Staying Trad

[Friend]

Determining what is your own priority such as fulfillment is paramount.

With regards to animal pursuit, hone your hunting setup skills well within your effective ever changing...typically shortening,,, hunting range.

Pursue the road that provides the greatest gratification where possible.

[Babbling Bob]

Good time to make some important memories with your one bow and be thankful. Had one bow too when I had young babies around the house.

My best friend and I did not get to go out and practice much then and had to save for a while just to go hunting each fall. The time and money set aside then makes us even more thankful now. Ate hard beans, bad greens, and camped and hunted in some severe rain storms, but they were some of the best memories I ever had. That one take down recurve bow I got by trading off my 243 varmit rifle, when I was young without spending money, gave me more memories than that expensive rifle would have ever done.

[Archie]

I am a pretty busy guy.  Full-time leadership government job, multiple regular evening board meetings, pastor of the the Spanish ministry at our church, teaching Spanish 3 hours one evening a week, wife, kids, fixing broken washer/dryer/dolls/toys/bikes/etc., trying to play ice hockey once or twice a week...

I like shooting trad because I can go out in my backyard by myself for 20 minutes here and there and... just... u n w i n d.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

I'm in the same boat. Anybody shoot under lights at nighttime? That might help me keep my muscles and brain tuned to the bow.

[dbd870]

I have a Block ratchet strapped on a stand in the basement. I can get 20'. Not very far but at least when you can't get out you can still keep your archery muscles and your form in shape. Doesn't require hardly any time either.

[Shadowhnter]

Ive shot at night for years. All i need illuminated is the target. Its actually quite fun, providing you can get good light on the thing.

[dringge]

The local archery club use to host a night shoot. It was a short course, maybe a dozen targets. Groups of 4 and all shot by flashlight. It was a lot of fun.

[Archie]

I shoot in the dark, too.  It's a lot of fun!  Sometimes my nighttime shooting accuracy is far superior, too!

[GreyGoose]

Short practice sessions are great practice for hunting. I've never had the chance to take a few practice/warm-up shots at game in the field.  I heard one guy say his practice in the summer was to make a single shot, maybe once every couple of hours.  Not how I practice, but it makes some sense.

[jackdaw]

This thread kinda' bugs me..! Shooting trad equipment is a choice made  for the challenge and enjoyment of the sport. You're either all in or you're not..??? If I want to be proficient I make a little time daily or every other day if I have to to do it. Its just the way I roll.....!!!! If you have doubts..then your shooting will suffer. Kind of like fly fishing vs. Spin fishing...You Do It For the Love of it! I don't want this to come off harsh, but that's just the way I feel...!!!! If you really want it, the rest is easy. I hope you stick with it and prosper!.....just my 2 cents..

[Ulysseys]

I found that the years I "fought" to stay trad were some of my most frustrating despite always enjoying shooting during that time.  When I finally went full trad I didn't even realize it.  The season ended and I looked back and realized I didn't take my compound out once.  That's when I knew it was the right time.  If you're struggling to stay "full" trad then don't kill the enjoyment, just incorporate it in to your routine as enjoyment and desire dictates.

[Jakeemt]

Not a struggle for me. I recently started switching back and forth between fingers with wheels and trad. Both a are fun and I try and shoot every day too. Never started with a compound so it's never been an issue for me either way.

[riser]

I understand your dilemma (stress / time constraints).  I don't understand you proposed solution (give up the longbow for a compound bow?  "just looking online").  I don't understand what looking at a compound will do for your stress/time issues.  If you don't have/make time for trad, you don't have time for compounds.

Do what you want.  Have fun.  If you can't shoot as much as you want to (for fun) or need to be (for skill level / strength), then consider dropping down to a much lighter , low cost trad bow (recurve or longbow).  30-35# will do.  Shoot once a week.  When live offers you a different set of options in a few years, re-evaluate your wants/ needs.  

Life is hectic and stressful.  Do things that make things less hectic and less stressful-whatever you choose.  Maybe the answer is "put the longbow up for a few years until the next child is 3-4 years old."   Life has cycles that wax and wane.  Don't stress yourself out dealing with stress.  If you don't find shooting relaxing at this stage of your life, remove it (for now) and get through this next stage.  You'll know in time whether you miss archery (any form), or not.  If you miss it down the road, resume it.  If you don't, do something else.  It won't bother me with either choice you make.  Just don't be the type of person who states there is a problem, but does nothing to address it.  Life is short.  Keep it simple. Maybe you'll have a bigger driving force to approach archery (trad or wheels) with some time away from it.  Maybe you won't.  In 6-8 years from now, maybe you can teach your child (or children) to shoot trad. They will think you are the best shot in the world.  Couldn't be a better feeling for a dad-if you ask me.

[CRM_95]

Originally posted by McDave:
When I first started shooting trad bows, I had a stressful life like you describe.  I first started shooting compounds for something to do with the kids, but I found that twiddling with all those adjustments just added to my stress.  The simple act of shooting a trad bow was a great stress reliever, and I never looked back.  At this point in your life, look at the process of shooting a trad bow for the benefits you can derive from it, more than the goal of reaching a certain level of expertise.

That's kinda where I'm at myself, especially in terms of bow hunting. I know I may not kill anything this fall with my recurve. But truth be told I can't really use filling the freezer as an excuse. I could buy a lot of steaks for what I spend on hunting stuff as it is. If I find myself starving I've got guns!!