First off, I've been hunting with a compound for years and loved it. However, once rifle season opened, the bow went on the rack and the gun came out. Well this makes year two with a recurve and I didn't get to hunt much last year so I'm still looking for my first kill. I have a spike that has been showing up at my stand just after dark every evening. He finally showed up before dark yesterday but he busted me in my ladder stand. This morning is opening day of rifle and I decided to walk out in a little hardwood bottom to hunt this morning and go back this evening with my bow again. After maybe an hour this morning, I had already decided I didn't want to shoot anything so I could still kill that little spike if he shows up. I was also very preoccupied with trying to figure out how to get a shot without getting busted again as I've had deer before that would look straight at my stand every time they walked out after busting me one time. So here it is, 9:15 opening day of rifle and if I was normal, I would have been on my stand going on 3 hours now. Instead, since about 7:45, I've been back to my bow stand to see what options I've got, gone all the way across my lease to get a climber from another location, gone back to my bow stand, and am now getting ready to hang the climber. I've killed deer with my compound using this method before after they walked out and looked straight at my original stand. But the point is that I've spent all of opening morning of rifle season trying to get ready to bow hunt this evening. What have you people done to me? Somebody please tell me I'm not crazy.
Matt Toms
Nothing crazy that i can see. You're just doing typical trad stuff. Relax, let it happen and enjoy.
So proud of you Matt.
aint it cool when you can do that kind of foolishness and be just as happy?
Remember. You can't do it all, so do what you want to do the most.
Get that stand set up and get you a spiker under your belt and then enjoy the ride
Well said Butch
I didn't think for a second anything crzy was going on.
For the last 15 yrs I have bought a rifle tag but I haven't even dreamed of picking up a rifle.
I don't care what I hunt, if I can't hunt it with my longbow I just won't be hunting it.
So far I haven't run across anything that didn't fit within my plan.
God bless, Mudd
This last week I've been helping my old man on his rifle hunt. We have had a great time together and seeing bucks every day but my mind is focused on all the rabbits I'm seeing. I'm chasing big game but I'm dreaming of small rabbits and stumps with a stick and string. I guess I might be a little crazy too.
Nothing against anyone that does, but I just don't even enjoy hunting with a gun anymore. I love the challenge of a trad bow. I'd rather watch them at a distance with no shot, just enjoying nature.
Your not crazy........any more! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Bisch
Welcome grasshopper :-)
My ancient and, to my eyes, really beautiful full-stock Husqvarna 30-06 goes with me to the range every year for the traditional 3-shot group to verify that, "Yep, the scope is right where I had it sighted last year". It then goes back in the safe for another year.
Sad bunch aren't we?
QuoteOriginally posted by Texasrecurve81:
Nothing against anyone that does, but I just don't even enjoy hunting with a gun anymore. I love the challenge of a trad bow. I'd rather watch them at a distance with no shot, just enjoying nature.
X2
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
Your not crazy........any more! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Bisch
Well said!
QuoteOriginally posted by oldskool:
QuoteOriginally posted by Texasrecurve81:
Nothing against anyone that does, but I just don't even enjoy hunting with a gun anymore. I love the challenge of a trad bow. I'd rather watch them at a distance with no shot, just enjoying nature.
X2 [/b]
X3
See, that's exactly what I was talking about. Comments like all of these are what have lead to my current situation. I have a lot of questions I need to talk to my therapist about. What is wrong with me? What experiences in my life could I trace it to? Who/what was it that caused or influenced those experiences? Why was I attracted to the people/things that have influenced me in this way? What spine wood shafts would shoot best from my 53# Red Wing Hunter for next season? What brand longbow should I be looking for a good deal on? Two blades or three? Left or right helical?......there I go again......I give up. Well on a positive note, my climber setup looks pretty good if I can get the wind right. I think I'll go home and eat a sandwich with my pretty little pregnant wife and maybe work on a knife for an hour or two.
Matt Toms
QuoteOriginally posted by twitchstick:
This last week I've been helping my old man on his rifle hunt. We have had a great time together and seeing bucks every day but my mind is focused on all the rabbits I'm seeing. I'm chasing big game but I'm dreaming of small rabbits and stumps with a stick and string. I guess I might be a little crazy too.
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What's the problem????
lol I love this site
that's whats can appen , when going trad ..
i'm even going to sell my rifle ..
Matt, love to say you're NOT crazy...but you are CRAZY...CRAZY in LOVE with trad archery! We are all enablers here by the way... :thumbsup:
Matt,
You're 'flicted, you've got tradbowitis!!! There is no cure, no shrink can help you, you will be afflicted with it the rest of your life. No sense fighting it, trying to understand it , or rationalize your way out of it. Accept it, relax, and enjoy it, you're in some great company. We're not crazy, it's the rest of the world that has the problem!!!
Love that last post Matt :)
It's a GOOD crazy! Really. It is.
Its fun being crazy. :thumbsup:
Seriously though, what spine wood shafts for a 53# Red Wing Hunter? And what longbow to start with? I'm thinking a R/D in about 56-60" length and high 40s-low 50s. There're a lot I like the looks of but right now I'm thinking the little mid size Prairie Predator from Mike over at Maddog would be hard to beat for the price. I'm already settled on 2 blade and right helical so don't bother with answering those.
Matt
Sounds liked your hooked on the stick and string. Well done!
the Doc says take a little Moon shine and it will be all clear in the morning . but it has to be peach :biglaugh:
Matt, it's like Déjà Vu to me! Haha your not alone.
Tim
Practically anyone can kill a deer with a compound, but put a trad. bow in their hands and the story changes! Its not for everyone but if its for you then you will know by the crazy things you do and the excitement you feel doing them! Welcome to the brotherhood we all recognize your symptoms.LOL :thumbsup:
Matt,
You might want to talk to some bowyers about your first longbow. Many will tell you that your first one should be longer than shorter, i.e., longer bows are more forgiving and easier to shoot, less likely to torque. I would think 60-62" (maybe even 64") would be better that 56-60".
I'd start with 55-60 out of your Red Wing, maybe even 60-65. It's hard to say what will work for you. Depends on BH weight, length, your release, etc.
Thanks Selfbow. I currently shoot a 58" recurve and was wanting to stay around that length to fit my style of hunting. The Maddog mid size I mentioned is available from up to 60" so I might could handle that little extra length. I shoot 31" 6070 CX wolverines with about 165gr up front including insert off the RWH right now. Draw to about 26-27" and they fly like lasers. Just think woodies would be fun. If I get a longbow I'll probably try to get some wood shafts for it and keep what I have for the recurve instead of having to buy and setup two full sets of arrows. I wish there were more trad shooters in N Louisiana so I could possibly have a chance to try a couple of styles and sizes of longbows.
You just need to find a good therapist that's also a trad hunter...I know a couple of them:)
I know what you're saying, but I have taken a slightly different tack. I'm so used to the short-range challenge of bowhunting the past 30 years that I've taken to hunting the first week of rifle season with a handgun - to satisfy my other passion. Go about it pretty much the same way I would with a bow. Tree stand or ground blind ambush, none of those silly deer drives and running shots.
yes, life is over as you knew it.... sorry.
Alas, my little spike horned friend didn't show up this evening. And so the descent into madness continues. I did see two does and a yearling feeding on acorns about 40 yds out but they didn't come within bow range. Shame too, they were looking exceptionally delicious this evening.
You are amongst the sane people now. Knowing the real joy of trad hunting.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. A spike horn with a trad bow is always a trophy. a spike with a gun........not so much.