I've been struggling with this question a lot lately... I hurt my shoulder a couple months ago and have not been able to shoot my recurve, atleast not accurately!I'm getting better and its getting stronger, but it still hasme worried about my future...
I went out and bought an older Hoyt Protec to shoot fingers with.. After getting it in and setting it up and playing with it for a week, I'm just not sure I can do it again. Sure, given the choice between not hunting at all or going with the compound, duh, I'd hunt with it. But I don't think my situtation is that drastic yet...
Then, to further complicate things, I've recently decided to rededicate myself to hunting, as I've been pretty lazy the last few years. I'm ready to get serious again and work my butt off at getting back on mature deer on a consistent basis.... With that thought in mind, I always have that nagging question in my mind, "do you really want to risk blowing opportunities b/c you chose to hunt with trad gear"...And lets all be honest, it's an entirely different ball game when you're shooting barebow.... ESPECIALLY at the moment of truth....
This is not an elitist post.. Not at all..... Just the ramblings of an average hunter who dedicated himself to traditional archery four years ago and now finds himself questioning his motives and his own personal desires.... I guess you could say I'm torn between wanting to keep the fun, the challenge, the mystery in bowhunting, yet also don't want to blow opportunities that I'd worked my butt off to get!
So...... After all that belly aching For you guys that have 100% dedicated yourself to traditional archery.. Is there any going back to compounds other than medical reasons?
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" If he smells you its over. If he gets in your wind stream its over, If he smells where you walked, he probably aint coming back... Your talking about an animal that can smell a fingerprint. Any amount over 0% is to much." Dan Infalt
Returning to a compound has honestly never crossed my mind, other than "what if" type situations (what if I can no longer shoot a trad bow). Even in that scenario, I can't answer--I just don't know. As long as I can shoot a longbow or recurve, I don't see me ever going back.
Chad
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"We can have no '50-50' allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all."-- Theodore Roosevelt
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. Ecclesiasties 10:2
The last four letters in American..........I Can
The last four letters in Republican........I Can
The last four letters in Democrats.........Rats
If you can't shootyour recurve, then do the next best thing. Take the sights off the ProTec and shoot it barebow. That's what I've done with mine. It's my "orthopedic recurve." I've even toyed around with the idea I got out of Asbell's book. Gluing wood into the sight window and making a shelf to shoot from. Never have done it. Probably won't now.
For the past few months, my shoulders and hands have been hurting so bad after shooting that I've about decided it's pretty much time to hand all my bows over to my son and go entirely to my homemade crossbows.Not quite as much fun as a recurve or longbow, but still...
It's hell when your 'want to' exceeds your body's capacity for action. I still want to play basketball, run 4-minute miles on the track, hike in the woods all day, trot up thebiggest hill just to see what the air is like on top. Instead, I hobble around with my cane, easing my worn out back aroundon my worn out knees. I've got quiteenough to worry about without gettingall misty eyedthat my worn out shoulders and arthritic fingers won't let me shoot bows any more.
My philosophy - Don't worry about what you can't do. Get up off your butt and do what you CAN do. Like mygiving up my sticks and wheels to shoot crossbows.I'd a LOT rather do that than sit at home moping about how cruel life is. [8D]
I have no problem fullfilling that fun-factor shooting both. Thats what its all about right? Getting that satisfaction. Reason I went to longbow was I was losing satisfaction with a compound. I went hard with trad first season. I got one down and thought this is my weapon from now on, and then Igut shotanother doe. That bothered me. In fact that bothered me bad. So last year, I hunted compound for the first 2 months, and then jumped back over trad after gun season. Didn't see anything within 20 yards from Dec. to Jan.
I guess everyone has thier reasons. Some like to be able to say they did it. Some like to prove to others they did it. Some just like to say they can do it. Some just is searching for that euphoric feeling. I just want to get that feeling of excitement where you shake so bad after hitting an animal, that the freakin treestand rattles. You can't buy that feeling. Its what brings me back in the woods year after year.
Location: land of the Lilliputians, In the state of insanity
Posts: 24,189
RE: Can you ever go back?
You can go back. I cut off two fingers a few years ago, I went right back once the Doc. let me. It just takes time and patience. You can go back to what ever your body will allow.
I cut off my fingers at the first of summer. I didnt get to shoot my trad bows until season opened, so I hunted that season with my compounds. It doesnt take but a little practice to get your shot back down with a compound. After I tagged out, I started taking the trad gear out after hogs. It took me a bit of time to get everything working with my trad gear.
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kaafir mushrik
Unintended consequences and God have one thing in common: Liberals don’t believe in either of them.
Returning to a compound has honestly never crossed my mind, other than "what if" type situations (what if I can no longer shoot a trad bow). Even in that scenario, I can't answer--I just don't know. As long as I can shoot a longbow or recurve, I don't see me ever going back.
I could!! BUT!! as I get better and better with my Great Plains recurve I find it very hard to put down. When I do finaly shot a deer with the recurve. This will only be the 2nd year hunting with it{ This will be theYEAR] that I do! I think the compound will become a tomato stick!
Shoot to kill humanely if you want to hunt.I shoot both but prefer longbow.Try switching sides if you shoot right handed try left handed you may find a talent you had hidden.I read a story of a guy who lost his fingers and used a mouth piece to draw and release his bow. anything is possible.Good Luck
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Without the sport of Hunting and fishing we as the human race could not have made it this far. Semper Fi
I recently made the switch to TRad. I lost the lust for bowhunting with a compound. I have killed plenty of deer, but this deer season which I hunted with a compund was tough and I felt like I needed another incentive to be in the woods, the recurve was it. I have shot hundreds and I mean hundreds of arrows the last 4 months and I cant get enough of it, its just plain fun with a recurve. I had not picked up a recurve in 14 years and in a matter of days it started to come back to me. Im a meat hunter and want 2-3 deer a year for the freezer and here in Tn muzzleloader and rifle usually that goal can be attained. Before I could wack a few with the compound and Ididnt spend as much time in the woods because Im not a game hog. But this fall its a whole new challange that I cant wait for. THe reward is worth it for me, you have to love what U do, to do it well I was starting to loose my passion for bowhunting, but now its back stronger than ever, I dont think i will ever pick up a compound again. For years I always felt that if a deer got within 25 yard ofmy stand and i could get the bow back I would kill that deer, now the goal is to getthat deer with in 15 and hopefully get the bow back and get the arrow to the deer. Its ganna be alot of fun
scott
Can you ever go back?
For you guys that have 100% dedicated yourself to traditional archery.. Is there any going back to compounds other than medical reasons?
