MichiganWhitetails74

I'm not sending this to upset anyone but I want to educate those that have not had this experience..

I am an active compound shooter and I like to make sure my broadheads and arrows are straight and true...

However...

Please take the time to read this......

At 21 years old.....1995 I dumped the compound and changed my ways...My uncle and I madeour own osage stick bows out of osage orange. The bows had lots of character and many curves from tip to tip. When I drew the bow it felt like my shoulders were going to explode. When I neared full draw my whole body shook as I tried to hold steady and fire that cedar arrow off my knuckle. This was not a recurve......it was bare bones like the indians did it....

Listen closely...my arrows were made of cedar.....the broadheads were flint heads...they were held onto the arrow with dried deer tendons....the fletchings were turkey feathers...also held on by dried deer tendons.....

I practiced with this bow and held 6 inch groups at 18 yards...when I was finished shooting my hands were scared from the fletchings wearing away at my hand...

I am a compound shooter now-----but I want compound shooters to learn from this.....If you have not tried bare bones shooting like the indians did hundreds of years ago you must do it...:"if it is in your heart to try it".... in this life that you live you must do it in respect of the hunt and respect for what you have for the animal.....after you do it....if you decide to quit.....at least you can say..."I understand".... how it was to live like the indians did..."remember what your heart is telling you"

I am a compound shooter...I am reminding you again....however....realize this......I learned this.....It does not matter what broadhead you have.....the name brand.....the cutting diameter.....or how sharp you made the broadhead after you shot it in the dirt.....When you send an arrow threw the air with a piece of wood...with a stone on the end....at 15 yards...that stone will poke a hole in the vitals....if you make a good shot....when you make a hole in the mid section of an animal it bleeds and dies....it does not matter if you shoot a 15 dollar broadhead or a stone on a stick....an open hole in the mid- section of an animal causes the animal to blead.....make the right shot....in the vitals....and you will go home happy...please remember this when you are at cabelas studying what to buy......whether you are like an indian....or going with full technology....its about making a hole in the vitals for the animal to bleed.......try traditional archery before your last day on earth....harvest an animal at least once...and you will change your outlook on what bare bones hunting is all about....remember.....stones makes holes too....and the animal bleeds....they are also very deadly........If you have not killed with sticks and stones you may not truly realize how hard bowhunting really is........life is too short......try it..........Good Luck

Rob/PA Bowyer

That was a great post minus that one line quoted above. If a guy can hit his mark, 10 out of 10 at 20 yards regardless of weapon, it's not harder one way or another, it's about getting the animal at that 20 yards, not hitting him.

nodog

Love to someday.

Jasonlester

My current hunting bow is and Osage selfbow. My arrows are river cane with obsidian heads and turkey feathers.

All of it made by me even my string, back quiver, and obsidian heads. No sights no rest. I shoot off my hand.

Its a blast and so simple.

Try it I think you'll like it. It doesn't mean you have to give up compounds but be carefull its is adictive.

Big Duane

if thats true, waiting until a buck is 20 yards and shooting him with a .270 is just as gratifying as killing him with a self bow, isn't it ?

but we know thats not true, and until a compounder shoots traditional, they'll never know what true bowhunting is

its like a golfer, playing golf the RIGHT way, vs a golfer taking extra swings, mulligans, not counting whiffs, not counting out of bounds, etc etc

theres a difference, don't kid yourself

rybohunter

But the amount of time/effort and skill to be able to hitthat mark 10 of 10 with stick & string compared to modern compound is WORLDS apart. Even to those very familiar with bows all thier lives.

GMMAT

I concur.

Brett/IL

I have been a die hard compound shooter for over 15 yrs. now. I got the urge to try what you are recommending in '06. I did not take it to the extremes you did, but I did buy a recurve, wood arrows, and Wensel Woodsman broad heads. I spent the spring and summer shooting more than I had in years. When season rolled around I was very confident out to 25 yds. I managed to kill two does with that set up and I will be the first to tell you that those two bow kills were more rewarding than any others up to that point. However, I also did something I hadn't done in over 10 yrs., I hit a deer and did not recover it. I am not saying it was all the tradtional gears fault completely, I simply made a bad shot, but the gear had something to do with it.

Many people on this board, and bow hunters in general, do not have the time to practice enough to get proficient and stay proficient with trad. gear. Many people don't have the time to make their equipment as you did. It takes a tremendous amount of dedication to learn how to shoot a trad. bow. It also takes a tremendous amont of dedication to stay proficient with it. You really do need to shoot EVERY day. Anyone who says differently has either been shooting trad. for many, many years, or they are lying to themselves. I shoot my compound year round in various leagues and simple back yard shooting, but I do not shoot it EVERY day. I do consider myself an above average shot with my bow and have 100% confidence in myself and my equipment when it is time to draw on something living. As much as I practiced with the recurve, I never felt that way about that bow. I hadconfidence, but not the way I do with the compund.

I think the problem with making a blanketing statement that "everyone" needs to try it just once, is the number of deer that would be shot and never recovered due to poor hits. Many people would think they were ready to head the woods, when in fact they would be far from it. There are a lot of people who don't possess the disipline to admit to themselves that they are not ready to head to the woods with their chosen equipment. Heck, we see it all the time with compund shooters, and Lord knows those things a far easier to gain profiency with than a self bow.

I do agree with the statement that anyone who has thought about it should try it. It is very satisfying to kill a deer with tradtional gear after putting in the hard work involved in learning how to shoot one. Just like everything else in life though, this one thing isn't great for everyone.

BobCo19-65

Just to add, it is also worlds aparttocomparea true primitive arrow with a flint knapped head to what most understand as traditional. Compare this primitive arrowto even a POC turned on a lathe withweightand deflection measured with a digital scale, fitted and glued (with modern type glues) with what most would call a traditional head such as a Zwickey, and feathers precision chopped glued to the shaft. etc.

What I am saying is the the Indians (among others)where in a whole different classthen whatwe even consider traditional.

We could also get into nock, string material, backings, etc.

Cougar Mag

I am not so sure, because of the newer, faster bows with letoffs of 80%, some modern compound archers take shots beyond their limitations, just as traditional archers may as well. I don't know if there is any reliable available statistics, but I'd venture to say a good traditional equipment bowhunter limiting his shot to say 20 yds. is probably as successful as a compound bowhunter who sets his limit at say 40 yds. or beyond. I believe that is the key........knowing your limitations and that is an individual thing. Agreed though that the actual process of shooting traditional equipment is harder.