Need some advice from you fathers..

[buckeye_hunter]

Go to a pawn shop and pick up a compound CHEAP! Let him shoot which bow he wants. Keep the trad bow with you and I bet he will want to try his hand at the trad gear again eventually. If not, you still have a son to hunt with and that is worth more than anything!

-Charlie

[inn8hunter]

Iron:

Just keep him hunting. Read my post on what my 15 year old did this week. He wanted nothing to do with traditional, but after shooting a compound for 3 years and now seeing us practicing with recurves, he wants to get into it now.

I'd rather have my boys hunting any style (compound, trad, gun) than sitting by xbox all day.

Tim

[reddogge]

You got some great advice here, especially from FEIK77, a 15 year old who is young enough to put himself in your son's shoes.

lpcjon2 also gave very insightful advice from a dad's perspective.

Make sure he has both compound and recurve and I'm sure he will use both down the road.  Make sure you take him to some 3-D shoots where people are shooting tradional equipment, especially kids.

I was lucky, when I taught my 5 grandkids to shoot I put a recurve in their hand and they didn't know any better.  A bow is a bow to them.

[Stone Knife]

I would get him what he wants, he may change his mind down the road. I just like having my kids go with me and it doesn't matter what were shooting.

[Doc Pain]

I took my boys to alot of traditional only events.  Once they saw what everyone else was shooting, they wanted to be a part of it.  I think that they are influenced by their friends on how quickly thay can put arrows on target with wheels and sights.  After my boys went to a few traditional events, they were amazed how traditional shooters could hit moving targets in the air or rolled on the ground.  I bought some foam disc targets for throwing and rolling and we had a blast.  My boys are grown now and I still think that even if my boys decide to shoot modern equipment, they would respect the choice of a traditionalist and isn't that what's really important?

[SS Snuffer]

Do anything you can to keep him huntin with ya. These are my boys, good men, good hunters and my best freinds.
Keep him hunting with ya and he will grow up right. The bow will make no differents in the long run.
P.S. the oldest one shoots a Bob Lee now.

[jcprintz]

Anything to keep him shooting and hunting. Remember a lot of Trad Gang members started out with a recurve or longbow -switched to wheelies and came beck  to Trad. Time spent in the field with a son or daughter is precious.
Good luck

[bawana bowman]

I tried my kids out with recurves to start. In order for them to be comfortable with them the bows were actually to light for anything but target shooting.
So they went to compounds since they could shoot heavier weights easier, which actually made distances easier for them at the range. This kept them interested in and enjoying archery.  None of my kids ever used sights, but that was their choice.

But Dad had a plan..... Once they showed some proficiency with the compound I decided to get them into moving and aerial targets. They soon learned it was much easier to shoot these targets with traditional bows. Since they really enjoyed this type of shooting they all made the switch back. After their form and muscles are developed trad shooting becomes much easier for them. Since they will enjoy it more because it is not as much work, they are more likely to stick with it. After all this is the big draw for most to compounds.

[BDann]

Whatever you do, keep him shooting.  It doesn't matter whether it is a compound or traditional at this point-let him decide what he wants to shoot.  It is far better to keep him in the sport than have him discouraged.

[Kevin Grogan]

Jason let your son shoot whatever he wants.  Be happy that he is interested in something healthy and outdoors. Make sure he knows you'll support his choices so long as they hold with your family values.

Kevin

[Bjorn]

Be happy he is asking for a compound-there are worse things! BTW compounds make a lot of sense for young arms and backs-especially for the first couple of hunts.  Ten year olds can't pull a lot of weight.

[Iron]

Again Thank's guys all of you have helped...after talking to him and seeing that emotion in his eyes, him not wanting to dissapoint me. it confirmed what you all said and i deep down already new...I'll let him be his own man,so to speak. he's gonna get his compound. Thanks again!

now off to slinger to watch my daughter's high school Basket ball game..Peace!

Jason

[Izzy]

I wa no different than he was at that age, recurves were for guys that didnt know anything and werent cool enough for a compound.The good thing was no one tried talking me into shooting a stickbow so it came to me when the time was right.Just wish it came sooner.My son wanted a compound at 8 but while he waited for Santa to bring him one he became proficient with his Howard Hill.No going back now.

[Lone archer]

I agree what ever keeps him shooting and hunting.

I have a ten year old also that started shooting a long bow about at age four. I was in heaven! Then my close friend with wheels put a bug in him that a compound is better. I ended up buying my friends son's first compound one with two sets of limbs to adjust the weight. (Some friend right).

Now for alittle reverse psychology.

Got him all setup carbon arrows release quiver etc. And then took him on numerous long walks stump shooting REAL LONG WALKS!

He soon realized how heavy it was to carry, how he still missed the stumps, (he actually commented more than a few times "I would have hit that with my longbow") how he actually broke more arrows, (not knowing the distance) and how he disliked wearing the trigger release all the time.

He actually got bored of hitting the target all the time with sights on the backyard range!

I threw in stories of how my friend injures more deer with his compound then his Dad (actually alot more) and I made it a point of informing him when it happened!. I refused to buy him a rangefinder (I know that's mean).

He eventually came back around full circle! Took less than a year. And is now asking for a heavier Longbow.

Having said all that I have three BLack Rhino Longbows and maybe one Browning compound that I will be getting rid of to upgrade to heavier weight longbows. I have three sons ages 13,10,8 if anyone is interested please PM me.

[frassettor]

PM sent...

[Ybuck]

The compound is a terrific weapon.
If it were my boy i'd set him up with the compound.
Have fun shoot'n together  

[koger]

He's a kid, let him be one, enjoy the outdoors, his friends and hunting in any form. Trad bows arent for everyone, try to force it on him and you will only drive him the other way.

[Grayseas]

Let shoot what he wants, as long as he is having fun, that is what is important. Keep him excited about archery.

[Bowferd]

Life is sweet when sharing it with your kids in any way that you can. I shuttled off my old,old compounds to my oldest grandsons and thier dads.
Now there are 5 of 6 adults and 9 of 11 grandkids with trad bows.
This year they took 5 deer with thier rifles.
Whenever they visit we are outdoors shooting trad and they have a blast.
They'll come around.

[Lefty]

As long as you too are spending time in the outdoors together, what does it matter what he carries?  And just because he is shooting the mathews, why does that mean he can't stump shoot with you?
 These are the questions that come to my mind.  After all you shoot what you do because of your choice.  Give him you reasons why you choose to do the things that you do, but also give him the freedom to make his own choices, too.  I think in the end, when you look back on your times spent together in the field, your experiences will far exceed the methods.  
 My daughter shot her first squirrel this year with a shotgun and it was the highlight of our hunting together so far and it may seem odd to others, but that squirrel is at the taxidermist right now and will be treasured and proudly displayed in our home, even though I personally have never had a deer that I shot with my longbow or recurve, ever professionally mounted.