longbowman

[&o]I'm not sure what has happened but I've lost my confidence in myself and using my traditional equipment and I'm throwing in the towel. I guess I don't have the fight left in me.

Arthur P

Maybe you just need a change. I've been known to switch from longbow to recurve, recurve to selfbow, selfbow to compound, just to keep things from getting stale. I don't know what you do for practice, but maybe a change there is due also. My shooting gets better if I get away from the target butts and 3D lanes from time to time and just go stumpin'.

Or maybe you just need a little break. Whatever you need, I hope you find it.

Wahya

Sorry to hear that longbowman. I've had to stop shooting because of illness and lack of confidence and I hated it.

If you think it's salvageable, like Arthur suggested, try some different equipment or methods of shooting. Myself, I have a 40# bow that I string up and I just have fun bustin arrows on hard stumps and I just kind of start all over again.

SaroorHai

its strange to read this. I guess people get tired of things though. I'm a newb but I can't imagine giving it up now. Its agony waiting on a new string I ordered to come because I can't shoot without it. I'm trying to find some dacron b50 btw if anyone knows where I can get it so I don't have to go through this anymore. Now that I almost have all the tools I need I'm really getting into this. Had to learn alot but it's been fun.
Have you enjoyed traditional archery? I don't really hunt, haven't hunted in a long long time. Maybe just going to back to shooting for the sake of shooting would be fun for you. Not trying to discourage hunting or anything, just hard for me to imagine being burned out on this. But I have only had my bow a few months. Also, if u wanna help a newb, I'm as clumsy and lacking in common sense as anyone you will ever meet, so any pointers etc. would be appreciated. Sometimes helping other people with your hobby can cure burnout better than anything.

Rich Baker

It works both ways, I have hunted with a compound for 25 years. I'll bet I am one of the top shooters in the country. I have pulled back on 7 big game animals in 2004 and killed every one. GUESS WHAT it isn't fun anymore. thats why I am here. a new challenge. Just ordered a new Chek-mate falcon and can't friggin wait!!! the thrill is back

longbowman

Thanks for the replies guys. Basically I guess I'm just going through something I've never experienced before. The season has been a long one with few deer sightings but now that the rut is approaching I'm beginning to see some good buck. Like I stated before, I've killed more than 50 big game animals with traditional equipment including elk, bear mulies and a bunch of whitetails but I'm having this block about using my traditional equipment for making my shot. I'm in the same boat the Rich was in but the opposite side. I've been one of the top traditional shooters around for years but suddenly feel that making the kill is more important than "how" I make the kill and that bothers me. So I'm doing a bunch of thinking and not hunting right now trying to get hold on this stupid problem.

Arthur P

I believe the problem you describe is widely known as stinkin' thinkin'.

In fact, that's one reason I've got the shooting problems I've got. I'm expecting too much out of myself. I expect to shoot just as well today as I did when I had two good shoulders, a spine that worked, knees that bent and non-arthritic fingers. So, I wind up putting too much pressure on myself to shoot better than the youngsters which, in turn, causes my shooting to fall completely apart.

I know this is easy to say, but it's darn hard to get thru a thick skull... Lordy how well do I know! [&:]... You and I don't have to prove anything to anybody. So what if you don't get a deer this season? So what if someone else outshoots me on the target course? We all peak out and start the downhill road, sooner or later. I reckon I've had my day, now it's their turn.

At the same time, I'm not saying that I'm ready to go down to the town square, sit on the bench and join the spit 'n whittle club....[8D]

longbowman

Arthur P. - Thank you!

stealthycat

longbowman - have you whittled your own bow out of a stave you yourself cut ? Then made up some cane shafts, with wild turkey feathers and knapped your own heads ?

Maybe that'd put the challenge back into it ?

LBR

Art makes some good points. I haven't been at it nearly as long as either of you, but I did go through a period where I was tempted to put my bow down. I had some target panic, and lost my confidence. I went from being a pretty decent shot to a point where I couldn't hit a barn from the inside. I believe it stems from thinking about it too much--when I broke it was one day I was shooting at a new target a friend had bought (just to aggravate the crap out of him), and my focus wasn't on making the perfect shot but having fun. I realized my shooting was back on track, and after a few years I haven't had that problem again--at least not to any extent. I'll blow a shot now and then, but I know I cannot focus on a shot that is over and done with, or it will just make me goof on the next. Having fun with it is the best medicine for me. If it's not fun, I don't see any point in it.

Chad