How did you come to be a ......

[Gordy]

I inherited a Herters recurve when I was 12. My dad had purchased it in 1965 for $45 brand new.  Shot it  once in awhile, but picked up compunds when I was 18 or so.

Fast forward to 1998 or 99 and I meet a guy at the range shooting his recurves. He was having fun and we chatted about my old bow.

He encouraged me to give it another try and I did......and never stopped trying !

Haven't looked back since !    

[Brian Krebs]

when we stopped at the roadside stand on our vacation; my brother got the Roy Rogers pistol and holster; and I got the indian headdress and the wood bow and wood arrows with suction cups on the end.....

[laddy]

I got  my first bow when I was three, a lilac longbow.  yes that stuff shoots good.  It lasted until i got a Ben Pearson years later, after I saw the film with Ben and Howard.  I hunted some with shotguns, but it always seemed to easy.  I have only hunted with bows for the past ten years.

[Notso]

Began at age 8 with a bow I made from a sapling. Graduated to solid fiberglass recurve at 10. Serveral laminated recurves have followed. Resisted the temptation to switch to training wheels without much effort. Switched to a longbow and cedar arrows a few years back. I always thought I was just to stubborn to take up modern equipment - I now stand corrected- I am traditional.

[Joseph]

I started hunting with a compound when I was 14 (39 now)and shot for about 2 hours a day, everyday and ended up with a case of target panic so bad I totally froze when I drew back.  Went in the Army after highschool and didn't touch a bow for 6 years, got out in 93, got a bow and I was right were I had left off at with the target panic.  Tried shooting a recurve out of desperation because there weren't any sight pins and took to it like a fish to water and now here I am 14 years later!  Having the time of my life.  Joseph

[buckhuck]

Got interested after seeing Mr. Furguson's trick shots.  Like others I also wanted a new challenge.  Got tired of my crossbow and compound. Sold my crossbow after a friend GAVE me a K-Mag.  Only been shooting since Jan, but having a blast and can't wait till this fall!!

[lilbobby]

It all started on a Christmas day in 2002, my little brother told me to give it try. I kind of liked it so he let me use a bow for awhile, then in 2003 I ordered my first bow. I was fifty then and saw things in the woods I had never noticed before, fifty-five now and can't get enough. I will never be able to thank my little brother enough for introducing me to this way of life. Thanks Todd!

[J.T.]

My dad and I both shot compounds with fingers never could get used to a release, then one summer while going to college I decided that I wanted to take the sights off my compound and learn to shoot instinctive.  After shooting instinctive with a compund for a month or so I decided I wasn't going to hunt with a compound anymore and started looking for a used recurve.  I hadn't told my dad that I had taked my sights off and started shooting instinctive I was going to just show up at deer camp in the fall with a recurve, but talking to him on the phone one night I told him what I had done and I found out that he had done the same thing and had just ordered a longbow.  He was also planning on not telling me and just showing up at deer camp with his longbow.  We both killed our first deer with traditional equiptment that season and havn't looked back since.

[rxhntr]

It started for me when I was 9. My brother got the bow, a fiberglass longbow. We used any arrow we could get and we chased the jack rabbits all over. I went on to training wheels until 2 yrs ago. I got to shoot my buddies bow (a Legends bow)-this was his new business after his accident. It was so smoothe and fun I ordered one---havent picked up my compound since.

[Crooked Stic]

My first bow was a self bow sort of. It was a tree limb with what ever kind of string I could find to put on it. I used sticks for arrows and just plinked around the yard. My first real bow was a shop project in high school. A you finish it blank all wood lam bow. Then I had a bear 76er and then it was an Allen wheelie bow and a few others untill about 16 years ago I got back to Trad with a Martin hunter.Now I build my own and am hooked bad.

[bmfer]

I was about 11, visiting my grandparents in Georgia, and out-shooting my sister with my little red fiberglass recurve that they bought me. I think at that point I was hooked, just didn't know it. But, to finish the story, after I teased her for hours, she got pissed and picked that bow up and shot me in the shoulder at about 9 yards, so I quit teasing her.....

[bushytail]

When i was young, i saved up money to buy cap&ball hand gun.So i thought.Dad said NO.So i said i`ll buy a bow then.Dad said ok.It was a compound.Then about 8 years ago,went trad.Got tired of all the gadgets and i`m glad a made the switch.Now i`m tinkering with primitive stuff.  

[Weekend Warrior]

I shot a compound for 20 yrs.
  I got my first longbow in 1997, My avatar is my first trad harvest first day of season and same year.  
Hooked ever since!

[Aeronut]

I got a bow for Christmas in 1966 when I was 10.  I still have that little fiberglass bow.  I went through other recurves as I grew up and eventually went to the 'new' compounds. Got tired of the mechanical repetition, weight, and all the 'have to have' gizmos and longed for the simpler style.  I had dreamed of making my own bow for several years but didn't know how.

I bought a Ben Pearson recurve on **** a few years back and haven't even considered shooting a compound contraption since.  I since have made several bows and am hooked on traditional shooting.

Dennis

[Bonebuster]

Same story as many others. Started as a kid with simple bows. The bow,the string, and arrows. Any arrows I could get. Look at the target, whatever the target was, draw back and hit it. Pure fun.

As I got older, everyone had a compound. Everyone said I needed one. And along came sights, release aids, and every new arrow rest that came down the line.  Soon, I was practicing with my bow because I HAD to. It`s what bowhunters did. I wasn`t shooting because it was fun. One day in October 1989, I drew my high tech compound, and killed a spike buck. Then I realized my hands were not shaking, and my heartbeat was not at redline.  I felt sick instead of elated.

Now I shoot because it`s fun, and just the sound of an approaching deer is all it takes to get me shaking.

[Frenchymanny]

I hunted with a rifle, then a arrow launching device (the compound), then a bow. At that point, the fun began!!!

F-Manny

[Problem Child]

My parents bought me one of the little blue kid's bow made by Bear when I was about 6.Then when I was about 15 I bought a Bear Whitetail C-pound(It had more wheels on it than my truck.   ).My brother and I would shoot everyday and we loved to shoot at each others arrow.I used the robotic bows until about 4 years ago when I picked up a Tice and Watts at a flea market. Now it's about 10 recurves/longbows later and I ain't going back.

[Shawn Leonard]

I was tired of my compound and wanted something different. I went back and forth for 8 years, now as of 04' I have been Traditional. I think it makes ya a better hunter, as ya have to get closer. Shawn

[JL]

Much like everyone else...

I grew up in a small town in Southern Jersey. Wasn't a whole lot to do so was always in the woods doing something of fishing (grew up on the Deleware river). My older brother was cleaning out his room one day and asked if I wanted a old ben person recurve he had. Sure! Went into town and got some arrows and shot the dog snot out of that bow! When I was older and was working, I too bought one of the Whitetail compounds (boy, that thing was a DOG! think it has 6 or 8 wheels on it. The pearson would outshoot it). Last compound I had was a Matthews and shooting it was square pegs in round holes. When to a local indoor range and shot a wing hunter and was all over the place, couldn't put two arrows together to save my life. Picked up a DH Hunter at a hock shop for $50 and really started shooting again. Bought my first custom TD (Timberspirit TD, wish I had that bow back!!!) and sold my Matthews. Never looked back. I just traded with Greg for my dream bow, a Blacktail Snakebit TD and all is right with the world, as we know it!

Your very welcome Greg! Glad to have you as a bud!

JL

[BCBubba]

when I was about ten I found an old dusty Recurve in my father's garage, he told me he used to shoot with some buddies before I was born,I asked if I could shoot it and he said sure,I took  it to the woods with the one arrow I found with the bow and started shooting at a stump. I guess my dad saw the excitment in my face and decided to clean it up and let me keep it!! I shot that bow and that one arrow every day I could get out to the woods,after a few years I started playing football and lost track of that old Bow,After College, I got married had a few children and only recently started shooting a recurve again....I think back on my Stump shooting days and thank my father for letting me shoot his old Bow, If he didnt let me shoot it, I would most likely never have gotten into archery...Thanks Dad!!