I was out enjoying my Kodiak Magnum recurve this afternoon after work when my Dad told me my buddy was on the phone. He's a very serious and successful hunter for his age. In the last 3 years he's killed 2 bucks over 140inches he really knows his stuff. He shoots trad on occasion we actually took the recurves out last year and he got a nice rabbit. Anyhow he asks what im doing and I tell him that im shooting my recurve. He asked why I was doing that this time of year and I told him because I want to hunt with that bow this year.

First thing he says is your crazy and is pretty much trying to change my mind and hunt with the compound like him and everyone else I hunt with. He's not the first one to say this either a lot of peoples first reply is what would want to do that for? Has this happen to anyone else? How do you about speaking to people in a civil manner so it doesn't start a big debate? What doesn't make sense to me is these kills typically kill deer at 20 yards or less so what difference does it make if your shooting the deer at that range with a longbow recurve compound or even shotgun? Please lets keep this clean adult and civil I just want to know if this has happened to anyone else and how they went about it.

Lots have told me its not for them.
Never had anyone tell me I shouldn't do it.

Why in the world would you worry about what someone else thinks about your hunting?

I don't get it.  Who are you hunting for?  Why would anything they have to say make a hill of beans difference to you?

Hunt legally.  Hunt ethically.  And....let everyone who doesn't understand your pursuits pound sand.

tHEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FUN & SIMPLISITY OF JUST BEING ABLE TO SHOOT WITHOUT ALL THE GIZWIZ STUFF. been the wheel route my self, but went back to trad to have fun. it's not about the kill anymore.

Tell them that you actually have fun shooting trad equipment.  :D

I always tell them that it is the hunt that I enjoy and not just the kill.  It takes more time and pratice to get the deer into my range.  The excitment that I get when this happens is the best.  The knowledge that I have won that battle is great.  Sometimes I don't even need to shoot.  They don't like to hear this but I point out that alot of the stuff that I use I have made myself.  It is just not about that 1 day in the woods , but it is the fact that I love archery and the hunt, so if I can do it year round then all the better.  I get to enjoy shooting my bow everyday, so if I bought a compound and only shot in the season my life would seem empty

Ask them if flyfishing is a waste of time since it is easier to catch fish by drowning worms.

When others tell you that your nuts to do something a different way than they do,its usually becuase they are not informed about topic. I taught Hunters Saftey with a group of insructors,all bow hunters,who really didn't know about Traditional and did'nt care to. It's sad to see groups at odds who really have the same common goal.....to hunt and have fun.

My buddy Keith and I shot a tournment this weekend, we had a compound shooter in our group, who asked if we wound alot of animals. Now Keith is one of the best longbow shooters in the state, I am probably above average at hunting distances, the compound shooter was askin a honest question and was not tryin to bash us, he is going off information from others, I as well as Keith tried to explain that you have to be sure the shot is there ie: range, angle, animal posture etc..  and you are comfortable with it and stay within your comfort range, ya might have to let alot of deer walk that he would normally be a slam dunk with the bow he was shootin, and of the dozens of deer I have taken with a bow, its been a very long time since I killed one over 20 yards. ... not sure we ever got through to him, but this seems to be a fairly common thought process, I am not a big fan of posting hero shots of kills but maybe we actually need to, as proof a stickbow can be a superior hunting bow in the right hands...

Just tell him that a traditional bow is the style that you prefer to shoot and hunt with. If he is resonable then he will accept it. If he is one of those folks who can't understand why someone would make a choice different from the one that they made, then the conversation wouldn't go anywhere anyway.

Not to talk down about your friend but a lot of people can't understand that after they made what they consider to be a well thought out decision how someone else could make a different one. Sort of like Ford trucks vs. Chevy trucks, everyone has their favorite for personal reasons, but they both haul stuff and get you where you need to go.

Ask him what he thinks bowhunters did before the wheel bows came along.  We have a history of thousands of years...his bow...about 35 years.
Crutches are okay if you have trouble walking without them.

And from my side, I see more folks who are amazed with what we do, rather than those who are against it.

because they can't!!!

Get new friends...........

Ditto what Biggie said.

all the time  

Not meaning this in a bad way but most people who say things like that are in it for a different reason.  As stated before, for most of us it's about the hunt itself and for a lot (not all) of the guys who have a hard time understanding why we do what we do it's still about the kill.  I say this because as ashamed as it makes me I used to be one of those guys that thought it was stupid to hunt with a stick bow because I was obsessed with the kill  :(  .  But, I am proud to say that I grew out of that with a little help about five years ago    .  Not trying to talk down to anyone, to each his own and we're all in it for different reasons.  As long as we all do it legally and ethically and love doin' it.

I get it all the time, and I believe its b/c there jealous that they cant do it and also the are not aware that trad gear is still used all over the world.

Isn't bowhunting about challenging yourself as a hunter(getting close)?
Why wouldn't a bowhunter(compound or trad) understand that?
I would guess there is a LOT he doesn't understand.

I'll tell you what Nick, I had a couple good buddies that were very concerned about me switching over. From there point of view it was hard enough to kill big game animals with a bow why make it harder (in their opinion) than it already is. Well, I am a pretty stubborn guy so I didn't let that put me off. The short of it is that since I switched to traditional equipment I have enjoyed hunting more so I have hunted longer and harder (and smarter) than before. The end result is that I have shot many more critters with my bow than they have including my best whitetail buck and a real nice 6x6 bull elk. They both now own recurves but are not  confident enough in their shooting to hunt with them yet.  My suggestion is go out there, have fun, hunt hard and shut those guys up with your results! Good luck!!!

I give my compound bow buds (including my brother) grief about having training wheels. They give me grief about using caveman tools. None of us either mean any or take any offense by it. They respect me for having the dedication to practice all year so I can stay up to snuff. I actually have respect for them to be able to tune a rather complex piece of equipment to be as precise as they are. Let's face it, under some circumstances the average compound bow shooter can be far more precise than the average stick bow shooter (notice I said shooter, not hunter).

I have never had anyone genuinly not understand why I shoot trad equipment, but if I did, I think I would simply say that it's what feels right for me.

My gal is an excellent shot with her recurve. She can nail a Skoal can lid five out of six times at 20 yards nearly all day, but up until this year did not feel comfortable taking game with it. She used her compound and is darn good with that too. She wasn't ready until she was ready. She was more concerned with a quick, clean, kill than about trying to please me (or anyone else) or trying to be like anybody. She had confidence with the wheels, now she has confidence without.

I think most archers (wheel or sans wheels) understands what archery is about. Trad is meerly a further extension of that same thinking.

I have said it before: Traditional is as traditional does.

OkKeith