What does "traditional hunting" mean, to you?

[mwmwmb]

traditional hunting is getting together with about a hundred buddies in a good stiff wind lighting a wildfire and drivin a herd of Buffalo off a cliff  

[elkbreath]

Still others feel the need to label every aspect of daily life.  The Natural result is division.

for the purposes of this site;

"To offer a public access website for those that love the sport of hunting with traditional archery equipment - i.e., selfbows, longbows, and recurves."

[OkKeith]

Well... I suppose to define traditional it would be necessary to define a baseline of what we are trying to go back to, a standard for traditional. “Traditional” does mean, “long-established, or time-honored”. What should be the representation of that standard? Should our standard be the American Indian? I don’t think so, they (I include myself in that they) bailed on the bow and arrow as soon as firearms were available to them (us). Why? They worked better! There was no phony spiritual whohaw about the magic flight of the arrow. A rifle brought down game and enemies at a farther distance and with greater authority. This was important because survival was the name of the game, not lookin' good at the 3-D shoots.

How about the image of Ye Olden Archer? Again, this doesn’t really work for me either. First there were crossbows and then matchlocks, and then wheel locks, and then flintlocks etc. etc. etc... These took the place of archery equipment in war fighting. Why? Again, they worked better at the job they were required to do. There were some who held to the use of archery equipment because it was a quiet way to kill the King's Deer without being caught.

I hate to say this (I really do but I gotta) TRADITIONAL IS AS TRADITIONAL DOES! The GPS is no more or less traditional than miracle fabric long-johns (I’m not going to do without those) or an illuminated dial watch. I believe “Traditional Hunting” is not what you hunt with; it's all about HOW you hunt with it. I have good friends who shoot compounds that are very traditional minded. My opinion is that traditional hunting equipment is a product of a traditional hunting mind set.

So, is a GPS traditional as far as archery goes? Sure. If that is what you need to be safe where you hunt and it allows you to go farther, trek deeper and hunt longer or harder... Get yourself one and use it. If my ancestors had access to a GPS in the 16th and 17th centuries while they roamed around in the swamps of Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee, I guarantee they would have used it. If sitting in a tree makes you more successful or is a better way for you to hunt, use it. Would Ye Olden Archer have sat in a tree stand? You bet. The Sheriff of Nottingham would never have seen what was coming.

Once more, this is my opinion. The reason traditional hunting is so difficult to define is that each of us has our own point of view defined by our own experience. How can someone who has never hunted in their life, coming from a family who never hunted have a hunting tradition at all? They would have to borrow one.

My personal tradition is to shoot recurves. It is what I grew up with, all I really knew until I got out in the world on my own. It fits the way I like to do things. It compliments my traditional nature. Picking up a long bow or a recurve (with or without sights) doesn’t make you a traditional hunter. Hunting traditionally (regardless of equipment) does.

 OkKeith

[Frank V]

Originally posted by mwmwmb:
traditional hunting is getting together with about a hundred buddies in a good stiff wind lighting a wildfire and drivin a herd of Buffalo off a cliff    


NOW THERE YOU GO! Frank          

[Biggie Hoffman]

ETHEREAL??? Jeez George, now I gotta go find my traditional dictionary.........

[bowtough]

I don't necessarily think of myself in those terms,who sets these standards anyway? Ihunt with longbows and recurves period.I'm a bowhunter no more no less. Seems alota people like to brandish the terminology traditional bowhunter and wear it like a badge. We all like to hunt,and we love archery. Don't think its a good idea to seperate our selves with labels. Some people don't like alota gadgets,I don't so I don't use them.But I don't put down hunters that do,as long as it doesn't destroy habitat,is fair chase,and not an infringement on others. Just my personal opinon.  

[straitera]

"Fair chase" epitomizes "hunting" IMO.
Trad (for me) is longbow only w/o bait, guides, fences, or fees.

[Kingstaken]

Besides becoming one with your equipment by having to live with it all year round, less pressure, more relaxing and greater joy.

[Covey]

Traditional, To me it means everything. I love the woods and the water, the sun coming up in the morning and setting in the evening. The smell of  spring, and the color of leaves in fall. To be able to experiance all of God's creation with something as simple as a bow and a few arrow's. The taking of deer or turkey or whatever else I my hunt I do with respect and remorse for the life taken and consider it a gift!!! Jason

[Don Stokes]

To me it means modern times, because I started bowhunting in 1963, before the word "traditional" was applied to archery. I was 14, and finally killed my first deer, a spike, 13 years later. There weren't nearly as many deer available back then. If you saw one, it was a good season. Compounds got popular about then, and I shot one for a few years, but never really trusted them, being a true believer in Murphy's Law. Went back to the stickbows for good.

[woodchucker]

As I said before.....It has NOTHING to do with EQUIPMENT!!!!!

We tend to get caught up in our "elitest" attitudes and focus on our equipment choices as a badge of distinction,setting us above "all the rest".....

We tend to forget that the key word here is HUNTING.

I traditional hunt with an old iron sighted 30-30 rifle. Gun,shells,and a knife.(sometimes a compass,I'm not THAT stupid) Bare bones,No frills,just my knowledge & woodsmanship against my quarry's senses & instinct. It's as "traditional" as it gets,as old as time itself, Predator against Prey.

I hunt with a longbow because I like it's lightness and simplicity. I hunt with my old Bear recurves because they bring back memories of my younger days and simpler times.

As I said before in an earlier post, If you have to ask..... you haven't "been there"    

[Dartwick]

"traditional" means "no wheels, no mechanical release" to me.

That doesnt define what I want out of hunting but it defines the word.

[SELFBOW19953]

I agree, Don (I'm about 2 years younger).  When I was 5 or 6, we kids would make bows and spears out of bamboo that grew everywhere in Florida. We would cut new bamboo shoots for arrows, split them with our pocket knives, stick a chicken feather in them for fletch, and tie a string aroung the arrow just below the knock.  We shot with a pinch grip, just like all the Indians did on th old TV shows.  We couldn't hit sqaut, but we sure had fun.  About the itme you took up bowhunting, my grandfather gave me a lemonwood  longbow and tought me to shoot "correctly".  Other than him, I knew no adult that even shot a bow.  There were only 2 kinds of bows, longbows and recurves, and only one kind of arrow, cedar. It was 1975 before I met anyone else who shot a bow or used fiberglass arrows.  I shot a compound for about 3 years, even learned to use sights.  If I missed what I was shooting at, I was sure the sights were bent.  The bows were heavy, I couldn't shoot in low light with the sights, so I quit and went back to my recurve. I haven't shot a wheelie bow since 1982.

[Sam McMichael]

When I think of traditional, I think primarily "low tech". Recurve or long bow without carbon. I like wooden arrows. I do wear camo but not always. I use both ground blinds and elevated stands, depending on location and personal whim. Sometimes it is what makes me feel "simple", realizing that others might not agree. However, I do like the idea of cell phones and GPS, because I am not that good with map and compass.

[gregg dudley]

Traditional hunting to me is not about a weapon or material or equipment list.  It is about abiding by a personal standard for behavior that honors our hunting heritage.  It is about the spirit and traditions of the hunt.  It is about friends and memories.

[Adirondack Bowman]

IT HAS EVERYYHING TO DO WITH EQUIPMENT .

[Mourning Wood]

K.I.S.S.
Keep It Simple Stupid!
Also it was Barry or Gene Wensel that said "IF they had to explain it to someone,They wouldn't get it anyway!!I truely believe in that statement.ED

[gregg dudley]

If traditional hunting has everything to do with equipment, then it follows that everyone who uses traditional equipment is a traditional hunter.  If you are seriously trying to sell that, you will starve to death. IMHO of course.

[GMMAT]

just for the sake of playing devil's advocate....

If it has nothing to do with equipment (as some would say), is it plausible for a man shooting a new Hoyt AM35 to pen himself as a "traditional" hunter?

[gregg dudley]

Jeff,

According to my definition of traditional hunter, it is plausible for a man toting a scoped 3006 to consider himself a traditional hunter.  I am perfectly satisfied to consider Gene Hill, Peter Capstick, Robert Ruark, Ernest Hemingway, Grits Gresham, Craig Boddington and others of that caliber as traditional hunters.

Approach the hunt with integrity, treat the game with respect, conduct yourself as an ambassador for the past time and I will happily call you a traditional hunter.

I understand that my view is the minority opinion on this topic and I am fine with that.