Where do you draw the line?

[Molson]

Terminology changes with the times.  Not to long ago, glass backed bows and (later) compounds both were referred to as Modern Archery. Everything else was just Archery.

Today, Modern Archery is a compound, Traditional Archery is longbows and recurves, and Primitive Archery is traditional bows made from all natural materials.

At least that's my take on the subject.  

[Jeff Strubberg]

Traditional is a word.  What's hi tech today will be traditional 40 years from now.


I'm not really interested in traditional.  What I am interested in is simplicity.  That means a stick with a single string throwing another stick with a nice, pointy end on it.  As few moving parts as possible.

[LBR]

The only time I have a concern about someone else's definition of "traditional", "longbow", etc. is when I shoot in a tournament (and I've seen those rules change quite a bit over the years).  Then I have a choice--follow their rules, or don't compete.  Otherwise it's just another opinion that won't affect me one way or the other.

Chad

[hunt it]

" a fiberglass bow is not a traditional bow"
I hope the guy writing that wears a loincloth when he goes hunting! As many have already said traditional is a state of mind/attitude. Most traditional hunters live for the challenge. Is that challenge any greater with a selfbow? Sure it is but were splittin hairs at this point. In my case, I don't have the time or the desire to go the selfbow route. My time off and hunting $$$$ are too valuable to have it all go snap at the crucial moment. I envy those that go the selfbow route and take game with their bows. This is indeed the ultimate traditionalist achievment. I don't knock their choice, if they start knocking my glass bow with this old argument they better be wearing loincloths or buckskins when there out hunting! Did any of you see the two traditionalist at Compton this past weekend wearing nothin but loincloths??? It was NOT PRETTY let me tell you!!!! Good luck sneakin up on anything this side of dead looking like those guys!

[Roger Norris]

No wheels and no cables.

[STOBBER]

I

[NJhunter]

Is a crossbow traditional??

[RamiusEng]

It's more like a watermark than a line....

[Roger Norris]

A crossbow might be a traditional crossbow, but it's not a bow.

[camocowboy]

If the bows Ben Pearson and Fred Bear shot are not Traditional what is!?

[BMOELLER]

I get tired of these whats traditional and whats not.    :rolleyes:       Its redundant.

Just have fun.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

quote:Originally posted by James Wrenn:
I could care less what someone else considers traditional.I shoot bows that I like and don't worry about putting labels on them.  

[madness522]

For me there is no line.  There is just hunting.  Taking an animal with an arrow be from a compound or a traditional bow is exciting.  In my pursuit of bow hunting in years past I chose to us a compound.  This year I will still bow hunt but with a stick bow.  There is too much of an us against them (compound) shooters for it to do any bow hunter any good.  Funny thing is it doesn't matter whether its a compound or a stick bow when it is us (bow hunters) against gun hunters.  There is just too much effort required for me to try to impose my views of bow hunting on anyone.  I just like and want to hunt and I'll be happy to share the woods with another bow hunter whether he is shooting stick bows or not.  Just my .02.

[Roger Norris]

I have NOTHING against compound shooters at all.

[vermonster13]

I'll be real pleased if a 100 years from now guys like me can still hunt.

[SteveMcD]

Yup. Whatever rows your boat.  

[Slasher]

Gee, I never really considered myself traditional... I am a bowhunter, first and foremost. However, I found that with dropaway rests, fiber optic pin sights, mech release, and a peep sight; the challenge/fun quotient gave me a dismal return on my time and efforts...

I needed to put the fun back into bowhunting... There is something about getting close and seeing the arrow into the target...

Since, I use a wooden/glass bow, with synthetic strings, carbon arrows, and production line broadheads... Traditional and primitive are justs labels and classifications ... to the animals it doesn't really matter.  Its the time spent out there in the woods admiring His creation and the challenge of the hunt, albeit with self imposed limitations helps me to disconnect from the high paced worId that I deal with day-to-day... To become just a fellow out having fun like I was 15 years old again... Thats why I use the tools that I do...

[John3]

Like alot of posts in this thread I will say that I am a bowhunter,,,first. Most important to me is that I am a traditional bowhunter, an archer. I want simple and challenge. Practice is good. When I do things right it is because I practiced hard, not because I have a sight or a release or even a "let off" draw weight bow. In my opinion a wood bow is traditional. Modern inlays, glass ect. is fine. I still see the wood. Metal risers with ugly limb pockets, bolts, machined cut outs for weight savings are not a bit traditional. There is no warmth, nor beauty in a machined riser. Way too ugly.
Shoot whatever you shoot well. Not everyone will hold the same opinions.

[Dan Chamberlain]

The traditional bow is the one that carries like a breath of wind, snakes through the brush like a timber rattler and makes time stand still just before the release!

Dan

[NJhunter]

The way I look at this is. My recurve bow is TRAD
gear, long bows are trad gear. Arrows shot from
recurves and longbows made from carbon or aluminium in my opinion is still Traditional Archery.
If it's not we need to change the name of this website to nontradgang.com.