I have my old recurve tuned and ready. 550 grains of pure slow motion coming down next year. I figured I started that way I at least should keep it going.[&:] In answer to the original discussion. We've become better hunter with experience. The new gadgets make it easier to stretch the limits and kill, that's all they do, make killing easier and cleaner and quicker. You still have to put yourself in the spot. I think the main advantage is quicker cleaner kills. Those of us that started back in the early 70s probably didn't know more than 1 or 2 people that even had a bow.
The thing about traditional equipment is it takes continual daily practice. I firmly believe the only way to shoot traditional for hunting is obviously fingers but without any sighting aids. You must learn your arrows path and become the arrow. It's not easy. Whereas with my compound I think nothing of a 30 yard shot and will not hesitate to take a 40 yard one if that's all I'm going to get. FOr most, traditional is a 20 yard and under affair. And people just don't practice enough. Go to a range where traditional folks hang out. You'll see a lot of dismal shooting. They simply don't practice enough. There will always be one or two that will outshoot a lot of compound folks. They've become the arrow. I remember when I used to shoot at tournaments in the Southeast in the 70s. There was a yound whippersnapper, Jessie Morehead, now with Muzzy. With a totally bare bow he had people shake their heads all the time. I remember at the Southeastern NFAA tournament one year he outshotmost of the freestylers. This was over 3 days at targets to 80 yards with nothing but a stick and a string. No one in his class had a chance.
This picture from the early 70s has me with my Army fatiques for camo, a leather vest I made myself with a game pouch(yes I can sew)and my Damon Howitt with the oldbear razorheads with bleeders. That's what I hunted deer with too.
