Where Has All The Fun Gone?

[scriv]

My signature says what it does for a reason.  

[Mark Baker]

I think it's human nature to tinker.   I also think a lot of newcomers seeking the simpler way,  may be unnecessarily confusing themselves to discouragement.   Many of the technical threads, coupled with  a lot of hype IMO, are the starting points to a lot of newbies to traditional and they may not have that basic foundation of principals to fall back on yet.  

Yes we have this great knowledge base here to draw from, but many may not have that mentor at hand to clear the BS...and there's a lot of that  too.  

The gear,  no  matter how primitive, or trad-techy,  will shoot better than we are capable of shooting it.  And it will mostly all act the same if you  know some very basic principals of matching it up.  

Newbies need to seek out a  mentor if possible, and like has already been said, learn what you  can, but know that you can  simplify it as well if you  want.    Get  a good settup to start and develop your experience  level, and then, then seek out improvements by tinkering if you need to, or want to.    And have fun, no matter how  you do  it!    

[DeerSpotter]

Been there done that, there's no simple way !  If everything was easy, nobody would do it.

Understanding something, is building character, the hardest thing is understanding yourself, and why you do something.  You get the answer, when you accomplish the task.

That's what makes traditional archery a challenge, but also fun.  It shows me more about myself than anything else I have ever been involved in.

Carl

[ChuckC]

Mitch... Lately (for numerous years now..) I have been experiencing the same thing, and have even rebeled a bit, much to the deep shame of my buddies.  

I know...I know that I should have more drive etc toward perfection, but I have been experiencing a real revulsion to high tech, high competition, high worry-about-everything attitudes.  Everywhere around me I see that.  It is fine for you if you enjoy that, but I don't.

I have watched my friend work his butt off trying to tune his arrows to his bow, with some degree of success.  I slap three 5.5 inch highback feathers on my arrows and I can shoot damn near any arrow.  Now...yes... he shoots better than I do, but I have as much, maybe more actual fun just watching my arrows fly.  and I hit.  I may not hit the x-ring, but I hit.

Is my set up tuned....heck no.  fact is, I tried to shoot one of my best arrows bare shaft and broke it when it hit the target sideways at 7 yards !  But it flies perfectly with those huge fletch.  

At this stage in my life, the competition part ruins the game for me.  I just like to roam my little few acres and send feathered sticks to flight and see them hit, or very nearly miss my intended target.

Maybe next year I will get serious.  There is a heck of a nice few studies going on in this site that IS gonna change and better define bowhunting.  I am all for it.  The info is wonderful.  

But I still like those big, noisy, beautiful feathers.....
ChuckC

[Rico]

That said it best for me ChuckC. My bow is set up for hunting big feathers and heavy arrows 100% of the time. I watch the arrow if it flies well I'm tunned.

[Brian Krebs]

hey! I use 5 1/2 inch fletch and heavy arrows too!! Works for me  

[Red Armed Panther]

MW, I agree completely.

[Horne Shooter]

The best thing is to have a friend that worries about the technical stuff-that way I don't have to.  My buddy Bonner can go on for HOURS about FOC, limb wedge design, spine (you name it) and he just loves that part of it.  I just like to pull back and hit what I'm looking at. To each his own I guess...

[K.S.TRAPPER]

MW,Iron bull and Terry.            

Tracy  

[buckeye_hunter]

I have to agree.  When I first found this site I really got caught up in speed, penetration, flattest shooting, two vs. multiblade BH and the rest of that.
 
I think it might have been JC or Terry Green that made a comment that set me straight.

It was something like "The bow that kills the fastest is the one that you shoot accurately into the kill zone."

All I really use the tech stuff for now is geting the right spined arrows ordered and recently getting supersharp BH's.  

After that, I just want to throw some bottles around the yard and try to hit 'em.  I need to get some Muzzy grass catchers so I don't lose so many arrows.

For all the guys out there that are tech savvy, my hat's off to ya'.  I just can't do it.

Thanks for the post,
-Charlie

[Nate Fikkert]

Mitch,

Right on man!  I know for me I don't disagree with having your set-up tuned for optimum performance, BUT it was getting to the point (and I still struggle with it) where I was using the gear and tinkering as my road to be a better hunter.  I have enough gear, I have done enough tinkering.  Now I need to do the things that really make a difference, hunt harder with more confidence, practice with 1 set-up and not keep switching every couple of weeks, spend more time scouting, HAVE FUN!!  

Now who's going turkey hunting?

Nathan

[Ted Fry]

Well said Nathan

[BaldingEagle]

I agree with Nate.  One of the best times I had this year was stump shooting while on a bunny hunt.  Few bunnies, but many stumps.  I just forgot all the junk and shot - great time.

[bayoulongbowman]

What will help free you is finding someone more knowledgeable that  can coach you . Just like anything else worth its salt takes work and practice...and alot faith!!! good luck...Mark#78...if it makes you feel anybetter my shooting stinks today LOL  

[Boneyard Bowhunter]

I like to tune my bow taper my arrows and mess around with things but my mantra is keep it simple, keep it fun.

[tecum-tha]

You`re right with keeping it simple,but not so simple that your arrows fly like a galopping horse and your bow is loud and kicks like a mule.
We have a lot of people over here just shooting like that, and a few may be happy with it...
But after a while they`re not so happy anymore, especially when they see me hitting my mark most of the time. Until 1.5 years I had a severe case of target panic,really bad. I was very close to give up all the clutter, because the fun was gone.
I bought a DVD explaining the problem with a cure technique and it was gone. Now it is fun again,because I can sent my arrows to my mark under my control.
Without other people try to advance something, this DVD may have been never produced and I would have probably changed over to a smokepole.
The good thing in Trad archery is, that the technical stuff is done before going to the range or hunt and NOT all the time.
As a travelling archer I have to adjust to the ever changing airplane regulations, without technical innovations that would cost me a bunch of money everytime I use an airservice(TD bows and arrows). Tougher arrows like carbons yield in less arrows and thus less weight....
JUST DO WHAT YOU WANT AND NEED AND DON`T FOLLOW COMMUNITY HYPES!!

[Nightstalker]

I don't post much as some of you can see by how unfamiliar my handle "Nightstalker" is. I come to this board on a regular basis, and what I do for the most part is, I read. My first and most enjoyment I get is the way you all treat one another. Respect and dignity. These ar two very hard things to find these days in the world we live, but on this board they seem to always be the theme for the day.

Secondly, depending how deep you want to immerse yourself in this sport, you can bet you can do it here as well, but then again not do it. I find this site to be the greatest resource of information I have found anywhere with a group of the most unselfish people that are always willing to share thier experiences and knowledge with you.

If you are going to go out and just punch holes in paper or shoot stumps, then one probably doesn't have a need for all the techno stuff and can keep it as simple as they need to in order to keep the fun in thier shooting. On the other hand, if you are going to hunt, I think you owe it to the animal and the spirit of the hunt to have your gear tuned to the one shot kill.

I probably won't post again for awhile, but I will be here, in the night, stalking, listening, reading, watching.

Doc Noc......you going to be up at Whittingham this year? I missed you last year, was on the road on business. I always enjoy your campfires.

[Shaun]

Well said Vance! And Terry reminds us this is supposed to be the hunting forum.

I like to see an arrow fly perfectly with a spiral of feathers to the target and almost no wobbling.I also like the arrow to fly where its pointed and not a foot to one side or the other. Seems like I find these set ups more often by experimenting and luck than any technical expertise.

Charlie Lamb said, "See if you can hit that can." to me the other day in Texas. I had been frowning at the poor (mismatched) flight of the arrows I was trying out. The next arrow looked like a sidewinder as it flew to a perfect hit. Picked the can off the top of the first target and pinned it to the one behind. Big smile, go figure.

[Rob DiStefano]

I love to tinker with gear, but all that crazy stuff melts away when I step into the woods with bow and arrow, and then a more righteous purpose fills my heart and brain.

[rybohunter]

I think where a lot of frustration comes in (at least for me) is being new and wanting to get my stuff set up correctly. You hear how "simple" things are, then I come hear to learn, and got blown away by some of the ultra-technical issues that I see debated. I'm used to having my gear in tip top performing shape, and with a compound that was simple to do.
Setting up and "tuning" a new trad bow, for me was the farthest thing from simple that I could have ever imagined.