I'm not a fan of many of the hunting shows. I love shows that feature moose, sheep, turkey, and sometimes caribou IF they are bowhunting. I don't like the motorcycle, rock or country music themed shows. I can't stand cooking segments, and the last thing I need to see is a bowhunter with bed-hair being dragged out from under the covers. Neither do I want bowhunting sold the way jeans and beer are sold if you get my drift.
I'm getting very bored with watching people hunt deer, bear, and even elk (I can't believe I included elk). If they are hunting with recurves or longbows like Eichler or Strickland, I'll watch anything.
I love Cabelas. I don't live close to one but I've been to probably 1/3rd of all of them in North America -- If there's one near me as I travel, I go. I love the atmosphere, especially the taxidermy. They don't have much in the archery department that interests me anymore, even when I shot compounds heavily. I also go to Sportsman's Warehouse and Bass Pro -- I guess it is a habit that I can't break. Again, I'll cruise the archery section but rarely will I find something I need.
Now, my handle will probably be put in smaller font for these next comments or have an asterisk placed beside it. I've shot compounds for all but the first 5 years and this last year of a 40+ year "career" in bowhunting. Even though I didn't deer hunt with a compound this year, I continue to target shoot with one. If I don't think I can head-shoot turkeys at 20 yards this spring, I'll hang the recurve up for a month while I hunt with an EZ7. I'm now shooting head silouettes on my basement range with my curves.
The following comments were triggered by the comments (and they weren't too harsh here on Trad Gang)about Mathews Archery.
I think Matt McPherson and Mathews Archery are the best things to come along for archery since Mr. Bear. And as a Christian fellow who adores children, they don't come any finer than Matt.
The strongest shooter development program in the history of the shooting sports is the National Archery in the Schools Program. Twenty thousand school teachers have taught NASP-style archery to 7.1 million students so far -- 77% had never shot a bow, 21-26% by their own bows within the first year, and 65% keep shooting after school archery classes. The kids are taught to shoot more like the way we shoot; fingers, no sights, no releases, stabilizers etc. Yep, a compound without let-off is the bow and Easton's aluminum arrows are used. But this is so the bows and arrows fit every student from 4th-12th grade, unlike a single recurve, longbow or regular compound. The maker of the bow doesn't even put his company's name on it for the school program. Mathews is the ONLY bow company to sponsor the non-profit NASP - -to the tune of $2,000,000 (Platinum) in 10 years. Since Hoyt is a subsid of Easton, I need to add Easton to this list as that fine company is a charter Gold Medal sponsor.
Within 5 more years, God willing, there will be more young people becoming archers than there were archers in 2001. So, when you hear folks sounding the death-toll for archery, bowhunting, and the shooting sports in general, don't believe it. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association (SYGMA) archery grew only 2% TOTAL from 2001-2009. However, in the last year for which data is available, 2009 archery participation grew 7.7% -- in a single year. This is 28 times faster than in the previous 8 years combined!
These kids will be drawn to traditional archery or not, based upon their exposure to it and to those of us who love it. We must embrace these archers, young and old as long as their muscles pull and hold the bow, I count them as mine. I shoot my recurves and compounds exactly the way as the kids are taught.
I know some of you here on Trad Gang are also involved in your local NASP effort.
Topic: Campfire philosopher (Read 856 times)
