Young Guns

[Bama Recurve]

I'm a 22 year old college student attending The University of Alabama. I know a lot of guys and girls that love to hunt, but i can't think of one person my age who shares the same interests that I have about traditional bowhunting. A lot of guys laugh when they see my weapon of choice, however many say that i must be a bada$$ to hunt with a stickbow. Either way I'm the only one around my age using one.
  So to solve this problem ya'll older guys need to live a lot longer where the very few young guns can have people to share their stories with.

Tyler

[Craig Schoneberg]

Tyler,
Keep looking, you'll find others your age who share your interest. Try some area 3D shoots.
Good luck.
Craig

[Chris Shelton]

jeeze you old fart I am only 18, lol.  My buddy is another I have also transformed, he is 17.  And between the two of us we have sparked the interest in alot of others that go to our little school(actually my old high school), so you are not alone.  But we are defiantly few and far between.  I am one of a kind.  I only know of one other fella that is doing what I am doing(self filming) and he is in his 30's!!!

[poison arrow]

I know how you feel. We need to listen to the Old Timers too. Sometimes they know what they're talking about........Cheers

[GMMAT]

There's a young(er) shooter in my area who "just" took up traditional archery/trad. hunting.  I gotta tell you.....he's one freakin' dead-eye shot.  

Makes me feel good to see these things.  The future is alive an well.

[K. Mogensen]

I'm only 15. Know one other kid who shoots archery, and he's ALL about compound. He smokes that stuff. It's nice being different though.

[Cmane07]

I'm 21 and am going to college and then hopefully dental school. I have one other buddy who is 24 who shoots a little traditional but other than that everybody else is all wheel bows including my dad. When I first started in August they all picked on me but when I killed 3 deer during bow season they started to respect me a little more ha they now just think its really cool but too difficult to try themselves which is crazy

[Maxximusgrind]

A hunting Buddy and I got checked by the game warden on our way out of the woods.When he looked in the back,He got a funny look on his face and walked around and asked "whats with the longbow".I said"well sir,its bow season".
 Its not just traditional bowhunters of any one age that are hard to find.We are all pretty wierd according to some people,but thats O.K. by me.
  Robert

[JAG]

Tyler, give me a pm and I'll hook you up with some of my old friends, in your area.  One teaches for Sheldon State, and the other works for UA.
Johnny/JAG
Also the ASTB holds shoots over at Tannehill State Park, not too far from you.  You can hook up with alot of good folks there.

[Chris O]

23 here and going to school for physical therapy. Keep looking, I'm sure there's more people in your area that you just don't know about.

[Al Natural]

Every day I try to introduce hunters to traditional archery.  I'm lucky to have a job as a Conservation Officer in the state of Indiana. Every time I put on a Hunter Ed. course the best feed back I get is from the students is about selfbows. It doesn't matter about the age of the student.  Everyone is intersted in how you can build a bow from a tree.  It has been the best part of my classes for the past 18 years.  You might want to introduce them into trying to build their own bow.  I can't explain the feeling of taking an animal with equipment you have built from nature.
Al

[FerretWYO]

I am 27 and know what it is like. There are a few other younger people around here that shoot traditional but not many.

[tradhunter1]

Hang in there guys. keep going to the shoots with any friend that carries a bow be it compound or traditional. Just urge your friends with the wheels to try your bow. The more you get them to shoot it the more they get that idea this might be my thing. I have 2 friends i converted this way it took a couple of years but it worked.

Good luck and remember its about the fun.

[JEJ]

Does this ole baby boomer good to see these youngest TGers out there. You teens and twentysomethings have a lifetime of just downright cool things to look forward to as you move along the traditional bowhunting trail. As you pass some of us geezers along the way, stop and talk. We are all walking on the path that Ishi and our earlier brothers blazed for us.
 

[Tyler2045]

22 Sunday in Oxford Ms.

[ALABOWHUNTER]

Tyler,

BHA has 3D shoots almost every weekend somewhere in the state. there is one next weekend in blount county nere oneonta.

[LimbLover]

I just turned 28 and at first I thought the same as you. It seemed like everyone was shooting compounds.

Then..I found the right range and it took a lot of calling to find one with traditional guys. After meeting one guy I met another. He knew of a few more, etc, etc.

Now I've got a family of about 15 people to shoot with, many of them are getting to be close friends.

It just happens. Ask around. Post something at your university. Start a club! A local range may sponsor you or something - give you range time at a discount.

[eman614]

i'll be 25 this june. my cousin(18) shoots trad most of the time, and my sisters boyfriend and his buddy are both 20 and they are trad only. also trying to get my little bro into it. he's 12 and been to to several 3d shoots with me. guess i just got lucky with the folks around me.

[Roy Steele]

25 Years ago my friend thought I was crazy to put down my eagle after shooting a compound for 11 years.And went to a recuve.Some of my friends had never held one.But after 5 years and 10 bucks.I got 3 little helpers.
  Then I betraded them and started building and hunting with selfbows.Then my friends though I had really lost it.No one even knew what a selfbow was.
  20 years later 33 bucks with selfbows out of a dozzen friends 8 now shoot tradional.1 selfbower I guess there just scared to get that far back.
  What I'M SAYING is make your own trails.I have for all my life.Never liked walking in some one else's boot print's.Looks like you've already started and havn't even realized it.

[Joey Doidge]

Im 18 and it seems like i might be the only trad archer in california under twenty, and one of a handful under thirty. But what i have come to realize is that those "old guys" were once our age, and one day we will be theirs. Eventually it will be our turn to raise the standard, and sheperd in the next generation; but until then i am content to sit around the campfire and soak up all the information they give like a sponge. More trad archers are bound to pop out whether they just picked up a bow, made the switch from compound, or moved into the area; but until they do i try to remember that a young archer can be replaced but each of our elders with all their knowledge and experience are one of a kind, so enjoy the time you have left with them. Plus i find that despite their age their often alot better competition, hahaha.