I would have been lucky enough to have been able to find a mentor that could bring me into it.  I started 6 years ago and its all been on my own with the unwaivering assistance of tradgang.

Aside from that, I started with a #45 longbow.  Should have started at #40.

Like RC Wish I kept a journal just now starting one. Make my stand on the other side of the orchard last night.  

I wish I had never picked up a compound when they first came out and had not missed those years with recurves and longbows.Luckily I started looking at Tradgang and got the urge to get back. Thanks so much everyone.

Well I took care not to introduce ex-wife. I'd started earlier to shoot with a bow.

As I read all these aforementioned regrets, and reflect upon my own, I am left to ponder; what are WE going to do different during our remaining time on this earth?
"Would have, could have, should have", etc., all fine and dandy. But what steps are we all taking to do things differently today? No one gets a do over, but we can still change our future.
My biggest Archery related regret? Well, I started stick & string in the late 70's as a child, so I started early enough. My mistake comes from the early 1990's. I wrote to Jack Howard, requested a catalog and was seriously considering buying a Gamemaster recurve from him. The price scared me away and I bought a PSE Blackhawk T/D (Samick), which has been a great hunting bow for 20 years, but it is no Howard Gamemaster!
Now, looking back, I WASTED far more $$$ on "wine, women & song" (and guns too), than a custom Gamemaster bow and a trip out West would have cost. I WASTED some serious dough, and I mean wasted it, although I sure did have some fun along the way!
But now, in my mid 40's, don't I wish that I had flown out West, met Mr. Howard, shook his hand, spent some time with him, learned from him and paid him to make me a bow. "Would have, could have, should have"... That time has elapsed, and now Jack is gone.
We only travel this path once. At this point in my life, I focus on the future and try to think things through as much as possible. No more regrets.

Keeping a journal and more pictures would have been nice.

Early in my hunting career, I was "shown" what to do. I wish I would have done my own thing earlier in my career than I did.

I was told baiting is the "only way to bowhunt", and I wasted alot of time sitting in a tree guarding sugar beets and corn. I did kill a few deer, but I was missing out on the part of learning deer biology.

I wish, back in 1966, I would have started with a lighter bow. I wouldn't (still) be struggling with snap-shooting some 46 yrs. later !

Excellent post!

QuoteOriginally posted by Hit-or-Miss:
As I read all these aforementioned regrets, and reflect upon my own, I am left to ponder; what are WE going to do different during our remaining time on this earth?
"Would have, could have, should have", etc., all fine and dandy. But what steps are we all taking to do things differently today? No one gets a do over, but we can still change our future.
My biggest Archery related regret? Well, I started stick & string in the late 70's as a child, so I started early enough. My mistake comes from the early 1990's. I wrote to Jack Howard, requested a catalog and was seriously considering buying a Gamemaster recurve from him. The price scared me away and I bought a PSE Blackhawk T/D (Samick), which has been a great hunting bow for 20 years, but it is no Howard Gamemaster!
Now, looking back, I WASTED far more $$$ on "wine, women & song" (and guns too), than a custom Gamemaster bow and a trip out West would have cost. I WASTED some serious dough, and I mean wasted it, although I sure did have some fun along the way!
But now, in my mid 40's, don't I wish that I had flown out West, met Mr. Howard, shook his hand, spent some time with him, learned from him and paid him to make me a bow. "Would have, could have, should have"... That time has elapsed, and now Jack is gone.
We only travel this path once. At this point in my life, I focus on the future and try to think things through as much as possible. No more regrets.

Just like a lot of the others, I wish I would have started traditional bowhunting sooner...  although I guess it took time to get me to switch I enjoy bowhunting on a different level now.  

Wish I would have hung up the compound sooner than
9yrs ago.There was so much I was missing without my longbow but did'nt realize it. Those days are gone and enjoying so much more now. A shot at an animal or not. There is no day in the woods
that turns out dissapointing.          

I'm still terrible about taking pictures of my hunts and my two boys out in the field.  Wish I would have taken a lot of pics.

I'm still terrible about taking pictures of my hunts and my two boys out in the field.  Wish I would have taken a lot of pics.

I've made some mistakes in other aspects of my life but I'm mostly satisfied with my career as an outdoorsman and archer. I never got into the wheels and cables thing but I did spend a lot of time hunting with a rifle when I could have been hunting with one of my bows instead.

Truly, the only regrets I have in more than 50 years as an archer and bowhunter, are that I don't still have the first two bows I owned when I was a kid. I still have (and shoot) all the rest but I wish I had those first two also.   :(  

Mike
 

I wish I had started left handed and had sought out help. I learned that I'm not a very good teacher haha

I wish I'd learned a whole lot sooner that there is a difference between the best bow for shooting 3D/targets and the best bow for hunting.

I would have had more money so I could have afforded better bows when I was young -- back in the days when "traditional archery" had no meaning, because all bows were either recurves or longbows! And Fred Bear would have been my dad!!!!!!

Allan

All the money spent chasing the "magic-bow" back to put towards hunting trips!

Nothing.  I've enjoyed most all of my past experiences with archery.  Those that I didn't enjoy, I learned from and appreciate the gained insight.

One of my biggest regrets was not having my parents take of picture of me with my Ben Pearson longbow when I was 11. My second regret is loosing that bow somewhere, I can't remember what happened to it.

The third regret is not taking pictures of my early traditional hunts in the 60s/70s because we hunted a military installation where security was strict and cameras weren't allowed in the secure areas.

One thing I don't regret is my journals. I have every hunt, bow shoot, family event, etc recorded ever since I put down the compound 25 years ago.

I do regret not taking more pictures. I just don't like to be bothered with a camera.