if you had to kill every protein meal would you still have a viable place for your bow, assuming you could at least maintain a moderate supply of components for a alternative weapon.
for me, no, If I had to live on what I kill there is no way I would consider taking my bow out, weather it be birds or big game. I could not justify the risk of failure. whith that said how blessed are we that we can and want to reach in to the past and just attempt to recreate moments of harvest that would have been so very rejoiced in the real time of the bow.
im with you on that one..being up here in Alaska it would be a little tough..and with those tiny bears you have walking around there im sure you don't just want to have a bow.but we are very privileged to be able to take ourselves back in time and hold on to those "good ol days" our grandfathers speak of.
No problem. OH Tim not ground squirrel and termites again. No honey got a big coyote with just a touch of mange. :rolleyes: Here clean these two feral cats also. You would be eating lots of stuff that you would not touch now.
I'd keep my bow as a alternative..but if I HAD to live off the land, a light-weight .22 rifle would be my option. I have plenty of ammo; can carry a LOT without much weight, and can kill anything in Ohio with it. JMO
It would depend on if I had to keep my presence/whereabouts quiet. If I had access to any piece of ground I came across, I would still have a bow, plus a 22 at a minimum and maybe a shotgun. If I had to chance trouble going on a property, definitely stick to a bow-I'd just have to be a better shot.
It would be fun to try if it wasn't life or death.
However, I'm with the folks above, if things got that tough I couldn't afford to come home empty-handed. My choice would also be a bolt action.22 rimfire.
My Dad used to tell when he was a kid (early 40's) his Dad would give him 1-3 shotgun shells and instructions to bring home something to eat. He was, and because of his tutelage I am, very conservative with shot selection. There are many types of "borderline" shots that I have no idea if I could make or not because I just won't try them.
I would snare or trap my food. Hunt even while sleeping this way.
No fooling around when there is no choice.
I'm with Y. I've heard a simple bird trap is the way to feed yourself. Lotsa Armageddon, End of the World types (I'm not one of them) feel that way. Perfectly silent, gathers while you go about other work.
I would try to feed the house by trapping and bow hunting only for sure. I have lots of ammo and plenty of guns, but if the world goes to ****, I would like to try and save all that for protecting what is mine from other people with guns.
Trap trap trap.... a 22 and my bow, I am coming home with something for the family
I would use a mix, but it would include the bow in a secondary role. Assuming easy access to ammo, I primarily would use a rifle or perhaps a shotgun. Numerous traps would also be needed.
If the apocalypse had happened, causing a physical security risk, the bow would play a much more prominent role. Game laws, conservation, and ethical hunting practices would go out the window in a true live or starve situation.
I have read a lot of stories about people who went on bow based survival hunting trips. This would be fun, but I sure hope it never happens to me for real.
Guys lets remember this is TG....so lets keep this thread about weather of not you could do it with a trad bow.
Lets not let this turn into a gun/trapping thread or we will have to lock it up...
Thanx, Curt } >----->
Fishing and traps. Lots of rivers in my state. Lots of things in those rivers besides fish too. I just hope if things go to crap I have a good supply of hot sauce.
QuoteOriginally posted by jrchambers:
if you had to kill every protein meal would you still have a viable place for your bow, assuming you could at least maintain a moderate supply of components for a alternative weapon.
Yes
I'd get rid of my camo and get a clown suit, then I would mug people coming out of McDonalds
"Stick em up and gimme all your cheeseburgers!" LOL
I actually did feed myself and my room mates with my bow and fishing rod when I was in college, we never went hungry.
Yes, but I wouldn't pass on as many animals as I do now looking for the perfect shot. I also agree with Thumper Dunker I would probably be eating a lot of animals I normally would not.
QuoteOriginally posted by bobman:
I'd get rid of my camo and get a clown suit, then I would mug people coming out of McDonalds
"Stick em up and gimme all your cheeseburgers!" LOL
I actually did feed myself and my room mates with my bow and fishing rod when I was in college, we never went hungry.
Hahahahaha a, that's hilarious!
The good thing about a bow is that it has a renewable source of ammo. 22 bullets run out. You can make more arrows. Speaking of, I really need to learn how.
I think I'd try but I doubt I could maintain it with hunting and fishing by itself. I'd most likely be organizing or participating in Nightly assaults and raids on dooms day Prepper camps one by one until they where all pillaged.
I'd be the ultimate preditor trying to find a bite of something tasty..
Guru, I see your point. This could be a very thought provoking thread, or it could get away from us pretty quick. The question raised is valid to bow hunters but only as long as we restrict comments to where the bow itself actually fits into such a plan.
If there was no choice, then whats the debate? If my only choice was a bow, I would try and kill every critter I saw if it was the difference of eating or not eating. seasons wouldnt matter and Foraging would be the larger part of my diet.
Not much different than a bears diet I suspect.
yes, no question about it.
I would say that starvation would be a great motivator to improve your TRADITIONAL ARCHERY skill set. I wouldn't be the first person to feed his family with a BOW and ARROW. :archer2:
As to would you use it if your life depended on it, given your present skill set...of course not. As mediocre as I am with it, I feel that would be foolish. Whether your INTO traditional archery or not, survival is survival. IMHO
TIM
Our ancestors did it for thousands of years or we would not be here.
If it came to that, you would need to survive the first 30 days or so by staying hidden. The majority or our population would be dead by then. Very few folks would be able to revert in time to survive once known stocks of food and water are gone.
I am presuming that all utilities are also gone, meaning no or limited electricity or natural gas production. If that happened in the winter, it may not take 30 days.
I would keep a bow handy, for sure. Eventually, bullets etc will go away (although for some, that may take a while). Arrows can be made every day.
Oh oh, I gotta watch what I say or the Pres will see that as a great idea to control guns.....
Life would change, and maybe not for the worse.
CHuckC
Shotgun hands down.
I'm afraid it would get pretty crowded out there. When bow hunting was being revived during the '50's, a lot of people didn't think it was possible to bag a big game animal with a bow, not because the bow was not an effective weapon, but because there were relatively few game animals around to bag.
In the early part of the 20th century, with a small fraction of the population we have now, many game animals almost went extinct. I think the elk population in California went down to 5 individual elk at one point. Game populations improved over about 50 years of game management, but I don't think there will be much game management under your scenario.
Prior to the arrival of white men, Native Americans starved during lean years, even with their skills and no competition from guns.
QuoteOriginally posted by Guru:
Guys lets remember this is TG....so lets keep this thread about weather of not you could do it with a trad bow.
Lets not let this turn into a gun/trapping thread or we will have to lock it up...
Thanx, Curt } >----->
Sorry! :banghead:
wholy moly its was more of a what if YOU had to live off the land not everybody kind of thing, no doomsday stuff, you guys are truly wild
Every trad guy and gal needs to learn how to make a bow, knap arrow heads, make arrows and make strings. Then I believe you would think maybe I can with a little more confidence.
It would be rough to do.
If you were in that situation I would assume it would be from a disaster with no fuel for transportation or electricity.
I try to get my red meat with my recurves. I weighed 194 lbs at the beginning of season..162 now.
For survival, the bow would be used minimally I suspect. This might not be the case if I knew how to flint knap and make my own bows/gut strings.
You'd better be able to. I'd expect the political/economic conditions that could create such a scenario would make the ammo shortage of the past couple years pale in comparison. Arrows don't have to be reloaded. What conventional ammo you have on hand would best be conserved for two-legged predators!
If I had to use a bow only then I would hunt differently. I would trail sit for hours . When its life and death I believe patience with a bow would be a must.
God bless, Steve
I lived off the land for a year and a half. No picnic believe me. Many plants and trees supply the lump of your sustenance if you have the knowledge. Meat is important also, and can be procured in various ways. The silence of the bow doesn't draw unwanted attention!! You find out you can do things you wouldn't think possible.Shelter, heat, food and water take all your time. Sometimes hard to keep a proper perspective on things, and can get very lonely if your not with others. Physical safety is paramount!
Honestly, I'd starve...or become a vegetarian!
I can think of a few other things I'd rather have than a bow but I'll leave those comments off this forum. I think it could be done, I just don't have the skills with a trad bow to pull it off.
In my fantasy world yes with a bow only. Reality.... any way possible, lots of choices for success in survival. A bow would be in my tool chest as an option.
went for a bunny walk today, no hares but could have shot a huge cow moose. that would feed my family for 6 - 10 months.
The populations of much of game we hunt today would be quickly poached out-look at the deeer populations at teh end of the depression. Whether by bow, snare or firearm starving people will take what they can for food. Ethics may be the third casualty of the problem as people would take several deer at a time if they could. As traditional archers we would know how to clean and jerk teh meat, a city guy with a gun would use as much as he could before it spoiled. a bow is always part of my survival plan.
Yes, but then I'd use every weapon or skill at my disposal to feed my family.
If I had to kill all my meat in today's world; I would use my bow. In Illinois, we presently have unlimited does tags for about $15 each. We also have a 3 month archery season, so I could potentially kill enough deer to feed my family all year.
In an apocalyptic scenario; My bow would still be important as a hunting tool, because it is quiet, and I can make everything I need. It would save other things for defense.
I'd have a traditional bow, and a traditional crossbow !
I would do what every was need to provide for my Family! :archer:
I think the harder part of the equation would be curing, storing, and protecting the meat. I (like many people) live in a neighborhood; other hungry people would start showing up pretty quick if they were to find out your eating alright...they might be friendly...or maybe not.
It sure would be nice to have a cabin out in the woods somewhere, with a smokehouse and a bunch of BBQ sauce.
just kind of wondering if you think you would still practice and use your bow.
Bow yes , but would use snares and dead falls as well .
If you head west or anywhere else you'll be a starvin pilgrim in a week!
Yes I would keep my bow
If I had to I would try, but if there was even a .22 It would go first. Survival is tough, and you would be busy all day trying to survive, so the gun would be first choice. Im positive I could even kill big game with more consistancy with the lowly .22. Head shots on deer with a .22 would have a higher success rate than bowhunting.
It's romantic to think that you would use your trad bow, but in reality the deer would be gone within a year. Small game would be gone soon also. Everyone would become a hunter, and for the same reason. (I'm talking population centers, not out west or in the mountains.)
All of us on tradgang would have a better chance surviving than most just because we're tough-types and can-do people in general. It would be so ugly out there that we'd better have more skills than just shooting 4-inch groups with our beloved longbows!
My trad bow would definitely be my go to source for providing meat for my family. It has a reusable source of ammo for one thing. But this I truly believe, a person would get pretty good with his bow shooting and hunting skills when his or her life depended on it for survival. The land can provide an abundance of plant life as well to survive off, but having the knowledge to know what is food and what is poisonous is another thing. For my own opinion, for me, "knowledge" would be the key factor for surviving off the land, what to eat, what not to eat, where to get food and when to get food. My trad bow would be a crucial tool for providing me food. But as Arnie stated above, It's a romantic idea but the reality of actually surviving off the land using your trad would be truly harsh.
I think small animals would become a very important meat source as the deer would not last long. The most logical approach is to provide most food by gardening with meat being an occasional extra goody when available. So I think the bow and the gun both would become secondary to the hoe and shovel in the long run.
My bow would be my first choice
If it came down to survival, a lot of formerly domestic critters would become game. I'd use my bow first and foremost, with firearms reserved for absolute last resort. I can't even find .22 ammo now, so whatever I do have I would and do conserve.
In an doomsday scenario, as long as I have a file and hopefully a hacksaw, I don't need to know how to knap flint. There is plenty of metal around if I run out of readymade broadheads. Arrows that work could be made from lots of available materials. Shots might have to be a lot closer, but the equipment with which my ancestors survived was awfully crude but still quite effective.
Let's all hope we don't have to find out.
If I had to live off the land I'd be using everything I had available. Snares and traps would be FAR more important than bows or firearms. But you can bet I'd get what I could with a bow or firearm. Trouble with firearms is the technology to feed them is much greater, though I cast my own lead balls for muzzleloaders. Producing blackpowder of suitable quality is more difficult than many would have you believe.
A bow has the added advantage it doesn't advertize your presence.
Right now I have seven sheep, 25 chickens and a turkey. A goodly percentage of what we eat is because of what we did, not what we bought.
I'd be wishing for a big bag of seeds instead of hoping for arrow shafts to grow. We raise heritage crops - viable seeds that can be replanted.
I do know what I would NOT use, a pistol. I could not hit an elephant in the butt that was sitting on me with a pistol. I can shoot more rabbits in small area with a bow than I can with a 22. Once the gun goes off, the bunnies become harder to find. With a bow, I get more to shoot at. Same goes for chickens.
trad bow... if I had to hunt in the city... no one would ever know. =)