First thanks for all the info I get from here. I really like all the storys from all of you. All the hunting pics and Kid videos they are all great. I just wanted to tell all of you thanks. Heres a ? for all of you what do all your none trad friends say about you shooting a bow that is out of date when you could be shooting a bow that shoots 350' per second. Although my is way smoother no noise and I promise cost more than theres but you cant convence them of that. I love trad just wish I had found it first. I also wish I had an older mentor to hang around with where I live that was an old trad guy so I guess I leave all that up to you guys Thanks Mike Just a little note to say thanks really.
Mike : I catch a ration of crap about my bow choice from some of the guys but I just smile , laugh and go kill something with my bow . That usually shuts them up for a while. I don't let it bother me at all cause i'm confident im my choice and know in my heart this is what I love to do . Good luck to you . Drew
Mr Drew you are right I don't let it bother me it just gets old from some of them lol. I run a little bow shop out of my house I work mostly on compounds and cross bows but when a costomers ask what I shoot and I pull out my Dakota hunter they just kinda look at me like why arnt you shooting a compound lol but then we go outside to shoot and out shoot them at 30yds they rethink things haha Mike
I don't worry about what other people say about the equipment I choose to utilize. I'm hunting for the enjoyment of the sport myself so it doesn't really matter to me what other people say. I also don't fault others for what they choose to hunt with. We're all sportsman after the same goals. I'd rather we work together to preserve the resources than fight amongst one another for choice of weapon. Bow (whether compound or traditional), rifle, muzzle loader, cross bow, handgun....we're all hunters.
My wife gave me a TC Hawkins black powder rifle for Christmas in 1979 when I was 29. When I began hunting the next fall(I wasn't born into a hunting tradition) the guys I hunted with told me to go get a real gun.
I've been shooting trad bows since about 1984 or '85(with a few years with mechanical bow like thingy) and started hunting with my selfbows in the early 1990s. The guys I hunted with told me to go get a real bow.
I hunt and shoot with what I want to and disreguard the nay-seyers. I don't allow their ignorance to guide me through my life.
What we each shoot and hunt with is our own decision and not what the crowd thinks we should shoot and hunt with.
I'll tell you a little story my friend. I learned to hunt with a rifle as a boy, and didn't get into archery until after i was 30 years old. i started with an old Martin Linx compound bow & got total into the whole archery scene. I proceeded to get all my buddies into it first helping them get their gear set up, and then prodding them into going to 3D shoots year round.....It wasn't long and we had a core group of us hunting elk and deer with a passion.
Personally i was obsessed. I shot year round both 3D and indoor target leagues, and started entering competition. Then I purchased a 3D target bow and ran the IBO circuit for a few years rubbing shoulders with the top shooters in the nation.
As the years went by i finally got out of the competition shooting and just focused on hunting. Our hunting group did very well year after year. all of these guys were pretty dang good hunters.
Then one late fall day at a 3D shoot i ran into a couple guys shooting home made long bows and gave it a try....something clicked inside me. I sold my fancy compound bow & bought a band saw....
I'll cut to the chase here.... To answer your question, When i walked into Elk hunting camp that following fall with the first long bow i ever built, my hunting partners thought i had lost my mind. They razzed me pretty hard that season and watched me pass up 3 different shots on elk that i could have easily made with my high tech gear in the 35-45 yard range.
When i came back the fallowing year i had 3 different bows with me, and was getting pretty efficient with all of them. A few of the guys in camp wrote me off as just being nuts. my close friends saw that i had dedicated myself to doing it the hard way. I gained respect from them as the years went by, and worked harder at getting closer to the game. I haven't recruited one of them to hunting with a stick and string yet, but they have all shot my bows, understand the challenge i have taken, and are rooting for me now.
Doing it the hard way is a very personnel thing to me. I find myself unconcerned with what others think about it anymore. It was one of the most humbling things i ever did in my life, and has made a better man out of me..... Kirk
The only one you really need to please is yourself - enjoy shooting and shoot often. Don't worry about what the others think. I do just fine with my trad gear and always have. No need to change. Happy Holidays
this is why I like trad so much but this thread wasn't about my buddys ribbing me so much as it was to thank you guys like I said before its yall that make me want to shoot more be better and a proficient hunter. I want to learn for your tails and listn to storys love it.
When asked, I reply first that this is all fun and games and I'm fine with people shooting whatever they want. Next I tell them that personally I find compound bows heavy, cold and mechanical and that they simply leave me cold, they are no fun to shoot and that my bows are an absolute pleasure to shoot. If I know them, I might add that my bows are beautiful and that compounds are "uglier than a frozen overshoe" to which a surprisingly large number will readily admit.
It is hard for those don't shoot trad bows to fully understand. In my opinion, this is because of the mental aspect of this type of hunting and how most people measure their success. It takes a different mindset. Until you are willing to immerse yourself totally into trad archery........you will never completely "get it".
Don't worry about convincing your friends of anything......true friends will recognize and accept your passion even if they never travel down the same road.
Toyota Ford, Dodge. Most folks have preferences and you have to answer to no one for yours. You do have an obligation to shoot that bow as well as youcan
I explain to people like that I feel much more involved in the hunt and kill with my stickbows. I don't need any pulleys, triggers, or sights; I am DIRECTLY CONNECTED. I am pulling the bow and holding its ENTIRE draw weight with my two hands and ONLY my two hands. My fingers are on the string and arrow that will do the job. My eyes and brain are sophisticated enough to do the job of sight pins and scopes.
Stick bows make you an integral part of the process; you are not just a trigger man.
Michael, don't respond but with a smile and then continue to shoot and have fun. You are not going to convince a hard core compound/crossbow shooter to change over to traditional and they are not going to convince you to change.
We have a handful of traditional only shoots in Michigan. No score cards and pencils but laughter is required.
My wife and I shoot in a church league in the winter. The archers are about 50/50 trad/compound. More than one person came down to our end of the hall and commented on how much fun we are having laughing at each other, shooting at each others arrows and hiding bows on each other.
It is just about having fun and I just have more fun shooting a longbow or a recurve.
Hey, I'm a compound guy too [and I shoot a varmint rifle for coyotes and ground squirrels]
Put a trad bow in a guys hands for a few shots and I don't care if they are a compound shooter or never shot a bow- they smile because its fun to shoot trad equipment.
I no longer shoot at any 3D events that are not all trad, so this is not much of an issue anymore. The compound archery clubs in the area closed down a while back due to economic reasons. I got some good natured ribbing from a few of those guys, but nobody ever got snarly. In fact, many of them were interested in my trad gear and jumped at the opportunity to shoot it. Two of these guys bought trad gear specifically from shooting my bow. Generally, I was the only trad shooter there. Trust me, if you shoot reasonably well, amongst the sarcasm sent your way, there will be a grain of respect also.
As for hunting, I am the only one at my hinting camp who is an archer at all. No, I did not really mean hunting camp. We have all gotten so fat and lazy in our old age, that we merely hint at being real hunters over deer camp weekend. I do hunt seriously most of the season, but this weekend is more social than serious; consequently, they do harass me quite a bit about my equipment. Yet, when a couple of the non archers picked up my bow they conceded that it does require a bit of skill to do it.
In short, it does no good to argue about the effectiveness, tradition, or fun with those who criticize our sport. But, if one shows interest, let him shoot your bow - you just may create a convert.
I use to kill one or two deer a year using a compound bow since "08" I've killed two deer with the stick and sting (both last year) I wouldn't have it any other way.
I turn 45 tomorrow. None of the guys I hunt with regularly shoot trad. As a matter of fact, rather than compounds, most shoot crossbows.
They are intrigued by what I shoot, but that is about it.
But, and I say this in the most respectful way, I could care less what they think. They are my friends, but I do this because it is something I want to do. Its a challenge I enjoy much more than anything with wheels or that is horizontal.
I would be elated if they became interested, but I don't expect them to.
It is making me a better hunter and woodsman. Plus, the archery side is fun again.
Being in the woods with a longbow is almost a magical experience to me. Pure satisfaction is the best way to describe it.
A lot of head shaking and "why don't you carry bring a compound so you can kill something" statements
Just tell them you like to have fun.......
I guess I've had the other side of it. When people ask what I shoot and I say a recurve or my selfbow they tend to be in awe. Many can't believe it can be done and end up saying they'd like to try it someday. Even my wheelie friends tend to give me "props" for doing it our way.
Most of the guys I hunt with ask me why do I want to step backwards???? These are the same guys that shoot in line muzzleloaders ( I have a side hammer)and all the latest wheelie bow gear....
I switched over because it was getting too automatic.... If I could get drawn on a deer, it was a done deal.... period. Too easy...almost reminded me of rifle hunting... I NEEDED the challenge and now I have it and LOVE it!
Most all the deer shot with archery gear around here is less than 20 yards anyway.
Have fun with it.... I do!
Rodd
Michael, what part of Arkansas are you in? I live in Paragould. I eat, sleep, breath traditional and primitive archery. If I'm not hunting with trad or primitive equipment, I'm making it. Give me a shout if you are close sometime. :shaka:
I belong to a small local club that is 99% trad. When we go to a 3D shoot and a few friends shoot compounds the tables are turned.
We still get stupid remarks from the younger compound generation at times.
It seems like I get a lot of respect from the modern bunch of shooters instead of negative. They always are asking a lot of questions about my bow and how things are done. Whatever comes up try not to be on the defensive and explain to them about our great passion, maybe they might want to try it and you all know what will happen then. :thumbsup:
II find that the older I get (I'm 69), the less I care about what others think about what I wear, shoot, think, etc. It's liberating, and you should try it. Really the only person you have to please is yourself.
Richard
I decided this fall to just focus on shooting a mule deer...these deer live in typical whitetail cover where some days I see more whitetails than mule deer...I am just not patient enough to sit so I still hunted...I know that is a low odds way to hunt and I did it purely for the challenge...still I was within 15 yards of both a mule deer doe and a whitetail buck...I got three close shots at ruffed grouse which I missed (hint: trying to head shoot them with a broad head is very low odds)...I did kill one of the grouse with my bare hands when it flew right at me after I missed...from a game in the pot perspective I had a bad season...from a pure enjoyment perspective I had a great season...I am having a longbow built right now that I hope will give me just that bit of an edge I need
DDave
My story is parallel to Bro Kirks except I have had a bow in my paws since I was 6. But I went through all the compounds from Allen foreward. Won leagues a few years and then decided to shoot professional. I shot unlimited for three companies. I have to tell you that it burns some people out. It did me. I got to wondering what happened to the guy that just loved to shoot stumps , rabbits, squirrels. and have fun with a bow.
I picked up an old Bear Grizzly and that year was blessed to kill a super nice bull elk with a 20 ft shot and watch the fletch disappear. I had taken close to 30 elk with a bow at that time and no telling how many deer and I don't think I had ever felt like that. What a charge!!!!!!! You know what. I might not have killed as many with a stick bow but I bet most of them I could have and some I did not take that came in on a run and stopped looking around for the other elk and then busted off I bet I could have killed with a stick but could not get on them fast enough with a com0pound.
Sure there are trade offs but I will never go back to a compound.
God bless you all, Steve
I have too admit, most I encounter are impressed or amazed with my traditional equipment. Most aren't going to switch because they need the instant gratification thing, but I remember one case where I was sitting around a table with some co-workers and the subject of an individuals elk hunt. Wes tarted chatting about hunting, and inevitably it turned to equipment. When I mentioned the Hill longbow....you could hear a pin drop.
I was chatting with the guy just the other day, and he couldn't wait to tell me that he had hunted part of his season with a recurve, and had managed to get within 12 yards of a 4x4, but didn't get the shot. He was hooked telling me that "now I get it"!
My boss last year was chatting with me on a trip about his whitetail season, when again one of the guys managed to work into the conversation that I shot a longbow. Next time I saw him, he couldn't wait to tell me about arrowing a doe with an old Wilson Bros. Widow curve.
It gets them thinking that they're not the top of their game if they have to depend on tech.
Tim
Aint nothing in life that comes to easy "worth a damn" I killed my first deer in 1990 with a bow at the ripe ole age of twelve. I have been die hard ever since. Wanted another challenge and took up traditional bowhunting in 2005. Im convinced at close hunting yardage (0-15) traditional bows ARE SUPERIOR HUNTING WEAPONS! It takes practice, but if you can keep your wits stick bows are the way to go, not much equipment to ape up!
QuoteOriginally posted by LinemanARK:
Heres a ? for all of you what do all your none trad friends say about you shooting a bow that is out of date when you could be shooting a bow that shoots 350' per second.
I tell them I am working on hunting skills instead of shooting skills. I practice every day so I can be effective with primative . . . or at least 1960's era . . . archery equipment.
I tried a modern compound in 1980 - 1982 and had no success. No fun off-season, either. Too many doo-dads and too noisy when drawn to be a good hunting tool. Wasn't much good for squirrel, bunny hunting or stump shooting as it destroyed the arrows when the hit dirt or hard stumps. What good is that?
Maybe carbons are better than aluminum was - I haven't bought any to try. :dunno:
We had a new archery shop open down the road last August. I stopped in a couple times, but it was hunting season. Nothing gets in the way of hunting season.
We shot last Wednesday night with all the modern archers. The boys and I had a ball, and it was contagious.
So out of shooting one night.
-I helped a young shooter that is trying to switch over to traditional for the 4H shooting sports program.
-The shop owner asked me to return Friday before they open to teach him about tuning traditional bows. I demonstrated the bare shaft shooting method at 20 yards and was simply amazed.
-He asked me to make a couple Flemish strings for two of his customers.
-He asked me to give a traditional archery seminar. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to spread the passion and share my experience.
-I bought a family membership for the range.
I figure it is easier to catch them with honey, rather than vinegar. I am excited to help him out. He is truly trying to create a gathering/campfire feel to his shop.
As far as naysayers, life is too short to waste energy on them.
I am a self described horrible shot, when a negative comment comes up. I simply state that I have not lost animal in over 10 years, and my longest shot in that timeframe was an 18 yard shot on a moose (vitals the size of a kitchen sink).
I struggled mightily the first 10 years of this traditional journey. It simply took that long for my hunting skills to catch up with my shooting skill. :biglaugh:
Another thing that has really helped me, is the simple fact that I can care less what other people think. This is my passion, my hobby, who I am. Not to be selfish, but I am doing this for me. If I am not enjoying it, why am I doing it?
Archery and bowhunting is rich in fellowship. But when it comes right down to it, an individual endeavor.
Sorry for the ramble.
QuoteOriginally posted by LinemanARK:
this is why I like trad so much but this thread wasn't about my buddys ribbing me so much as it was to thank you guys like I said before its yall that make me want to shoot more be better and a proficient hunter. I want to learn for your tails and listn to storys love it.
The cool part about traditional archery is that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. It doesn't matter whether your goals are IBO world champ 3D champion, or just getting good enough to kill your first deer..... the sky is the limit.... If you truly want to master the bare bow it takes dedication and training..... Nothing wrong with having fun while you train either.
Training with a high tech bow has much more to do with keeping all the Allen screws tight, judging yardage correctly,and learning how to shoot consistently with smooth back tension. Don't kid yourself it takes dedication to become an exceptional archer using high tech gear too. But not nearly as much fun.... You certainly cant go stump shooting or flinging Flu-Flu's at ducks or geese with a high powered compound bow.
If you haven't tried bird hunting with your bow yet bro, ya gotta try it! It's a hoot! I've got two more months to hunt geese and its a blast!
QuoteOriginally posted by Kirkll:
... and has made a better man out of me.
Kirk
I had a kid tell me that he only needed to take four or five shots every year just to make sure his sights were still on then he could shoot inch groups. I walked back to the road with him later this season and he was telling me how he missed a deer. It was a long list, from the peep sight not finding his eye to the wrong pin, to the arrow moved on the rest, his elbow snagged a twig, his stand moved, the tree got in the way of his draw, and the deer was too close. He asked me how I did it with that Robin Hood thing as we were passing a ladder stand. I climbed up pointed out a corn husk about twenty yards out and quickly shot my judo through it. He said 'you didn't aim, that was just luck'. So I shot a blunt through as well, but even faster. He still thought it was dumb luck. On the rest of the walk I took some long shots with my judo. He said that he didn't waste his time on that kind of thing, all I was doing was wearing out my bow and arrows. I don't ever want to meet up with him again. Hopeless.
When people ask me why I shoot trad I ask them who's having more fun; the compound guy who's constantly griping because he missed the X or trad guy jumping for joy 'cause he got a bull's eye. It's about enjoyment. For me, there's just more satisfaction in a bull's eye with stick and string than in an X that resulted more from technological advances than from skill.
I still think there are two classes of people that enjoy archery season. There are Archers that enjoy the longbow and recurve, they shoot weekly for the fun of it. They extend their fun through hunting, target shooting, stump shooting, arrow building etc.... it's their hobby. They are my customers.
Then there are hunters, I label them Shooters, the only reason they use the compound or xbow is because there is a hunting season where they are allowed to use the highest tec equipment they can afford.
You can't explain the joys of archery so a shooter will understand it.
To a shooter a .30/30 Ackley improved is a better rifle than a .30/30 simply because the AI is 175'/sec faster.
Like some of the previous posts, the most common reaction I get is from those who give me "a lot of credit" for hunting with trad equipment. Often I hear how they want to do that "someday." I tell them that I switched to trad 3 years ago and wish I had done so 30 years ago.
Difficult to explain that feeling I get every time I walk into the woods with a recurve or a longbow. Something that never happened in my compound days. Much like the first outing with a caplock hawken rifle vs an '06. None of my friends seem to get it.
The biggest drawback to them not getting it is there is no one to be enthused with over a new longbow or a garage sale recurve find. Or worse, no one to help sort out tuning issues. I have those issues regularly.
So if you are in NE WI and find there is a shortage of trad people to shoot and / or talk trad with send me a note. Especially if you can figure out why my arrows keep smacking into the shelf...
Honestly I have never had any of my hunting or shooting buddies say anything about my choice of bows. We go out and shoot and have fun. They shoot and hunt with what they want and I do the same.
I shoot what makes me happy and they do the same. We just enjoy the fellowship. Cams and trigger or stick and string, go shoot, hunt and have fun!
I'm not really an archer per say. I'm a bowhunter. So I figure if I'm gonna call myself a bowhunter, I might as well use a bow! HA!