Trad Gang

Compound shooters regularly ask me questions like: "ya think ya might ever move up to a compound?" or "you'll problibly move on up to a compound at Some point" and sometimes they tell me "yeah its impossible to shoot a recurve or longbow as well as a compound"

Do yall ever get annoying questions like these?

"How far can you kill a deer with that?"

"How many times do you have to shoot one?"

" Are You really going to hunt with that?"

I usually tell them "I used to shoot a gadget, but I moved up to this".

Larry

Most of the compound shooters are in awe.They ask a lot of questions but for the most part theyre truly inquisitive.Unfortunately most of them dont have the desire or time to devote to become proficient with trad gear.But for the most part you dont hear any negative comments.
                              Izzy

I agree...I have never been insulted by one, they always think it's pretty neat.Goofy questions like we are posting don't bother me at all.

Once I was shooting the DART system with a friend. I was shooting my brand new Marriah Chinook longbow...it was my first truly custom bow, it was beautiful. There were 2 guys behind us watching, and my buddy and I were "on", shooting pretty well.

I heard one guy whisper to the other "Why are they shooting bows like that?" The other guy answered, "They probably can't afford a good one".

They were dead serious. It was pretty funny.

 :bigsmyl:

"When are you going to go back to the compound?"

My answer:  When my trad gear is no longer fun to shoot.

Whenever I am at a 3D shoot with mostly compound shooters the kids in attendence are facinated with my recurve; they usually say "look, that guy has a real bow" and then ask a lot of questions about it.

Just arrived at bear camp in Maine and started to unload my gear when the guide came over to say hello. As I pulled out my backquiver with ten or twelve judos and practice arrows in it he said, "My Goodness Boy! How Many Shots Do You Think A Bear Is Gonna Give Ya?"

Well, I just gave him a wink.  ;)  Think it was Uncle Barry that said: "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand"

... mike ...

i have a friend who carries so much junk with him i call him packrat, his compound has so many gadgets its unbelieveable, i like simple and enjoyment in the woods. traditional, easy enough

I just say compounds don't work for me. While my personal feeling is shooting a compound or crossbow (about the same thing) is not truly archery, I don't want to discourage a bowhunter. If I just tell them why I like shooting traditional, rather than demeaning their bows, some will try trad. If they do, they are hooked.

We have an archery shop in Mason City (10 miles from Manly). I have had him order a few trad things for me, but he mostly caters to the compound shooters. When he found out I was shooting a longbow his comment was, I can't hit anything with them. That's why I shoot a compound. I told him it does take more practice, but that I enjoy the practice too. I also told him he had the perfect place to practice (he has a 20 yard, indoor range in the shop).

Not long ago I was talking to a friend who frequently shoots in the indoor range. He said the shop owner is now shooting a recurve! Cool!

The guys who maintain that we should shoot compounds because they are more accurate remind me of a story:

A guy woke up one morning at a great hunting lodge. He went out hunting pheasants that morning and soon had his limit. The next day was the same, even though he wondered at a couple shots. He thought he was behind the bird, but still it fell in a shower of feathers. The next day, he purposely shot three feet behind the first bird. Again, it fell to the ground stone dead. The next bird rose in a perfect going away shot. He pointed his shotgun straight up and fired...the bird dropped at the shot! That evening at the lodge, he told this tale to the owner. The owner responded, "Don't you know, son, you have passed on? You were killed in an auto accident last week." The man said, "But if this is Heaven, it's no fun. When you never miss there is no excitement in the hunt!" The owner shook his head and asked, "Who said you were in Heaven?"

"Do not try to understand them.....and do not try to make them understand you.....For they are a breed apart,and make no sense."

Chingashkook - The Last Of The Mohicans

If you REALLY want to see some funny looks,tell them.....

"I have already moved up FROM a compound.....compounds are too EASY"

do as i was once told to do when wheelie guys are ribbing you. challange them to a contest. at this point they will be all smiles and laughing. tell them you bet them $100 you can out shoot them at 20 yards but they have to do everything you do. they will take the bet in a minute! next take your trad bow and throw it 10 feet in the air, let it hit the ground and tap it against a tree a couple times then shoot. now say " your turn!!" and see what happens!!!

At elk camp I was the only one with a stick bow. I didn't get any shots at elk but did kill a rabbit at 25 yards. The compound guys well, 4 rabbits 3 grouse 4 elk, all misses. They didn't have time to use their range finders.........stabow

My girlfriend and I were running part of the archery event at a big kids event one day.  We had a whole line of kids waiting to shoot a recurve at a 3D bear.  One boy about 13 yrs or so was in line and telling everyone around him that he and his dad shot "real" bows at home.  I turned to him and said, "Well, these bows don't have training wheels so you're going to have to step up a little to shoot them."  Poor kid was so pissed off he missed the bear with all 4 arrows from about 20 feet.  It didn't help that a little tiny girl in a pink dress pinwheeled the bear just before his turn.

Guy

It seems that these days the wheelie guys not only bring their bows to the range, but their radar detectors as well. One wheelie guy came over to the range where I was shooting and told me that unless bow my shoots an arrow 300fps it aint worth shooting. Some guys just crack me up....

Some tell me that your doing it the hard way,I just tell them no I'm doing it the easy way...

My favorite is "I can't believe you killed all those deer with that".And better yet "I have never seen anyone squirrel hunt with a bow before."  :)  
You show by example and the questons change tone.  :biglaugh:

Most watch me shoot for a bit and say something like I always thought those bows weren't supposed to be accurate and comment on how quiet they are, then they get that look and I ask them if they'd like to try shooting it. Next they are looking to trade the wheels for a stick.    ;)

i was at a 3 d course with my uncle and some wheelie boys in front of us  said "i hope they dont actully hunt with those sticks" so my uncle walked up and asked if he could shoot with them this round and busted one of there nocks at 25 yards in a coon target. I think there was luck in that shot but it was a perfect time for luck to be on your side.......Curtis

I would love to start hunting with traditional gear, but right now I don't have the time to devote to shooting as well as I need to to become proficient.  For now, at least this season, I'll be sticking with my old PSE compound.  I got starting in archery with it, but I soon realized that it doesn't take anywhere near as much talent to be proficient with as with traditional gear.  Plus the traditional gear is much more pleasing to the eye.

Don't worry BDann you'll be shooting no problem next year with trad gear. My gf's dad shoots an old bear wheelie with no sights and he'll be switching to trad gear next season.

How can you shoot that good with no sight.                                            Why are your arrows so big.                                              While unpacking on a hunt I pulled my longbow out and a MALD shooter asked "Whats that,a spear".(MALD Stands for mechanical arrow launching device) I replied no it was my longbow. He replied"As much as it costs to hunt on this ranch and thats all you brought".

I like to ask the compound shooters when are you going to grow up and take your traning wheels off.

WOW,

Pa. compound shooters, must be polite,

I always get, man that's a beautiful bow, or now  that's the way to hunt, or nice shooting, and, now there's a bow.

Actually that's pretty much what I hear, in any state that I have hunted in.

I always like to let the compound guys and gals  give my bow a try, a few even switched over.

Thanks and Good Hunting

John

Here's the funniest one I got.....

'How much of a deer will that thing penetrate'?

I just pull out a few pic from my wallet when I get asked those silly questions.....300# hog, nice buck, angora goat, antelope, and buffalo.  They get the picture real fast how lethal a trad bow is.

I get harrased all the time about the killing effiency of traditional equipment, and how my friends say its "inferior" to use such a thing. I have not taken a deer with one yet but it all comes down to shot placment, and when I finally take that animal with one I will look down and smile because I did it by myself and not relieng on sights.The beauty is in the arrow for me,   So far I havent seen a picture of FRED BEAR without a smile on his face!!

adkmountainken,
That is too funny man, I'm going to have to remmeber that one LOL!!!

"How do you aim without sights" is one I have been ask several times.
I recently sold a pair of limbs to a new trad shooter. He had been using a compound and had shot a longbow as part of his bowhunter class in the state he lives in. He was hooked! He has bought several longbows and recurves and has at least two more ordered. He is thoughly enjoying his traditional bows. Said he is selling his compound gear....

"Hey would you mind if I give that a try?" To which I reply "Gladly, but just know it's addictive."
God bless,Mudd

Just tell them, its kind of like riding a bicycle. You will take your training wheels off eventually.
Bob

I was/am well established as a very successful 3D tournament shooter and bowhunter with the compound.  So being, it took a lot of folks by complete surprise when I put away the compounds and picked up the recurve.

I think "shocked" might be a better word than "surprised".

What I get most often is simply "why"?, asked in a tone that respectfully suggests I may have finally been hit in the head once too often...

heck i just tell i'm don't have the smarts to operate such sophisticated equipment with all them contraptions on it. besides if i just wanted to kill stuff i would carry grenades with me in the woods.

simple guy and like simple things!

QuoteOriginally posted by herkimerhunter:
Most of the compound shooters are in awe.They ask a lot of questions but for the most part theyre truly inquisitive.Unfortunately most of them dont have the desire or time to devote to become proficient with trad gear.But for the most part you dont hear any negative comments.
                              Izzy

That's exactly what I have found.

"Did you get that from the museum?"

I was checking in a deer a few years ago and had bow(a Widow that year) laying in the bed with the buck. The guy at the check station went out to check the deer and said "I didn't know a recurve would kill a deer" I replied "The Indians didn't have compounds" he said " Your right, I never thought about that."

I was stringing my bow at a range and a big mouth compound guy next to me asked me if I plan to hunt with that thing I said yes I hunt with it. He then got mad and said it was poor sportsmanship to shoot a deer in the back end. I said I agree. This range had the type of targets that are automatic so you can retrieve your arrows without waiting for others to finish. I pushed the button to send the target back then started unloading 6 shots before it hit the back. all kills at different yardage within seconds. He didnt bother me anymore. That was the only time.Most guys like it but do ask the usual questions.

"I think recurves and longbows should be illegal to hunt with"I was told in a large elk camp that year full of compound shooters, the funny thing was that I was the only one to shoot an elk out of 8 hunters. Some people are just plain foolish.

Most people are curious and want to know more about my bow.

My friends on the other hand usually make some sort of comment about the "kids bow", and I give it right back by talking about training wheels, handicapped archery, etc.  It's all good natured fun and we have a blast shooting together.

I like adkmountainken's challenge, too!

The most often question I get (in a condescending tone) is : "Can you really kill anything with that"?

I'll point to a spot a few yards away and respond with "Let's find out. Why don't you stand over there and I'll shoot at you".

No takers on tht yet!

I like it when they ask, Can you Kill anything with that....
   The "Bow" put food on the table for 1000's of years.
   And was King of the Battle field for 150 years in the middle ages....
   Can you Kill anything with it....How funny.

When I started shooting, it was still customary to see folks using recurves at the archery shops and clubs. Slowly, as time went on, you rarely ever saw a trad bow.

I was raised around recurves, so I suppose I never questioned how well they could be shot or what they could kill. All the trophys and venison in the basement sort of put those questions to rest.But if you think about it, most any bowhunter who's came up in the last 10 years or so has probably never spent time around many stickbow shooters.

I can't say I've heard more than one or two snide remakrs by compound shooters over the years (and those people would have probably found something else to be rude about anyway). Almost without exceptions, when I hear questions like, "can you really kill a deer with that", they're out of genuine curiousity, not contempt.

I actually enjoy fielding questions like that. They give me a chance to talk about bowhunting and meet new people. And if in the course of conversation, the person wants to fling a few arrows, that's good too.

What Jason said. Actually, when in mixed company I'm more likely to hear a recurve guy make a snide remark towards the compound guy, especially if there are more recurve shooters in the vicinity.

them: "Those things pretty accurate?"
me: "Oh I dunno, people been killing stuff for thousands of years with them."

them: "Where'd you buy that?"
me: "Well I cut the osage myself, bought the bamboo from so and so, ordered the glue from Nelson Paints, etc."

them: "So how fast does it shoot?"
me: "I don't really care, as long as the arrow goes where I want."

Most of them look at my bow like they're looking at a brand new chain saw or something, then they grip their contraption a little tighter, walking away, as if to tell themselves "It's o.k. Just keep telling yourself you made a good choice."

I have to admit, I am the wheel toe-ter, I am a pro staffer at Gander Mit.  When I tell guys that I shoot traditional equipment, they just say really !  And I tell them that I hunting with a double bull (T-5) but I also track game when I hunt.  What made me change was the heaviness of my equipment (wheels).  Two years ago I purchased a Hoyt Powertec.  I spent in the neighborhood of $1000, $500 on the bow and $500 on the best sites and Arrow rest and silencers and all that other stuff.  That was in the spring two years ago.  It wasn't more than four months after that I took it out hunting and found out how heavy it was.  Opening day I used it, that was the last time I picked it up for that year.

I purchased a longbow, from someone on this site it cost me $150, I had it for three weeks, it's just like someone said when you learn to ride a bicycle you don't forget, you see I started out at 10 years old with a longbow in YMCA Day Camp, that just a big word for babysitter, but it was fun, that's how I learned to shoot the longbow.  When I was 24 years old, I shot my first deer with a longbow, it was a borrowed bow, and borrowed arrows. I wish I would a purchased that one from the fellow that borrowed to me,  And then I made a mistake When I get older I picked up PSE, shot it for about 10 or 15 years, five months after I purchased my new Hoyt in 2005, I put it down after that week of opening deer season, and hunted the rest of the year with a longbow, I didn't have the Viper longbow for more than one month that's the one I purchased off a here, and then I saw another bow on here for sale, it was a John Donald custom five layer bamboo with Tiger wood grip longbow 48# @ 28" I purchased it.  I still have my wheels, but now I'm anticipating selling, I don't think I will get anywhere near what it is worth, but the one thing that I tell over and over again, is the story of my longbow last year.

I was determined to learned, and have the confidence, and the ability, and most of all, the discipline to shoot my longbow.  The story I tell is one that I never would have had the opportunity if I had my wheels with me at that time.  If I had the wheels, I would've shot, and it would be over.  But I had a traditional longbow and the discipline it takes.

I was coming out of my hunting stand, I track in about 2 mi. to the back of the property, I heard some coyotes, and I decide to go home, I came along some Pine tree that were about 50 yd. long, and three quarters down that Pine tree roll, was an opening diagonally cut, I stepped into it with my longbow, and as soon as I did, I said to myself "I should've done that" I turn my head slowly, and there he was looking at me, eight point buck and a 180 lb. doe, they couldn't quite make me out, because it was just at the end of shooting time.  About 20 minutes after sunset, my limitation was 15 or maybe 20 yd., both the buck and the doe stood at about 30 to 35 yd., I had to have the discipline, I did not shoot and take the chance of wounded a good animal, and every time I tell that story those same goosebumps arrive on the back of my neck and on my arms, as I see in my mind, that eight point buck, and the matriarch doe, walking off slowly, and I could not shoot, because the one thing that traditional archery has taught me, you must have the discipline, and count on the ability you have, and not the wheels.

I may not be the best shot with a longbow, but one day I will have "one" best shot that will count, and be remembered for the rest of my life.


BrokenArrow


Now, I am fighting the urges to purchase a black widow ! Are there any support groups out there !

I'm sure my response will get pulled...

I have found it very upsetting to have to defend myself to non-hunters who have seen modern compound and modern techno hunting methods on TV. I say I'm not like that, but they don't see the difference.

Tedd

We will continue to get these kinds of comments if we keep separating our selves from compound shooters. I went to a huge whitetail deer festival/3D shoot over the weekend. They had 213 shooters. Only 8 were in the trad class.

Tom A:  I couldn't agree more.  One group putting the other one down does neither side any good.

I shoot what I do because I like it - no more, no less.  Most people I run into while hunting are curious  and interested in my equipment.  

The funny thing is when I run into a nonhunting hiker they are the ones most interested.  Last week while elk hunting I got comments like "cool" and "that bow is beautiful".  This comes from western Washington where hunting is not looked upon as an "ecofriendly" thing anymore.  

There are two sure fire ways to avoid these problems:

a) Carry a small hex drive cap screw in your pocket.  If the wheel bow guys give you too much grief....Pull out the screw and tell them you just found it on the floor.

b) If they are shooting along side of you, tell them you hear a squeeking sound from their direction and walk away.

:)

this thread has turned from "what odd things do you hear"? to "how do you heckle back.....

exactly the problem guys.  Take the high road.

I really haven't received any hassle, or felt the division between traditional archery and wheel bows, they have a lot of questions, and sometimes they have looks on their faces that tell the whole story, but most of the time those looks on their faces, are the lack of confidence that they could handle a stick and a string.  I have never had anybody looked down on me because I was carrying a longbow.

In life, I think we have a habit of making issues out of nothing sometimes because we feel that people are thinking different things.  Life is all about attitude, it's just like the expression that you've heard before

"It takes more muscles to frown, then it does to smile"

We could turn that around and say ;

" it takes less effort to teach what we know, then it does to make someone think we know a lot more than we do"

And that's what's nice about a stick and a string, what's there to know ?

You nock,pull, release.  And if you do it enough times, you hit your mark, and it's not about how many times you hit that mark, it's about how many times you successfully try,

Because a man is not measured by how many times he fails, but by how many times he gets up after he fails.

Failures, and obstacles, are only opportunities, to teach, or to teach us


BrokenArrow 1

I get the "How fast does it shoot?" quite a bit also. My answer is that it's 'fast enough to shoot through a deer. How much faster does it need to be?'

I'd say 90% of the compound crowd and non hunters are respectful to me about my equipment choice. Even more so after they find out it's homemade.

There are those others though, and I enjoy those guy's most of all!   :p
Hey, they started it!

:D

I hear most of these reponses as well. But if you want to get some funny looks. Walk up to a compound shooter and ask" WOW is that one of those new bows?! Does it shoot fast? Can I hold it?" Watch their expression and walk away with a smile. Had a friend do that once, it was hilarious!  :biglaugh:

I cop many  so called funny remarks most commonly , How come your so fat ? selfbow shooters cant shoot good enough to hit the target ! , or sometimes when they are ganging up and belittling my selfbow I remind them of how vertical limb travel technology is a age or two older than the wiz bang systems on the compound and owes its roots to composite recurve development or remind them of the Ballista and its 1500 years old plus compound limb system . regards Perry

I tell them I don't need no block and tackle to kill a deer, just a bow and arrow. It's all in fun, because I never have insults.

My brother-in-law and I were doing a little prickly pear shooting in south Texas one year when a local guide stopped by to watch.  "Are you using those to hunt with?", "You boys might as well be chunkin spears!" "Why don't you get yourselves a real bow." etc, etc, etc. . .

My stick is the brunt of much of a lot of Good Natured Jokes from my hunting buddies who shoot compounds. But I have never been insulted by anyone. In fact most are curious and complimentary.

i don't like taking the high road when being heckled , never could, never will.  funs fun and i can take some good ribbing but ya can bey your sweet aunt Irene that i'll give more then i get as far as vocal jabs. i agree not to let john Q public see us bickering but we are mainly talking about being in a archery setting so alls fair.

im with you on this one adkmountainken

The comment that threw me at the range was:
"Next time I want to see you out here with a Real bow... a camouflage bow."

The kid next to him:
"But it is camouflage... ITS WOOD!"

99% of the time I take the high road and offer them a chance to shoot my bow....most remain ignorant and turn it down.  But occasionally, I can't take the crap from folks and I am asked that all-to-often asked question "Can you really kill a deer with that thing?"  To which I respond, "I can...but you?...no, you probably couldn't."  I can't remember the last time I asked a compound shooter about their bow...never crosses my mind.

CAN I SHOOT IT!!!!!!

When I told my son that I was going to used stone heads this year he said "whats next, jumping out of trees with a knife in  your teeth".  I just laughed because I heard him doing a little bragging about the ole man one day telling his buddies about by stickbow kills>