Why are Trad Guys so hostile to other bows?

[PaddyMac]

I'm rejecting the premise, too. I don't think trad hunters hate other bows or other hunters at all.

We do and should look out for our interests and oppose equipment or regulations that will cut down our opportunities, but that's just common sense. I think xbows in archery-only seasons and off trail ATVs on public land do exactly that and I will oppose them, politely and respectfully.

As for elitism... so what? I shoot my bow every day. When I shot a compound I shot it every day ... in August. I am working WAY harder than I ever did with a compound. I am making my own rests and strike plates and arrows and just plain putting more into it than most other hunters. So what? I am reading about history and tradition and people and participating in forums like this as best I'm able and joining bowhunting organizations and I hope to spend time volunteering this spring and summer and become a better member of this community and do what I can to make our community stronger. That doesn't mean I hate anybody or feel that I'm entitled to anything more than anybody else. But it makes me feel good about what I'm doing.

To tell you the truth, I don't think about other hunters or bowhunters very much unless they're about to run me over on a Kawasaki.

[elkhunter45]

I take great pleasure from shooting and hunting with a recurve or longbow and that is my personal choice. I don't care what the next guy chooses to use. I have a few rifles as well myself. My dad who is 75 is a rifle hunter and when I get the chance to hunt with my pops I carry a rifle and it transports me back 35 years to when I was following him around and learning to hunt. I don't feel like I've been made unclean by a few days toting a rifle.

[Red Beastmaster]

Jealousy? Hardly! I actually feel sorry for compounders, they have not yet moved up to traditional equipment. The best thing I ever did was leave my compound behind and start shooting stickbows. That's when the fun started!

[Migra Bill]

Although I am a "Trad guy" I do wonder why some feel crossbows should be part of a gun season and not part of an archery season. My rifle has a maximum effective range of about 300 yards. A crossbow has a maximum effective range of about 45 yards. Thats a whole lot closer to a bow than a gun!
I have a friend who lost his arm in Combat for this country. If it were not for crossbows being in archery season, his hunting would be limited to 3 weeks a year.

[LongStick64]

If it's a bow I'll shoot it.

I have a compound and for the most part it sits in the garage waiting to be shot. I love my longbows and recurves, each one brings a smile to my face as I pull them out of a bow sock or case, brace them up and just admire the handiwork of the craftsmen that made them.

I don't have a single problem with whatever someone chooses to use in the woods as long as they can execute a lethal shot, and use what they kill. I don't think it's fair to judge someone by my choices, I can only judge their respectfullness.

I think what disturbs most trad shooters is the complete ignorance by archers that have never shot a trad bow and the judgements they make. I was in the range once and I was shooting my bow and after a round, a gentleman proceeded to tell me that I shot a pretty good group for a traditional shooter. I held my tongue a politly agreed. In my opinion it was a damn good group no matter what bow I was shooting.

[Ragnarok Forge]

Migra Bill.   Crossbows are allowed for diasabled hunters in Washington State.  I have buddy guided friends who use them to kills on elk and deer.  I have disabled buddies who legally shoot deer out of the back of a truck, while I drive them around the back roads.  Both of these things are legal for people with a disabled tag in Washington.

Crossbows are not bows, never have been and never will be.  In the middle ages an archer took a decades to become a bowman.  You could take any serf and make him a crossbowman in a week.  In war crossbowmen and archers were never mixed.  They were used differently then and it is no different now.  If you want to hunt in a limited weapon season you should have to make the effort to obtain the skills it takes to be proficient.

I was asked last year to help a friend sight in his crossbow.  He was struggling and could not get it to group.  I fired it three times at 20 yards from the standing position.  I put the first two bolts next to each other and split the first bolt with the third. With a bit of work on his riflemans skills and firing sequence training I had him shooting 50 cent groups at 40 yards off a rest and 4 inch groups free standing that day.

I challenge any person born in the history of the world to do that with a bow in a period of weeks much less in one day.  If it has a stock, an integral trigger, and can mount a scope it is not a bow.  If it takes a riflemans skills to shoot it, then it is not a bow.  If it is not a bow, it does not belong in the archery season.

[tuscarawasbowman]

I have seen my share of elitism but not on this site. Now let me make clear that I am not speaking of distinctions between what weapon belongs in what season (i.e. crossbows) I am talking about the guys that sneer because someone else is shooting a different type of bow. I think those that behave that way suffer from a lack of confidence in their weapon of choice. I myself was a "elitist" when I first started bowhunting but I outgrew that. Like others have said it isn't confined to traditional archery. Harley guys, car enthusiasts etc. all have that small faction where nothing is as good as what they have. Just ignore em and enjoy your life imo.

[BWD]

Were are not hostile, at least I'm not, just don't care for them. Too much stuff hanging off the bow, and more stuff to keep up with.

That being said, I am for most anything that helps keep bow hunting alive and well...even if I have to hold my nose.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Originally posted by Migra Bill:
Although I am a "Trad guy" I do wonder why some feel crossbows should be part of a gun season and not part of an archery season. My rifle has a maximum effective range of about 300 yards. A crossbow has a maximum effective range of about 45 yards. Thats a whole lot closer to a bow than a gun!
I have a friend who lost his arm in Combat for this country. If it were not for crossbows being in archery season, his hunting would be limited to 3 weeks a year.

Because you can pick one up and be hunt-ready in less than half an hour.  You don't have the movement requirements of a hand-held bow.  Archery seasons are liberal because a lower take rate is expected.  If you aren't willing to abide by the limitations, there's no reason you should enjoy a more liberal season.  I don't have a problem givign your buddy a bye to hunt in bow season, but a crossbow is not his  only option.  I've seen some darn fine bow shooting by a one-armed gentleman using a mouth tab.

[Bjorn]

I only shoot a trad bow but I am grateful to the compounders. It may be thanks to them that we even have a bow season today. Think about it-how much tax revenue do we generate; without compound shooters the rifle hunters would have thrown us under the bus long ago.

[Altiman94]

I wish for every hunt to use the weapon that suits them best.  If that's a compound, so be it.  You still need to be a good hunter to get within compound range.

This forum is specifically for trad bows, so that's why we limit the pictures posted and some types of threads.  There are plenty of websites out there dedicated to other types of hunting where those can be shared and/or questions asked.

I like the forum the way it is b/c I can get info specific to trad hunting and there's lots of 'experts' here who have tons of experience to guide me in the right direction.

I myself wish to go 100% trad in 2012.  I've got permission for a new farm that hopefully has better deer #'s on it.  Previusly I was hunting public land where my opportunities were very limited and I need to take advantage of each one.

[Migra Bill]

Altiman - I totally agree. I LOVE this site because it is trad only and I wouldnt want to see pics of non-trad related harvests. Leave that for the other sites, there are plenty of them.
I just know that others, like me, use other weapons as well and I dont want to make them feel bad by our words. There was a recent discussion on another site how "we here" are bows snobs and look down on gun hunters. I thought about it, did some research and determined that they did have some validity in what they were saying.
Like I said before, I hate the energy spent on what I call "Interbickering" between hunters. Lets spend those energies on dealing with the PETA's of the world.

[PaddyMac]

Right on, Clay and Jeff.

[sheephunter]

About six or seven years ago I was having a lot of difficulties with my trad gear and decided to take a break and bought another compound hoping it would break me out of the habit of snap shooting, no anchor, etc.. I ended up taking a nice antelope buck with that bow that I had stalked up on and was very proud of outsmarting his eyesight. A few of the other tradgear guys I shot with told me I was cheating and dismissed my buck. We argued quite a bit about it. But these guys were definitely in the minority though as many others came forward and stated that the hunt with other weapons. I still hunt with rifles as well, but if I hunt with a bow now it is tradgear only for ME, my choice not to be forced on others. Heck, I bought my wife a compound last year because she wanted to give one a try. To each their own. I don't think a crossbow should be used during archery season but I don't care if someone shoots one. Just my two cents. Elitist and bad mouthers seem to be the minority but they are out there. Sorry about the long post.

[limbolt]

To each his own,personally I like things simple,YMMV.      

[Craig]

Ever go to an all trad 3D shoot and listen. You hear it all the time. Went to a trad 3D and they had a compound bow at the last target for you to shoot at.

I go to an all bow shoot and you have compound guys asking about my bow Not once do you hear them saying anything bad.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Glad that's been your experience, Craig.  I've been ambushed at open shoots and accused of wounding deer because everyone knows that a longbow isn't capable of killing game cleanly.

There are idiots and those who need to justify their personal choices in both camps.

[Thumper Dunker]

If its legal go for it  . But I will say a cross bow is not a bow .But cross bows are way cool. all weapons are cool. Not every one just hunts white tails sitting in a tree stand.

[Tom Leemans]

I grew up on sticks and have always loved the simplicity and sheer fun. I think most of the resentment (in my opinion anyway) has to do with all of those mechanical contraptions being referred to as bows and advertisements telling us it will make us "better hunters". It's kinda like kissing a cold metal robot that everyone is trying to pass off as a pretty girl. That's my .02

[YORNOC]

I don't care what anyone else uses. I usually don't care if people judge me for what I use(to an extent.)