Why are Trad Guys so hostile to other bows?

[Migra Bill]

I hunt with a recurve, a compound, a crossbow, a shotgun, a muzzleloader, a rifle. and a handgun. Hell I'd use a flamethower if it were legal. We have common enemies out there - the anti-hunter! Why spend our energies bickering with each other about crossbows! My crossbow gets me 15 more yards than my compound - big deal. I use it in urban deer management settings where its use is preferred.
I have a much higher sense of accomlishment when I take a deer with my recurve than I do when I take a deer with my rifle. But I never look down on those that use any LEGAL means of harvesting game.
The only "looking down" I have experinced on hunting websites (not just this one) are aimed at crossbow hunters, and I seriously do not understand the animosity.

[Igor]

I'm not hostile toward any other bow/muzzle/modern arms hunters as long as they pursue their sport with integrity....I hunt with longbow - mainly stillhunting because of the challenge/excitement (my kills have gone way down) but I'm enjoying bow season more than I ever have....


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Glenn

[straitera]

Well done Bux. If others have as much fun as I do with my LB, they can hunt with a hatchet for all I care.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

What every type of weapon is legal in which ever State Your hunting. If crossbows are legal for anyone to use, That's kool with Me. I joke about wheelie bows, but have nothing bad to say about the archer.

I used to hunt with all legal means.. Handguns, muzzleloaders, rifles, compound bows, shotguns and even crossbows. They are all Great weapons and No one should down a hunter for hunting with a legal weapon of their choice.

I have and I will still hunt with others no matter what They use. I went from centerfire rifle hunting to smokepole, for the challange. After My Heart surgery I started bow hunting with a Wheelie bow, Then went to Trad bows for the thrill of the hunt.

Remember easier isn't always better. Wheelie bows if bumped, dropped can and will come out of tune, They can brake a pin or lose a peep and the hunt is over. Yes You can shoot farther with a wheelie bow. But that doesn't mean it better.

The other reason I switched to smokepoles and tradbows, was to made Myself get closer. It stopped being fun to Me when I was shooting deer at 300 yards with My 30-06... I got more enjoyment with a Bow I knew I had to wait for the deer to get closer then 30 yards so I could take a shot. (Only did one shot over 30 yards at a deer and gut shot it... Sick feeling) Now I'm not saying You can't take long shots.. Mr Hill and Mr. Bear proved that..

[JamesV]

Mudd............

My state allows centerfire (4570, 35 wheelan and others) single shot rifles with scopes during (primative weapon season) so I know what you are feeling.  On bowhunting, my thinking has always been: if the projectile has feathers/vanes it is archery.

[centaur]

I'm sure not jealous. I do my thing, and others do theirs. If others want to hunt with a howitzer, that is their choice. I'll just continue to enjoy the romance of traditional equipment, and let those that don't understand why we limit ourselves just keep on not understanding.

[onewhohasfun]

I don't care what weapon a guy chooses to hunt with. To each their own. I just don't think some of it belongs in archery season. I think Gene Wensel wrote in his first book that he chose a recurve because it was the "best" tool for the job, and no other reason. With a stickbow in my hand I don't feel handicapped at all. As for the "feeling" I get when carrying it...... Well some people just don't get it, and probably never will.

[RM81]

I like the comment about some people just being bullies no matter what it pertains to.  That makes complete sense.  Some just think they're better.
Personally, I have no problems with compounds.  The only thing I would change about crossbows is to make it legal during gun season and not archery.  Ohio allows them during archery season.  I like how Idaho did it when I used to live there.  You could use crossbows during archery season only if you had a disability or handicap that didn't allow you to draw back a bow.  Otherwise it had to be a trad bow or compound.

[snakebit40]

As long as the hunter respects the animal they are hunting (and does it with good ethics) I don't care what they use. I have some opinions on different weapons and what season they should be used in.  

I personally disagree more with "canned" hunting than I do what weapon your using. But I won't go into that.

[Ragnarok Forge]

I think it is the make a kill no matter what versus the enjoy the hunt and use your skills mentality that can bring the attitudes you are pointing out.  

I often shake my head when shooting at the local shop.  Guys brag about 80 yard shots and just missing the animal by that much, when the same guy can't shoot a target with precision at 30 yards.  This behavior boils down to immaturity on the hunters part.  These folks let their ego and lack of skill supplant the experience.

I use a variety of weapons to harvest a variety of animals.  I don't look down on any of them or people who use them.  I hunt out of the same camps as compound and muzzleloader hunters while trad hunting.    

I agree with some earlier posts about traditional seasons needing to stay that way.  A modern inline muzzleloader is a high powered rifle now adays.  A crossbow does not belong in archery seasons.  If it has a stock, an integral  trigger and can mount a scope it is not a primitive or restricted weapon.

[park]

Yeah your bows NOT BETTER than an indian bow.You gotta be kidding me.Todays bows are crude compared to thousands of years of bow making by less superior indian bows.Now thats jealousy.

[Lincoln Ribeiro]

Because the other bows are not real bows.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

       

[team fudd]

I for one am sorry that you feel the way you do but I do believe you might have some reason to believe the way you do.  I have seen some "elitism" displayed at times on this board but I think overall you have a absolutely outstanding bunch of guys who are ethical, honest and passionate about their sport.  Because of that passion we all may get a little overboard at times.  I think in all activities whether hunting or sports or whatever there are always going to be the elitists, the purists who wish to foist their ideals on you.   The key is to listen to all, then make your own decisions as to how you will walk your trad walk.  Good luck to all this next year, in hunting and in life.  And I for one am proud to be a part of this "trad gang"

[Kevin Dill]

This just me but...

There are a number of guys across various forums who express a lot of hatred, intolerance and bad attitude online. To a man, they all become pussycats when you are face-to-face with them. The most hostile guys are typically the ones who can't put two logical sentences together while having a discussion in person. I tend to react to them like I would a road-killed skunk: avoid contact and keep on rolling!

[JINKSTER]

Originally posted by Buxndiverdux:
I was drawn to the longbow by a thirst for more of a challenge, only to find that I have felt like more of a true hunter than ever while carrying it. There is so much more of a spiritual side of things while hunting with Trad Gear. I feel more connected with God and nature in general. I completely realize that I'm still hunting with "technology" far superioir to what the Inidians carried, but it's still a stick and a string.
I took the challenge head on knowingly giving up at least 50% of my effective range to hunt with the long bow. It was my personal choice to do so. Noone forced me to choose the longbow.
So what I have a hard time understanding is all the hate for the other hunting tools? We have chosen a higher level of challenge but berate others for their accomplishments with "easier" equipment. How can that be construed as anything other than jealousy?
Hopefully this post can start a healthy debate without the elitist bashing and finger pointing.

Okay..lemme try an stay "spiritual" here..as to your first question?..i don't "hate" other hunting tools..i just dont have quite as much "respect" for such and how could i possibly be jealouse when i have a decked out 2010 PSE Omen hanging on my bedroom wall?..collecting dust..LOL!...i dunno..but i might suppose that many others share the same feelings on the subject that i do since the recent rekindling of my love affair for tradbows..and for me?..it goes something like this..

The level of vigilence, dedication and skill required to master a tradbow far outweighs what is required of trigger released wheelbow..and it's not the good folks who select such that i despise it's the marketing ploys and almost bi-annual antiquation of wheelbows that turns me off to them..that coupled with the fact that if a person has enough dedication and vigilence?..i.e. :with a lot of practice?..one discovers that..anything that can be done in the woods with a wheelbow (at any sane and sportsmen like hunting distances) can be done with a tradbow and for bonus points?..

1. i dont need a new one every year to keep up with the jonses and...

2. Tradbows weigh about 1/3rd-1/4th of an average wheelbow..

3. There's still plenty of light at dusk & dawn to get a clear sight picture for a clean shot.

4. Where wheelbows and their associated gizmos are ready for the dumpster in 5 years?..i love my 20 year old tradbows as much (if not moreso) than the day i got them.

A final closing analogy?..to me?..tradbows are like a great wife who stuck with ya for the long haul where wheelbows are like ladies of the evening..expensive and short lived...and to be honest?..the only time i do catch myself hating on the techies?..is when they look down on me feeling all snobby like with their shiney new wheelbows..as i've known for years that while tradbows are like 90% Archer/10% Bow?..wheelbows are like 90% Bow/10% Archer.

and that's coming from a guy that was once a state ranked archer with the NFAA/FAA and club champion for more than several years running.. fingershooting compounds in BHFSL.

L8R, Bill.  :cool:

[Owlmagnet]

Keep it legal and I, pretty much, don't care what another man does. Within the law, we all get to define our own sport. Because I was an archer before the compound was in popular use, it just never quite met my "personal definition" of archery.

As a shepherd and farmer, when I absolutely, positively had to kill an animal in defense of property, I never hesitated to grab my .270 and have at it. That, however, did not meet my "personal definition" of hunting. The older I get, the more carefully I examine the "why's" and "how's" of what I do.

A couple of years ago, I decided to take game with a longbow--or not at all. More often than not, I eat tag soup--but MY personal values are not subject to anyone else's judgement, nor are their personal values subject to mine. That kind of personal freedom is one of the things I most appreciate about being an American, as well as, a "traditional" bowhunter.

[Jake Diebolt]

More important than the equipment is the mentality. If you're taking ethical shots I have no problem with you.

Some equipment shouldn't be shot during bow or primitive seasons because it detracts from the management aspect of the season - the season is supposed to allow the same number of hunters for a lower success rate, which is a win from the management side of things: more people in the woods with a stable deer population. It's not a 'better than you' issue.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

here's a quote from another post that sums it up I think.

 Gene Wenzel older quote "I'm not saying that everyone who shoots a compound is a jackwaggon, just saying that every jackwaggon i met in the woods was shooting a compound."
 
 Now that's funny right there.

 I give my wheelie buddies a hard time but all in good fun. I have been trying to get my dad to bowhunt for years and last season he bought a compound. I'm just glad he finally showed some interest in bow hunting. Now if I can just get him the woods with it I'm sure we'll have a great time.

 I'll share camp with anyone that respects the woods and the critters in it no matter the choice of tool used to make the harvest.

 I'll still the give the wheelie guys a hard time out of good clean fun    :D

[JamesKerr]

I don't look down on anyone for the methods they choose to use as long as it is legal and they use them with respect toward the animals they hunt. My grandfather is one of the biggest gun nuts I have ever met but he is probably the best woodsman in our area as well.