From compound to traditional

[fredbear92]

my first bow was a buckmasters fiberglass compound....after that it was a AIM recurve

[SouthMDShooter]

well i started hunting with a compound when i was 15 and i killed three deer that season with that bow with relative ease. So i made the switch the next season and its much more rewarding, and im 18 now and never lookin back      

[SOS]

Lot of us did the gun to muzzleloader to compound to stick route....or at least I think so.  I did.  Even worse, I'll be hunting with a bow of my own making this year.  It's a wonderful sickness.

[wtpops]

I switched about 15 years ago. My success rate stayed about the same. Buy no means do i mean im that good with a trad bow. the main reason i decided to switch is i always wanted to try it and one day i realised i never took a shot out past 20 yards with my compound any way. i have this sickness about getting as close as i can.

[Deadbolt]

I started with a compound 9 years ago and this is my first year I will be going trad.  Only been shooting for 5 months or so I think but my improvements have gone through the roof.  First 3 months I was always changing and trying to learn...once I settled in on my style it just all clicked and now I feel very confident at my cut off point which is 18 yards.  I wont shoot past that unless I feel I can make the shot.  That is my range though.

I was planning on going out with the compound this season so I dont limit myself but I stopped and thought...I will just have another season of hopes and dreams of tagging one with the recurve one day and wont truelly enjoy it.  So I boxed the compound up shoved it to the side and out with the stick once more.  Even if I dont get anything I know it will be an interesting season!

[momo-t]

Started years back traditional.Took my first couple of big game with a Hatfield recurve.Then the dreaded[must get bigger better faster]made me go over to the dark side.Shot compound competitively,indoors and out,shot 3d,and trophy hunted hard.Had lots of success but something was missing. The defining moment came one season where I was fortunate enough to take a Booner whitetail[well short by 1/8 inch but who cares] with my compound and a smallish 5 point bull elk with my longbow[chek-mate crusader].Well guess which one I couldn't stop talking about, your right,the stickbow kill.By next season all my compound gear was sold and I've never looked back.Any regrets? not really, just a learning curve.            Take car Mo.

[maddawgd]

Shot LIght recurves as a kid, Hunted for 15 years with a compound this year my nephew and i will be trad . only.We will see. D.

[Luckyned]

I hit that 5th stage of hunting a few years back..you know, where you don't give a hoot about IF kill anything but HOW you kill it. I'd love to claim to be an expert with a wooden bow and sharpened sticks..truth is I suck- still! I've taken a few whitetails here in PA but my all-time goal NOW is to take a nice buck with my longbow EVEN if I hafta get 5 yards away! (cause I suck!)  :D   and I will!

[BlkDog]

I started archery with a recurve when I was 8 or 10.  This will be my first year as a traditional bowhunter.  From the time I was 12 (now 36), I have hunted with a compound.  However the satisfaction of shooting a compound continually slipped away to the point where I would usually shoot the 1 or 2 days immediately before the season opened, hunt, and then I would put it away for another year.  I hate to admit it, but I even tried a crossbow for a stint and I discovered absolutely ZERO satisfaction its use.  For years I had been drawn to the beauty and simplicity of traditional equipment.  This year I took the plunge and purchased a recurve (then another,..and another).  I must say that through shooting a recurve, I have rediscovered the true enjoyment in archery which is something I hadn't felt in the last 20+ years.  Yup, when shooting my recurve I kind of feel like I'm 12 again.  May sound silly but it is true.  I am sincerely looking forward to my first year hunting with a recurve.  I do not feel handicapped with traditional equipment what so ever.  The simplicity makes everything seem much more natural than ever before and as a result, there is increased level of confidence. I am certain it will be a successful season in all regards!

[BamBooBender]

About the same. Still don't get much time to hunt, but I enjoy myself more.

BTW, I see you're in Neenah, if you ever come up north gimme a holler. I get down to Appleton once in  a great while, but it's mostly just because my wife discovered Gordmans   :rolleyes:

[Stone Knife]

Hunted compound for 25 years, last year i went trad i took three deer with a longbow. I never picked up my compound last season, this year i gave the thing away. It has proven to be one of the best moves i have made in regards to hunting, the fun is back in it for me.

[Bonebuster]

As a kid I started with a recurve, its what got me hooked. Then I did what everyone said I should, and bought every gadget everyone said I needed. I had a ton of fun, but there was ALWAYS
something missing. In "89" I figured out what was missing.

Forty plus yard shots were not uncommon with a compound. I rarely missed. Today, anything OVER
fifteen yards is uncommon. I have become a much better hunter, I hunt for me and not my ego, or what someone else might think. EVERY animal is a trophy. They even taste better now.

Kill numbers are down. Success rate up 100%.  :D

[frassettor]

Great stories guys!!! Good luck to you all this season!!!!