Ever Just got burned out???

[String Cutter]

Well, this will make the 11th yr. of shooting trad. I try to shoot everday. I have read every TBM ever printed. And I am on here to the point that i am obsessed.
For the last 3 yrs I have gotten to hunt but 2 hrs. Which really brings me down..
I stopped shooting last week. I pretty much figured out.." I ain't gettin no better no matter how hard I try." I think I was shooting about 20 to 150 arrows aday?? Even in the cold or rain.. Think I just need to stepp back for awhile and pack up all my bows and hundreds of arrow to take a break for a few years?? Might try rimefire target shooting or tyin flies again??

[Whip]

Never hurts to add other interests in.  Life is short, and variety is the spice that keeps it fun.  But rather than lay them down completely, I would suggest just easing off.  Shoot when you feel like it, and don't worry about it when you miss a few days or a week or whatever.  It should never get to the point where it isn't fun.

[paoloi]

It sounds like it's all or nothing for you, maybe just cut back a bit. But, first and foremost, it is about having fun; so if it has lost its fun for you I understand.

[uglyjake]

Sounds like it is time to go crappie fishing.

[nd chickenman]

I always shoot my best after taking some time off from shooting. Go do some other things for a while!

[Mudd]

Did you shoot those arrows every day because you had to?  

It sounds like there may have been some days that you were shooting when you weren't enjoying it. Why?

When it comes to hobbies or whatever you want to label this thing we do, the important thing is that it does something positive for your life, if not....find something else that will. (IMHO)

God bless,Mudd

[lpcjon2]

HHmmm! 2hrs in 3yrs, sounds like a time management issue if all your doing is practicing and not hunting try the field archery circuit for a change. If not take a week or three off and pop in a good trad video and you will be back in the saddle.Maybe you can change other things to allow you more time to at least stump shoot or get together with another trad shooter for some fun. Dont give up on it or totally or put it away. And it is good to have other things to do,but if you have no time to hunt how much time will you have with the other sport or hobbies you choose? Either way after 11yrs the spirit is inside of you and it will take over again.Good luck in whatever you do.(I think time management is your true issue.JMHO)    

[reddogge]

Nothing wrong with additional hobbies like rimfire shooting. Heck, I have 4 major hobbies and enjoy them all including bowhunting and archery. I've been having the most fun in the last year in archery when I discovered a group of guys in my area that love to shoot. They shoot 3-D almost every weekend somewhere and if they can't shoot 3-D they stump shoot. Yesterday our little tradional group numbered 11 shooters and was the largest contingent at the shoot.

So, join a club, your state association, or go online to find where these type guys are hanging out and join them. You will stop dwelling on your shooting and enjoy archer again.

[Randy Morin]

After 10 years of obsession myself I have recently changed my shooting technique and grabbed the bow I built for my wife (low, low weight) and have been having a great time shooting again.  The low poundage bow is a lot of fun.  Changing some things about my string hold and anchor point has really improved my shooting...especially left to right misses have almost gone away completely.  

These are the kind of things that keep me going strong in this hobby.  Send me a pm if you want to try something new in your shooting.  Maybe you will have the same rush from it I got.

[Jeff Mundy]

I got burnt out on trad a couple of years ago just like you. Lack of time to participate, target panic, & a couple of other things all hit at once & took the fun out of it for me. I put it down for about 2 years & hunted with a compound until the urge came back. No regrets & i'd do it again if I lost the fire for it.

[Berube]

Good thinking Mudd!

[centaur]

I hunted only with a camera for a few years because I felt 'burned out' with both bow and rifle. But the old passion came back with a vengeance after a while, and now shooting and hunting with a bow is stronger than ever. Lots of us ride a roller coaster of interest, so to speak.
Go fishing, pick up a camera, do something different and see if another avocation turns your crank, but if you are like me, you will come back to the fun of watching arrows fly and getting danger close to animals. And if you don't, the sun will still rise in the east. Life's too short to not enjoy your hobbies.

[Tom1954]

Ironically, "burn-out" was why I turned back to traditional archery.  I've been bow hunting for over 40 years, starting with a target bow my uncle gave me and switching almost immediately to the wheel bows.  After hunts across the US and Canada, and a wall full of trophies, I GOT BORED.  I decided to try traditional archery to see if I could renew the interest to shoot, and it has worked to some degree.  I now hope to find more shooters in the southwest PA area to try to find fellowship in the sport.  Hunting is almost inconsequential to me now.  So TAKE A BREAK ... but don't give it up quite yet.  From my little time on line, here, it's a great crowd to be with.

[Bowwild]

I shoot most days. The longest period of not-shooting for me since 1966 was Jan 2009-July 2009 when I was rehabbing (non-surgical solution) my drawing shoulder.  I was surprised that I could "live" without shooting but I have to admit, my job is archery so I kept fully immersed during even that down time.

Some days I shoot 6-12 arrows, most days I shoot 50-100.  However, every few weeks I might go 2-3 days without shooting. When I return I find things easier physically.

I have other hobbies but they are a distant 2nd-4th after archery.  I'm always preparing for a bow season -- spring turkey or fall big game.

I'm a bit more eat up with archery right now than usual (for past 15 months) with my return to recurves in such a big way.  It is my intention of giving up archery just a few moments before I give up breathing.  

I still tinker with compounds. I still find it quite fun to dot "i's" and cross "t"s with it at extreme distances. I've had a new one (Mathews EZ7) for a couple of months that I have yet to set up.  It will be my alternative  in case I want to put a turkey's eye out.  I can shoot an end with the compound and then several with the recurve with zero ill affects. I shoot one at 50-80 yards and the recurve 10-30. My shooting process is identical for both except how I aim and hold the string.

[Arwin]

Nothing wrong with taking a break.

 Far as hunting goes, look into other things to chase like bow fishing. Not sure what your schedule is like but if being able to hunt more helps you want to shoot, shoot the strange things.    

 I get burned out on paper targets and 3-D animals sometimes. Thats where long hikes and lots of stump shooting comes in.
 
 Judo points and shooting absurd things like dandelions, tennis balls, garbage, grass clumps, bees, mosquitoes, leaves, etc. helps break up boredom.

 One other thing we do as a family is go out on public land with trash bags and garbage shoot. Sometimes we find enough pop/beer cans for ice cream afterwards.  

[Shane H]

I'll bet a break would rekindle the fire, I laid off a while to do the flyfishing thing, now I'm obsessed again!

[Roy Steele]

I've been shoot trad. for 26 years selfbows for 21. I very seldom shoot in the yard. Most of use after a time were as good as were going to be. For me it's not the 10 ring.
   I'm a HUNTER and practice that way. I never shoot more that 20 or so while hikeing around doing this or that I always carry a bow along. If I only take 2 or 3 shots a hike.
   Standing in the yard and pounding the target with a 100 arrows a day. Thats a very GOOD way of picks up bad habits.
  Quiting not the answer. I've always beleived if you really want to do something you'll find the time to do it. So you only hunting 2 hours in 2 years is your fault.I'm sure you fine time to do the other things you want.
    GO HUNTING

[smilinicon]

Suggest you try going on disability after back surgery and living for months at a time in agonizing pain. Never knowing if you will work, or let alone pull a bow again.

kind of puts things in perspective...

it is GREAT to be shooting a traditional bow again.

[Cool Arrow]

Shooting shouldn't be a job. Betcha if you put em away, it wont be long before you'll wake up in the middle of the night and have some plan that will put fun back into archery.
    Larry

[Bernie B.]

Lots of good comments here.  I agree with most everyone that your shooting shouldn't feel like a job, and that it's something you feel you have to do.  Don't beat yourself up if it doesn't feel like fun right now.  Just back off for a little while and I'll bet the old passion will be back.

Bernie Bjorklund

NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin