Who got you interested in shootin traditionally? or did you just shoot this way since you were a kid and did it every since?

A friend of mine bought a couple of light-weight recurves at a flea market and brought them to the house. He had an uncle that had told him a little bit about shooting them, but neither of us really had a clue. All we knew was were were having a blast shooting them. Not long after that, I found a used Bear Tigercat recurve, then I was really hooked. Still didn't have a clue what I was doing, but I was determined to learn. Soon after that, I saw Byron Ferguson (well before his ESPN days---he performed at a local sportsman's bonanza), talked to him, bought his book, and found myself a longbow--been ruined ever since--I guess that was 12-15 years ago. Made every mistake in the book, most of them several times. Learned a lot when I got on the internet, learned more when I started going to tournaments and talking with folks that knew how to shoot and could show me. I'm still hooked on longbows.

Chad

Years ago a compound with all the whiz-bang bells & whistles cost me a 15 yd shot on the biggest whitetail buck I've ever seen in the wild...After hunting him (Crooked Foot) for most of 3 seasons w/only a glimse of him now & again, I finally had the wind in my face, at full draw, & the buck of my dreams was munching white oak acorns right in front of me & didn't know I was anywhere on the planet! I just couldn't see my sight pin thru my peep due to the low light conditions & chose to let him eventually mill away from me. I never saw that deer or his unmistakeable tracks again.

That same season a good friend killed an awesome (P&Y) 12 pt typical w/his recurve.

That should've been a chip shot w/a "trad" bow, but my dependence on all the bells & whistles cost me the buck of a lifetime. I learned a valuable lesson from that experience & I've never looked back.

I got a bow for my 3rd birthday. About an hour later, I killed a lion while on safari with it. You know what I'm talking about. One of those little kid backyard safaris where sparrows become lions. That was 1955 and there was no such thing as traditional archery back then.

Around '85 or so, some of the guys at the archery club were giving me fits about my penchant for shooting 'obsolete' bows and asking me when I'd get myself a 'real bow'. I was one of two traditional shooters in a club of 400 members. Well, I finally got tired of their constant teasing and I got myself a 'real bow.' It was a Hoyt ProHunter, with which I proceded to beat the living snot out of those bozos in tournaments. After giving them a dose of what a traditional shooter can do with a compound, they never again said a word when I had my 'obsolete' bows at the range.

I hunted with that ProHunter, with sights, once. That was the first and last time I used sights in the woods and the first of only about a half dozen trips compounds (barebow) took to the woods with me. I've never strayed too far from recurves and longbows. They are, by far, my first choice for hunting. I like shooting targets with compounds though. Well, some compounds. I thoroughly dislike the short little demi-bows they're making now.[:'(]

Well, my mother and father both shot competition archery with recurves. I started off with toy bows (I still have one) and then moved to a recurve. I was about 13 when the compounds started coming out and I got a bear kodiak compound at 14, the first year that I could hunt big game. I still shot with no sights or release at that time. From there I went with the compound stuff.

Then after my father died in 2001, I got his old bear kodiak mag II recurve. Someting in me just wanted to switch back to traditional again. In 2002 I ordered a longbow from OL Adcock and received it late 2003. I had OL write RWB, RGB, RLB which represents my father, grandfather (who was also a hunter), and myself. I was going on an elk hunt in 2004 and really didn't want to use the longbow because I was afraid that I couldn't get used to it in time, so I stayed with my Darton compound for that season. After the 2004 season however, I put the compound down for what I think is for good. I am having just way too much fun with the longbow, and I have no desire at all to pick up the compound again. After my 25 year layoff from traditional, I am finally starting to click again after about five months of real practice. Last night, I was hitting vitals on the 3d target at 20 yards 10 out of 12 shots on the first atempt, and 12 out of 15 on the second attempt (don't ask where the misses went [X(]). I am looking to increase my acruarcy and feel confident that I will be fully ready by this deer season.

I don't shoot a longbow or tradition (honestly i can't even tell the difference between the two) but I didn't really get into bowhunting until a couple of years ago. When I was younger, I'd say about 10 or 11. My dad bought be a youth longbow. I really enjoyed shooting it and did for maybe about a year. I wish i kept it now but honestly I don't know what happened to it. I don't think I got rid of it and it might be lingering around in storage somewhere. If i do find it, i'm definetly going to keep it and give it to my nephew when he is ready ..Actually I plan on buying him a bow in the near future

I bowhunted for about 15 years with a compound. Then after my granddaughter was born on Jan 10th, 1999, I decided to lose weight and I did. I lost about 50#. What I didn't realize was I lost not just fat, but I also lost muscle. I went out to the garage that summer, took my compound off its hook, and drew it to fulldraw. After I got it there with some difficulty I thought to myself "OK, now dummy, what are you going to do? You don't have an arrow to shoot and you can't hold this thing forever!!"

I let the bow down and as it went back through the draw force curve, it felt like it ripped my right arm off at the shoulder. I was in extreme pain for several weeks. I couldn't lift my arm above horizontal. I had to go to therapy for about 6 weeks to get the muscle groups strengthened and to ease the pain.

Meanwhile, the owner of The Archery Shop where I went to shoot suggested I sell my compounds and switch to traditional. Now mind you he is a big Mathews dealer, but, he also personally owns somewhere around a couple dozen trad bows including a Marriah Thermal and a real nice Dale Stahl recurve I sold to him. I bought my first T/D recurve from an elderly gentleman, Mr. Jones, who lives about 15 miles from my house and has been building bows for over 50 years. My first one cost me $200. I killed my first trad deer with it.

There's been a nearly endless stream of bows, it seems at times, ever since. I now have two great shooting recurves that I will be keeping. I also just recently ordered and picked up another T/D recurve from Mr. Jones. I wanted to get another one from him while he is still alive and building bows. I especially wanted one of his new design, a split limb design with "feathers" laid in with glass at the top of the split near the tips and an arrowhead laid in with glass at the bottom of the split near the limb butt on each limb. The split serves to simulate the arrow shaft.

Bill

When I got started in archery as a youngster in the 1950's there were two choices in bows - longbow or recurve. I actually shot both and have no real preference. I used a short recurve for hunting, but a longbow for most target practice. I tried compounds, but never had the confidence to hunt with one. Today I shoot a longbow most of the time, but I do have a new recurve on order
I have gone to longer bows over the years though. I still have the old 52" Bear Kodiak Magnum I hunted with in the 70's, but I don't enjoy the finger pinch anymore.

I have bowhunted since I was 12, 10 years ago. Last Fall when I was practicing with my compound I would take out my dads old bear recurve and shoot afew. Soon it turned into more recurve practice then compound. The hole winter I was out just about every day (even when it was below 0). A few mounths ago I got my long bow and have been shooting about 3 times a week.

Hunted with compounds for 15 years....... Once I got really serious about going bow only and practicing with my bow year round, I began to lose the excitement. The last 10 deer that I wanted to shoot got shot..... There was really no challenge once the animal was in bow range..... During this off season I decided to give the longbow a try.... I am loving it!!! All I want to do is shoot this bow!!! Everyday!! I plan to hunt exclusively with it this season if I can continue to increase my accuracy...