Trads biggest challenge for me...

[high mountain]

When I picked up my recurve for the first time 5 or 6 years ago....I was sure it was going to be tough. And I was correct...it just wasnt tough in the way I thought it was going to be.

Ya see..I had gun and bow hunted for a while. Didnt always take a deer every year, but that never bothered me. What DID bother me was it wasnt really exciting anymore. Sure, I enjoyed it..but it was lacking the thrill I had when I first started.
I thought for sure that shooting a trad bow would be my biggest obstacle. NO letoff..no sights...POC arrows....HOW in the world was I ever going to get proficient enough with this gear to shoot accurately?
Well, I perservered..and finally got to be a decent shot most of the time. Seemed I had overcome the biggest obstacle..and I was now ready to take to hill and dale, claim my trophy with my new skills..and triumphantly claim my spot at the top of the proverbial hill.

Boy was I WRONG.
My effective range with a compound was never more than thirty yards.
Im good with my recurve out to 30 yards on targets right now...but prefer hunting shots to be no more than 20(ideally)

I figured..whats the big deal in my "setups/stand locations? Im only losing 10 ish yards, right?
Well...the SETUP has easily proven to be my biggest challenge. All the years of scanning and surveying spots and ambush spots had been for nothing......I simply didnt know how to think "right on top of em close"
Im still learning that aspect of this game...and its IMO the biggest challenge Ive faced yet.
I still struggle with this now...especially since I prefer to be on the ground.

Slowly accepting the limitations of this gear and myself....anybody else in this same boat?

[joevan125]

This will be my first year to hunt with a trad bow after many years with a compound. I killed 8 deer with my bow last year with all the shots except for one were less than 15yds. I dont really see any limitations in shooting trad gear especially if you keep your shots under 20yds. The thing that i will try to keep in check is a good steady bow arm and a baby smooth release.  

[Brian Krebs]

Challenge should not be considered a limitation. Nor should reward be judged upon ease of action.

 It may require more of a person; but the experience is worth it.

[vtmtnman]

Never was a problem for me.I always setup for close shots...even for rifle/smokepole.Close makes sure less can go wrong(Most the time)  

[high mountain]

I just always liked to cover as much of a given area as I could....and found it much easier with a further range.
Where I hunt its typically pretty thick...I always liked to set up in spots that allowed my to cover the maximum amount of trails and intersections.
Now I really cant do that. The thought of picking "this" trail over "that" trail, instead of both of them has been the most frustraing part for me.
Ive certaintly never went out of my way to make sure my max yardage was 15 yards with a shotgun..just doesnt make sense to me.

Didnt mean to disparage the choice of weapon. No offense intended.


"The thing that i will try to keep in check is a good steady bow arm and a baby smooth release."

That sums up the difference between a great shot and a miss for me.....especially the solid bow arm.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Nothing like having em in close.  I think it's the most fun trying not to get detected in their home sitting in their hallway.  If You can beat them there you can probably get them anywhere.

If you can't keep hunting a challenge you might as well pack it in.  Keep it fun and learn something each time you go.

Charlie

[Stiks-n-Strings]

had a pope & young under me last satuday at less than 10 yards and wasn't able to make a good clean shot cause of a tree in the way. He got spooked by two fighting coons and wondered of in the other direction. My heart was about to pop I tell ya!
   Thing is I know I got another chance to hunt him and if it would of came together that first day in the woods I'd be done with my buck for the year. Seen him twice since that I could've nailed him with a wheelie at about 35 yards but it gets better everytime I see him. I can only imagine what it'll be like when I do that get that close clear shot, Heck I might even cry a little... nah but it'll still be emotional.
Trad is a great challenge and knowing that most guys can't or won't do it is what makes it great. If it was easy everybody would do it but it ain't and that's why I love it. Nothing better than a great challenge except when you take an animal the hard way. What a rewarding feeling it is, I promise

[John3]

The Wensels in one of their DVD's said bowhunting is "getting as close as possible and not missing vs. target shooting stands as far away as possible and hitting your target"...

Myself I would rather have a few close encounters over a couple years with a nice buck and not get him killed than to sit 250 yards away with a 30:06 and get him killed the first time I saw him...

Traditional bowhunting is all about getting close and then being able to make it happen... If this was easy none of us would be having so much fun.

[George D. Stout]

I always thought the hard way was standing up in a hammock, but alas I digress.  We can either extend our challenges or shorten them, and the satisfaction we get from that is usually proportional.   Sounds like you are doing very well.

[sidebuster]

George, IMO traditonal archery is all about getting close.  In fact that is part of my logo on the bows I make.  IMO we hunt for the sport and not for survival. If we hunted for survival then anything goes and we would be using guns not bows.  Since we hunt for the sport and not for survival then I feel we need to get a close to the deer as possible.  Not so it will be an easy shot but so the deer can be one on one with you. The further you are the more advantage you have and the less advantage the deer has.  If you have limited the senses of the deer, smell, sight, and hearing by being far then IMO you are not equal plane with you and the deer.  I want that deer to be able to sense my presence and danger but I just out smart him if I can.  Many times he wins and that's ok.  So as my saying on my bows say "Get Cose" but by that I mean we are mano a mano as possible and may the best one win.

[George D. Stout]

sidebuster, what part of my post contradicts what you are saying?  I'm a get close kind of guy....average about nine yards a shot on deer. *^).

[sidebuster]

George I apologize I meant to direct it to High Mountain

[KentuckyTJ]

Close is fun!