I came from a "primitive" background. Lived in the woods for 6 months 100% off grid. Plus I use "ultralight gear" when traveling/backpacking. After realizing that I can stalk up to goats within 5 ft on open plains I thought "why not just shoot them with a stick bow?". Before that I was snaring with paracord to get goats and pigs. Now I realize how effective and fun a simple bow can be. I can just walk around and shoot stuff of all sizes. AND EAT IT that day. No checking empty snares. BORING.

My girl teased me for saying "trad" as an abbreviation. I told her its 4 syllables to one. Save much more energy. Its not like when people use abbreviations that don't save any syllables just to sound "IN". You know who I mean.

I'm not trad yet. I got rid of my kodiak mad after shoulder issues.i didn't need the money I just needed it out of the house as it tormented me not being able to draw it. After 7 several urs I picked up a 45 pounder and was able to comfortable shoot it. That was 2 weeks ago and it's all I can think sbout.

I wanted to be a bowhunter.

I like Walt's answer....best yet.

I did it because I was 15 years old and Marylu Mills...my 15 year old neighbor...liked to watch from her back porch while I shot my recurve. I thank her every year.

I was at a local outdoor shootthat was open to all (compound&traditional) . At the time I was shooting a compound in the bare bow division. Later that afternoon they had a one arrow  novelty shoot on a running coyote. After all the eliminations there was two people left , myself and a fella with a longbow. After probably6 more arrows each we finally broke tne tie. He had a perfect  heart shot and won. It looked like he was having more fun than I was and I was hooked on trying a longbow, I  found a good used one and never looked back. That was in the mid 80's. I'm 76 now and try to shoot everyday. I am still  no Robin Hood but I love it.

Was all there was if you wanted to bow hunt.

Just like swamper early 70's compounds were still on the drawing board.When they came out tried one for a week sold it and never looked back.Kip

Started when I was a kid, hunted with a Compound from mid 70's to maybe early 80's. Saw a Bear Kodiak Hunter in a gun shop for 40 bucks and never looked back more or less. Just the purest form of hunting for me. The closeness the silence and spending time in the woods is just more satisfying with a recurve or longbow in my hand. Even stumping puts a smile on my face.

Had a Barnett Sidewinder many years ago, but never liked it. Traded it in for a Harrington & Richardson single barrel shotgun, and bought a recurve. This was over 25 years ago, and when the lower limb of my old recurve blew up two years ago I bought my Cayuga. Never looked back. I have outgrown my training wheels a long time ago. The beauty of a well build longbow beats any of those mechanical monstrosities they call bows these days. Easy choice.

Nostalgia.  

A sentimental affection for the past .... my roots back in the 60's and early 70's.

Never had a choice. Recurves were the only bows sold.  They were the latest and greatest. Only difference now is I own a bunch of'em instead of a short heavy hunting bow and a heavy risered target bow. Like the rosewood and bubinga risers on mine.

How many of you saw "Deliverance" as a kid and couldn't shake the image of Lewis (Burt Reynolds) with that recurve?



Image from Google Images

Cool picture, I remember it well. I received my first bow in '69'. My grandparents bought it for me it was the one that came with the suction cup arrows. I was 3 yrs old then and from that point on I can't remember a time that I haven't had a bow! When I was 13 I bought a Recurve bow of hunting weight from a friend. It had a metal riser with all glass limbs that slid into pockets. I hunted with that and missed my first deer with that bow. Then somehow the limb tip got broken. In '83' I bought my first wheel bow and shot those until '91' they just never felt right and I  never killed anything with them. I finally sold the wheels and and bought a Howatt hunter then a Abbott longbow. I shot my first deer with that Abbott and I have never looked back! There is something so romantic and natural just carrying a stick bow through the wilderness. Reliability and simplicity= AWESOME              

Started with recurve, my dad and uncle both shot recurves. When I went into Army in 1972, then got married, had kids, my bowhunting fell by the wayside. When I had time to start again, everybody around me shot compounds so I tried it too for a year.

It was OK until I started shooting my little Bear Super Mag one day. I realized how much I missed traditional bows.

So I shoot trad because it is way more fun and fulfills something inside me.

Seemed easier to hunt with.

All there was when I started
Terry

All there was and stuck with it because it was what i thought archery was.

all there was when I started. 50 years ago. Never cared to even try a compound.

After 22 yrs with a compound, It got too easy (2-3 per year). I wanted a challenge...and boy did I get one. I've only shot 4 deer with my recurve...and missed a few, and a longbow turkey...and missed a lot, since 2008. But so much more fun to shoot.
Gave my no longer used compound away a couple years ago.

As I get older, I like to challenge myself more and I also like things to be simple.  With my compound I didn't really enjoy shooting it much anymore, and I had always been fascinated with recurves and longbows.  I was intimidated as well, but eventually I just decided to go for it and I'm loving it so far.  I sold my compound and I'm super excited to start my first season with a recurve.  There's just something about the history, beauty, and simplicity of it all that draws me to it that I really enjoy.