RE: longbows
I like traditional bows because of their simplicity and artistic beauty. I view compounds as machines. I don't have anything against them; they just don't hold my interest like the beauty of crafted wood. If you'd rather go with traditional archery, I'd recommend getting a cheap, low weight bow. You can get some from ebay at a pretty good price. They generally have them in low, but huntable weights: 40-45#. Traditional archery is a lot of fun, the shooting and the hunting. Not having to worry about the tune staying in place, sights or peeps moving, just getting the right arrows, looking down the shaft, and making sure my form is on makes a tradtional bow superior in utility to a compound anyday.
God bless,
Brandan