Thanks guys, all good advice.
Be patient with your shooting. The quick results that are obtained with a compound aren' t likely to materialize with a stick. You' ll find that it' ll take a lot more practice and dedication to become even somewhat proficient with trad gear.
I won' t be trying to hunt with it until probably the 2004 season as I know there will be a lot more practice involved with the traditional bow.
Also, most pro shops know absolutely nothing about trad equipment, so be very careful about the information that they feed you. They are, after all, there to make money and a lot of archers coming from compounds to traditional fall prey to the shops ignorance.
There is a pro shop that specializes in traditional equipment in the area that I will be going to to learn this sport. Hopefully they will be good guys to deal with.
Check out the used bow market first. I was in the proshop the other day when a guy walked in with a no-name recurve he bought at a thrift store for $7. Added a $12 string, nock point and a rug rest and he was set up for flingin' arrows for less than $25.
Thanks for the tip, I' ll check out the thrift shops around here as well.