How old were you when you started with trad gear?

[ChuckC]

Interesting how times have changed.  Back then you could build a bow in shop class.  ALL of us boys carried pocket knives. . to class !  Nowadays, you get suspended if you draw a picture of a knife or tell about one when it is your turn to say what you did on vacation.
ChuckC

[Trad-Man]

When I started there was no such a thing as trad gear...it was just archery gear.  Compound thingys had been invented but were glorified POS back in 1971.  I got my fist bow when I was in the 4/5th grade. I was 9/10 years old.  One of those orange & white dreamcycle jobs with the shelf on both sides.  When I was 13 I got an Indian recurve.  I still have it.  I shot at a lot of deer back then but never connected.

I bought a Bear Polar II wheel bow when I was 16 YO.  Shot wheel thingys till 2005 when I found my roots once again.  I'm home, no going back.

[amar911]

I started at 5 years old, and I am almost 59.

Allan

[Hot Hap]

Started when I was 14 in 1958.  Hap

[Wary Buck]

Grew up with Bear fiberglass recurves and even bought myself a Herter's Model Perfect (of course) Sambar Junior in junior high or so.  But once I was allowed to hunt unsupervised with a gun, the bows gathered dust.  Then at age 19 I picked up a compound, and at age 26 had converted over to stickbows.  Am 49 now and haven't looked back.

[Tom]

Started with a red fiberglass bow at eight in '59. Killed my first deer at age 14-pure dumb luck. Wheeled from '82-90 and regained my sense. Still enjoy just being out there with bow in hand and enjoying the lifestyle. Wouldn't trade it for anything else. Will do it until I'm called home.

[Brook Trout]

I was 26 when I got serious with shooting and hunting with a stickbow, although I shot some of my uncle's bows occasionally before that.  This coming fall will be my 5th archery season since my transition from wheels.

[Ausable]

35

[JamesKerr]

I started when I was very young 2 or 3 maybe. When I was 8 I got my first compound. By age 11 I had gone back to traditional and that's where I am to stay. (I'm 17 now)

[Huntinfool7]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who started early!

My dad started me early! I actually can not remember a time when I didn't have a bow. In these pics I was about 3 years old. All I can remember about those days was gettin' a fanny whipped for shootin' at my Grandmothers chickens! LOL!

 

 

Here I am with my first laminated bow a Browning Wasp in 1972!

 

And then a year or so later I bought a Bear take down with B handle 64" long 53# @ 28 wish I still had that one! My first kill with her!LOL!

 

~HF~

[Jesse Minish]

I have had a stick bow in my hands since I could walk. I'm 30 now.

[LKH]

I bought my first bow, a Bear Panda in 1958 when I was almost 11.  I never had anyone who used a bow to teach me anything and it's a good thing I never hit a deer since I didn't know you had to sharpen those Bear Broadheads.

[FarmerMarley]

Man, I wish I had gotten a chance to start when I was as young as some of you all!!

When I was a kid I had one junky arrow that I found and I used to THROW it at birds cause I had no bow...LOL (all I ever accomplished was breaking a big window one time and getting is big trouble) So all I learned was don't throw arrows at "skylined" targets when your parents big glass door is on the other side:(

I bought a cheap 25# fiberglass recurve at a flea market when I was 9 or so, but never got a decent string and arrows for it until I was 27!!! So, I finally got to start shooting arrows for real when I was 27! That was in February or March THIS year!... The great thing is that I realized that I have been wanting to do this since I was a little kid!! I am very happy that I have the chance to practice archery now and hopefully start hunting at some point.

[TOEJAMMER]

Started when I was four.  Hard to believe that was 66 years ago but still at it strong and appreciating it more.

[rdoggsilva]

Started when I was 16 with a friends 40# Ben Pearson all green 333. My first hunting bow is still a Pearson Hunter 47#. I got it new in 1967.

[Drakho]

I was 19 and about one year of olympic style shooting just bored me.

I found a book about instinctive shooting and bought my first longbow (a Sky Hoyt trophy 40#). It's so much fun for me, I don't think I'll change the way I shoot.

[GRINCH]

I was around 10 shooting a fiberglass recurve,then I got a bear super mag when I was about 14.

[DWT]

Red bear bow when I was 7 yrs old, went to compounds at 11 and shot them till I was 19 yrs old. Have owned other compounds over the years but mostly tradtional and have not even shot one in about 8 years. so for a majority of my 42 yrs Ive shot traditional, wow time sure flys when your having fun.Don

[Downtime]

Age 13 (1972) with a Ben Person 35# fiberglass bow. 1974 harvested a whitetail doe with that bow, that was in the barn yard.

[KellyG]

If I get home and hunt this year 38, but if all goes as plans it will be with a bow I made myself. Well as long as the ones we made as kids don't count if so then 30+ years.