Have you ever considered trad. archery hunting?
 

Have you ever considered giving traditional archery a "go"?

If you have....and decided (for whatever reason)....it's just "not for me".....that's a completely valid reason.

But....if you have (considered it), what are some reservations you have that are stopping you?

Just curious.

I shot trad for several years....then they invented compounds.

the problem for me is time, when i was 14 and in high school i shot every day and was very accurate, but now with work and college i dont have the needed practice time to feel sure about my shot placement.

Jeff-

1. My shoulders would not support shooting traditional. I know you don't hold the draw as long with traditional but it's fairly painful to hold the entire weight.

2. A great majority of my bowhunting is now suburban and trad bows are prohibited by the management organization.

3. The difficulty in achieving humane kills is higher (for me). This is a personal stance related to discipline, available time for practice, terrain etc. Might not be true for everyone.

I have considered it, and am currently still in that "in limbo" phase of really wanting to hunt with it. I have a recurve that I do enjoy shooting, but I haven't made myself get proficient enough with it yet to have confidence with it to hunt, yet. Its on the docket for next season, to at least go afield with my recurve and be confident in my abilities when I'm out there. I bought a new muzzleloader in November, T/C Omega, and its a small step, but I'm going to shoot that open sights. I know, not the same, but still, a little throwback.
Trad gear is a blast to shoot, I just have to get over the mental hurdle of being happy with my groups with it as compared to my compound. With time, that will come. My best friend has won many tournies with his Widow, so I know I have a good teacher, and he has taught me well, just now the time commitment is my responsibility.

Would you expound on this? Is there an imagined or real discrepancy?

Trad is what I started with 30 years ago. I was a Rookie, had no clue what I was doing, never killed anything with it because of said reasons. :patriot: I still have my first recurve that my Dad had kept all those years, and Indian stalker I believe, 45# he gave it back to me several years back as well as a Bear Grizzly 45# that I now use for bowfishing :cool2: I do still have that itch to get it done and keep saying im going to try it again. I might just try and stab a Doe next season but will likely go back to my training wheels if it happens. I cant get past the thought of a slammer buck at 20-30 yards and I cant shoot because its out of my comfy range :sheep: Nothing wrong with it and I love seeing people who are sucessful using them :s1:

I have pondered the idea but just never followed thru! Never ruling it out but one thing for sure is that I will not be trying it till atleast my wife is done college! I don't shoot my compounds as much as I would like now due to no time!

If I only hunted deer I would probably go that route but, for now, I enjoy taking long (40-60 yds) shots at small game. To go trad would take away shooting time from that. Plus, I enjoy working on, and shooting, compounds too much right now.

I would like to tag a deer or two eventually with trad equipment. In fact, I even have an ol' Bear Kodiak Magnum sittin' around here.

However, I just can't seem to pull myself away from the "techie" side of things. Ordering a Mathews Z7 a couple weeks ag dosn't help matters either! LOL!

I tell ya what got me back into it. I pig huntin with wheels. I see the pig, half drew back and that SOB charges. I didn't like the feeling. So I saw a trad hunter firing off shots snap shootin at a boar.

For fast snap shooting action, it beats wheels any day. See the target, draw back, burn a hole in that target starring at it, and let your body take over.

Good thread.

I started with trad gear, never killed anything. Went to a compound for many years.
Just a few back decided to come back to the trad thing, but I have not been able to completely put down the compound. I hope to eventually someday, but I think that day may be farther out than I had originally planned. For me the biggest thing is getting and staying proficient enough, for long enough, to have the confidence to hunt that way long term. Right now there are light years between my confidence levels. I need to close that gap.

I started bowhunting back in the 70's with a recurve. I believe it was a Bear Kodiak. It was 40lb pull, which was the minimum draw weight in Pa at the time. I never did kill a deer with it. Then, when compounds became legal in Pa I was seduced, and bought a Bear Polar LTD! I've been shooting a compound (not an LTD:s2:) ever since.

Kindof a bum right shoulder.....and I am unfortunately right handed. I do shoot a compound without sights, though!

I have a lot of respect for the purists, it really evens the odds IMHO when it comes to bagging game. You have to be good:rock:

I shoot trad.....and that (above) would intimidate the heck outta me. That's a lot of negatives......and few advantages (if any).

Respect!

I started shooting recurves when I was 5 years old, and switched to the compound when I was about 15. I have always been an instinctive shooter. It's just the way I do it :confused0024:

I have often considered switching to traditional gear, I think I could be very successful; if I hadn't torn up my shoulder about 8 years ago, I probably would have switched over, or at least be using both methods.

Best of Luck,
Jeff

I'm not sure, what does traditional mean? Wooden arrows, instinctive shooting, stone broadheads...

Until a few days ago I only owned wooden bows, although the one I used the most to hunt with was a wooden compound.

Trad = no wheels to most.
Other then the recreationists looking for an era that never exisited.

You know after I got used to shooting trad, it actually hurts to pull some modern compounds back. Its just different. If you look at the force curve on a compound, you are holding a lot of wieght in the biginning to middle. Where trad it doesn't kick in until the end of the draw and if your doing it right at that point, its all on your back.

Definatly different.

My best friend bought a 70 pound recurve a few years back, and he has only used it once on a pheasant hunt as far as I know. I might try winging a few shafts with it next time I'm at his place, to see how it feels:cool:

I started shooting traditional in 1956 & killed my 1st deer in 1958 & another 37 animals b/4 switching to compound in the 70s. I dug out one of my old 60# recurves & plan on using it this coming year for a hog & a deer just for the heck of it.

Traditionakl does take more practice to be proficient (My opinion) but if you keep your shots @ 25 yds & under you should do just fine.

Some pics from back then 1958 through maybe 1965

I can see me shoot trad in the next year or two. I would probably use both compound and trad gear through out the season.

I shoot both trad and compound. There is so much more a kick out of getting a deer with a traditional bow it is unreal. Take time to learn. I can walk out on our deck and shoot a stuffed animal hanging on my target and nail it at 20 yds almost every time. Can take three to five steps either way and do the same thing. Neet No range finder or pins. Had my wife shine a flashling only on the targed one dark night and i can hit it the same. It is a 20yd game most of the time. Most people now don't have the time and patientce to learn or even get that close to their game. You have to put time into it. Made my own Ghille suit and sat in a weed fence row and shot my first buck eye level at 12 yds. What a rush. Picked up my compound to go the other day and shot and then the recurve and the recurve hit closer out of three arrows so took it hunting instead. Don't need speed. Just a quiet and accurate shot. Love it.

I shoot a recurve exclusively, but taking a 56" bow into the woods is somewhat clumsy, especially in a pop-up blind, so I'm now shopping for a short compound. Ironic...

So I shouldn't take up trad with this in mjy back?

Whoah, Charlie, I'll bet you have a helluva time getting through airports:eek2:

I have considered it. I believe I would like to take down at least 2-3 more 3.5+ year old bucks with my compound before I start switching over. Since I killed my first "older" buck this year I know that I am not good enough to switch over to a traditional bow just yet.

But I will switch over, I know it. That has been my progression as a hunter...rifles to shotguns to muzzeloaders...then I started hunting half and half guns and bows...then bow only the last 4-5 years. So hunting exclusively with a traditional bow is going to be my natural evolution. I would give myself another 2-3 years probably. Heck I have one hanging in my garage that is beautiful. I just need to practice with it. Maybe if began shooting well with it, then I would gain the confidence that I need to switch over. The method of the hunt is very important to me. I could see myself being very satisfied hunting with a traditional bow.

I'd like to start shooting traditional in the yard, but I'm not sure about hunting with one. I really like the letoff and range of my compound. Maybe sometime down the road....

Yea, the back. I have had 3 back operations & a fusion but I had them use my own bone from my hip....All lower though.
I always said, if your push with your bow arm & pull back with your other & try to put your shoulder blades together & let your fingers slip off the string your doing it right.

I've thought about it but a shiny new shoulder joint last year makes it difficult. My compound is only 42# right now. When I first got it it was set at 50# and I couldn't pull it back! I'm hoping as I shoot more I'll be able to handle a higher pull. I may try traditional then.

i feel strongly that sooner or later i'll shoot and very likely hunt with trad gear...just dont have the time to devote to it right now working seasonal jobs out of state...never knowing if i can take my bow, if i'll have room, if i'll have time and a place to shoot etc...the past 2 summers i left it at home....shoulda took it both years as i had a safe yard and could got the OK to shoot in it im sure...just a pain moving all my supplies i need to live where ever i go, plus a bow and target.....


this year for example, i didnt think id get to hunt PA at all...got laid off earlier than expected and ended up being home a day or 2 prior to the opener...

i took the first week or so off to unpack, get the gear ready, and get back into shooting...

normally i shot about all year round...maybe take a month or so off after the season...then shoot indoor once a week or so to keep in tune..then pretty much daily through the spring and summer...

i was pleasantly surprised at 20yds i was still shooting very well..30 was alright..nowhere where i was..but OK...

i limited myself to 20yds and under and went hunting....shot a few times between my hunts...i got the job done...first shot was a lung and heart slicer...

i couldnt do that with a trad bow...so, in the end, life is just too busy for me right now to take up trad gear...though i want to....

dad was actually given a Bear "Cub" recurve...its only a 29# bow...but if it can take my DL, i might get a string and a few arrows and use it to learn on...gotta do a little research...dad took it planning to get a free bow he could possibly use to deer hunt...didnt notice the 29# written on it....lol...so he gave it to me...so it would be a cheap setup and somethin to learn the basics on if it will safely hit my DL...and if/when i go again this spring, dad could shoot it and get the bug and buy a bow again....he needs to get back into bow hunting...the stories ive heard from strangers tell me dad was a heck of a bowhunter back in the day...just gave it up due to time and such...

I promised myself that i would get my first Elk and Whitetail with Compound bow before even trying Trad gear , that went down the drain this year . Anyway , i got myself a longbow made and now i have the Trad bug real bad ( no wheelies at this house anymore ). I hope to bag my first Elk/Deer with Trad gear this year in Colorado , with my 2nd Longbow . I'll never regret my choice to drop the wheels , i just enjoy the challenge of preparation and the desire to get my first kill with my Longbow .

I guess im different from most, i really have no desire to shoot or hunt with a trad bow.

I started traditional in the 60's. Around '69-70, , went to compound-Allen bow, I believe was the first. Then after getting injured jumping and going through several major surgeries on upper body, switched back to traditional. Weight of a compound with all the bells and whistles to much for the shoulders. Even tried switching to left handed for several years, but they couldn't take it. Been hunting thusly for past 25 years about. Love my Super Diablo.!

After 45 years I think I'll keep trying it for awhile.

ahunter....respect! What an awesome resume'!

Vabow.....looking forward to seewing you in WV again (hopefully). We'll once again shoot 'em ugly and drink 'em pretty....lol.

To you guys who are contemplating it.....either short term or long....just get one and shoot in the yard with it for a while. No reason you have to ever put the compound away.....unless you want to. Give it a whirl and see if you like it. There's rarely a day I don't at least touch my bow (blank bale or target shooting). Nothing in hunting I like better than seeing arrows (mine or others) fly out of a well-tuned setup.

You can get started for about $200.....and I'm betting it'll bite you, hard.