Haven't we already fought this battle?

[perry f.]

First of all, I believe any deer is a trophy with any weapon. However, I've taken my share of small bucks, so I usually put a doe in the freezer and try to take a mature buck. This  is my 4th year hunting with traditional equipment, and I'm using a bow I made myself. The other day while still hunting, I had a young 5 point at about 5 yards. I passed on the young buck but got a thrill from the experience. I was telling my buddy at work about it and he said I should have shot it. He said it would have been a good one with a "long bow". A couple other guys at work quiz me occasionally about traditional gear, and they say they'd like to try and take a doe with it , but wouldn't want to use it to take a buck.
Have these guys forgot about our founding fathers and the hard work that they put forth to prove the bow and arrow as an efficient weapon so they could enjoy this sport today? What's the deal? I don't look down on their weapon of choice, why do they feel the need to seperate themselves? Do we have to prove the longbow and recurve all over again?

[Guru]

I don't let peoples ignorance bother me...just do my thing...

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Smile and walk away!

[wooddamon1]

I hear ya, on the flip side I've made kills in front of buddies and they always wanna take up the right way to do it...LOL...

Got 3 so far!

[ChrisM]

Yep I get that all the time infact I was at a trad shoot and a guy in the group was saying that trad equipemt was not ethical to hunt with.  Of course he couldn't hit the broadside of the barn even though he was gapping.  After a belly full of his soap box and following a 5 minute look for his his arrow again I agreed with him that it was very unethical for him to hunt with trad gear.

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

I've got a few nice heads on the wall  and the thing that use to PO me more than anything was to have some condescending road hunters say "Pretty nice deer----for a bow"

Then I just started considering the source and realized if you let stupid people irritate you, it will just drive you nutz..

Laugh and consider the source, and move on.

[wooddamon1]

Originally posted by ChrisM:
Yep I get that all the time infact I was at a trad shoot and a guy in the group was saying that trad equipemt was not ethical to hunt with.  Of course he couldn't hit the broadside of the barn even though he was gapping.  After a belly full of his soap box and following a 5 minute look for his his arrow again I agreed with him that it was very unethical for him to hunt with trad gear.

[Friend]

The thrill of traditional is reserved for the chosen few. For it doesn't impose itself on those who have yet to experience its hidden treasures. Yet, the traditonal chest of good fortune will selflessly relinquish its secrets to those when ready and willing.

[Mac11700]

Originally posted by Friend:
The thrill of traditional is reserved for the chosen few. For it doesn't impose itself on those who have yet to experience its hidden treasures. Yet, the traditonal chest of good fortune will selflessly relinquish its secrets to those when ready and willing.

So very true...  

Mac

[Ragnarok Forge]

Lots of forms of prejudice out there.   Simple ignorance and the feeble attempt of the weak minded to try and feel better than others is what causes it..   Let the ignorant wallow in their foolishness and go on enjoying the adventure.

[Widow's Son]

I let a young 8 point walk Friday morning because I want him to grow up. Although with most of the gun hunters shooting every legal buck they see he probably won't get the chance.  There's a couple of guys at work who I can tell such stories to and who appreciates them. The rest are trophy hunters only. You tell them you shot a doe and they look down their noses at you. My advice is to walk away and leave them alone. They're not worth the aggravation.

[Stumpkiller]

The "founding fathers" would have been all over that five point like stink on an ape.

Art Young, Will Compton, Saxton Pope c. 1918

 

Fred Bear






             

[El gran J]

First, I shoot what comes out!  Buck, doe, or hog!  I'm doing it so I can have meat in my freezer!  if you pass on animals it is your decision, but I find that the meat tastes better than horn.  Antlers are an added prize.
Second, people who think a traditional bow isn't effective or ethical, obviously forget the bow has been used for centuries in war and for hunting.  Find new friends!

[Roadkill]

I understand stupid people, but cannot stand those who are proud of it by showing  off speaking out of ignorance

[fireball31]

In the cases that I've come across stupid comments have been the exception. Not the rule. The vast majority of compound hunters that I've shot with were impressed with the dedication it takes to shoot a traditional bow efficiently.  On the other hand I've heard way more "holier than thou" Traditional archers who make us all look like A-hole elitists.

I have shared our hunting ground with former compound shooters that said things like "If I could do that I would be using longbows to." MY answer to those was always"you won't know until you try, Let me show you how. You'll see it is not as hard as it looks" Then there is a couple that had fun ridiculing us, one of which has lost two bucks this year, hates to share the land with us, and has a problem being able to tell when legal shooting hours begin and end. Some of the fastest learners and most dedicated trad shooters I know were dedicated compound shooters just a few years ago. It seems that the good and responsible hunters that are nice people are the most open to learning, hunting ethically, and taking on a new challenge. Some are dedicated to doing things right, while the few are mostly interested in being the big man and getting the big racks anyway they can.  Trad shooters and those that are future trad shooters seem to always, in my experience, have that pleasant personable demeanor thing going for them.

[JamesV]

I get more excited missing a deer with my bow   than I would killing it with a gun.

I agree with fireball, some trad guys act like they invented archery and get to decide who is worthy of shooting trad.

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

Lead by example, let them use what they want. When they see you having fun/sucess they will start seeing the benifits of shooting trad equipment . I have gotten dozens of people started in the last 22 years . Pass the torch with pride and respect everyone's choice to an extent ,then challenge thier opinion with  firm
respect.

Good Huntin'
Jack

[ripforce56]

I here that all the I have a 17 nephew that is into to bowhunting but his dad isn't, he is all  about the technology, has to have the fastest meanest compound on the market! But I may have peaked his interest for traditional equipment! i have a line I always use on people when they say that using Trad equipment is unethical or not humane! I say what about those  deer that are killed on the road with our motorized vehicles on the highways how much pain did that animal feel when it was hit, plus most of those deer will be wasted instead of being used for food! i usually make my case!

[Bill Carlsen]

What Curt (Guru) said.