Black Widow SA II and a Foley Longbow. I'm addicted and know it won't be long before I go completely Trad.
when I made the switch years ago I sold the newest Jennings at that time and a matching 3D tournament bow at a yard sale to fund my first longbow.......it hurt for about two days, and after that, I have never looked back....... :archer2:
I traded my wheels 19 yrs ago and never looked back. I do 95% of my hunting by bow but if I really need to put meat in the freezer I may use an open sight/roundball sidelock or an open sight handgun and thin out the does. Usually not nessasary most seasons. Its up to you what your level of commitment is but its easier to do the all or nothing with bows.
You just have to ask yourself what is more important to you; Shooting a bow that is no more than a 'Tool' for hunting, or the enjoyment of Archery? Easy, but dull, or harder, but fulfilling? Do you rate your hunting time by the Game you take, or 'How' you pursue it?
There's nothing wrong with choosing a Compound bow to hunt with, same as sticking to Guns. We're all hunters, folks just have different priorities and goals. Ethics are the only thing that 'should' be universal.
Keep it fun, shoot straight, and Enjoy!
P.S. What ShedRock said. LOl!
I gave up the compound 7 or 8 years ago and I still have it and it has not come out of the case since I made the switch. I never looked back. I have absolutely NO desire to ever get it out again. I wish I would have gotten into traditional archery way sooner. I have never had more fun. It was a challenge for me to shoot well for a while. I guess that challenge was also a lot of fun. There is nothing like having a recurve or longbow with you on your hunt.
Ive been there and done that so I know where your comming from . For me I loved everything about the stickbow but I didnt have the confidence in my abilty to take game with it so I kept going back to the compound during hunting season . Finally one year I said Im going to give it a real try during hunting season and if it didnt work out I could fall back on my compound since I hadnt sold it yet . Well I killed a nice doe opening day and a buck a few weeks after . That was it I was hooked and have been ever since .
mike
I gave up the compound twice /The second time ,I sold everything and anything that had to do with compound.
First ,Don't over bow yourself
Second ,Go easy on yourself
Third ,Most importantly ,Discipline yourself.
Don't shoot hundred arrows a week ,Shoot 25 good ones ,Don't change too many things at one time .
And like everybody else has said
"Keep it fun "
Your bow is an extension of yourself, It's a part of you, Get to know it like the back of your hand.
Carl
I switched to compounds.Shot and hunted with a few different kinds,was some what successful in harvest of some decent Bucks,however spent alot of time fiddleing with gadgets and tuning.Liked the Oneida Eagle 80# cause it was as close to A recurve as I could find,UNTIL THE DAY IT DETIONATED on me and I said O.K. this is enough.I got a Colorado Bighorn,that was 26 years ago.I'd much rather spend my time scouting/stump shootin/makeing arrows instead of repairing.
Hey Josh,,,,for whatever it's worth, here are my thoughts. You asked the following...
"I guess what I'm asking is what are some things that u guys did to overcome the transition to all traditional? "
My answer is this>>>if you have to do things to "overcome" the transition to all traditional than maybe you aren't ready. In fact I would take it a step further and say that if you are having any thoughts at all about "should I switch" you probably shouldn't do it yet. The switch should "just happen".....In my own situation, I made the switch 2 1/2 years ago, and all I can say is that there was no planning, hesitation, consulting others, or anything else.....I just took a Sunday drive through a town called TRADGANG and thought I would try buying a longbow. After trying it once I was hooked. It was late December when this process took place for me so my parker compound bow was already resting in its off season spot in my basement. I poop you not when I tell you it hasn't moved or even been touched since I tried that longbow in my yard 2 1/2 years ago...the addiction just happened on it's own. No concentrated efforts involved. I'm not saying that makes my evolution to traditional better than someone who does so via a "plan", but I am saying that when it happens naturally, without thought, the odds are 100 % for sure that it was right for you as an individual. If calculated attempts at forcing the issue or steps to "help convince" oneself are put into place, there is more of a chance for second guessing.....
I guess what I am saying Josh is if you are REALLY meant to make the switch you will know it when just by holding that stickbow in your hand....there will be nothing to "overcome" but your soon to be learning curve on how to get better using it....enter tradgang :archer2:
Best of Luck,
Trab
I'm with a few on hear were you should put the wheels in the corner and pick up a bow,long or recurve,and just shoot and have fun.you can get great deals on older bows that are great shooters and have some mojo to boot.
I shot a compound for years and always enjoyed archery more than gun hunting. At some point I developed an interest in traditional archery for the pure simplicity of it, and the beauty of the bows. I think Leonardo Da Vinci said it best when he said "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication".
To be honest with everyone here, I took a bad road and got addicted to drugs and alcohol for over 10 years. I stopped hunting, eventually lost everything I owned including my retail computer repair shop. Long story short I made the decision to get sober and did it with the help of friends and family. After I was sober I knew right away one thing I wanted to do was get back into archery, hunting, fishing, the outdoors and wanted to share this with my son. I intended to buy a traditional bow and a compound. I bought a recurve to start with and after a short time realized that buying a compound would be like taking a step backwards, instead of moving forward in the sport of archery. I have been sober now for over 4 years and I very much love my new lifestyle. My son and I both have traditional bows now and it has brought us even closer together.
One of things I overcame was the "What if a huge buck is out there at 35 yards question" I finally decided that I would rather have a blast 99% of the time than sit there not having a blast waiting for the 1 % chance. Don't care anymore and still kill big bucks with the longbow now and then while having to much fun. You'll also become a better hunter.
Don't sell your wheels yet. Wait until you get a longbow. You really don;t have to FUND one by selling the compound. There are longbows out there for 100.00 if you look hard. I have had quite a few of these. Or get someone to help you finish a 7 lakes bow. Internature viper ect....
Jump In! Then sell the wheels and buy what you want. My advice.
Doug
Internature is not a u finish. Just one u may find for that price. Real decent bow you throw around and not worry about the $.
I gave up the wheelies twice, once in the mid '90s and then for good in '08. No regrets at all. Never went stumping with a wheelie bow and never shot it, in it's last days, except for right before hunting season. What's the fun in that? Every whitetail I've killed with trad was like taking my first deer all over again. Trad archery is simple and fun. Too many gadgets and "helpers" with wheelies for my liking. But, I have nothing at all against wheelie shooters. I can share a camp with them the same as I can with trad shooters.
I stopped shooting compound around 6 years ago because the strap on the release aid aggravated my carpal tunnel. 3 years ago my brother talked me into trying a light weight recurve (I'd already had surgery on my hands by then) and getting back into archery and hunting. Man, am I glad he did. Everything isn't just different, it's 100% better. The guys I shoot with shoot because they truly enjoy it. We still have friendly competition but it's nothing like shooting 3D with my compound was. I also agree with everyone who said compounds are ugly looking tools.
You have to just man up and do it, I gave mine to a friends son he killed his first deer with it. I had about $800 in it at the time and it was only a couple years old. If it's there your tempted you need a 100% commitment.
I tried the Compound after not having enough time to practice and went on a killing spree. I went back to traditional to get the fun back. I actually traded my Compound for a Kota Royal T/D recurve because the guy said he couldn't hit anything with it. He was happy and I was happy. I shoot this bow better than anything I have ever shot. See if anyone is up for a trade, you would be supprised at how many guys have custom bows but want to switch to compounds. I had the same issues about the crutch. You have to just let it go.
This is a good thread, we trad shooters just need to remember we need our hunting brethren of all stripes - strength in numbers and all. Without them, we could end up like Europe (which has a very low percentage of hunters). My hunting camp and friends have shotguns, muzzleloader, rifle, compound, and I try hard to not come off as "I hunt the hard way." I just do my thing and set my own goals, and celebrate the hunt.
I thought that was great advice about if you have second thoughts don't make the complete switch. Hunting should be something fun and personal to you. Shoot what makes you happy.
It is in your heart and soul, and it takes alot of dedication, to me it is not about killing it is about woodsmanship and I feel the Longbow let's me do just that.Blake
Ditto CA BOWHUNTER, once you get passed the "kill=success" mind set then you can let go of the compounds with no regrets.
As a former compound shooter, to me, the fact that you're so interested that you're posting here says that you've already made the switch. At least you have in your subconscious, although you think you may have a few conscious doubts.
I kicked around going traditional for a few years before I even shot a trad bow (other than back in the 1970's).
My hangup was intimidation of the unknown. I was deadly with my compound gear. Anything within 50 yards was toast.
But to give that up for a weapon I knew nothing about was a little intimidating.
I didn't know how to do such basic things as change a brace ht or bare shaft an arrow. Hell, I didn't even know how to string and unstring a trad bow.
To give up the known of the compound for the unknown of the trad bow, arguably a "lesser" weapon as far as killing sheer numbers goes, was something that took me a little while to get my fingers around, pun intended.
But something magical often happens with trad gear. Your mindset changes. The two biggest mindset changes for me went from "how far can I shoot" to "how close can I get", and that I found hunting with longbows to be much easier from on the ground and I've gotten down from the sky and now hunt exclusively from the ground.
If you decide to jump in, the suggestion about selling your compound sooner than later is a good one. Used compounds don't hold much resale for long.
People enjoy traditional archery for many varied reasons. Some love the social aspects of a stump shoot, a big weekend campout outing, the history, etc. Some love the simplicity and beauty of trad bows. Some love making their own gear. Others do so because they want to make it their method of hunting. Many enjoy of blend of the above and more.
For the compound "convert" specifically, I believe that "the method stage" is the reason why most compound shooters switch and also why a few inline muzzleloader guys go to side hammer rifles and open sights.
Charles Alsheimer has a great article about the stages of a hunter. It's a good read...
http://www.charliealsheimer.com/ca/articles/5stages.html
THE 5 STAGES OF THE DEER HUNTER
BY CHARLES J. ALSHEIMER
Recently a newspaper reporter asked me to reflect on my career as a writer, hunter and wildlife photographer. As I thought of how to answer the question my thoughts focused on how my incredible journey began. What I've accomplished as a writer and photographer has a base - a rock solid foundation. I am what I am because of hunting, specifically white-tailed deer hunting.
I was blessed to have been born to farm folks. My dad and grandfather operated a 500-acre potato farm in the heart of New York's famed Finger Lakes Region. My father, Charles H., was also a deer hunter who felt his only son needed to know what the deer woods were all about.
My journey as a deer hunter began long before I could ever legally carry a bow or firearm. In New York you cannot begin hunting deer with a firearm until you are 16, so from age 5 to 16 I tagged along at my dad's side or bird-dogged the local woodlots for other hunters. As I reflect back on those days I get goose bumps. They were great times to be young.
The Five Stages of the Hunter
The heart and soul of the American deer hunter has been defined by researchers. Some twenty years ago Deer & Deer Hunting reported on a study done by Drs. Robert Jackson and Robert Norton from the LaCrosse campus of the University of Wisconsin. After interviewing over 1,000 deer hunters they concluded that America's deer hunters pass through 5 stages in their lifetime deer hunting journey. They are as follows:
1. The Shooter Stage: This is when the hunter begins. They need to have some success and be able to have a level of accomplishment.
2. The Limiting Out Stage: From stage one most hunters progress to this stage. In stage two the hunter's goal is to harvest as many animals as is legally possible.
3. The Trophy Stage: In this stage the hunter has enough knowledge of his quarry that he begins to exhibit selectivity in his hunt. Bigger antlers and a keen knowledge of stewarding the whitetail resource begin to take center stage in the deer hunter's life at this point.
4. The Method Stage: By the time a hunter reaches Stage 4 he is beginning to mellow out. With many autumns under his belt he begins to become more interested in how he hunts. Understanding deer behavior also becomes paramount during this stage.
5. The Sportsman Stage: By the time a hunter hits this stage he truly knows who he is. He knows deer behavior, has killed many deer, has probably become involved in the preservation of hunting and makes a conscious effort to see that hunting is passed on to the next generation. This is also the stage when many deer hunters become involved as managers of their own deer hunting properties. I've often viewed this stage as the reflective stage.
Though all five stages can stand alone, stages three through five can be and often are interwoven. As a fifty-seven year old I'm able to see this in my own life because I'm passionately interested in hunting mature bucks, learning all I can about whitetails, managing our farm's deer population, and sharing what I've learned with the public. Let me explain by sharing with you my five-stage experience.
1 - The Shooter Stage
Pinpointing when my Stage 1 began is easy. Though I couldn't carry or shoot a gun it began when I was five years old, in the front seat of my dad's pickup truck. We were driving through our farm in mid-November when a big buck ran across the road in front of us, just missing the front of the truck. Though it occurred over 50 years ago the sight of the mature buck bounding in front of us and across our harvested potato field is still etched in my mind. That event lit the whitetail fire in me - and it remains burning today.
At seven my mom and dad got me a Daisy lever-action BB gun for Christmas. By the time I was ten I had shot thousands of BBs through it, and actually got pretty good with it. When I hit twelve I got my first real gun, a single-shot .22, for Christmas. What struck me was my new gun didn't go pop like the BB gun. It made a loud bang! I was hooked.
Well before my 16th birthday I'd gotten serious about woodchuck hunting. My hero was Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life's Shooting Editor. I loved rifles so much that I had the Speer handloading manual nearly memorized.
In my early teens I graded potatoes for a local farmer on weekends during the winter months so I could earn the money to buy a .243. By the time I was 16 I was handloading my own ammunition in my bedroom - much to my mother's chagrin. Athletics and hunting were my focus and passion as a teen and I did both every possible moment. No woodchuck on our farm was safe during my teenage years. Then when I could finally hunt deer my passion for them took center stage.
2 - The Limiting Out Stage
As I reflect back this is probably the stage of my hunting life that I'm least proud of. With many hunters the Limiting out Stage is a period when they feel that the only way they can prove their worth and prowess as a deer hunter is by how many deer they kill. This described me. I had been putting in the time in the whitetail woods long before I could actually hunt deer so I knew a lot about deer behavior before I could hunt to kill. Consequently, I had a real jump start on other hunters my age. Because of this I tagged out early every year. The first buck I harvested, on my very first opening day, placed second in a local big buck contest. The next seven bucks were all yearlings. Though I would have loved to harvest a big racked buck, any buck was okay in my early years. My goal was to prove I could do it, and do it ASAP. Fortunately, I didn't spend too much time in this stage before coming to my senses.
Much of my progression from Stage 2 to 3 came about because of a 35mm camera. I returned from Vietnam on December 3, 1970, and was discharged from the U.S. Air Force that day. While in Vietnam I purchased a 35mm camera and a long telephoto lens. I had become fascinated by Erwin Bauer's and Lenny Rue's whitetail photography and was challenged to see if I could get images that rivaled theirs. So, in the winter of 1971 my journey as a whitetail photographer began while attending college. The camera changed my life forever. It also changed me as a hunter.
3 - The Trophy Stage
By my 26th birthday I had graduated from college and married. Stage Three of my hunting journey began to manifest itself. The athlete in me still drove me to limit out but I started to look at deer hunting differently. I knew how much smarter mature bucks were than the yearlings I'd been regularly harvesting and the challenge they presented started to shift my focus toward hunting older, smarter bucks. I began spending the entire year scouting and photographing whitetails, learning all I could about their behavior. My true education as a whitetail photographer and hunter began in this stage.
In my late twenties I began lecturing and along with it came writing assignments for the Stump Sitters, the forerunner of Deer & Deer Hunting. It didn't take me long to envision that I might be able to make a career out of writing, photographing and hunting the whitetail.
Probably the trophy stage is mischaracterized more than any other stage the hunter goes through. Many think of it as the period of time when the lure of big antlers obscures the true reason for hunting. This assessment is unfortunate. In my case the trophy stage solidified my love for hunting and helped me understand why a man would sit for long hours in rain, sleet and snow to hunt a four-legged animal with bone on his head. For non-hunters the thought of this is bizarre.
This stage taught me more about the rhythms of nature than any other because I was spending far more time in the woods, learning about all aspects of nature. No longer was I in a hurry to limit out. I was beginning to see the bigger picture of why some men become passionate about the white-tailed deer.
Due to the time I was spending observing, photographing and hunting whitetails the spoils of these efforts began to come along. Though it was very difficult I found that it was possible to hunt and harvest older class bucks through patience, perseverance and being a keen observer of deer behavior.
I make no apologies about my passion for this stage. It made me a far better hunter and conservationist than I ever would have been if I had continued to stay in Stage 1 and 2. To me there is nothing wrong with this stage. Nearly every mature buck hunter I know shoots three times as many does as bucks and many go multiple years between harvesting bucks. In the process a true trophy stage hunter is immersed in thoughts of why he hunts and the methods he uses to pursue the whitetail.
4 - The Method Stage
If I had been involved in the research I would have thought the Method Stage would have come before the Trophy Stage. Actually for me it is tough to differentiate a separation in Stages 3 and 4 - the way I see it, they go hand-in-glove. To get into the Trophy Stage I had to know and understand the Method Stage. Though I'm firmly entrenched in Stage 5, Stages 3 and 4 are still very much present in my life and career.
For as long as I can remember I've been fascinated with whitetail behavior. This caused me to finally build my own white-tailed deer research facility here on our farm in 1995. The facility's 35-acre enclosure, coupled with the farm's remaining 165-acres of quality deer management land has provided me with the ultimate behavior research location. The enclosure's 15 whitetails (which are not hunted) and the free-ranging deer on the balance of the farm offer an incredible window to the whitetail's world.
Living with whitetails every day of the year has helped to refine how I pursue them with bow, gun and camera. Some of the techniques I've incorporated into my hunting have caused some raised eyebrows over the years - from both biologists and arm chair hunters. None of the strategies I use and write about are pipe dreams or hocus-pocus. They've all come about through years of constant observation and trial and error.
5 - The Sportsman's Stage
At some point many hunters reach a place where they feel they've seen it all, done it all. For a few there are more mountains to climb - providing their fire is still lit. For those with a passion for whitetails and deer hunting the Sportsman's Stage is a period in a hunter's life when he reflects on where he has been and wonders what is left in his tank. If he is willing and able the Sportsman's Stage can be incredibly fulfilling.
In many ways I entered this stage in December of 1989, when I met legendary deer biologist Al Brothers while photographing on the Jambers' Ranch in South Texas. This encounter really got me thinking about what I call Total Deer Management - the management of all segments of the deer population as well as the natural habitat. Many now look at TDM as quality deer management.
Since 1989 I've become immersed in practicing TDM/QDM on our farm. The process has been infectious because many local landowners have embraced it as well. Consequently, what has occurred here in western New York has been impressive. Though I always spent a lot of time scouting, planting food plots and photographing deer the whole concept of Total Deer Management has been a real eye-opener. Not only has it made me a better hunter but I've become more knowledgeable of whitetail behavior. The process has spilled over resulting in a better understanding of our farm's entire ecosystem.
Much of what I've gleaned from this stage has been shared in the articles I've written for Deer & Deer Hunting. Stage 5 also gave me the opportunity to have a greater bond with my son, Aaron. He was just learning to hunt in the early 90s and our deer management/hunting journey has proven to be very special. The bottom line to all of this is that my Stage 5, with a lot of Stages 3 and 4 thrown in, has been a blessing from God.
Not long ago my friend Joe Hamilton wrote an article for Quality Whitetails entitled A Hunter's Path. In many ways it was a reflective piece and his ending words were touching to me and worth sharing.
"This is my creed. A seasoned hunter, one with the hunting spirit, pursues his quarry on each occasion with the enthusiasm of his first encounter and with the reverence as though it were his last. I, for one, do not want to know when I have had my last hunt."
"How do I wish to be remembered? Simply this: In his chest beat the heart of a hunter - a seasoned hunter who embraced the spirit of the hunt as he lived and how he lived so that those who follow will have a secure and well-defined path."
Joe's words pretty much sum up why I do what I do. I've been blessed to have lived in America, doing what I consider to be the greatest job on Earth. In the process the white-tailed deer has given me a quality of life like none other.
I feel very fortunate to have lived long enough to experience all five stages of the hunter. It's been an incredible journey - one scripted in Heaven.
I have been traditional for about 3 years now still have the compounds but they go up for sale soon.
I just went for one of the top of the line longbows ACS, I shoot everyday, and do my own fletching although laughed at sometime, still working on that.
Got to hunt bision this year and got a nice bull.
Cold turkey!!
Seems like an appropriote answer for this time of year.
I had been shooting conventional yr arround ~5 days a week for 20+ yrs. When my trad bow showed up, my conventional bows were sold immediately and I have never-ever looked backed. Never learned how to shoot a traditional bow with any compentece from 1969 -1975. The tools and info provided by TG have improved my skill several levels above my 1st trad experience. I have definately missed much.
Never understood the need or for that matter the appeal of all that
machinery . But I guess ya gotta start somewhere . Good road your starting on now.
There is alot of bows here that are great starters go to Traditional Bows forum.I gave up compounds 2years ago and now have 5 longbows and 2 curves and love um all.You can get real quality longbow here for around 350 dollars just watch the ads..If you need help deciding what to buy just ask any of the members and let them know draw length poundage draw weight and Enjoy the ride I do.
I spent one hunting season jumping from one to another not wanting to give up a sure thing with the compound. I found myself taking the recurve out more and more. After that I just dumped everything compound related. I either sold it or gave it away. Haven't regreted it one bit.
Wish I could get rid of my bad vices that easy...
QuoteOriginally posted by Doug S:
One of things I overcame was the "What if a huge buck is out there at 35 yards question" I finally decided that I would rather have a blast...
Doug
No kidding. Every deer or elk I saw last season I could have killed with: 1)a gun or 2) a compound.
Tradition archery will offer you moments of doubt for sure.
In those moments you will discover your own path and find for yourself very personal and private reasons for sticking with it.
That is what is wonderful about the sport- only you can walk that path and the lessons learned are totally your own.
Giving up the compound is a gateway experience- there is a lot more than just different gear on the other side.
Most compound archers are never challenged in ways that would open such doors for them.
Joshua
Shoot what makes you happy. I have never been a purest in any sport when it comes to the tools of the trade. I like shooting recurves and longbows just as much as compounds. Its like shooting a flintlock one day and a inline the next. Some say one is easier to master then the other, they all take practice to produce the desired results.
Archery is archery. The same elements of form apply, it's just easier with a compound.
I, for one, found it's a fallacy that you have to give up one for the other. I 'Gave Up" on compounds for the wrong reasons before I had enough hunting experience, got really frustrated, and was ready to give up the whole foolish enterprise.
Instead I bought a good new compound, got a couple of deer and got my confidence back. I greatly prefer shooting a recurve, but I accept it's and my own limitations.
Bought one a few years back when I was having hand problems so I could keep bowhunting and used a release, but now that hand feels better, all the compound is doing is collecting dust. Nothing like shooting and hunting with a longbow.
No shame in hunting either weapon.I have freinds who are awsome hunters who shoot compounds.I beleive they also would be awsome with stick bow because they're great woodsmans.I love this challenge I have taken to take any animal with a stick and string.I still sometimes wonder about a trophy buck at 35 yrds.
I shot recurves from around 1966-1974. Then compounds until 2010. I started dabbling with recurves again after buying a Fox High Sierra in 2001 and a Widow PSAIII in 2004. I continued to hunt with the compound though. I just didn't want to give up half my effective range (or more). I started converting full time in earnest 1.5 years ago. This past fall was my first deer season with recurves since 1974. I had a ball!
You don't have to go cold turkey. I still have a compound (EZ7) that I plink with. I can shoot my sighted compound and any one of my bare bow recurves in the same outing.
As I decide what I will hunt with, assuming I've gained enough effective range with the recurve (20 yards for me), I think what would I rather kill the critter with....my recurve or my compound. Because I will feel more accomplished with the recurve, the compound stays home.
This past season I passed on one very nice buck that would have been a gimmee with the compound, but I didn't regret it for a moment. I did get two deer and the recurve-driven arrow was every bit as deadly as the compound arrow would have been.