Zelazny

This is my second year shooting a longbow. I am 0 for 2 so far on deer/elk. I am not one to place a huge emphasis on the kill, however I like deer meat, need to fill the freezer and theres a certain ammount of success a guys has to have hunting, you know ?

So just curious if theres a learning to kill curve when switching to trad gear ??

IrishLad32

Unless you' re an exceptional shot with a trad bow you' ll need to get closer than with a compound. However, there are guys who can shoot consistently with traditional bows out to 25-30yds. Getting within range of the deer is more woodsmanship and hunting skill than being able to shoot. I' ve heard about guys who are horrible shots, but they take game every year by getting as close as possible. If you need to get within fifteen yards, then rely on your hunting skill and woodmanship to do so. This will be my third season hunting (if you can count the second) and I haven' t taken a deer yet either, but it isn' t because I wasn' t a good enough shot.

I hear stuff about guys who will only shoot so large a buck, and then they switch to traditional gear and suddenly feel it' s ok to shoot a small buck or a doe. I simply don' t get this. The deer are the same, the only thing different is the bow. But then again I don' t get why people have such a predilection to rack size. I mean I' d like to shoot an older deer versus a young one also, but this anything less that pope and young attitude baffles me. Anyways, I' m rambling. There is a learning curve in the sense that you need to learn to use a traditional bow effectively, and learn to get close enough so you can make an accurate shot. The deer don' t play by different rules ' cause you' re carrying a different bow, it' s more a matter of getting closer to them without being detected.

Brandan

arrowsmit

After you' ve learned to shoot your bow, the rest is mostly patience & determination. Stay after ' em & it' ll happen. Remember, the first one is (by far) the hardest, & (arguably) the most memorable.

Happy Huntn'
VicW.

missedagain

There are many different ways to shoot a traditional bow. But if you want to learn to shoot instinctively, I recommend Jay Kidwell' s book, Instinctive Archery Insights. You can get it at Three Rivers or Amazon. Shooting a trad bow does not have to be just " flinging arrows."

RedAllison

Zel I would say that it depends on your amount of experience/skill when you actually take up the sport of traditional. I had bowhunted and killed probably 10 deer or so with a compound before I " went backwards" and started chasin em with my Martin takedown. The first and only two seasons I used the Martin (91-92) I killed a 100" 2 year old 8 in 91. Then from the exact same tree and also around the same time of year (first weekend of Nov) a year later I killed a 130" 8ptr. (btw, I killed my second P&Y buck this past season from that spot again!) I STILL consider them special trophies and althought they arent my biggest deer they will always hold a special place in that " trophy room in my mind" .

The biggest thrill for me, or at least the greatest motivator for the switch (besides that most important " internal urge" ) was because my buddies I hunt with said it couldnt be done and laughed at me for buying the bow (which belonged to a friend and taxidermist we all hunted with and he had never killed with the bow while he had it). After the first kill they kinda quieted down but still would remark about my " indian bow" . But after the second kill (which made the books) they completely shut up and if I told them I could do something deerhunting, they believed me. I used to laugh and ask them to bet against my " indian bow" and they would just shake their heads and reply, " No thanks" .

Though I no longer use the bow (I guess it was just a phase, while I certainly enjoyed using the bow and still admire it hangin on my wall. I no longer wish to accept its limitations.) I certainly have no doubt as to its effectiveness and look forward to someday carrying it back to that special spot in MO again. I just dont spend the time shooting like I used to and while I can still hit with the bow. My " honest voice" inside my head tells me I aint ready for the woods with that bow, so it continues to hang in my office.

As for the " learning curve" I guess if you had never chased whitetails with a bow, yeah there might be a thing or two to learn. But I assume you already have bowhunting experience, so it shouldnt be hard. I always try and place my stands where my anticipted shots will be in the 10-15 yard range or closer. The two P&Ys were killed inside 10yards and while I had moved to another tree, the exact spot they were each standing in when shot was less than 10 FEET apart! (And that was 10 years apart as well ironically.)

I firmly believe that the most important weapon a hunter will EVER have at his disposal will be his " hair covered computer" the rest is just tools to execute those plans,
RA

ps
Zel likewise, I suspect I detect a lil frustration in your mind. That is completely understandable, especially if you have had success in the past with a compound. I have " been there done that" as well and had a dry period that lasted a few seasons in the mid-late 90s. In fact I had almost given up deerhunting and took up duck hunting. But I " re-concentrated" my efforts and rewrote my gameplan (based more on what DIDNT work as opposed to what did) and started listening more to my instincts and hunches and I have been more successful than ever before. If you arent getting success then dont be afraid to change something be it a tactic, location or whatever. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly yet expecting different results. Once you arrow your first with that stickbow your confidence in yourself will grow and you will be " on the way" . I wish every hunter in here could experience what I am talking about because it takes the sport to an entirely different level. If you have any questions feel free to ask me, I like to learn from others as much and where I can, help if possible... [email protected]

JRW

" How long before success after switch to trad gear ?"

Second morning of the first season. Double-lunged a doe at 16 yards.

Dick4bows

I took my first traditional deer the first year. My second the second year. It' s been a 4 year drought since! Dick

arrowsmit

Ooops, I almost forgot my answer...I shot a nice fat doe well into my 1st season w/Ole# 1 (recurve).

Wahya

When I first started shooting a stick (recurve), I took 2 years off so that I could take my time and learn to shoot the bow. I took a Buck my first season hunting with the bow, but I really didn' t come into my own with the bow until I started mixing small game hunting and roving (stump shooting). My ability to shoot more accurately in a much wider variety of shooting situations improved dramatically as did my ability to sneak in on my target animal. Patience and lots of practice time will pay off with big dividends for you.

str8narrow

I went traditional in ' 97, and have yet to harvest my first deer, though I have faired better with small game. Here in Southern Cal, the opportunities are slim, but that doesn' t stop me from trying. Sooner or later it will happen. In the meantime, I REALLY appreciate the opportunity to hunt, especially with traditional gear. There is nothing quite like it.