Was Wondering...Experience

[Missouri Sherpa]

I started bowhunting with a compound in 1994.  I made my first selfbow in 1998 and started hunting with a longbow in 1999.  I still have a compound bow collecting dust in the shop but I don't think I would even be able to work on it anymore if something went out of tune.  I have plenty of confidence in the stickbows.  I have killed elk, antelope, black bear, deer and hogs with mine.

[bear1336]

Been shooting for 57 years and bowhunting 53 years since age 10. Always Bear or Wing bows in the 48# range since the early 60's.

[frassettor]

Shot a compound for 17 years, and dabbed with a longbow during that time. Went to "trad only" about 3 years ago. Never plan on going back. I dont have the desire to even shoot another compound.

[killinstuff]

What's a compound? I think I've seen them before but I have never picked one up. My dad started bowhunting in the 50's and when the kids were born in 60's we all had bows. I was the youngest and got the hand-me-down bow from the middle brother who got my oldest brother's bow and he aways got the new bow. My first "new" bow I made in 7th grade shop class. I made another bow (still have it) in 10th grade. Guess that's 40 plus years of shooting a stick and string.

CJ

[HOWITZER]

Thanks for sharing, I can only hope that someday I will be able to tell my grandchildren about my fifty years of trad experience.

[30coupe]

Getting close to 50 years now. I bought a wheelie at a garage sale a few years ago. I shot about a dozen arrows through it, then sold it to a cousin. I just didn't feel like archery to me.

[Mr.Vic]

42years ago started with Bear and Ben Pearson recurves and wood arrows. Between 1970 and 1990 i played and hunted with a ton of brands and models of both recurves and compounds for greedy purposes. And shot aluminum 2117's only. But evolved to recurve hunting only in 1994 when something was missing to me in my hunting. I further evolved in my hunting spirit in 2004 to love longbows. And now i am completely happy to be carrying my pronghorn longbow and wooded arrows. Who knows i might turn more in the years to come to a selfbow and canes arrows?

[ChuckC]

I bought my first real bow in '72,  a Damon Howatt Coronado.  I was 17 at the time.  I had been shooting fiberglass bows since about age 8.

I went to compounds once they got popular... they were the eight wonder. .  right ?  

I got bored with it and started back to trad.  I don't own a compound and probably never will again.  I just like trad.
ChuckC

[legends1]

I was born into a family that ate and sleeped archery 49 yrs.ago.I have shot traditional archery  all my life.My grandfater was old school.He claimed the compound would destroy archery.I did pick up a compound years ago and shot it some.But always shot and hunted with a trad bow.Almost got thrown out of the house when i brought that wheel bow home.Shot diffrent compounds and put them together with all the goodies for a few years.Shot my compounds barebow.Havnt play'd with any for years.Would be lost to work on one now.For me it will always be Trad archery.

[Brian Krebs]

HOWITZER : I hope you do store up 50 years of trad bow stories : basketball and bulldog stories are kinda boring..  

[The Night Stalker]

I started in 1976 with a Bear 45lb, then shot a compound till the mid eighties when I saw black widow one piece. That was it, had to have one of those. It was like the PA they make now.

[J-dog]

Been shooting trad for 15 years, I did shoot training wheels for a number of years. Got rid of my last one 6 years ago. I had stopped using them completly when they came out with rest that drop away??

I love trad because of the simplicity of it BUT also you can have FUN!!! with trad. I can actually take a practice shot in the woods at a pine cone or what not - try that with wheels and your arrow will be GONE. Squirrel hunting - rabbit hunting - all is so much FUN with the recurve.

J

[eric101]

I had shot compound for 25 years and a friend of mine Koger invited me to come and try a trad bow.I was bored with compound so i did, i was hooked purchased a bw from him next week sold my compound and don't regret it a bit.It's been about 6 months since then and i have taken three deer this season with a longbow,i don't think I'll ever go back and wished i had changed along time ago.

[NY Yankee]

I have been involved with archery since I was 13 and am now 42. About 12 years ago, I switched from the compound to the recurve bow for it's light weight and simplicity of use. I got tired of relying on technology to do my shooting. I still have my compound and another one that someone gave me because they cant hunt anymore. One day I will get them out, tune 'em up and shoot 'em. They are still fun to shoot if not to set up and tune. I think today's compounds are fantastic machines, Very fast, compact, and lightweight. And too expensive for me. I'd rather get a good custom recurve than a new PSE, Matthews, Hoyt, etc. I think we need to stop knocking other hunters choice of weapons and work on fighting those who would stop all bowhunting.