how did u get into trad

[Chub]

just curious how or why folks got into trad bows and equipt.i myself had a bad hit on a nice 8pt and never recovered .sold that wheelie! a few years ago a pal at work got me interested again. now im 5 recurves hanging on the wall and various equipt and i love this way of stick and string

[BOWMARKS]

Stopped into a shop one day to try out a new set of wheels.Shot it like crap.On my way out seen an old fella shooting the strangest looking bow that I had ever seen.Asked him to demonstrate then asked to fling a couple. Fell in love after two arrows.Started out with an old recurve. Nine months later was also shooting one of those strange looking Saluki's and hooked for life.      

[A.S.]

I grew up admiring bows that my dad and uncle shot when they were teens. Back then they did a lot of field archery, it still intrigues me to this day!

[JimB]

It's all there was then and it wasn't called trad.It was archery.

[Mike Vines]

It's self inflicted.

[Archer Fanatic]

JimB, x2

[Green]

JimB X 3

[Night Wing]

I met and talked with Fred Bear at an archery function when I was 14 years old. That was way back in 1964. I picked his brain, off and on, for 3 hours. Fred Bear was a very gracious man and answered each and every question I asked of him.

Two years later, when I was 16, I took my first deer, a doe, with a Wing target bow pulling 36# at my draw length. The aluminum arrow was tipped with a Bear Razorhead and it was a complete pass through on a broadside lung shot at 15 yards.

BTW, my first real hunting production made recurve bow was a one piece, 60", 40# @ 28" Bear Super Kodiak.

[don s]

started out with a wheelie. got sick of hitting all six arrows into a golfball size target from 30 yards. it was too easy. i was bored. saw an ad in a magazine for binghams to make your own bow. i did. it's a 3 piece takedown recurve that i still have. i still dabble with making them. board bows mostly. it's not easy(making or shooting them)and i'm not bored anymore. lots of fun. don

[Scott Teaschner]

I switched back in 95 seems there was always a problem with my compounds. My personal beleive is my recurve is the best choice for realistic bowhunting. I am sure it is the same for longbows I just dont shot them. The simpler the better and nothing beats shooting well instictively. It always amazes me how acurate you can be.

[longbowray]

My dad when I was 7 yr old

[KHALVERSON]

i started out with an old hand me down recurve in the 70s as a kid i hunted with curves up till 91 when i got bit by the speed bow bug.
after 5 years i got real bored with it and went back to the recurve
im havin more fun than ever
kevin

[Rob W.]

Got a bad case of T.P. shooting compounds with sights. Sold the compound and bought Darton ranger for 40 bucks. Killed a nice doe the third day of my first trad season. I was hooked for life.

[DanB]

My Uncle gave me a Ben Pearson Lemon wood longbow in 1959. Shot at a lot of squirrrels that year in Checotah  OK.  Got a Red Rider B B gun the same summer. Shot my first deer with a Shakespere Hunter fiberglass bow in 1969.

[J. Holden]

I found my dad's Ben Pearson recurve in the garage.  Started shooting that and then a pastor later in life, teenage years, helped me make a take down recurve.

-Jeremy  

[Eugene Slagle]

I started out shooting a Home made Hickory long bow that my Grandfather made back in 78', in 82' he bought me a 72 Bear Super Grizzly that I shot as often as I could till I was ready to hunt, took my first Deer in 84' with that bow.

Had my time with Compounds till about 3 years ago when I got tired of the gadgets & wanted to get back to where I belonged, & here I am still learnin but having the best time of my life.

[ChrisM]

Walked into the local bow shop to have my wheelie tuned (again) and say this old straight thing sitting in the corner.  The shop owner saw me looking at it and said if you give me $10 you can have it.  Well this bow shot like crap and my arrows were never tuned right but I shot it every day for about 2 months and then got a new bear and never looked back.  That old bow still sits in my shop, I will never sell it or get rid of it.

[hardwaymike]

I was broke(shocker I know). So I sold all of my wheelie stuff during bang bang season. I left for Iraq the next Jan. When I got back my dad gave me a 60's something Bear Grizzly and I haven't looked back. Now I am happy that light bill needed payed!

[Hit-or-Miss]

After 40,000 plus years of human history using bows and arrows, perhaps it is more accurate to say that "Trad got into us". That is, archery is part of our subconcious mind, and once the basic movements are developed, is instinctive and natural, much like running. Both archery and running allowed humans to thrive and climb to the top of the food chain as hunters.
Plus, it is wicked cool watching the arrows fly...LOL!

[MountainTool21]

upon finishing my hunter education class (outdoor portion) one particular stage required me to shoot a "wheeled unit" along with a longbow and recurve. As the gentleman suggested that I shoot the tradtional bows I responded with, "no thank you". Little did I know that moments later both the longbow and recurve felt as if they were made for my grip, draw weight and length; it was better than my first baseball glove (and that first mit was exact)! Within 3 hours of finishing the class I had a dozen cedar arrows and my first traditional bow-  a 60" pronghorn.   ))