Man what a fine line....I'm finding this to be HARD!...lol

[GMMAT]

1st year all trad....and here's my take, so far.

This is harder than I thought it would be.  Period.

The No. 1 thing I'm having trouble with, is getting VISUALLY busted.  A little background....is I've been a wheelie bow hunter up until this year....taking 21 whitetails in the the last 3 seasons.  So I'm used to getting on deer.  That hasn't changed, this year.  I'm setting up where they're coming through....but I've been visually busted more times this year than in the 3 previous years, combined (it used to be really rare).  I AM hunting lower with my recurve.  I need to.  Granted, that doesn't help.  But the main thing...I think...is the knowedge that I can't draw and hold my bow, now, like I used to.  I could always (in the past) pick an opportune time to draw.  Now....those opportunities are few and far between.

Im NOT complaining.  I think Barry W. said "this is supposed to be hard"....and I agree!  I've been fortunate enough to take two does, so far this year....but it's been since 9/21 since I dropped the string (that's almost FORTY hunts ago)....and yes...I get to hunt a lot.

I've gone over setups in my head....and I really can't think of anything I could be doing differently....other than holding my bow the entire time I'm on stand (been busted reaching for it at least a couple times).  I suppose I'm realizing there's a huge diff. between 17' up and 23-25' up.

Just rambling, I guess.  The time is here when I start to focus on 100% buck hunting....and I know I only get 1 or 2 chances/season.  Just gotta get the confidence, I suppose.  I'm on the deer.....just not closing the deal.

End of rant!

[MCNSC]

Hunting lower and closer are, to me, the main reason Trad is more difficult. I think the closer part gets me more than the lower. Rarly get busted drawing the bow though(heck, I rarly get a shot) as it is more of a smooth, slow motion.

[GMMAT]

I havent been busted drawing, either.  But I've been in such tight qtrs I knew better than to attempt to draw!

I suppose the frustration should be outweighed by the joys when you finally ARE successful....but like I said...I see me getting 1 or 2 chances at a shooter buck (if history holds true).  I'm EXTREMELY confident in my setups.  But the planets are going to have to align for me to pull this off.

[Apex Predator]

Shoot less weight?  I only hunt with 48-50# normally, and can hold at full draw for a while if needed.

I think you are doing fine, as most don't kill two a year.  Most probably don't kill one every year with trad tackle.

Are you haveing fun?  Sounds like you are.  

[wingnut]

You need to use more then height to camo yourself in a tree.  Try picking places that have three levels of cover.  First and most important is behind yourself to breakup the outline, second it between you and the deer and third is close to the shot location.

You might also think about a Ghillie or leafy suit in the stand.  I've been using Ghillies for the last two years and haven't been busted yet.  They look but can't focus on the form.  Looks like a bushy part of a tree.

Mike

[GMMAT]

I'm having an absolute BLAST!  Feels like this is the way I was meant to hunt.  I'll never go back...I know that.

Tight qtrs is most definitely a factor, also.  I haven't attempted a shot over 17yds (the other kill was from 12yds).  I've also had them at well under 10yds a few times and KNEW I couldn't get drawn....and let 'em walk.  THAT is frustrating.

I'm settig up in much more foliage than I ever have....and that, too, diminishes opportunities (but would allow me to draw 'more' easily).  It's just a dose of reality I hadn't fully planned on.  Not complaining, at all....just stating a fact.

I've climbed probably 40 of those 50 or so hunts, so far....out of my LW sit and climb.  I think I'm gonna order the hand climber uppper....so I'll have more (read BETTER) opportunities to each side...that would require less movement to get in the shooting position.  That's probably cost me an op. or 2 (60" AMO is a 'tad' diff. than 32"....lol).

I hope no one takes this as complaining.  I'm not!

[GMMAT]

You might also think about a Ghillie or leafy suit in the stand. I've been using Ghillies for the last two years and haven't been busted yet. They look but can't focus on the form. Looks like a bushy part of a tree.
 

I'm also shooting 52#'s...and I handle that "fairly easily" (coming from a 71# compound).  I DID order my LB at 47#'s though.

Can't tell it from these photos...but I hunt in a full facemask, gloves.....and the only skin exposed is a slit where my eyes are cut in my mask.

[Traditional-Archer]

wingnut has it right, we can't hunt like we did with a bow with training wheels on them, I struggled as well with lowering my stand, it just feels right being lower. But I do have some stand placements that are twenty feet up. I practice all year from my stand in the yard 10 15 20 feet up, not on the ground because I don't hunt from the ground. Plus it helps me burn some of this blubber off. I like the gilly suit idea I am going to get one so I can hunt lower if anything it will make me feel better. I wish you luck. That’s what is great about this club, we all get to vent our frustrations. In the end we hunt with stick and string because it just feels right, and yes it is harder.
L.O.L

Bruce    

[wingnut]

That brown predator is great when the leaves drop, but against the green canopy it's going to stand out, like it does in the pics.

Do you have any low trees with lots of cover to hide your stands in or behind?  I put up two stands last weekend that you can stand 10 ft from with a hunter in them and not be able to pick out the hunter.  Of course I might be a little anal about cover.


Mike

[BradLantz]

GMMAT there is a difference between compound hunting and BOWhunting isn't there?

you can't tell your wheelie buddies on huntingnet that, they'll ostracize you for sure!

welcome to bowhunting and archery!

[Pat B]

You may have to change your shooting style for trad hunting(but now is not the time to think about that) You have all winter and summer to re-educate yourself to a more instinctive and looser style. I use a G. Fred Asbell style of instinctive shooting and for me it can be more effective for those tight set ups and quick situations.
  I have never had the opportunity to hunt around croplands. When I set my stands up they are the same whether I'm hunting with a bow or a rifle. Actually the range of most of my rifle shots could easily have been bow shots.
  When crunch time comes all I want to do is concentrate on where the arrow WILL go. My brain and many hours of practice take care of the mechanics of the shot.

[straitera]

Challenges set trad apart. Not to say you can't kill as many or more deer; but, it will be different. The learning curve is part of the fun. Hang in there.

[George D. Stout]

Height is not the answer....background is.  If you are using a climber, then you can't be too particular about trees....but a hang on will access any tree.  Pick one with multiple trunks if possible, but always one that has background to breakup your outline.

High stands cause acute angles of arrow entry..I wouldn't go higher, just hide better.  Try some ground blinds....they acutally work as well as tree stands.

[GMMAT]

I'm a sticker for back cover.  Always have been.....until leaf drop....when I go to a more open pattern (Enigma or predator).

Wingnut....I'm wearing ASAT in those photos.  I can't get the photos to resize and still be clear enough to see.  Sorry.

Due to the high probability of theft....I can't use lock-ons in my best spots.  I climbed almost 90X last season, alone.

[mcgroundstalker]

I Know It's Hard. Wouldn't have it any other way. Trad Archery is all about gettin' close. Lots of times ya get busted. Hey... It's all good. Some of us love to hunt from the ground. We know what "almost" means.

... mike ...

[Gehrke145]

Try a double bull!  I've shot a ton of critters out of mine and never get busted

[Dave Bulla]

One thing different between trad and compound is the draw and hold like you said.  With your trad bow, the time to draw is also the time to shoot or just a second before.  Think about it.  With the compound, you'd draw, hold, wait for a shot to present itself.  Preferably with the deer looking away.  It's still the same with a trad bow, just draw AND shoot when it looks away.

Of course, in the last few years, it seems to have become common to shoot deer that are looking right at you.  All the hunting shows seem like they take that shot.  You know, they grunt to stop the deer, it looks right at the hunter and the hunter asks the cameraman 3 or 4 times, "are you on him?" then shoots while the deer is looking right at him.  That's always bugged me but I guess it works.  You'll have to get back into the habit of being an invisible hunter.  Don't draw any undue attention and take the shot when it comes naturally.

[LCH]

Jeff I don't hunt lower and don't have any problem I just try to get my shots out about 12 to 17 yards. I hunt between 25 and 30 feet up. The only differance I find hunting with a longbow is I don't like to shoot past 25 yards.Lee

[blueslfb]

I was wondering if you are seeing some of the same deer and they have been educated about looking up. Then they go tell their buddies, "hey guys that is not a big coon in that oak tree!!!!"  I got busted onece this year after a big old doe snuck up on me and sniffed the botom of the ladder stand I was in and looked right up the ladder at me.  She got quite the surprise and the look in her eyes was priceless.  She got out of there in a big hurry. As was said before backdrop is the key and sometimes its hard to not get skylined when using a climber or hang on stand, depending on the area you hunt.

[GMMAT]

Dave....I think you're exactly right.  When I hunted high(er)....I'd see deer...reach for my bow (remember...I'd see them, sooner...and they were further out)....stand (if sitting) and wait for a time to DRAW.  Now...if I try that...busted.  They're too close to allow that.  I guess I need to either let things play out...OE hold my bow more.

boues....I'm very mobile.  I've got 7 fixed stands set....and I climb a LOT.  2 of those fixed stands haven't been hunted...and I've sat in the same tree more than once....only 2X.  I run and gun a lot.

Lesson in patience, I'm sure.  Thanks, all.