Who's old school around here?

[Three Arrows]

Besides Mr. George D. Stout, who hunts old school?  Since I started in this game in '86, I have seen it change over the years.  It seems every year there is a trend that some follow, good or bad.  Look at the different tree stand configurations out there!  Look at the safety belts/harnesses out there!  Today, there was even a post about a rope and prusik for ascending and descending!  We have gone from bows in the 60#'s to bows in the 40#'s.  We have gone from longbows 70 inches to 54 inch longbows? Or should we call them shortbows?  Recurves were around the mid 60's in length to 52 and less now.  There were exceptions.  My newest bow cost more than my late and departed compound that was fully set up with sights, quiver, and arrows!  My last tree stand cost more than my first car, a nice Pinto for 350.00!  Sometimes, I think George is right in assuming that we are getting carried away with quick fixes and gadgets in our sport.  It seems like whenever someone well known uses something, we all gravitate towards getting it or copying it.  I used to hunt from the ground and had success and lots of fun until I was told that deer don't look up.  I climbed so high that I needed "cloud camo".  I used to shoot crab apples stuck on sticks for practice until I was told I would be better with a swing draw.  I got so bad I couldn't hit a pumpkin.  I fell for all the scent free stuff we wear, until I came home and my dog sniffed my butt.  Hell, I even own a Tree Saddle I used for 2 years now.  I am back to 62 inch recurves in the mid 50#'s with plain dull clothing, rubber boots, and a nice chair for sitting on this year!  Now, if I can only just find a Double Bull on sale somewhere...  

[vtmtnman]

Everyone is free to settle on their own level of 'old school'.

Talk to a compound shooter and I'm old school with my recurve.

Talk to a trad shooter (One who's been at it for a long time) and they would probably call me high tech because of my camo and fourwheeler.

[Three Arrows]

Every year, I see more and more technology involved in such a simple sport.  The fun is in the learning and practice of archery and hunting.  I went through the woods and removed at least 100 reflective tacks and ribbons last fall.  I counted no less than 14 tree stands with cable locks, 8 ladder stands, and 5 deer barrows in the state game lands near my house.  On some private land I sometimes hunt, I found arrows and cross bow bolts with lighted nocks and four wheeler tracks?  It is only a 200 acre lot!

[Keuka]

You didn't mention: GPS, cell phones, two way radios, or game cameras. I see alot of hunters heading into the woods and it looks like they're a member of a SWAT team. If they fell over the'd have trouble getting back up.

Just think, If the satelite goes down or the batteries fail, the'll be helpless. Too bad the Native American lost or did he?

[Jim now in Kentucky]

In any endeavor, there is some satisfaction in having all the equipment one could possible need--latest, most popular, etc.

Traditional bowhunters have a limit on advanced weapon types, but within the limit, there have been, as you illustrated above, lots of variations on the theme.

I started out with a hickory bow as a kid, then got a solid fiberglass, and for a dozen years now, I have been using self bows and wooden arrows, all of which I have made.

I like it my way. I will always be able to shoot as long as the body holds out and I can afford string materials.

Success?? I have yet to shoot a deer with a bow. Still like it.

Jim Davis aka Reparrow man

[barredfeather]

Guess I'm "old school", been at it for 49 years.  Just bought a new bow, 62" recurve, up from 60" recurve.  I did go down to under 50# as it hurts too much over 50#. Still shoot woods and gave up tree stands long ago.  Have shot deer at 10 yards on the ground and did know I was there.  I do own a cheap pop up blind, although I could barely shoot my 60" recurve out of it and know the 62" won't work either.  I can use it to set in the rain and watch I guess.  My wife makes me take my cell phone with me any more for, you know, just in case....  Don't tell her that I leave it in the truck.  Most of the time, I don't even have a flashlight on me in the woods.

All I can say about the spirit of traditional bowhunting is "keep the wind in you face, the sun on your back, and the graceful peace of the great outdoors in your heart", and all will be well.

Jerry

[bigiron]

bow, arrows, ground & walmart camo overals about 20 years old. no trees for this old fart!

[bullet-slinger]

Originally posted by Three Arrows:
Besides Mr. George D. Stout, who hunts old school?  Since I started in this game in '86, I have seen it change over the years.  It seems every year there is a trend that some follow, good or bad.  Look at the different tree stand configurations out there!  Look at the safety belts/harnesses out there!  Today, there was even a post about a rope and prusik for ascending and descending!  We have gone from bows in the 60#'s to bows in the 40#'s.  We have gone from longbows 70 inches to 54 inch longbows? Or should we call them shortbows?  Recurves were around the mid 60's in length to 52 and less now.  There were exceptions.  My newest bow cost more than my late and departed compound that was fully set up with sights, quiver, and arrows!  My last tree stand cost more than my first car, a nice Pinto for 350.00!  Sometimes, I think George is right in assuming that we are getting carried away with quick fixes and gadgets in our sport.  It seems like whenever someone well known uses something, we all gravitate towards getting it or copying it.  I used to hunt from the ground and had success and lots of fun until I was told that deer don't look up.  I climbed so high that I needed "cloud camo".  I used to shoot crab apples stuck on sticks for practice until I was told I would be better with a swing draw.  I got so bad I couldn't hit a pumpkin.  I fell for all the scent free stuff we wear, until I came home and my dog sniffed my butt.  Hell, I even own a Tree Saddle I used for 2 years now.  I am back to 62 inch recurves in the mid 50#'s with plain dull clothing, rubber boots, and a nice chair for sitting on this year!  Now, if I can only just find a Double Bull on sale somewhere...      

I’m not sure what your calling old school.  I did just order a new longbow from Howard Hill Archery.  Wesley special,  68 in. long and 50# @ 26 in.  (My draw length.)  It’s the lightest pulling custom made bow I’ve ever ordered.  I also currently have and shoot a 54 Lb and 61 LB Black Widow bow.  The 61 lb I had made in 1983 when Ken Beck still owned Black Widow.  In 1982 I killed a 141 7/8 in. Pope and Young buck with a 100 lb 70 in. Howard Hill Big 5 bow made by Ted Kramer that that Howard Hill used a picture of for advertisement in the bow and arrow magazine.  I owned and shot longbows up to 110 lb pull at my draw length in the 80s.  I was 17 or 18 years old and shooting a 55 lb bear grizzly in a indoor archery range when I layed my eyes on the first compound bow.  It was a Allen bow and even the owner of the archery shop had not seen one before at this point.  Every deer I’ve killed with a bow has been with a recurve or longbow and a wood arrow.  The lightest pulling of any bow I’ve killed a deer with has been 65 lbs.   I usually hunted from a tree stand or ground blind of some kind and didn’t use camo at all.  

Now lets talk old school…..   During the 80s when I was really into heavy longbows I was a member of a archery club in Shelby County Ohio.  The manager of this particular club was in his late 70s or earlier 80s.  I never new his first name but everyone called him Whitey, me included.  He used to get on me about shooting such heavy bows and told me back in his day almost every bow hunter he knew owned two bows.  He said most bow hunters owned a 45 lb bow they hunted with and a 35 lb bow that was used most of the year for target shooting.

My question to you is, “Between Whitey and I, which one of us is old school in your eyes?”  

Take care,

Ken

PS,,,  Now I’m old enough that I have arthritis in my left elbow and that’s why I ordered my lightest custom bow ever.  I’m just more than a little sure that shooting really heavy bows are responsible for the arthritis.

[ron snowaert]

Woodcraft and real hunting is geting to be a lost art. I am 45 years old grew up in the upper peninsula, as a kid i would try to get lost never worried about it, i did get turned around alot but I always got home thanks to my compass and basic knowledge. I moved to kentucky in 2003 not a lot of public places to hunt, I did hunt the local WMA about 10 miles from my home. The first night I came out I could not believe the reflecter tape and tacks throughout the woods. What was funny is ther were reflecters following a frickin creek how stupid do you have to be to not follow a creek without reflectors to help guide you. Last year my son shot al little buck on that same WMA. We met a guy on the way out he seemed to be a nice guy well the next day i went to hunt by myself thenk god my boy wasnt with me I cuaght the same guy and his son taking my treestand it got really ugly really turned me off to hunting the area. glad my boy didnt see the ugly side of this sport!!!!!!!!!

[Richie Nell]

I guess I would cosider myself a pretty simple, not terribly complicated hunter.  But old school or not...40 years ago or 40 years from now.. many things are exactly the same...
Accuracy is very important, a heavier poundage bow is a more powerful weapon than a lighter poundage bow, a heavy arrow will take longer to stop than a lighter arrow, a single bevel broadhead will twist and bust through bone more effeciently than a double bevel head.  

It was true then and still is now regardless of when we learned the facts and regardless of how many people choose to apply these facts or not.  

There is alot of subjectivity in traditional bowhunting but there are a few things that are not.

[High Knob]

The good old days are right now.

[Izzy]

Not everything old school is good school and not everything new school is bad school.Good people and good hunters are good people and hunters no matter their philosophy or equipment.I know techies with wheels and scent lock that are good enough and woods wise enough that they could kill deer while wearing blue jeans and flannel with a self bow and stone points everyday if they chose to.And I know "Woodsy, Old Scool, Trad Types" that never ate venison that wasnt given to them.In the words of an Old Scool dude, "My 2 Cents."

                        Izzy

[HATCHCHASER]

I heard that Izzy.     I'm with ya!

[George D. Stout]

Did someone call me old?  Huh?  No....couldn't have been.  Where's my dang hearing aid?

Richie is my hero.  I'm just an old fart that has passed his time.

[elkbreath]

Izzy, i'm in that boat, my dad one of those guys, with the fancy wheels etc...  But nobody shoots elk more consistently than this guy, and hes never turned around (at least that he lets on  :-)  ).  he could do it naked I bet.  However he likes his wheels.

I'm younger and wear plaid.  I just think the stick and plaid make for better pictures! Not to mention gratifying.

Some day I'll take one with a woody stone point and one of yanceys snakey bows...

[deepwoods]

I'm ol school. Started 60 yerars ago about.
50 odd years serious. Changes, wow. But I bought some vintage archery magazines a while back and reading throught them I found that things are still the same in a lot of respects. Anything other than "traditional" is not archery in the same sence. And having said that, the younger folks will feel the same way about todays archery tools. We are all a victum of when we were "bonded" to archery. I bonded to archery with a Ben Pearson lemmon wood long bow. It defined "rough in hand" but  that is were I bonded and in '49 or '50 that was a good bow, At least it was all Dad could afford. I shot that bow until about 1970 and lost it when I sold a car and left the bow in the car, a few days later I realized where it was and oh, well.
lol. Any bow I shoot, any style I shot just wasn't archery like it was with a wood self bow, wood arrows (no two match) and wanderin' round in the "big thicket" trying to shoot something.
I would give any bow I own now to get that old out of tiller lemmon wood bow back. But memories are like wants, lot of the magic in them is the wanting and remembering. The bow and the day in the woods I remember probably did not happen the way I remember it and any attempt to recreat it would only ruin that memory. Are'nt all memories like that? I will just make the bows I have now and the time I am having now the memories of the future. I must remind myself that archery is different for everyone and equaly precious, and equally valid, for everyone.

[Brian Krebs]

I have been bowhunting for a long time; and I am closing in on 60 soon. I don't know if I am old school; I use a longbow; I shoot instinctive; and still call older people 'Sir' or 'Mame'.

 But I am still learning. I am sitting here at 11 pm; going to go hunting at 5:30 (opening day) - and I am excited about it. I don't believe I will ever get done learning- about bowhunting; about the animals I hunt; and all the variables involved.

 Not sure if I am old school; or still in school.

Hey: Three Arrows - gotta ask; what gave you the right to tear down stuff that belongs to other people? I know one day in the mountains on opening day in the National Forest; I walked around for a half hour looking for my stand tree. I am sure there were no other hunters around for miles; and miles-- but I dang sure could have used trail markers; and they do cost money. Its not immoral- or illegal-  to use them; why did you tear them down?

[Three Arrows]

I did not mean to insult anyone here regarding equipment or bow poundage.  We shoot what we can.  I am referring to the tendency of people to discard what we know works in favor of a new trend.  Old school by this guy's definition is someone who is woodsy enough to not get lost 50 ft away from the truck, shoots any trad bow and arrow, no GPS, no self climbing tree lounge with body harness.  Sometimes ya gotta wonder if you belong in a tree if you are afraid to fall down?  We play with sharp objects that we intentionally get sharper; do we expect to sue someone when accidentally cut ourselves?  

To Brian Krebs who took insult:  I found the tacks were all over from years of use.  They were rusted and started to bark over.  If they were fresh, I might have even put them up and rerouted them all the way back to the truck.  It is not illegal or immoral for me to play pranks is it?  Seriously, there is no way to get lost when you follow a river to go into the woods where I found these tacks.  Just imagine shining a flashlight and having these things all light up at once with no way to go in particular.  It must have been from every Tom, Dick, and Hairy that hunted there.

[Three Arrows]

I am NOT by any means saying I am old school.  I wish to one day just hunt for the sake of hunting.  I used just about every "advantage" I could over the years.  I even own a tree umbrella so my butt doesn't get wet in the rain.          

All I am saying is that it might be more fun if we stopped buying in to the current hype, use what we know works, and go have fun.

[Jon Stewart]

I still use a bow my dad gave me in 1969 when I got home from the service.  I  use older Bear wooden arrows with a back quiver.  When I leave camp to hunt my son just shakes his head and smiles.  Guess I could be considered old school.