When you began your trad journey, what's the best advice you wish you had received?

[bunyan]

I wish I had known more about tuning and arrow spine while growing up. This was pre-internet and I would just grab some cheap aluminum arrows out of the box at the local sports store and some light field points (cause lighter heads would make them fly further/flatter of course). Then I couldn't figure out why my arrows would always group in the wrong place!! A mentor would have been invaluable!

[Hopewell Tom]

I'm a late bloomer, if I've actually bloomed!

In the late 90's I took my bow course to get started hunting and the room and instructors were all wheel guys. I was told not to worry about a LH or RH bow as I was "just picking a spot".
Im left eyed and was a long frustrating time shooting RH before I switched to a lefty bow and things improved dramatically. For me, I should have had a LH bow from the start and won't be taking any more advice from a wheel guy.
This place is my info now.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Great stuff, guys! Thx!

[MCNSC]

Took Rod Jenkins class a few years ago, wish I would have/ could have when I first started.  Consistency went way up.

[SCATTERSHOT]

Don't overbow yourself. This has been mentioned before, but I feel it's one of the most important pieces of advice to a new shooter.

[CRS]

I would have made a much easier transition if I had started with a lighter weight bow, and used tuned arrows.

When I dropped from 67# and accidentally stumbled into some arrows that were perfect spine for my set up, it all came together.

[frassettor]

To relax

[McDave]

There have been long periods of time that I have not progressed, or even regressed, due to target panic.  I think I know how to control my target panic now, and I sure would be a lot further ahead if I had known how to do it then.  Target panic is such a funny thing though.  I'm not sure that what I think I know about it will work for the rest of my life,  and I'm pretty darn sure it won't work for everybody else.

[DarrinG]

I wish I had learned about bareshaft tuning much earlier. Would have saved me lots of headaches! And that "custom" bows don't necessarily perform any better that production bows. Could have saved lots of $$$.

[TaterHill Archer]

Longbow Fanatic 1,
I'm like you.  When I started I had no mentors.  All of my friends and family were compound shooters, as was I.  Everyone around me though I was crazy for wanting to go trad.  I just had a desire I couldn't shake. I read G Fred Asbell's book right away.  It was helpful, but not enough.  I developed bad habits that I carry through to today.  

I think the best "advice" I got from reading was to go lighter than I was with my compound.  That MA I had was 50# and was a sweet shooter.  The best advice I gave myself was "stick with it".  I sold my compound and decided I was going to be trad only.  glad i did.

[mec lineman]

Don't believe everything you read on the internet

[KodaChuck]

In 1967, no internet, no mentor, and basically no clue. I was a boy with a bow and pretty much felt like I was on an island. Bought the wrong length strings, carried arrows with Bear broadheads exposed in a kwikee quiver, lived through the Baker treestand experience and just had the Archer's Bible as a single resource....which wasn't bad but that was it. Read Outdoor Life monthly which seemed more informative than Field and Stream - but they were both  helpful. Stumbled around with a Kodiak Hunter and was way overbowed like everyone else. In comparison to today, archers were a small percentage of the hunting community (less than 5%)- and with deer numbers down - shot opportunities were not very common so the big regret, in retrospect, is living through hard times and never really learning to shoot well on a self taught basis. If you are on this site, you can gain years of experience and knowledge that was just not available in the past. It is just way, way better now.

[Mr.Vic]

Like a few above, in the mid 60's there were very few bow hunters period to learn from. But the one i did learn from was a simple man and he taught me "Keep it simple and get close". I wish he would have told me,"Save your money and go west young man"

[Sixby]

In 1970 I met a bowhunter that was shooting a Browning Explorer. I had a new to me Super Neceda which was my first nice bow. I had been shooting an old Indian solid fiberglass 45 lb bow that I got when I was like 11 or 12 and could hit anything I wanted to hit with it. Too dumb to know I wasn't supposed to I guess. Probably cause I lived with that old bow though.
Anyway I was missing a major part of my hunting skills and this man that had that Browning gave me a piece of wonderful insight. He said this,. With patience possess ye your soul. It has served me so well for these many years and in many other things than bowhunting.

God bless, Steve

[picapica]

Start with a light weight bow and work tirelessly on a consistent anchor and proper release. Draw with your whole upper body, not just your arms.

[J-dog]

Didn't know anyone shooting trad, watched a Barry Wensel VCR tape and saw the Schafer silvertip and thought that was sooooo cool! no internet quite yet or I hadnt messed with it yet???

I wish I had been told not to over bow myself as that is what I did. Course it didnt take a rocket scientist to tell me to back off. I went and got one alot lighter and worked into the heavier bow.

Even now for hunting these little eastern NC whitetails I wonder why I shoot 55 and 60? 45 (legal requirement) would slice through them like butter.

J

[ChuckC]

Back then there were no computers, few magazines, and not really many mentors around.  Yes, there were archers ( no compounds either yet) but as a kid, getting matched together with one was near impossible unless you had an archery family.

Today, the options are unlimited.  I think I would try to get them to make it fun.  Having fun makes you shoot more.  Shooting more at fun targets makes you want to hit it more ( especially when one of the group actually does, showing you it is possible).  Hitting more takes a combination of putting together the right gear, the right practice, and the right desire.

Next thing you know, the whole group is hitting and you need to make the shots harder or "stupider".

For newbies to bowhunting.... I think my advice would be to stop watching movies and videos and get out in the woods.  Watch and learn where the animals live and where / when / why they move about.  Then plan an ambush accordingly that puts you within good striking range for your current skill set.  

IF that is only 5 yards then get good at being sneaky till you get better at hitting at 10 yards.

[Red Beastmaster]

I started with 45#, jumped to 65#, then eventually back to 45#. It took 25 years and a couple thousand dollars to learn my lesson.

Another misconception was to shoot arrow spines way heavier than bow weight. We all used 5.5" fletching to tame those logs down.

[Pat B]

When I started shooting Trad there was The Traditional Bowhunter Magazine and a few books to help me along. Between Jay Massey and G.Fred Asbel I learned. One thing I wish I had gotten early on is to learn and adhere to the basics first then do your own thing. I eventually made it but it was a long road. A little help from my friends really made a difference.
 Something I just learned in the last year or so is if you don't use it, you loose it.

[KSdan]

Ditto much that has been said. . .

If I were just starting I would not worry about the target and any distance at first.  

~ Work on form until is is natural and consistent.  20+ practice sessions is not too few.  No actual target is necessary (some call this blank bale).  Practice DOES NOT make perfect.  Practice makes PERMANENT.  You would be better off shooting fewer arrows correctly, than a whole bunch wrong.  (You can do all of this in your basement, garage or even in a room)
~ Then I would start shooting at a 1-2" actual spot (like one of those orange stick on circles) at about 3 yds.  Always use the same "spot" target and stay there until you consistently and confidently can hit that spot 80-90%.  You  may be at 3 yds for 2 weeks.
~ THEN move back 2 steps.  Repeat the above process for how long it takes.  
~ Intersperse the sessions at times where you just focus on ONE aspect of your form to reinforce that part of your shot.
~ A MUST is to read Jay Kidwell for training practices you do to keep you from developing Target panic!
~ Continue this process over a few weeks and months.  Don't move back until you have mastered that distance.  Over time you will see yourself progressing at 15. . .17. . .20, etc.  
~The KEY is making this process a deliberate and patient training experience over a few months.  Don't expect 18 yds until you mastered 5. Have sessions where the goal is just ONE aspect of your form or one training skill as espoused by Kidwell.
~ In time try some stump shooting, 3Ds, and small game hunting.  It will build your confidence transposing all the spots, form, sight picture etc onto real targets  
~ By the way- its suppose to be fun, not frustrating.
~ After 35 years exclusively trad I still go back to the above routine periodically to re-establish my confidence.  

My thoughts. . .
Dan in KS