How Successful Are You With Trad Equipment?

[Butchie]

Usually tag at least one deer each year.  If not, I more than likely passed on several I could have killed.  I'd actually say my success has increased since hunting with compound ('95 was last yr w/wheels).  I consider myself a much better hunter now though.  It's all about getting close & paying attention to the details for me.  Hang in there, it will click for you and you'll forget all about those compound days.  Good Hunting!

[GreyGoose]

We call it "Hunting", not "Bagging".  I try to have fun either way.  I DO like to shoot, and small game and varmints give me more opportunities than waiting for a whitetail, not that I don't do that, too.

[rastaman]

At least a couple of hogs and two to three deer a year..but I hunt a lot and have access to good hunting property. I've hunted trad only for quite a few years and don't feel hampered in the least.

[TaterHill Archer]

My hunting success has been horrible.  My satisfaction and fun with shooting has been so much better than it ever was with compound bows.  I'll never switch back.

[sweeney3]

I've taken more game/been more "successful" with trad/primitive than with anything else.  It's not that the tackle is more efficient, but it is related to the fact that I enjoy it more so I work at it a lot more.  I'm a much better hunter than before I switched and am steadily improving.  But mainly, I enjoy it a lot more, downed game or not.

[Walt Francis]

The first year after switching to a traditional bow my success rate was about the same, but the size of the critters dropped a little.  That year I killed a mountain goat, black bear (spot & stalk), a few whitetail does (at least 3 but it may have been 4-5), a whitetail buck, and a cow elk.  

When I started big game hunting at the age of 28, my dad told me: Hunting is like fly fishing, 10% of the hunters/fishermen consistently harvest 90% of the game/fish; Determine what it takes to be part of the 10%, then do it, you will enjoy your hunting/fishing a lot more than the other 90%.  Dad had told all us kids that fishing adage since any of us old enough to remember.  He wasn't a great hunter, but then that wasn’t his passion, fly fishing was; I have yet to see anybody catch fish on a dry fly like he did.  

Guess this is a round-about-way of saying that in my experience, it is the hunter, not the equipment that determines success.

[Archie]

I'm obviously a 90 percenter.  

I get almost no shot opportunities at deer, and it wouldn't matter if I had a compound or a self-bow... I'd be empty-handed, either way.  It has more to do with my hunting time and skills than my equipment.  I just live a busy life and don't have the time or money to drive an hour each way to scout out the property, put up game cameras, or hang tree stands all over the place.  I have to do a lot of guessing, am learning the hard way, and am NOT on the fast track to being the hunting machine that some of the rest of you are.  But I enjoy trad equipment, and shoot it because it's rewarding in and of itself.

[Guru]

Unless for some physical/mental reason you can't hit what you're shooting at...it has nothing to do with the choice of equipment, but everything to do with the guy using it.

Do you just want to go out and "smell the roses"(easy, anyone can do it) or do you want to put an arrow thru some ribs(takes dedication, effort, time, perseverance....not easy)?

[nomansland4404]

When I switched I figured on being less successful. But I planned on it....because I wanted the much harder challenge.

[Rod Witkos]

I would take my limit of turkeys in 2 days with the scattergun, ending my season. I got to hunt 20 days this year with the longbow, didn't kill a thing but had a blast. It's only my second year of trad so my expectations aren't that high but I'm learning.

[nd chickenman]

There is a misconception by some that switch to shooting recurves and longbows that they are inferior. Those that I have dealt with don't trust their ability to look and shoot, having started archery with a compound device and sights. I have never looked at my bows as a handicap, in fact our winter hunting methods are much more efficient with stickbow. Some of the compounders that hunt with us get frustrated that they can't get a shot off with the quick pace of deer drives.

[Red Beastmaster]

Kind of hard to answer.

 I only used a compound one year, killed a deer and a groundhog.

Then I switched to traditional. In 25 years I've killed a few more deer, a couple javelina, 228 groundhogs, and a zillion chipmunks and assorted small game.

Would I have done better with a compound? Don't know or care, I'm having too much fun to think about it.

[Night Wing]

The closer I am to the animal I'm bowhunting, the better my chances of success.

This is why I like to keep my shots to 20 yards and under.

[tuscarawasbowman]

Originally posted by Walt Francis:
The first year after switching to a traditional bow my success rate was about the same, but the size of the critters dropped a little.  That year I killed a mountain goat, black bear (spot & stalk), a few whitetail does (at least 3 but it may have been 4-5), a whitetail buck, and a cow elk.  

When I started big game hunting at the age of 28, my dad told me: Hunting is like fly fishing, 10% of the hunters/fishermen consistently harvest 90% of the game/fish; Determine what it takes to be part of the 10%, then do it, you will enjoy your hunting/fishing a lot more than the other 90%.  Dad had told all us kids that fishing adage since any of us old enough to remember.  He wasn't a great hunter, but then that wasn’t his passion, fly fishing was; I have yet to see anybody catch fish on a dry fly like he did.  

Guess this is a round-about-way of saying that in my experience, it is the hunter, not the equipment that determines success.

[Gapmaster]

Being successful is all about what you consider successful in your own mind. I've killed lots of animals with bows and arrows, but truthfully, sometimes I get so caught up in the moment when a coyote comes into a call I forget to shoot. ha ha! But, I go home or back to the truck and still feel successful. Weird huh? Have patience and keep at it. You will do well.  

[Izzy]

I find myself being rewarded at times from gameless hunts but could never fool myself into calling those hunts a success. I've been hunting traditional for 7 years and killed enough game to satisfy me. I have had 2 seasons without killing a deer one of which I passed a few and lost one but overall my success has increased as opposed to compound hunting days on both guided and unguided hunts. I think Im just enjoying it more now with a pretty longbow in my hands so I hunt harder and pay more attention to detail. Those two things kill animals for me more than anything else.

[Orion]

As some have pointed out, it's not only where you hunt, but how (well) you hunt.  One needs to get closer with trad equipment. Pretty easy to get within 40 yards of a critter without it becoming alarmed.  Much more difficult to get within 20 yards.  Simply takes more skill and woodsmanship to consistently kill stuff with trad equipment.  I like that.  

[jonsimoneau]

I've been more successful since I switched to traditional archery. But I'm also a better hunter than I was then. I only hunted with a compound a few years. Gun hunted a few years. I can remember the last buck I shot with a gun. I knew the second I pulled the trigger that was the last time I would hunt big game with a gun.  I knew in my heart I did not earn him. I wanted to bring him back to life.   I know if I used another weapon I could kill more critters simply because of the increase in range. But what fun would that be?  I'd feel like I was going backwards.

[jonsimoneau]

Also wanted to add something that goes along with what Biggie said which is to get out and kill some critters. Gain experience.  I think that squirrels are a great way to do this. Hunting squirrels with a bow is a lot of fun. When you can take them on a regular basis with your bow it will make the shots at deer seem easy. I think a lot of guys don't wanna hunt squirrels these days because of the cost of arrows. Get a bunch of cheap parallel wooden shafts and go after them. It helps!

[Scott Teaschner]

There are a lot of guys on this site from the west that kill game consitantly Tracy and Randy do very well. I shoot 2 deer and an antelope last year. Missed my bull my fault not the bow. I never have felt handicaped with my recurve. If you dont have confidence you can never win the battle. You might as well shoot a compound if that instills confidence in you. This sport is about getting close. Most shots even in the west are under 30 yards and most under 20 yds. I talk to a lot of guys who are even compound shooters and most talke game at average distances. You need to invest the time in your skills and if your hunting in the wrong places you need to change. Things constantly change and you have to improvise.