I'm just wondering how early or late you guys started to shoot and what bow you started with. I just started right before Christmas. I'm 21 shooting a PSE Blackhawk Recurve 45# at 28".

I shoot almost everyday and can't wait to be able to shoot where I'm aiming.

I started with it when I was 12 because there wasn't anything else back then, you either bowhunted or didn't.  I began with a 35# Stemmler fiberglass but shot my first deer a couple years later with a 45# Bear Bearcat that my daughter-in-law now uses.

I started when I was 6. Those little red bows is what I started with. I was a 10 year 4-H shooting sports member worked my way up and been hunting with my 55# Kodiak Mag for about 4 years now.

im 24 now and i started when i was 19. still have the martin x-200 i started with, and now a few others. had my own place and a huge yard in the country. lots of room to shoot and a spare bedroom for arrow building and bow tweaking.

I Went trad at age 55.  Wish I had started at 21.  I bought a new Checkmate recurve 42@28 and paid $195.00 for it. I now shoot longbows most of the time and have one for everyday of the week or more.

I started when I was 6 years old.  Worked in my dads basement archery shop fletching arrows and stuff.  Still doing it today with my own small basement operation.  That was 1957.  Whew, I'm getting old.

I started when I was 5. That was 56 years ago it was just called archery back then......stabow

I was about 30 to 32 some where in there.  Man thats been over 20 years ago, dang now my knee hurts. Started with a Martin Hatfield 55 @ 30" way to heavy to start out with. I sat that thing at the enterance to the kitchen and every time i walked in or out of the kitchen i stoped and drew the bow back 3 or 4 times, did that for six months before i even nocked an arrow. At the end of that six months i was able to hold that bow at anchor for 5 sec with out a problem.

I was about 38 when I started the transition from the training wheels to trad.  I have shot compound for about 25 years but the recurves and longbows have me hooked.  Get the net and put me in the livewell!

I think that i was about 2. I beleave this is one of the photos of me when i was around 2 i think.

 

Schafer

I started hunting with traditional gear (that's all there was back then) in the early fifties when I was a teen ager. Although there were others, the only bows I can remember using when I started hunting were a York long bow and a lemon wood bow I made in my high school wood shop. I gradually owned & hunted with Bear, Hoyt, and a Browning recurve of 47# with which I finally took my first deer with.

7 shooting with daddy and started hunting at 8

About 10 with those cheap all fiberglass bows and 20 cent arrows hunting carp. Around 14 I got a real bow (Browning Nomad) and took my first deer then I went though the wheelie phase. The first was basically a Browning recurve with wheels hung in the limbs don't remember the name of that one. Then I upgraded to a Jennings Arrowstar..what a noisy P.I.A that was. Then I quit bow hunting for years & years, too busy raising a family and too broke. I got back into recurves about 8 years ago. Am 53.

I was 11, Then when i turned 22 I tried wheels, 6 months later back to traditional. Im 28 going on 29.

Nice form you got there Schafer  

I started trad when I was 26,  wheels at 12, I'm 28 now.

I wish I had started when I was young. I picked it up at 39, will be 43 come November. I tell you what I dont see myself quitting anytime soon.

Started at 14, back in '64 - dad got me a Bear Griz 45#.

I do believe there are more trad archers today than then.  Least wise, my father had one heck of a time finding a mentor to help me along.  That was the beginning of bowhunting on a large scale - when Fred Bear talked a bunch of folks into being 2 season hunters.

My dad bought me a lemonwood longbow when I was 8.....that was 1951.

4, 5 maybe earlier, started with bows made by my dad, with nothing but practical experience he made a decent bow, dogwood or cedar was his woods of choice. First store bought was a 35 pound herters then my dad's 50 lb grizzly that I still own and shoot. Chris

23 years ago,ive always owned and shot a recurve but fully commited 4 years ago.