How long have you been hunting with a trad bow, and can you summarize what makes you a better hunter today than you were when you started?
Long time, over 50 years....Instruction and advice from those shooting better than I. Also, it is more a daily activity instead of an occasional thought. It is more than fun when you hit the target
I have also been bowhunting over 50 years starting with small game as a kid. I think when I started practicing shooting from odd positions and through brush, it helped me be a better game shot. As for being a better hunter, that's kind of a trade off. I understand the game better but I can't see or hear as well.
Not a better hunter. But instead of buying guns and reloading all the time I'm buying bows and making arrows all the time. Might be a bit more patient about taking the shot.
Been bowhunting over 60 years,more patience and enjoying every opportunity that happens to come along.
Composure and overall enjoyment!!
learned to relax and enjoy my time out there.
but I've came along way since 1986 when I ordered my first catalog bow and didn't have a clue how to hunt deer.
I took my first buck in 1972, but basically took off the rest 1970's. Reading books by Gene Wensel, Fred Asbel, Roger Rothhaar has taught me a lot.
I enjoy being in the woods, trying to figure out animals especially bigger bucks. I have watched a lot of deer from my tree stands.
My only regret in the last 5 years or so was passing up a 5X5 whitetail at 12 yards in my shooting lane. In my mind I still can see him swinging his antlers side to side as he stood there. Why? because there was a very nice 20"er
in the proximity. I have yet to see one that nice since.
I think setting specific goals has helped me quite a bit.
I have learned to slow down and smell the roses. I don't kill more, but I have better hunts. Retiring from a fairly stressful job a year ago helped me (finally. . it took quite a while to happen) slow down in my whole life. I kinda like it.
ChuckC
1. Have more successfully developed and implemented ever changing strategies, depending on the possible situations, to position me well w /me my effective range versus being positioned at the outer limits and gray areas.
2. Recognizing, identifying, acknowledging and firmly holding to the established effective range for a given situation.
3. Enhanced absorption of enjoyment at every close encounter that is not targeted quarry.
4. Greater focus on the spot and improved anticipation of animal movements on targeted animals. It is becoming a more common occurrence, once a targeted animal has been ascertained, that I only ever see a very small section of the targeted quarry, unless concerned with animal tension, before executing a shot.
Superb question Archie.
I've actually thought about this a lot since I started trad hunting.
I'm a ground hunter and do very little hunting from popup blinds. So, nearly every time I'm in the field, I'm choosing a stand site. I've become much more aware of trail location, silhouetting, wind direction, etc.
The perfect set up for me is down wind, a few yards off a trail, at the point where a deer will stop for a moment to scan a field or more open area before entering. When they stop for that moment to look for danger, the perfect stand location will allow me to shoot at that point. Their attention is focused on looking for danger in the area they are going and aren't as focused on what is right beside of them (me!).
QuoteOriginally posted by ChuckC:
I have learned to slow down and smell the roses. I don't kill more, but I have better hunts. Retiring from a fairly stressful job a year ago helped me (finally. . it took quite a while to happen) slow down in my whole life. I kinda like it.
ChuckC
Yep. I don't have to put meat in the freezer to be successful. Every day above ground is a blessing, and I love to immerse myself in the high country.
Started in 1967........now I have more patience, I need it to spend more time in the woods. All my hunts are better now.
Mellowing and slowing down with age has made me more patient. Its still hard to sit still for very long but I'm much improved. When younger I succumbed to wanderlust and curiosity and often found my hunting expeditions turning into explorations. That cost me many opportunities but even so had it's own rewards.
47 yrs....more knowledge and more patience.
A lot of responses from seasoned veterans, so I will chime in with a (relative) newbie response.
Since going all trad, I have learned to learn. Every single moment in the woods or on the range or at the workbench is an opportunity to learn something new. Becoming acquainted this site has been a very valuable tool.
I have learned that there is no teacher like the woods that we hunt, and the animals that we hunt. I latch onto and cherish each moment I spend afield. Watching young deer come charging headlong down a trail with little concern, and getting stone cold busted by a wise old doe....I learn!!!! I hope to never stop taking new knowledge out of the woods every time I am lucky enough to spend time there.
LEARN!!!! Knowledge is out greatest tool.
Jake
Patience. Perseverance. Determination. Attempting to get game within my self-imposed limit of 15 yards, and then passing shots when the angle was wrong, has taught me a lot. It's been five years since I killed my last deer, but I'm excited about a new season and a new opportunity!
Off and on with a bow since the 1970's. A lot with the bow since the 1980's. Exclusively with the bow the last 17 years. Knowledge and patience for me too are the things I have improved upon. Still, I am not overly knowledgeable nor especially patient, but I am making progress.
The older I got the more patient I got and the more game I seen. Also the more I enjoyed the hunt no matter if there was any game taken or not.
Each hunt each day is a gift.
Over twenty years now, but I take more time with the shot, and with everything else. I have nothing but time, no need to hurry.
After 23 years, I am much better at waiting for the close broadside shot at calm animals. once I got that big idea more game have fallen to my arrows.
I have become better at studying and understanding how the terrain and habitat influence movement patterns of animals. I spend a lot of time figuring out how the terrain will funnel movement and then set up accordingly. Even a slight terrain feature that is hard to see can funnel animals. While my ability to hit a 4 inch square with my longbows has increased in distance my actual shots on animals have decreased in distance. I credit that with observation and studying movement patterns.
I can stalk way more quietly now even over leaves. Know when to move and when to freeze. Much better anticipation of where the animal and I will might intersect. Totally comfortable with my equipment set up. Less concerned with killing and enjoying the campfire more.
I have only been traditional bowhunting the last two seasons... I have bowhunted since my teens with very little interest in rifle hunting. What do I do different now verses two years ago, well nothing really. Now what do I do differently from 30+ years ago, well pretty much everything.
Now days my equipment is tuned to perfection... I never push a shot, today I'd rather watch than kill (except hogs). My blinds are made for bowhunting, where I can actually draw a bow without being seen. I ALWAYS use the wind to my favor whether sitting in a blind or stalking.
I am no better hunter today than I was when I started about 5 years ago...I am as good as I need to be to enjoy hunting...I am not hunting to live; I am living to hunt
DDave
55 years bowhunting. Have learned to slow down at everything I do, have never had any problem sitting in a stand for hours but when feet hit the ground a different story.
I think I get at least a little better at many things every year. I usually set defined goals and try my hardest to accomplish them. I try new tactics and equipment almost every year. Either refining what I already have or just changing things up for fun.
I have been hunting with traditional equipment for about 7 or 8 years now and hope to continually learn more about it as long as I'm on this earth. There are so many aspects to traditional bowhunting that I haven't explored it never gets old.
I have been bowhunting biggame for 58 years this year. Its a tossup. I am definitely a lot better hunter in knowledge and patience and overall skill than I was at that time. However I peaked in my 40s and had it all. (for me that is) I still learned but gradually lost some stamina and physical ability. Today I do not have the ability to make the physical hunts I used to do and the last time I packed half an elk out was 10 years ago.
However I really key now on the enjoyment of the hunt and I spend a lot of time listening and watching and enjoying God's awesome creation and appreciating the fact that I can still get out there and do that.
God bless, Steve
For me, I built up to a better weight bow which has helped the most in taking down whatever I shoot. This was not the case when I started. Being short, the arrow carried little from it's time on the string and I being weaker, The bow itself didn't do much to make up for my inability to somehow always hit the scapula. :(
The distance between the deer and I meant little since I was getting within 10-12 yards many times.
When I stopped wounding deer was when I stopped hunting with a light bow, bulked up and then went back with a heavy bow. No more losses here. That's the biggest difference between now and back then.