Big Duane

Guys, I'm slipping further and further down the path to becoming a self-righteous Elitist traditionalist.

And I don't know if thats bad or good.

Part of me says let people shoot whatever they want. I'm from Arkansas, we've had legalized crossbows for 30+ years. We've got a 5 months season, good bag limits, they've never been a problem nor have compounds.

But the other part of me says all that technology isn't bowhunting. Its like playing the game of golf with mulligans, playing best ball or scrambles - you're sort of playing golf, but you're not REALLY playing golf, just a bastardized variation of it. Sure, its FUN, but until you play golf under the written and unwritten rules of it, its not really GOLF.

Anyway, I find myself seeing people who shoot compounds as being in a different sport almost. Truth is, there is very little in common with a compound shooter bowhunter and a traditional bowhunter.

I find myself going to www.tradgang.com more and more, because of the theme of the whole hunt.

I'm not there yet - but I can more and more understand the attitudes

BobCo19-65

Trying to figure on how to answer this one, and I don't think I can.

I wouldn't deny there are differences in general, but I'd have a hard time calling myself elite or having an elite attitude. [:'(]

To me traditional is just more fun and the people that are shooting it seem to have an aweful good time doing so. It is alsomore demanding to be proficient, making the outcomes so much more worth it. The more you put in, the more you get out type of thing.

It also always seems to put more of the concentration on the actual shooting aspect instead of the "tinkering" aspect.

burniegoeasily

Its bad if you are a jerk about it and down grade everyone on their chosen hunting practice. If you have a live and let live attitude, no problem pushing yourself.

This part of you is self-righteous and elitist . It can be turned on you. If you go with this attitude, you will find those who will say, "how hard is it to buy a bow and buy your arrows. If you are a true trad hunter, you will carve a self bow and draw your own shafts and nap your own flint and burn your own feathers". And since you do visit trad gang, you know there are many who do just that. I build my own bows, but dont nap flint. I even shoot my homemade bows with carbon shafts. So to some, im very traditional, and others Im not. Also, I still enjoy shooting my compound and my bought trad bows.


Ill agree, a compound is rather easy to shoot and be accurate with compared to trad bows. With that said, ease is a relative term. New shooters find compounds difficult at first. And trad shooters find their bows easy to shoot after lots of practice. It all depends on the time and effort one wants to pursue. Nothing wrong with any of it. The key is, Do what you enjoy. If you like pushing yourself, great, just dont push it on others and make yourself appear to be a jerk. I have only two other friend who bow hunt. My brother and a college buddy. All my other friends rifle hunt. I have no problem with their choice of weapons and enjoy every min. I spend with them. Be it with a trad bow, compound bow, or rifle.

Matt / PA

I do both pretty hardcore right now and there is ABSOLUTELY a difference between a compound and a traditional bow and what it takes to hunt successfully with one, no doubt about it. But also make no mistake compounds are still archery.
I see it every weekend at the league 3D shoots. There are some elite compound shooters who make it look EASY. Some who are good and then others who are darn happy making consistent kill shots at ranges where I am pounding x after x.

With a compound you still have to actually learn how to shoot, and probably the biggest thing that separates compounds from crossbows.............draw the bow at the moment of truth.
You still have to draw it back (regardless of let-off) and hold it up.
True you can hold it back longer but once that bow arm goes you have to let down and that depends on how strong the shooter is.
NEVER confuse it with a "bow" that is cocked and ready to go and can be rested on a shooting rail waiting for the right angle.

Bowhunting is pretty darn tough for even a majority of compound shooters, the traditional guys just seem to enjoy a little more of the "romance' of the sport and can be darn proficient in the process.

I do both, I LOVE both and feel no pull toward the elitest side at all.

burniegoeasily

One other thing. Because I choose trad bows doesn’t make me better than those who don’t. It just means I like to spend more time learning and enjoy the pursuit of the stick bow. Some, or I should say many, do not care to pursue archery with the same passion I do. Does that make me better than them, No. Others just have things in their life they feel are more important to pursue. I would probably not want to pursue their chosen skill with the same passion. It’s all in what the individual likes. Life is all about choices. You choose to pursue what brings enjoyment and allocate time to your hobbies in accordance.

Chris W.

I don't have an elitist attitude. I'm just better than you and them. Yeah, in my dreams.

Seriously though, when it comes toequipment, shooting style and such things involving archery, the only person I'm really concerned about is myself. Of course, you've got to realize I don't claim to a traditional anything. I'm an archer and hunter that shoots a recurve or maybe a longbow or maybe a selfbow, depending on what's tweeking my fancy at that point in time. Shucks, I even still have a compound hanging around, though it does get very, verylittle use. Concerningmyself with what other folks are shooting and whether or not it's "traditional" is pretty much a waste of my time and energy.

bigcountry

When I first started I had an elitist attitude. I think. But the longbow was a choice. And it has humbled me greatly.

It sure isn't as easy as most I see in the bowhunting section trys to make it out, but not as hard as some on tradgang makes it out to be.

It takes dedication as you all know. And I go thru spurts in the year, where I feel I don't have that dedication, and other time, I am all in it.

Big Duane

is that a banket view ? meaning, what you hold yourslef to, do you also hold others to ?


burniegoeasily yep, you nailed my conflict, I know what you're saying. However, shooting an ACS with carbons is almost the same "shooting" as a self bow with cane shafts - a difference of FPS but other than that, the shooting remains the same doesn't it ?


Matt / PA look back at yourself over the past 5 years. Where you came from as a compound shooter, and where you are now. What you shoot now is dramtically more difficult than a compound. I've bet you $$ you could pick up anyones compound right now, and within minutes shoot better at 50 yards than you can with your stick bow at 25 yards. Compounds are THAT much better, they're designed to be easy, and very shootable, thats why most bowhunters use them.

Which leads me to this thinking - is bowhunting suppose to be that easy ? Compounds are just a wee bit harder than crossbows, there is a solid argument that compounds are actually EASIER, because of their quietness, light mass weight and speeds all combines into one.

Is that what bowhunting is suppose to be ? Easy ? Why or why not ?

When comparing self bows to a Widow, you can still see its very similar. Compounds and crossbows are radically different. Like comparing an 1880's flintlock with loose powder, patches and balls with a 2008 TC Encore,stainless steel, plastic stock,pellets, shotgun primers and 3x12x55 leopuld scope - are they really both muzzleloaders ?


Why doesn't it ?

If you choose a more difficult path, shouldn't it be recognized as such ? Why shouldn't there be a hard line distinction between the difficulty in weapons used ? A compound bow and the hunting that comes from it is NOT the same accomplishments as a recurve/longbow hunt and the hunting that comes from it.

Its not, not one example can I think of that if you remove the compound and replace with a stick bow does the situation become much more difficult, and like you said, the rewards also increase.


Yes, I understand each persons own challenges - its not about that. Its about what is and isn't more difficult, about the continuing progress of technology to easier and better, and the affects it has on bowhunting as a whole.

bigcountry

Another thought on this post. I would love to go all traditional only. But deer meat is basically all we eat all year. I have ate it my whole life. And it would freak me out, to know I might not be able to harvest 5-7 deer a year. And I know, I would not be able too with traditional if only by the limited range alone.

I really want to make a vow for trad only this year. I thought about just telling some thrill kill friends of mine who only like to kill, to just give me all thier deer.

BobCo19-65

You're kidding me right?