okietreedude

Millertime,

Thanks for the support and I totally agree with what you said.


Jody,

Did I put in for McA for a chance to shoot a buck? HELL YA I did. Im sorry if thats wrong in your eyes. Will I shoot a doe if opportunity exists....HELL YA I will. Im not going to turn down an opportunity to help control the population. If I dont get a buck, will I be pissed and moaning/groaning till i die, throwing away my gear and crying in my beer, HELL NO! Thats life and THATS hunting.

Sure, Ive bowhunted a very short time and had decent success. However, I hunted for 6 yrs before I got my first deer and that was hunting with both a muzzleloader and a rifle.I simply found a gauranteed trail, put up a stand, and it delivers. I dont hunt it rifle because i dont want to shoot a deer w/a 7mm at 15yds.

So why did i put in for McA? It mainly was for the challenge, change of pace, new surroundings, new scenery, and secondly yes, the opportunity to shoot a buck.

As for pre-hunt qualifying, no there are no rules in place. But the ethical hunter wont do what your saying (buy friday - hunt sunday). I know my limits and will adhear to them.

Jody A

MILLERTIME10 I thought you were saying you didn't hunt with a recurve and would only do so IF you were drawn. If thats not the case I misunderstood

The McAllister hunt is for traditional hunters. If you're a traditional hunter, apply for it. If you're not ? Then its not designed for your type hunting.

okietreedude You have to shoot a does first, don't you ?


So you have shot traditional too then ? because if you haven't then no, you don't know what your limits are at all.

This isn't compound hunting ......... where you can practice one day and go kill a deer the next - very few people can pick up a recurve/longbow and be hunting ready in a few months practice IMO.

MILLERTIME10

Jody A, I guess you miss understood me. No, I haven't hunted with trad before, but plan to from here on. I am just getting into the new found style of hunting, if that is approved by you? Otherwise, I will continue to practice nearly every day and try to get better, that way, I will learn my bounderies by season.

Like I said earlier, I am not here to argue and I really shouldn't be typing this but you have sort of touched a nerve with me. We all are hunters here and should stand behind each other in anything we are trying to accomplish. You are acting as if we are ignorant to hunting and just go out and shoot whatever moves with whatever equipment we pick up, without blowing the dust off of it from last season. I don't believe you should judge a person by wanting to get into another way of hunting.

Yes, we know we have to practice. Yes, we know we have to learn our boundaries over a significant amount of time, not just a weeks worth of shooting. Since I put my string on my bow 7 days ago, I have shot nearly 450-500 times in 6 days. the only day I haven't shot was yesterday. About 95% of my shots were inside 15 yards. I am still not confident enough to go any further. I am improving, but slowly.

All I am asking is to give us a little benefit of the doubt. I know there are some hunters out there that are irrational and are aren't very good sportsman, but I really don't believe many of those types of peoplewould be on a traditional archery forum asking for advice. Don't be so quick to judge someone that is trying to learn something new, especially a fellow hunter.

Too much typing [:-]

Dubbya

Well, I know you didn't intend on being offensive but here's my take.

Yeah I do "want a piece of the action" but at the same time that's not my only intent on drawing a tag at McAlister, I'll never pass up the opportunity to spend time in God's wilderness and view wildlife.

As I said in one of my first two posts, if I'm not ready by then... I won't, I'll take pictures or sit back and enjoy the fact that I'm able to be on such a neat piece of property. And as I also said in one of my previous posts I shoot daily and I take my preparation and practice extremely seriously,it's not being fair to the game I'm chasing if I don't. If I can't become proficient in 3.5 months with the resources that I have available to me then I probably have bigger issues than that. I'm not saying that I'll be a world class trad shooter by november, but let's be honest how many compound hunters are "world class shooters?"

As for after McAlister, am I going back to my compound? Does this mean that after you trad you're not allowed to go back? I probably will do both because I enjoy both.

I think that you are making several assumptions that are both unjustified and unfair. I've never gone into the field as an incapable arrow slinger and I won't do it solely because I'll be in an area where there are lots of big deer. For that matter I don't care if it's a rifle, a compound, a recurve a slingshot or a BB gun you've got to know your abilities and be disciplined in whatever you do.

I apologize if it upsets you that I haven't been shooting a recurve for 5 years before this hunt.

okietreedude

Once again, have I shot traditional before - No.

So, do i know my limits? Yes. Right now I have no business being in the field. By then if I cant hit acuratley beyond 10 yrds, then my limit will be....10 yds.

My limit on compound is 30. Why you might ask am I going traditional when I cant hit beyond 30, I just dont practice past 30. At my last house, if I shot from past 30 yds, I was in the middle of the front yard shooting past the house, garage and nearly to the alley. I didnt like the restricted view of someone stepping into the shooting lane, so I didnt make it available.

As for shooting a doe first, not to my understanding. There are certain hunts available where this is the case.

Oh, and the McAlister hunt is ONLY for traditionalists??? My left foot.

Id bet 25% (or more) of those selected have never hunted recurve before. I have a friend that drew in last yr, borrowed a bow 1 wk later, and hunted w/ it there. He drew in again this yr w/ his son who has never recurve hunted.

If this is only for traditional hunters, then how in the hell are all the rifle hunts taken up? If you hunt (own) a compound, you shouldnt be entering the rifle hunts? Is this what your saying? if so, maybe i do like your thinking on this. get yourself on the commission and make these changes. Ill sell my bow in a second if it means ill get a rifle hunt category. There is no way the commision can enforce that.

Jody A

MILLERTIME10 I misunderstood parts of your posts.

Sometimes we are all hunters, but a lot of guys on this site, and the site itsself are not. I've been around here for tens of thousands of posts - I do know what I'm talking about in that respect.





dwd2001 I dunno man ......... it just sets me a bit wrong for some reason.

McAlliser is for trad hunters only, one of the few places like it. Compounders don't like that it seems, and so they draw for tags and only IF they are successful do they then try and learn a vastly different side of bowhunting.

That strikes me as a bit wrong as a traditional bowhunter - I'm being honest in saying that.

I've been shooting trad going on 5 years and am not a master of this sport. Maybe you'll be a natural ......... but why didn't you start shooting a recurve when you first decided to try and draw McAlister ?

okietreedude

McAllister bowhunts are non-compound, am I right ?

You shoot a compound, right ?

So why in the world would you try to draw a tag for a hunt using a weapon you've never used ?

Big bucks and self glory maybe ? How far off the truth am I ? Theres plenty of places to bowhunt with your compound ........ why choose a place that doesn't allow it ?

Borrowed a recurve, never shot one, went hunting.


Gawd ............ thats what I'm talking about. Very few men can do that.


Ya'll who apply for a tag with a weapon you have no clue about is exactly my beef here. Sure, maybe you ARE a natural instinctive shooter ........ chances are you are not and if you're too lazy to practice until the day before with a compound, I can imagine your work ethic to learn a trad bow.

Yes, thats the vibe I'm getting. Call me crazy, but ya'll are applying for a tag for the big bucks that roam there, and you're only using a recurve because the restrictions of the base itsself. You have no love for trad archery, and no desire to learn it except for a week of big buck hunting in OK


I think that sucks personally.

ranger56528

Was just going by and read this post and wanted to put in my 2 cents.Ive been a avid Bowhunter for 23 yrs and have shot Trad bow 12yrs ago for only 1 yr(had to give it up because of neck surg.)But now Ive gone back to Trad this year.Here is were I stand.I bought a PSE Kudu TD 55# to have in my car/trk at all times with carbon arrows(beaman 400).I went with carbon on this setup because of the heat in the veh.
I just bought a Martain Hunter 50#28" with ceder arrows,125grn field point/broadheads.This will be my primary hunting recurve(untill I go longbow).In the 23 yrs of bowhunting I have only taken does,why you ask,because I beleave it helps the deer population.Also I go for meat not antlers.But thats just me.
I also dislike when people(couldnt say bowhunter)just p/u a bow shoot 10 arrows and think they are ready to go KILL a deer.I do not and never will hunt with this type of person,nor will I hunt with someone who cant stay in a stand or ground blind for less then 5 hours(unless they are disabled).I have seen many a nice Buck walk by,and like any other bowhunter,my heart pounds.Maybe someday I will shoot a Buck,and yes,I have shot a butten buck or two(I try to get does in the 1-3 yr old range).
TRAD A WAY OF LIFE.

bigcountry

Jody, here is my take on it. They all seem a little younger, and that alone contributes to their ideas. I know 15 years ago, I would definately just been about the big bucks. But somewhere along the way, I picked up a new attitude. The attitude, "I believe", alot of traditional shooters have. I maybe wrong and still am on the outside. The attitude that its something more than just the kill. Remember I have only been at traditional for 6 months. For some reason I was drawn to longbows like a moth.I still want a totally wood longbow and cedar arrows only. I am getting there. The one I shoot is clear glass backed.

And along the lines, they just like you, may or may not catch this way of life or feeling of traditional. And then they will understand your beef.

Actually dwd, seems to have my attitude for it. If it happens it happens, if it don't it don't. I figured I would have been nailin targets up to 20 yards by now. But sad fact is, I have good days and bad days.And sadly enough, I doubt I will be able to use my longbow this bow season. I desire to hit the kill zone at least 4 arrows out of 5 from any shot placement in my yard from 5 to 25 yards. Some nights I am right on. Some nights, I just can't get it right. I hate nothin more than wounding a deer and searching all day.

BobCo19-65

I think you made sense.

Dubbya

Well Jody I don't know what to tell you, I apologize if "it sets [you] a bit wrong." I think you are missingthe point here. I can understand you being upset by the people that practice for a week or even a month half heartedly, and walk into the woods. But like I said earlier, that's not who I am and that's not what I do. I'll have shot 9,000+ arrows by the time that hunt arrives. Again, you are making assumptions (and character judgements)about me and you have absolutely no idea who I am.

Out of curiosity what do you suggest I do?

Not hunt in the McAlister hunt? Oh wait because I already said I wouldn't huntif I wasn't ready.

I'm a sportsman. Not a blood thirsty, arrogant, braggin' right attaining individual. And by that I'm mean I'm capable of making my own ehtical hunting decisions and I realize there is a LOT LOT LOT LOT LOT more to bowhunting (of any type) than killing.