the closer we get to the season all of my buddies are hounding me about going all trad this season. they watched me shoot the other day and I did not shoot well. I had been shooting the best I ever had until they show up! either way, I am not wavering in my decision. i realize I have some good days and bad days of shooting and I pray that when that moment comes, it will be a good day. all I can do is continue to shoot and try to fix issues that I can.
Good for you. No one's perfect. Do the best you can and keep any shot you might get within your confidence range. That's my motto.
I'm sure they have bad days with their fancy equipment also.
Stick with it. Once you take an animal with traditional equipment it will come to you as to why you stayed with traditional equipment versus going back to a compound. I have taken animals with both over the years and there is nothing like the feeling of taking an animal with traditional equipment.
Ron
yes they do have bad days. of course it's always the bow and not them. my effective range on the target is about 15-16 yds. I can shoot farther but my consistency suffers. so I will keep my shots under 15.
I hear you on the bad shooting when compounds are around. I don't shoot well at paper or 2d targets so that can make a difference. Chances are they were shooting Outside of traditional effective range so I'm sure you were pushed to be shooting from a distance as well. Traditional eqiupment and instinctive shooting are a deadly combination inside 20 yards.
...it doesn't help that the average archer with a compound will be stacking arrows at most traditional guys effective ranges...it puts more scrutiny on otherwise deadly accuracy with traditional equipment. Remember, if you squarely hit the vitals you are good my friend
well they were not shooting it was an audience on me! I was not hitting my anchor so my shots sucked. but I got it back under control for now.
As much as I yearn (you read that right...) to take home some deer meat, I pass up shots I'm not comfortable taking. And that has the potential to be a lot of shots! I would also be comfortable shooting out to 30-40 yards, given the right scenario.
BUT, if I were defending my choice of trad gear to anyone else, I'd just tell them that I can pass on a shot and not sweat it... I don't take shots I can't make good on. That gives me the freedom to hunt with my choice of (legal) equipment, primitive though it may be. I, for one, enjoy the journey as much as or even more than the destination.
If your buddies are hounding you to the point that it bothers you, then you need to find some new friends.
Everyone can take some ribbing, but if it bothers you enough to post about it, it's time to move on from them, or at the very least, distance yourself from target practicing from them.
If you allow negative crap slinging into your head, they have beat you. Trad archery is 90% mental in my book, and you need to be mentally confident in your equipment to hunt with it.
I think it's more anticipation of the season more than anything. and maybe some jealousy of the fact I dare to do this 100% and they would not. I have hunted with these guys for 25 yrs and killed many deer with the wheelie bow with them. I think it's just shock that I gave it up. it is a lot of ribbing but I can deal with it.
Just pick a spot, not the whole deer and you'll be fine!
I once had a guy get in my face fiercely about going out elk hunting w/ a longbow. Said bowhunters have worked too hard to secure bowhunting rights to be shooting them with inferior weapons. I kept my cool but told him my arrow kills by blood the same as his. Its part of shooting trad to get ribbed a little but feel blessed to enjoy the trad hunting. Its pretty special and some great company.
I get it man. I have a buddy who hunts with a compound and he told me I should just take the compound out. He did it in a nice way and I had told him I wasnt feeling great about my accuracy at the time but it was enough to shake my confidence. I shot the old compound for five minutes and took it back inside. I will hunt with the recurve even if it means I pass on anything past 15 yards.
I think the preseason anxiety is getting to both of us a little. So much anticipation and preparation go into this that its easy to psyche yourself out.... I'm gonna go shoot
I have shot a little today. some good some bad. I just need to work on the kinks best I can before October 3.
A local fairly friendly cp shooter tried to make fun of me in the Taco Johns the other day. He told the guys there, "Yesterday, I drove by and he was out shooting, how many arrows can you get in that back thing anyway? But like I said, he was in his yard shooting. An hour later he was out there shooting again. Then when I got off work, get this, he was was out for the third time and so lazy about it that he was sprawled in a lawn chair, completely laying back with his arrow thing just leaning there. He shot half his arrows in the heart and the half on the butt of his deer target. Really, laying on his back." So I asked him, "Do you know what happens when you try to shoot 18 arrows at just the heart of a deer target?" He said, "Beats me, I only have four arrows, it's all I need because with modern arrows, the points screw off and I can put hunting points on." That really impressed the guys at the table, removable points, wow. Then he goes, "oh I get it, you hit your arrows, well you were getting them right in there. But you can't take that lawn chair hunting." I said "Think about it, I was on my back and I was not out there three times. I was shooting for over three hours. Can you shoot your compound tilted that far over?" He said, "I can't tip it at all. Can I stop by next time and check that out?" I told him yes, but he could not shoot his compound on my property, the way he draws his bow could be a liability risk.
Who gives a rat's ass what "they" say? We shoot what we like, and they shoot what they like. That's what really matters. Logic, facts, or even displayed skill is not going to change some people's minds, so don't even try. For those who show genuine interest, do all you can to help them along.
Landon, it has been said, right here, that you will never kill a deer with a trad bow if you are carrying a compound.
I know you have been practicing. I hate audiences too.
Just plan your hunt, get close, take a close, realistic shot, and smile big. If it means letting a lot of deer walk, so be it. . or. . go back to the compound. My doe last year was taken at 5 paces, from the ground, in a marsh. It CAN be done and YOU can do it.
It is nobody's choice but yours, and you should choose because of YOUR goals and wants, not because of peer pressure.
Just know going in that it may be a bit more difficult than it was before ( or, it may not. . never know).
ChuckC
Invite them to Dixie and we'll shoot a "Cool Springs" round....they'll be eating humble pie.
Maybe you need to find some folks with similar thoughts on gear and hunting. Do you hunt with them or are they just giving you a hard time? I would just do my own thing and enjoy myself.....to heck with them!
Extremely well said, Chuck.
Jake
Put it this way, tell your friends to shoot trad this season and see what happens. Anyone can shoot compound, but not traditional.
Hang in there...I took some ribbing in the beginning as well. When u text them and tell em u just ran an arrow through a nice one...lets see what they have to say then.
For what its worth...I never shoot well when people r watching me...or at 3d targets. But when Im alone or in the woods..things change and it all comes together for me.
Remember that it is called trad HUNTING, not shooting. You decide what is your max range and then go out determined to close the distance. If your max is 15 yards and your buddies is 45 with a wheelie, that just makes your success three times what his is!
Also, next time you shoot with them invite them to play a game of follow the leader with you leading. They have to make their shot from the same position and location as you. Those wheelie bows are incredibly difficult to shoot from the prone position. ;)
When I shoot, my worst enemy is always my mind. Don't worry about what your friends say, just text them a picture of the deer you kill this year. My friends were the same, but eventually they realized I don't care what they think of it. Two of them even started hunting last year with traditional bows. One sold his compound bow and hasn't looked back since, just like I did a couple of years ago. Good luck.
So I have been away from hunting for far to long myself but even back in the early days I was shooting a longbow and I got lots of **** from the guys I hung out with who started using compounds instead of the trad gear I was using. I had a long bow with a 25" draw pulling about 45#. My first deer was with that bow at just under 15 yards. It was a heart shot and I was more than pleased with my results.
The best part of the whole hunt was the fact that it was my first time out. The boys were quite impressed by my handiwork.
Interestingly, the years after that were busts as I lost confidence in my shooting. Although, I still count each animal that I got within shooting range of as a successful hunt even though I may have never taken a shot.
Ignore your buddies and follow your heart. If we paid attention to our buddies we would all be trying to marry strippers instead of the lovely ladies who keep us warm at the end of the day and who wait for us excitedly when we return from a hunt. Albeit, hugs may not come til after a deep cleansing shower to get the stench of sweat and elk pee off of us.
When I shoot, my worst enemy is always my mind. Don't worry about what your friends say, just text them a picture of the deer you kill this year. My friends were the same, but eventually they realized I don't care what they think of it. Two of them even started hunting last year with traditional bows. One sold his compound bow and hasn't looked back since, just like I did a couple of years ago. Good luck.
Compound, crossbow? Don't own one, don't need one. I have the ultimate weapons of choice, recurves and longbows. I'm so sorry the other groups of hunters don't get it. They would be so much happier doing it the best way. My 2 cents worth.
My desire is greater than ever. I have shot weekly since January. Sometimes just once a week, sometimes 5 days. I enjoy the whole process. Not once have I regretted selling that brand new 1200$ Elite compound bow...ok, I do regret selling it for $650!! But not regretting making the switch. I now have began shooting without a glove or tab just because I like the feel of the string on my fingers. My range is 15-16 yds with perfect conditions, maybe 12 under normal conditions. I am cool with it. Thanks for spirit lift!
I dont know any trad guys that shoot at deer past 15-17 yards. Youre doing fine.
There are days when I can miss the vitals, then there are days where I miss the whole target..It all boils down to my anchor. If I hit it right Im good, but the slightest variation is a disaster. But then again, I haven't even been shooting a year yet. I think the more I shoot the closer I get to it coming natural. 25+ years with a peep and kisser and wheels , hard habits die hard!
I have a very good friend of mine who owns a local archery shop. I was getting ready to go on my first trip to Africa, and he told me he would loan me a compound to take as a backup, "just in case". He was serious, but I told him I did not need a backup because I was already taking 3 bows with me.
Since then, he has seen how successful trad gear can be. He still ribs me a little, but I know he is just teasing now.
If you have only been shooting about a year, just relax and take good, high percentage close shots. Getting a few critters down, along with lots of practice and repetition makes it a bit easier at the moment of truth. Once you have your shot truely automatic you don't have to think about it in a hunting scenario. I can pick apart almost every shot (for both good and bad things) when I am practicing, but I can almost never remember anything about the actual shot when I shoot a critter.
Good luck come opening morning!!!
Bisch
^^^^Excellent advice from a guy who has killed more critters in more places than anyone I know^^^^^
good advice as always Bisch! I will keep on shooting and give it all I have. I have come a long ways since January, but still have a long ways to go.
I can also tell you this......people who have not tried/been successful with trad will not understand the commitment we have. When I go hunting somewhere, I am content with my longbow in my hand. I would rather try with my longbow, and not get a critter, than use some other weapon and get that critter. The reward of "getting it done" with trad gear is that much greater!!!!!!
Bisch
I just started shooting trad last year and was lucky enough to get a nice buck. I know I will never go back to a compound bow. Part of the lure of traditional hunting is how you must work to get a shot withing your effective range. Hunting with traditional equipment has made me a better hunter. I sometime will watch the hunting shows on TV and I am stunned by how often they don't get pass throughs on animals with the compound bows. To each his own, but I know I will never go back to compounds.
Try small game hunting. A lost progression into archery hunting IMO. Tree rat hunting has a lot more action and shooting than deer hunting. It's a great way to help your big game archery hunting.
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
I can also tell you this......people who have not tried/been successful with trad will not understand the commitment we have. When I go hunting somewhere, I am content with my longbow in my hand. I would rather try with my longbow, and not get a critter, than use some other weapon and get that critter. The reward of "getting it done" with trad gear is that much greater!!!!!!
Bisch
This right here - I'm much happier being out with a recurve and getting nothing than with a wheel bow and killing a monster
As A traditional archer who hunts, I accept the fact that if a booner walks by at 25 yards I probably will not be going home with his horns in my hands. But rather in my mind and heart.
I accept the restrictions I place upon myself in the process of killing an animal. And that is how it should be. It should be hard to kill, it should NOT be easy.
Most people out in the woods don't get that. Their ego's won't allow it.
I have yet to regret it when an animal was out side of my range and I have been hunting trad since 1985.
I hope you have a great season. But don't measure your success on a punched tag, but rather measure it on your time in the woods, experiences good and bad and on the flight of your arrows.
Not only do compound shooters deride us trad shooters, gun hunters do the same to wheels shooters. Went to Newfoundland three years ago with my compound. Was waiting at the float plane dock to be flown to our camp. There were also some gun hunters who had just gotten back from their hunt on the dock after just having been flown back. They had a couple of moose but not all of them had connected. They didn't know I was listening and when they saw our party was packing only bows, they had a good laugh as if to say "Yeah, right. Good luck taking a moose with those!" Well, it so happens that I and a friend, both of us in or near our 70s, both killed bulls. Wish I had their numbers so I could text a pic of mine. But just goes to show that we're not the only ones to get grief over our choice of hunting equipment. This friend I mentioned gives me some good-natured ribbing over my decision to forsake the wheels and go 100% trad. Told me yesterday that I would be back to the wheels. Not a chance.
Ya know. . . good points. We try to teach that in bowhunter education classes.
When you are going to be shooting at a critter, you have certain obligations ( whatever they are FOR YOU).
For me, one is that I have a reasonable chance of actually hitting it well enough to kill it. For Me That means, if the world record deer saunters past at a distance, maybe 25 yards or so, I probably won't shoot it.
But I WILL ALWAYS remember it.
As you increase the ability of your equipment, you obviously increase that distance. This is probably the main reason many folks go to the machines in the first place.
Why limit yourself to 20 yards (or 40 yards diameter circle) , when you can cover half the woodlot, or the entire ridge, or the entire ditch, or half the field of apple trees etc using a well apportioned compound or cross bow.
And of course, quadruple that when you chose a .270 or .300 Win Mag.
Why ? That's the part about your choice. About what the whole game means to you. About the feel aspect of this whole thing. That's the part where you say to your friends " if you gotta ask, you wouldn't understand".
Go get em Tiger.
ChuckC
Who cares what they think or say. You can't control that so do what you want and they can do whatever they want. Find new "buddies" to hunt/shoot with if it bothers you that much. Confidence is key and they aren't helping.
Btw, lots of people on here make this a compound vs Trad thing and use a very broad brush.
some of the best and most ethical hunters I know shoot wheels and they've never been negative towards me or my equipment
Don't let anyone get under your skin except those who love and support you.
I wish I could convey the "pride" I felt for a group of "Trad shooters" I was blessed to share a pheasant hunt with when the "dog handlers" announced that our group took more pheasants and quail with our equipment than the last group of hunters they took out to hunt with their shotguns.
It's about the dedication to our sport that makes it what it is.
God bless,Mudd
I don't think I'd have anyone to shoot with if I tried to get away from the BS talk. I don't shoot with any other trad shooters and also shoot a compound. You really can't compare accuracy out of a stick versus a compound, it would like be comparing a rifle to a compound.
For some dumb reason, "friends"(not all, but some) often try and mess with your head instead of supporting you. Better to put failure in your head than talk you into feeling good about your shooting. Then whenever you are around them, you don't always shoot to your real ability, because they are all around you and in your head making you nervous.
Used to happen to me in our 3D group.
Funny though, at the end of hunting season I usually had game down, while there were stories lots of misses or non recovery from the group.
When you are shooting alone, that is usually how you will shoot while hunting.
Laugh with them, let them talk. Then show them your antlers and see how fast the negative talk stops and turns to the next unfortunate target.
Then help that guy.
"When your alone, that is usually how you will shoot while hunting" Words so true.
Know your limitations and discipline yourself to only take shots within that distance.
I have practiced a lot over the past 6 months or so. I just pray that if the chance comes along even at my limited shot distance that I make a clean kill or at the very least a clean miss.