Trad Gang

Recently on a trip through mid-Michigan I had the opportunity to stop at an archery store that was in the area.
I was eager to visit the store as I was needing some supplies. As I entered I was greeted by a man that was behind the counter who was tending to some customers that were going to see his "live deer" exhibit.
I said hello and looked over the store, noticing that there was an indoor range and that there were a couple of recurves hanging on the wall.
I approached the counter and asked the man if he had any traditional equipment, he asked "Like recurves and stuff?" I told him that I was looking for some heavier 2 blade broad heads for my longbow and he said to me, "Oh, you're one of those guys", then proceeded to tell me about the archery group that he was in, and that he could bust a 10 ring at 60 yards consistently. He continued to compare me with Olympic archers saying that they had 3 foot stabilizers on their bows to make them more accurate, seemingly intent on starting an argument with me on traditional vs. compound equipment.
Maybe age is creeping in on me, but I was happy to inform him that I had my day with compounds, and that I wasn't interested in busting lifesavers at 60 yards anymore. I told him that I was happy going "Backwards" , and that I enjoyed taking a dozen cedar shafts from beginning, to completed hunting arrows,  or the carbons that I now use that are perfectly tuned for my longbow (Thanks for the help Charlie). He looked at me like I had 2 heads and couldn't understand why I chose traditional over compounds.
I looked over the store for a few more moments, then thanked him as I left, content in the knowledge that I am one of "Those guys"

hey, ME TOO!

I am proud to be "one of those guys" who has learned that traditional equipment puts fun back in archery; instead of the frustration that I found with gadgets that make me able to hit a golf ball at fifty yards. And for me, I will take fun over frustration any day.

:thumbsup:    :clapper:

so the 3 foot stabilizers make the recurves more accurate then the fancy sights and scopes? or an i misreading?

Hang in there Keith.  You know where you heart is.

Understand completely, have been for a long time.

I see it way to often. I once walked into a very well known shop in my area with my Stick in hand and a young fellow behind the counter asked how I thought I was ethical with my choice of equipment. I went on to tell him to retrieve his head from his dairy air and think about his question? Some people have tunnel vision for sure.

Want to see panic in their eyes? Observe todays compound shooter who has dropped his bow, banged the sights while out hunting, or have a part come loose in the middle of nowhere. Their 'ethics' or shooting accuracy is suddenly in jeopardy. Something I don't want to be part of, so much equipment based disaster.

Next time tell them we are just taking a different path to hunt. You go your way, I'll go mine.     :)

I could go on and on about this subject but Instead I'm just going to say I'm proud of what I can do with my longbow and recurve.  And your right there is something about making your own arrows with the smell of the cedar, and i love to sharpen my broadheads, it just makes a person feel confident. So I guess I'm one of those guys to!    :archer:

I started with a recurve/longbow, went over to the "dark side" for a number of years and have come to my roots. Man does it feel good!!

We were bowhunting in PA in the 70s and everything was going great. Then when the compound was legalized (against plenty of objections) within one year recurves were dropped from all the local hunting supply stores. No longbows were in shops then it had been all recurves for many years by then. I could not find a string in 1998 for a recurve but things like Swickeys were still around in stores for years as well as aluminum and glass arrows. Wood was not common either at that time. Wood and Longbows became more popular a little later. We went straight to working through the mail using ads in bowhunter magazine at first. I think some parts of the country had a steadier supply of traditional but this was southeast PA and Nj - we were isolated through the 80s - PBS and  Traditional Bowhunter Magazine really pulled customers and suppliers together by early 90s and never had a supply problem since. Thinking about it now I don't think I have ever gone into a store to buy hunting supplies since 1980 ??

When he said "oh, you're one of those guys", you should have replied "yes, Obi Wan, the virgin is strong with this one". LOL

I really enjoy being "one of those guys"! The guy's I work with give me grief all the time. I just smile and go on.

Good answer BTW!

Jason

Trad is a mindset and not many people have it these days, or at least they aren't in it full-tilt.  For everything from clothes to bows (and arrows), the stuff one uses and how they use it reflects on how far into the mindset they've "regressed" (and by the way, I use that term with admiration).  Those living in the world of selfbows and dogwood shoot arrows that they make themselves with little more than a sharp rock have, I think, earned the right to laugh at the rest of us who think of ourselves as somehow better than the compound crowd...even as we use our metal adjustable weight ILF-limbed hybrid target bows, polycarbonate arrows and battery-powered hunting gadgets.  Frankly, given that we readily accept this kind of gear, and considering the widespread and (IMO) very odd perspective that ANY non-compound bow (or arrow) is 'traditional', I'm surprised that the salespeople behind the counter don't embrace, rather than ridicule, stickbow hunters these days.  Truth is, in terms of gear and in the collective sense (as a group) we really aren't all that far from the compound crowd in how we practice "trad".  Some say being trad doesn't matter to them, they just shoot what they want.  I don't believe that (or why would they keep coming to and commenting on sites like this one), but in any case the differences in perspectives on archery, combined with most archers' stubborn refusal to establish/accept REASONABLE boundaries of where 'trad' starts and stops, makes encounters about gear not all that uncommon, especially within our own ranks.  Too bad really, but it is what it is.        

I just don't get why someone has to feel, in their own minds, that they are superior because they have chosen the path they are on. If we aren't shooting a compound then we just aren't with it, that we are the ones who are missing something. The really surprising thing is that the majority of the wheelie guys have never even tried shooting a stickbow. But yet they can tell us what we should be doing. It is a mindset that is more and more common in many areas of life.

To be honest with you, I have encountered more respect than ridicule from bowhunters that use a compound bow.

Amen, brother!! I'm proud to be one of those guys.

QuoteOriginally posted by snag:
I just don't get why someone has to feel, in their own minds, that they are superior because they have chosen the path they are on. If we aren't shooting a compound then we just aren't with it, that we are the ones who are missing something. The really surprising thing is that the majority of the wheelie guys have never even tried shooting a stickbow. But yet they can tell us what we should be doing. It is a mindset that is more and more common in many areas of life.

aahhh... I agree with you... and remember guys... this does go both ways though.

I guess we are all "One of those guys". I know that I am! Don't let people bother you their choice of Compounds and sights,etc. Mabe they can outshoot us with their releases, Let off and sights. But who is having more fun? We are. We can enjoy shooting and hunting the "Hard Way."

Back in late 60's when I started bowhunting, you could walk in the 3 Sporting Goods stores here and buy a good recurve...Bear, Browning, Pearson, Colt and Wing. Plus, all the Cedar arrows you wanted.

When the compound hit the market heavy, all the stores and shops jumped on the "Wheel Bandwagon" and those great recurves, arrows etc...were no longer available.

We had to purchase our gear from Kittredge Bow Hut, Anderson Archery or Robin Hood Archery out of Montclair NJ. I stayed Traditional all these years and I'm honored to be considered..."One of Those Guys."

I shoot competition and hunt with  compound and traditional.Both have their attractions, but shooting Trad. 90% of the time. Traditional archery has a much higher fun factor.Have run into compound and Traditional shops that seem to like insulting the potential customer.  
Take away the bad attitude and ignorance of the archery store salesman---and you have a duffus that insulted a customer and ran him off without buying anything. Why would the owner put up with this clown that is running off business-a helpful attitude might have had you buying or ordering something. This is beyound rude-it is bad business. Thanks, Roy

The "one of those guys" statement goes both ways. It comes up all the time between eastern and western hunters, gun and bow hunters and trad and compound guys. I like to stay in the middle, that way I can spend more time out there hunting. Let "those guys" sit around and brag about how great their equipment is. I enjoy my time outdoor the same no mater what I'm carrying.  :)

And that's why I shop for archery equipment online. Its hard enough finding traditional equipment without someone telling you that trad equipment is somehow inferior.

That might make a great "t" shirt.
I"m One Of Those Guys! with a pic of a recurve/longbow under it

I'm one of "Those Guys" too........and proud of it!!!!!

I love to shoot and hunt with trad gear because it is HARD and it takes a lot of effort to get good at it. I don't knock anybody else for what they choose to hunt with (as long as it is legal). I kind of think it is funny when I get a comment about how trad gear is not as "good' or "eficient" as other gear. I just break out my phone and show thema bunch of pics and they usually leave a bit enlightened.

Bisch

Been one of those guys since the late 70's. Had 2 compounds and went back to being one of those guys about 82 and will always be till my toes are turned up.

Don't worry many of those "other guys" will probably drop the compound in favor of a Cross you know what, I can't name it here, in a few years anyway.

Keith361, next time, come on a little farther west to Rockford, MI and check out Black Dog Outfitters. I guarantee they won't treat you that way and they have more than just "a couple of recurves hanging on the wall".

I'm so thankful there are still some places that cater to "those guys" so we don't have to shop only by mail.

There is a small archery shop close to my grandfather's house. My dad went in to get his bow worked on and the owner started to talk to me. Once he found out that I would be hunting with a recurve that year, he proceeded to tell me that I would never be able to hit anything. I was 15 at the time and was shocked to hear n=him say that. Needless to say, I shot a buck and a doe that year and I thought it would be a good idea to hang the pictures in his shop.

hhhmmm... is this thread gonna get ugly? I'm not the "kumbaya" people but if I don't want people to label me or put me in a box I won't do it to myself either. Don't hate... educate. No need to distance one's self if you don't want to be in the first place.

I think everybody who shoots a bow feels his way is superior, at least to a degree, and that's the way it should be. We should all be happy on our archery path. Some guys are proud to break lifesavers at great distance with wheels, and others are proud to take a deer at 20 yards with equipment they made themselves. Yes, we are all glad to be one of "those guys" but don't be too rough the wheel shooters as many trad guys started out that way too (and with that same attitude). Remember, a certain number of compound shooters will probably become one of "those guys" some day.Just make them feel welcome to our way of life when they change over.

Most compound shooters I've met seem a little jealous (maybe a little perplexed) that I hunt with a Longbow.  Haven't met one yet that criticized me for it.  We are all hunters, some of us just like to make things hard for ourselves.   :)

I'm with gringol, the guys I hunt with all use compounds mostly because they don't want to practice like I do.  Being competent with traditional equipment is a badge of honor in my hunting circle, it shows commitment to the sport that is unmatched in my book.  Maybe we should all write "One of Those Guys" in our signatures under our posts!

Its great to be " one of those guys", I  enjoy my hunts more and just plain stumping.

QuoteOriginally posted by Rustic:
To be honest with you, I have encountered more respect than ridicule from bowhunters that use a compound bow.

I too have encountered more respect than ridicule, but there always has to be a few guys out there that enjoy challenging the ways of old vs new technology..... but it's a strange behavior for a guy working in an archery shop.....

I'm proud to be "one of them guys" with that said, I will admit most people I see admire the fact I don't take the easy way out.

My feeling on the shops thinking we are "one of them guys" is that they cannot get rich off of us.

I used to get cought up in buying a new bow every year because this bow has 50% let off, oh wow, this one has 60% let off, well I have to have that one ! You mean next years bow has 80% let off ! Well put me down for that one !

As well as buying the new greatest sights each year, along with all of the new & improved arrow rests that come out each year.

Let's take a moment to Thank all the archery suppliers & bowyers out there (most of them now online) who made the decision to not be "one of them bow shops" who just want to make the easy money & sell the newest, latest greatest gadget.

just the other day at a 3d shoot a compound guy asked me "  do you hunt with that?". I told him its all I have hunted with for the last 30 years.  Sometimes you run into guys/gals you can impress with the simplicity of  our gear other times not. I just feel its their loss, they are missing out on so much fun!

But Dan, they do want to sell bows, quivers, armguards, knives. To really be fair I see as much buying with traditional archers as I do non traditional archers. Most archers here have more than one bow, many own bows that cost more than a fully rigged compound. So while the sport may not be a gadget oriented sport, there still is a fair amount of buying and from what I have come across, it isn't a cheap sport at all.

I agree longstick64, I still spend as much on trad archery as I did on wheelie stuff, I didn't own 6 wheelie bows ! (I do own 6  stick bows) I just placed orders this week at 3 rivers & Kustom King buying more stuff. Will be bothering Chuck @ Two Tracks about another bow in a few months.

But........  I think there are just not as many of us as there is them, business now survive on selling quantity (didn't used to) verses quality. We tend to be a quality crowd (verses cheap quantity crowd)  & that in itself is "one of them guys"  

Dan

Along the same line.  I went into an archery shop in Bossier City, LA.  I needed some inserts for 2016 aluminum arrowes.  I took a shaft with me to confirm sizes before I left.  The owner ask if he could help me.  I showed him the shaft and ask for the inserts.  He said that he did not have any and had not had any.  He then called over a younger employee and showed him what an aluminum arrow looked liked and told him about aluminum arrows.  Did i ever feel like I one eyed monster. Or one of "Those guys"

People who seek the satisfaction that traditional archery offers will find they are "one of those guys" in MANY aspects of our lives.

Archery is just one part of what makes us "one of those guys".

 :thumbsup:    :campfire:

Yes, I am one of those guys and I can hit a running target with this thing. Get running...

You did the right thing, quietly left and didn't sink to his level. As above though, those "other" guys aren't all like that.

Some people don't get it at all.  I'm glad to be one of those too.....

Its all about technology today.
Rangefinding scopes,xbows and fart locking suits.
Kinda takes the fun out of it if you ask me.

Bow hunting to me is my skill and woodsman ship vs the critters, that's where it is exciting and why I choose trad gear. It makes you become a hunter.

I have tried to understand his thinking, why would you banter with a potential customer coming into your store. I think he was the owner, not a member of the staff.
I don't consider myself better than him because I have come back to traditional.
Heck, I don't agree with trapping, but I would never tell someone that they're wrong just because I don't like it.
I won't hunt Bear because they look too much like a dog to me, call me a freak if you want but I love dogs. But I wouldn't criticize someone else for hunting them, I would be happy for their success if they tagged one! It's just not for me.
Just because I don't use compound equipment any more doesn't mean I don't appreciate their love for the wheels, again, it just isn't for me anymore.

I'm one of those guys........most who question our sanity really have no idea of the dedication and commitment we have made to our endeavors.  It's their loss and it's a shame they fail to see that! But to each their own.........   :notworthy:    :notworthy:

I seem to get more respect than when I started.  When asked why I shoot what do, I simply reply "Cause I can".

kbetts... Priceless!!
  :thumbsup: