2020

[wollelybugger]

It has been a exciting ten years since the 2000. A lot on new things, carbon arrows, carbon limbs, FF strings. Anyone want to venture a guess where Traditional archery  is heading in the year 2020. New equipment, more of us or less?

  I am going to venture a guess that with new materials and design they will have a 40 pound hunting bow that will shoot a arrow at 200fps. They will come up with a new arrow material, and not sure if some of our bows wont be made out of plastic.

[ishoot4thrills]

Shoot a light enough arrow and just about any bow will shoot 200 fps. Maybe just one time though!

I really don't see much change in trad archery over the next several years except that I think it will continue to grow in popularity. Especially since there seems to be a little bit more use of trad bows on the Sportsman Channel. I believe Fred Eichler helps with exposure of trad, as well as Byron Ferguson. I would love to see more trad hunting shows pop up in the next 10 years.

[Al Dean]

I think popularity will probably decline some.  Seems people are more and more busy just trying to get by.  Trad archery just requires to much time to enjoy success, no quick fix.  As for equipment, with so many talented bowyers out there bows are bound to keep improving.  If arrows follow the way of fishing rods they also will continue to evolve.

[Mudd]

[Roy Steele]

We had those things long before 2000. If it changes much more it won't be tradional.

[magnus]

I think there will be more primitive hunters out there. It seems  to me that there are more and more leaning toward that way. Do it yourselfers.

Keeping the Faith!
Magnus

[Swamp Yankee]

Hopefully, state fish and feathers agencies will finally draw the line and establish dedicated seasons and hunting areas for true primitive weapons.  "Muzzleloader" has evolved from a primitive weapon to a modern long range single shot rifle.  "Bow and Arrow" now includes mechanical monsters shooting 350fps+ and crosssguns.  Define "Primitive" and "Contemporary" seasons/areas and be done with it.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

i'm with the man from Rhode Island!

[wollelybugger]

I tend to agree with Al, the next generation likes eletronic gadgets and don't seem to have much time for anything old. Our numbers will probally decline the same as the number of hunters are declining.

[Bonebuster]

I think the future will show a slight increase in the number of "trad" hunters, but an overall substantial decrease of hunters in general.

As Al Dean said, people will be working harder just to get by, but those who truely love to hunt will simplify so they get MORE out of it, for the time invested. People who love to hunt will be out more for the solice than the game.

Bows are probably more durable than from the sixtys and seventies, and performance gains are undeniable, but there is only so much that can be done to store energy. Without a mechanical advantage...leverage, a bent bow limb is a bent bow limb. Personally, I don`t see how much more can be done to improve the performance of a bow.
I KNOW my bow won`t be plastic.

Arrows are in the same category. My carbon arrows are so durable that sometimes I am STILL  amazed at what they can take.

With the trend that most state game agencies have of herd reduction, I see us hunting far fewer animals. In my area of Michigan for example, hunters are willing to to kill every deer they see. Many of my traditional hunting areas contain very few, IF ANY deer. No tracks in the snow mean no deer. This year, the statement from our DNR was that our deer herd actually INCREASED from 2009, so they increased the number of tags for antlerless deer, and allowed the use of buck tags for ANY deer. I don`t know what to think, except that they have a plan, and it doesn`t include healthy numbers of deer.

The last ten years went by so fast, that regardless of what is going to happen we all by god better get ready for it. Kid Rock has a new song out called "slow my roll". Good advice.

[SS Snuffer]

I got say trad huntin is goin to get to be more for us older folks and so won't change just to much. My boys are so busy raising famliys that even tho they love hunting with stick bows they just don't have the time. If they make it out 4 or 5 times a year their lucky. If you only get a short time to put meat in the freezer you'll probably use a easier weapon. Trad bow huntin takes alot of time.

[legends1]

I fear that the fast food rage will kill sports like ours.Always faster,faster, faster.If it cant be done fast enough for the needs,then people will move to something they think is better.More "HYTECH" There are those as you know that believe speed kills......Also they may be shooting 6 blade broadheads that cut a 4" hole because nothing less will kill.I sure hope im wrong!

[JCJ]

We traditional archers are a very small percentage of hunters as a whole and we will be in the same position in 2020.

Wishing you a Happy & Healthy New Year!

[Dick in Seattle]

:^)     Let's see....    Upcoming "progress" in Traditional Archery....    Huh?  

"Traditional"  means "as of old", trying to do something the same way it used to be done to see if you are able to face the same limitations folks used to have to face.   It's the exact opposite of progress.  It's picking an age or period and trying to do something the same way it was done then.

Don't get me wrong, I love progress.  I'm really glad folks are out there developing carbon arrows, foam limbs, strings made of micro fibers, etc.  It brings in new folks and keeps archery going.   It's just that it's the very antithesis of traditional, yet we keep calling it that.  I'll admit I haven't had my coffee yet, but it really hit me.   "Traditional progress" makes as much sense as "military intelligence" or "honest politician".

OK...   I know I'm a voice in the wilderness.  No one will ever agree with me, but at least I got that out of my system very early this year, so when traditional bows that shoot laser bolts are announced this November and everyone rejoices, I can try to just shake my head and keep quiet.

Seriously, everyone have a great New Year and enjoy all the new things it brings.  Regardless of equipment, may you have good hunts, a new bow and meet new friends. :^)

Now the grumpy old man is going to go get his coffee...

[PrarrieDog]

My concern is for trad archery to remain affordable. Being on a fixed income I want to be able to continue pulling the string.

[DV of WI]

Hope for dedicated seasons. Synthetic Fiber Feathers?

[Dick in Seattle]

PrarrieDog...   as long as there are trad guys making self bows and teaching others to, a few guys trying to keep to a tradition of building glass lam longbows as simply and basically as they were at first, guys building their own wood arrows (I'm trying to learn how to make my own shafts... now that's a hoot!) and folks who can sincerely say, "B50 is a good simple string that's suitable for a good simple bow", we'll be able to afford to shoot.

$1000 bows with carbon limbs and fancy woods, etc. are wonderful.  I know, I've owned and shot 'em.  Still have a couple I'm not willing to part with.  But we can't lose sight of the fact that "back in the day" bows that shot heavy arrows at 150 fps and even less killed many and many an animal, and they still will.  They didn't become obsolete just because something that performed better came along.

I think we'll always be able to afford to shoot real trad.  I'm more concerned about whether there will be places we're allowed to.  I doubt there's much problem out in Wyoming, but for those that live in large urban areas and really heavily populated states, it's a concern.   I live in WA, which is covered with forests, but you can't go out and just shoot a bow.  Legally, you have to have a license and be "hunting coyotes".  

Much as I love true trad, this is where we really need the progress people, and, yes, even the compounders.  They support the industry that is going to support us by keeping pressure on politicians to allow us to continue.   We may not always like the exact nature of the outcomes, but we need that support.

[rascal]

Im gonna side with Dick on this, I keep trying to "devolve" not "evolve".  I make my bows from staves, I want to make my arrows from rose shoots or cane and tip them with stone and fletch them with bird feathers of my own harvest.

I got back into trad for one reason, it didnt feel right sitting in the woods and swamps anymore with my gear.  I could kill deer sure enough with my battery operated 4 limbed dual cammed overdrawn micro adjust mechanical marvel but it didnt feel right.  Kinda felt like I was cheating my quarry and myself.  I dont want my traditional gear to ever feel that way in my hands or sitting on my lap as I hunt.  When I go into the woods Im taking my bow back where it was born and my arrows are part of everything around me.  I left all those little details like speed and advanced space age materials in the case with my compound bow and every step I take away from them the happier I seem in the woods and fields.  Im still taking deer but as a happy by product of my gear I spend a lot more time in the woods now how can technology improve on that?

Time will march on, progress will happen but not for me.  I will resist.

[JCJ]

Not trad hunting specific but one concern I have for the future is if hunter numbers continue to decrease it will result in decreased funding for conservation and a reduced voice politically on conservation issues. And, from a deer management standpoint if hunter numbers decrease to the point that state agencies can't control deer herds through recreational hunting harvest, the value of recreational hunting in the eye's of the majority of citizens who are non-hunters could come into question. Furthermore, can you imagine the costs to society if we had to manage game populations by a means other than recreational hunting?

[Davt]

I think someone will come up with an idea to put pulleys on the end of the bow limbs to provide increase mechanical advantage allowing us all to shoot a heavier bow without so much practice. I bet there will be lots of things coming out to make bowhunting easier.