How many of us only shoot trad archery? I just started shooting trad oct last year. Though I had considered it in the past. I was never exposed to it I guess you could say. Sept of last year I was formally introduced by a new coworker now considered a great friend! By oct he put a beautifully made Osage g.n. fireball in my hands! I decided I wanted to shoot carbon shafts and this fellow being a woody guy directed me to big Jim's for advice. Waiting for my supplies to arrive I continued to hunt with my wheels, but it seemed my heart had already made the switch due to the poc shafts I had been shooting daily that he sent with my bow! My wheel bow had already begun to feel like a machine to me an just didn't feel the same. I longed to take game with my stick! Receiving my supplies an daily practice sessions later in the later part of nov my fist success came in the form of a fall hen at about 13 yards from a homemade blind!!! I must admit that this bird came after a miss on a buck where I failed to pick a spot at the moment of truth and saw my feather shaft brush the bottom of his chest just behind the shoulder. At any rate I was hooked and sold my wheels to fund a thunder child spec bow as I had been drooling over this and the baffalo model daily!! I received my thunder child in dec and put about 300 arrows threw her in 3 days. She was shooting my gt's great and we had already started a partnership so I decided to take her too the thicket. First time out we made meat together!!! A healthy doe at 15 steps! I know I was meat for this style of hunting and will continue till a can no longer!! The switch was not a hard decision for me at all! I know this way is the way meant for me! Was the switch hard for any of you? Do the wheels feel wrong to you guys an gals on this site?! How many at this fire cringe at the thought of a wheel bow in their hand as I do now? Mercer ky stick
Compound bows are cheating. If your gonna use 20th century technology with moving parts that do the work for you, sights, a trigger and (cringe) maybe even a scope... you might as well be shooting a gun.
Trad only for me. I enjoy it most so that's why I do it.
I'm with the above comment about compounds. They need to make some restrictions on those things!
My wheelie had been collecting dust for a while and I just traded it away for another trad bow to add to the collection. I'm now 100% trad forever. If I use anything else it will be a rifle. I'm still laughing a bit, the fact that I traded my wheelie for a trad bow, a Bob Lee no less (which I just resold cause I have too many good bows as it is.) I feel I got the better end of that deal, but the other guy prolly thinks he did too. Hahaha.
I wouldn't go as far as calling it cheating, just not near as fun. No more cheating then our other modern day advances.....auto feeders, game cameras, etc.
I am 32 and been shooting trad for over 10 years. Actually only shot a compound bow about six times in my entire life. Lol never had the draw a trad bow has. Also shot alot of selfbows and fiber glass bows as a kid but never count that cause i was to busy lookin for arrows to be shooting my bows.
Trad for 7 years. Shot a compound for 8-9 years. Nothing wrong with wheel bows and not everyone is cut out to shoot traditional..
I have totally rehab'd a rotator cuff impingement over about three years in order to continue shooting my sticks. I would not bow hunt if I could not shoot bows that some fantastic bowyer made just for me. At 56 years, I have not shot a compound in more years than I can remember--I once owned a Bear Alaskan in 1978. Killed a doe with it. I would have absolutely no idea where to even begin with a tech bow. HOWEVER, I would not look down on a chap for shooting one. BUT, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF TRAD ONLY SEASONS WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
Whatever floats a fellas boat in my opinion. As long as you hunt ethically and show respect for the quarry you are OK in my book. Kind of silly to see a fella holding a trad bow made with glass and carbon and a string made of who knows what wonder material, looking down at a guy with wheels on his bow, or a rifle in his hands. :D
Traditional is a lot more fun though :thumbsup:
Darcy
I made the switch a couple of years ago myself after several years with the wheels, will not go back as long as physically able to pull enough weight to get a clean harvest.
Nope. Sometimes I shoot flintlock rifle or fowlers.
But, as far as archery, traditional only since 1982 after a few years of foolishness with metal risers, cams, cables and arrows. Never since or again.
I agree with D.Ellis. As long as game is taken ethically then it doesn't matter, we are all hunters. I do however think that in using trad gear it requires one to become a better hunter and forces you to use your instincts. I like getting close.
All trad for me! If it walks, swims, or flies, I will hunt it with my trad bow (as long as it is legal too)!
I too, am not judgemental, and don't really care what weapon the next guy chooses. Trad is a personal choice for me.
Bisch
Trad only. Raised on fiberglass stick bows and some I made myself as a kid and shot my first doe in 1981 with dads bear Kodak. A couple years later he bought an old Darton I think it was but we didn't know how to use the sights so its still out in the shed where it belongs as far as I am concerned. Went back to the Kodiak till I bought my Mohawks then my hill.
I don't mind people using what they want my son and other hunting buddy use training wheels. I'm just waiting patiently (and teasing) for them to learn how to ride. I just enjoy the experience , challenge and developed skills needed of trad :jumper:
Never had a wheel bow but have a couple of varmit rifles shot guns when I Realy need to get the job done. If something puts a projectile down range I like it. But trad to me is like yoga to others.
I've never used a compound. I've shot a couple and it just did not appeal to me at all. So I stuck with trad gear. I started with it 50+ years ago and still love it.
On the other hand, if compounds are your thing or if you are a switch hitter like Fred Eichler, I have no problem with that either. I certainly don't think we need any more regulations. We need to stick together as hunters or we will lose to the anti-hunter crowd.
This place is for those of us who enjoy traditional bow hunting. That makes us special but not superior. As long as hunting is done legally and ethically, the choice of weapon matters not. Let's not turn compounds into assault bows!
Your Title sounds like it should be a Title of a Trad magazine.
I do agree and understand that trad bowhunting is not for everyone. I personally hunted wheels for 7 seasons before getting to try trad archery or pick a tradbowhunter's brain so to speak. I don't rifle hunt but see where they are a valuable tool to some folks as far as filling the freezer. Not trying to offend anyone, just wondering how many of us here have made a real decision or if there are a lot of gangers who put the stick down an hunt compound when season comes.
I only shoot trad, but have no hard feelings towards any other hunters or what weapons they choose. I used to hunt with guns, a flintlock, and a compound. I feel that the biggest mistake trad guys make is thinking they are better than all other hunters. I guess it comes with old age:)
All I shoot is Trad , done so even before it was Trad . :goldtooth:
I went out for pheasants one day with a single shot .410. I would have shot at a pheasant if I had my longbow, but it just did not seem right with the shotgun on a nice day. Now if it was real cold and windy, perhaps I would have prefered the gun. I think that I will save the gun for pass shooting doves, after I have lost all of my arrows for the day. We have some of those big foriegn doves around here, one would think that I could hit them, BUT NO!!
I haven't shot or owned a compound in almost 20yrs
Trad only since 1995. I did shoot my cousin's compound (one shot) a few years ago just to see what it felt like. It seemed so foreign and unnatural. Compounds are arrow shooting machines, not bows IMO.
Trade only here. :archer2:
I had a good from from Illinois that I hunted with who shot Trad only all his life. I marveled at how he could shoot his bow. We hunted together 10 years and I tried to shoot a recurve but never could get it to "click". I continued to hunt with the wheels but I yearned to shoot a trad bow well enough to hunt with it. In 2009 I decided to buy my first custom bow from an unknown new bowyer. The bow and I clicked and I threw my compound in the closet and never looked back!
Yep, since the turn of the century trad only...
Always going to shoot as many ways as I can...I am first and foremost a shooter....always have been....always will be
DDave
There are close to 40,000 registered users of Tradgang. You can bet that the whole user spectrum is covered from people who have never hunted at all to people that hunt solely with a traditional bow. Either end of the spectrum, as well as each and every point in between is essential. No single path is more legitimate than the other. The only perspective that matters is a pro-hunting one.
Big tent? You bet! As long as it is legal and ethical there is room inside.
For me Traditionally hunting the game I love to persue might take more time and effort but is a way to invest more heart and soul into a process i've always loved. The farther you take it, the more you learn, the more you realize there is that you didn't know and learn yet... To me it is not unlike many other things in life. Try walking up to a fly fisherman on a beautiful stream and handing him a spin casting reel and lure in trade for his primitive rod and hand tied fly lol
The journey shaped by our choices is personal and there is beauty in that alone.
I've shot bow my whole life starting out with simple kids bows and using some baler twine and bending a stick, using what every I could find to make simple bows. When I got a little bigger I made the switch to compound, why? Because I didn't know any better and knew nothing of the traditional world and just thought that's what you do when you become a big kid. I watched family and friends do it, so that's what I did.
Now this where my story changes, the compound world got to techy, to complicated, not to mention to expensive! I've got no problem with them it's just something that doesn't interest me anymore, so I made the switch 5 years ago and there's been no looking back.
Traditional archery was a conscience decision I made with no outside influences! Since that decision was made and with the help of the internet, meeting a guy of really great guys and 40,000+ trad gang members traditional archery has become a 365 obsession :archer:
There you have it, a condensed version of my life long archery path!
When it comes to archery its been traditional my whole life, its what I grew up with. I can still remember twenty some odd years ago going down to Denton hill with Dad and his trad buddy and camping for the weekend. Traditional is all I've ever known, that's what feels right for me. I have shot a compound maybe 4 or five times. Just felt totally foreign to me, I couldn't feel the limbs bending, aiming was totally unnatural, and I never saw the arrow in flight. Not that there's anything wrong with compounds, or crossbows for that matter. Its all with what you want and what feels right. Who cares what the other guy is holding, as long as they don't scoff at me i could care less. Unless your holding a bow you carved with a piece of stone, string made of sinew, hand split or shoot arrows with wild turkey feathers held on with hide glue and sinew. All with a stone point wearing buckskin and moccasins, I don't think you have right to feel like your better than anyone else, even then, maybe, just maybe.
trad only since 1985
When I'm not is when I'm working on someone else's compound. Even then, though, I'm talking traditional.....and usually I can still shoot the wheel guns better than the owners.
trad only bow hunting since the 90's stil love my flint and do rifle hunt but dont seam fair anymore unless real close. i do agree that they have to start putting limits on some way people hunt i believe its more in the way you behave with what weapon you choose than what you use seams the ethics of hunting is in question for are future
I got aggravated with my compound, peep-site, release..etc. about 3yrs ago and went back to recurves. Haven't touched the compound since..may tomorrow.
Right now I just like to hunt with recurves, flintlocks (rifle and shotgun) and a rim-fire for squirrels every now and then.
There is a time to hunt, and a time to harvest.
I have never had success on big game animals with my long bow, although it doesn't stop me from trying.
Come the late fall, when elk are no longer bugling, I use a rifle to fill the freezer. Never have owned a compound though, and I don't think it would really increase my odds of success here in Montana. I absolutely love hunting with my bow, but I also love eating deer and elk meat.
I bought a recurve bow 2 years ago to see if I liked archery. I thought I could spend the money on a compound setup later if I was really serious. I just wanted to learn the fundamentals first. My next bow is being built right now, it's a Maddog Mountaineer longbow. All my archery friends shoot compounds, that's cool, I have tried their bows a couple of times (felt weird). Trad is such a challenge and really fun! Haven't hunted with firearms in a while, really want that first trad harvest.
Started out with a recurve when I was a kid, did the compound thing a little bit in my early 20's but eventually went back to the recurve after that and THAT was a LONG time ago. :p
I started out trad before it was considered trad. Then my son talked me into the wheelie bow and I have to admit I got into tuning them for others. But the reality was (for me anyway), shooting the wheelie bow was no different than shooting a gun with open sights and thus I got pretty bored shooting it regularly. That combined with the skill and utter beauty of a well constructed wooden trad bow, I just fell back into my own personal comfort zone many years ago now. I don't even care to shoot anything else but my longbows now. In fact, I sold off almost all of my guns now too.
all Trad, all the time......
I am trad only when it comes to bows although I will hunt with a rifle as well as I enjoy both but I tend to bow hunt way more than I take the rifle out.
Mostly trad here, but im not gonna lie i work way too hard for these jokers to pass up 40 and 50 yard shots because of my equipment. I also have a souped up .223 i like to snipe things with.
I love trad the most, but this cat isnt a purist, and im not one bit ashamed of it.
I would like to get a compound to shoot bare bow. I also hunt with the dreaded I crossbow. Having a lot of fun with trad as well. As long as it's legal and ethical I'll never bash another mans hunting.
I love shooting. Be it bows, pellet guns, slingshots or whatever. After being a hard competitor for years, I have learned to relax and enjoy shooting with my friends
For years it felt like so much pressure to perform. But in my club, we have a great group of traditional shooters, and there is a bunch of swell guys in other local clubs around us as well. Telling lies to each other, ribbing each other and buying hot dogs and sodas for each other while roving around our club range is just so enjoyable to me. Missing the target is no big deal. I still like to shoot well, and enjoy shooting all kinds of bows. But I have become really fond of shooting recurves and longbows. I don't critisize anyone for what they enjoy shooting. But most of all, I like being around my friends. I care about each and every one of them. Enjoy the journey.
I'm a switch hitter. But I do see myself going to just a recurve in the near future. I just find it hard to pick up the compound and shoot it now.
I have no ill will against wheelies. I just enjoy the simplicity of trad bows and the cast of an arrow from my recurve and longbow.
QuoteOriginally posted by gregg dudley:
There are close to 40,000 registered users of Tradgang. You can bet that the whole user spectrum is covered from people who have never hunted at all to people that hunt solely with a traditional bow. Either end of the spectrum, as well as each and every point in between is essential. No single path is more legitimate than the other. The only perspective that matters is a pro-hunting one.
Big tent? You bet! As long as it is legal and ethical there is room inside.
Great post Greg!
I do hunt with guns sometimes, and I did own a compound in 1975 and 1976. But now for archery I use a laminated longbow, or selfbow. I do shoot aluminum arrows for winter leagues, but hunting I use wood arrows, they seem to be more quiet.
I don't recognize the compound device as a bow. I haven't shot one since '88, and don't see myself ever doing it again.
I do not hunt with anyone that uses a compound. It's not that I won't, I just don't. I tend to gravitate toward like minded individuals who just happen to shoot real bows.
It's how I feel, get over it.
I still like to look at my '09 all black Mathews DXT. I still remember how many trips she went on with me. I still remember all the game she took down. I still marvel at all the hi tech stuff on her, and it's not that new anymore. It's been real dependable. I tried to shoot her the other day set at 55# and I had some real difficulty rolling the cam over. Funny how I can pull the 52# RER recurve easier...go figure.
It's way more fun to shoot the trad stuff. I hate to give up on the old Mathews...I read an article not long ago. The guy said he shoots both. The title was "Don't ask me to shoot just one".
I think if I just forgot all about the compound...for good...I might be a better shot with the recurve. I haven't hunted with the compound or shot it for quite awhile now.
For me it's a tough one. I enjoy both...or used to when I could roll the cam over LOL.
The trad stuff is way more fun and way less complicated.One takes a lot less stuff into the woods when you're trad hunting. I mentally ask "what do I need?" I answer myself "Oh yeah...the bow and some arrows."
I know I'll get there some day. Been so busy guiding, I need to take some time for shootin'
Just my 2 cents...
Irv Eichorst
True South Adventures
South Florida Outfitting for Hogs and Osceolas
QuoteOriginally posted by Thumper Dunker:
Never had a wheel bow but have a couple of varmit rifles shot guns when I Realy need to get the job done. If something puts a projectile down range I like it. But trad to me is like yoga to others.
X2
Trad only except in the muzzel loader only season. Then I use a old hawkin black powder rifle.
I don't cringe when I hold my compound, I actually love it, but it sure isn't as pretty as my Tall Tines!
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
All trad for me! If it walks, swims, or flies, I will hunt it with my trad bow (as long as it is legal too)!
I too, am not judgemental, and don't really care what weapon the next guy chooses. Trad is a personal choice for me.
Bisch
This x's 2. :thumbsup: