Traditional Hunting/Compound Hunting
04-26-2004, 09:20 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 3,903
Traditional Hunting/Compound Hunting
Which is more challenging? And why? Please be specific!
Remember , both archers are skilled when they step in the woods and both archers are confident they can make a quick clean kill within their range capabilities. Lets put both on the same playing field , neither one will shoot at anything beyond 20 yards.
Remember , both archers are skilled when they step in the woods and both archers are confident they can make a quick clean kill within their range capabilities. Lets put both on the same playing field , neither one will shoot at anything beyond 20 yards.
04-26-2004, 09:40 PM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,175
RE: Traditional Hunting/Compound Hunting
It depends.
Treestand hunting, I think the short, mechanically released, fiber optically sighted compound has it all over the traditional bow. Fer cryin' out loud, that's exactly what they were developed for! Anyway... You've committed yourself to being stuck in ONE spot and if the deer don't cooperate you'll have to stretch out your shooting distance. Someone that's deadly to 40 yards has a huge advantage over someone who's only deadly to 20.
Being able to set up, draw and wait for the deer to come into range with a high letoff bow makes it virtual child's play. With a stickbow, you can't do that. You can't draw until you're ready to shoot and that makes it a real handicap for 'modern bowhunting' theory and method.
Now, for stalking or still hunting, where you're moving around and can close the range on the animal (MY favorite hunting), a heavy, clanking dang compound with all the snaggy, grabby parts... it sucks. Sights, releases, rests, slings and all that other stuff is a handicap in the situations I regularly get into. Worse than worthless, it actually causes serious problems. I want to be ready to shoot at an instant's notice, just in case. NOTHING can beat a traditional bow in that kind of hunting.
Treestand hunting, I think the short, mechanically released, fiber optically sighted compound has it all over the traditional bow. Fer cryin' out loud, that's exactly what they were developed for! Anyway... You've committed yourself to being stuck in ONE spot and if the deer don't cooperate you'll have to stretch out your shooting distance. Someone that's deadly to 40 yards has a huge advantage over someone who's only deadly to 20.
Being able to set up, draw and wait for the deer to come into range with a high letoff bow makes it virtual child's play. With a stickbow, you can't do that. You can't draw until you're ready to shoot and that makes it a real handicap for 'modern bowhunting' theory and method.
Now, for stalking or still hunting, where you're moving around and can close the range on the animal (MY favorite hunting), a heavy, clanking dang compound with all the snaggy, grabby parts... it sucks. Sights, releases, rests, slings and all that other stuff is a handicap in the situations I regularly get into. Worse than worthless, it actually causes serious problems. I want to be ready to shoot at an instant's notice, just in case. NOTHING can beat a traditional bow in that kind of hunting.
04-26-2004, 10:10 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dover, PA USA
Posts: 5,497
RE: Traditional Hunting/Compound Hunting
I think you can quite easily become more proficient with a compound and all the gadgets, and at longer ranges to boot, but I think we are overlooking the skill of the person behind the bow too.
I personally know a few compound guys who I would much rather take my chances shooting at me at 20 yards than say a Byron Furgeson at 50 yards.[:-]
Bowhunting in general is a challenging sport.....the hunting part is not easy. Neither is the shooting part but I will never argue that it doesn't at least take more practice and dedication to become a proficient hunting shot with traditional gear.
It's just a choice a person makes.......I personally don't get anything out of hunting with a high powered rifle. I will take my flintlock out in the general rifle season to make it more personally rewarding. I assume it's the same feeling that Arthur must get taking out the longbow rather than the ProTec. Me I'm thrilled and proud when I take a nice animal with my compound gear.
It's all about personal satisfaction.
Only the individual can decide just what is rewarding and challenging. To me as far as archery hunting goes, a compound is plenty rewarding and challenging enough for right now.
I personally know a few compound guys who I would much rather take my chances shooting at me at 20 yards than say a Byron Furgeson at 50 yards.[:-]
Bowhunting in general is a challenging sport.....the hunting part is not easy. Neither is the shooting part but I will never argue that it doesn't at least take more practice and dedication to become a proficient hunting shot with traditional gear.
It's just a choice a person makes.......I personally don't get anything out of hunting with a high powered rifle. I will take my flintlock out in the general rifle season to make it more personally rewarding. I assume it's the same feeling that Arthur must get taking out the longbow rather than the ProTec. Me I'm thrilled and proud when I take a nice animal with my compound gear.
It's all about personal satisfaction.
Only the individual can decide just what is rewarding and challenging. To me as far as archery hunting goes, a compound is plenty rewarding and challenging enough for right now.
04-27-2004, 05:19 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 3,903
RE: Traditional Hunting/Compound Hunting
Since Stealthy seems to be reluctant to continue this discussion I'll tell you how I came about feeling that the challenge with trad gear isn't in hunting , it's in learning and maintaining proficiency with the equipment.
Last year I was shooting at the range and happened to meet a very nice older gentleman who was shooting his recurve right next to my lane. He was shooting as good as I was with my compound (20 yd max lanes). When I got talking with him about traditional gear and hunting I made the mistake of saying how challenging it is to deer hunt with the traditional equipment. He looked a little offended and quickly corrected me by saying the hunt itself was no more challenging for him than it was for me. He said the challenge is becoming proficient with traditional gear. He also said he has harvested deer every year for the last 20 years or so and he's every bit as confident as any compound hunter when he steps in the woods.
I would like to hear more from folks who've done both and why you feel traditional hunting is more challenging.
Last year I was shooting at the range and happened to meet a very nice older gentleman who was shooting his recurve right next to my lane. He was shooting as good as I was with my compound (20 yd max lanes). When I got talking with him about traditional gear and hunting I made the mistake of saying how challenging it is to deer hunt with the traditional equipment. He looked a little offended and quickly corrected me by saying the hunt itself was no more challenging for him than it was for me. He said the challenge is becoming proficient with traditional gear. He also said he has harvested deer every year for the last 20 years or so and he's every bit as confident as any compound hunter when he steps in the woods.
I would like to hear more from folks who've done both and why you feel traditional hunting is more challenging.
