Alone in this journey?

[Hoyt]

Not much of anything close to me, bout 20 miles to the closest store. But that's why I'm here I can't stand crowds and traffic.

I use to shoot a lot of Field Round Tournaments in several different states back in the mid an late 60's and enjoyed that. However, I've always been a loner and enjoy going my own way when the mood hits me.

[njloco]

I've been shooting Trad. by myself since 1957, now thanks to this sight I am finally learning about archery what I use to do naturally or instinctively.

Don't worry, you will meet others who don't follow the crowed, did you try going to any trad shoots ?

[limbolt]

Hey Izzy,sounds like i'd fit right in with your buddies,LOL.      

[LimBender]

Pretty much the same here, but due to work and family have not made a lot of effort to go to shoots (most of which are 3 hours or more away - much stronger groups in S. La.).  I've gotten a few people interested - just none taking the plunge.  The most negative thing for me is not sharing in all the gear talk with a couple compound friends, and them thinking that I look down on them a bit, which makes it different than it used to be.

I've learned most of what I know from books, this site, and practice (trial and error).
 
BUT, a lot of times archery is needed alone, recharge time, so I don't always mind.

[broketooth]

i am fortunate to know some of the most outstanding members of trad gang that all live within an hour drive from my home. John Dill of Aneewakee archery, Batman (Don Batten), Woodcock and family, the Kodiak kid ( Paul Mills), and the most kind hearted of all our own Bernie Dunn ( the dino wrangler). these people are an inspiration to me. Each individual mentioned has something to offer the trad archery world. I am proud to bring up the rear in this group, and i look foward to being able to shoot with them all again. they have changed my life. rv

[DeCurry]

I don't have any friends or family that shoot traditional.  I got into archery, though, after messing around with my brother-in-law's wheelie bow; I actually took my first deer with his bow before going full traditional.

I don't try to pressure anyone else into shooting traditional, though it would be fun to have someone else around that did it.  My bro-in-law only hunts with a bow during bow season here (which is about a month long) and then uses a rifle the rest of the season; I use a bow the entire deer season.  Most other hunters I know are way too much into the "TV hunting" stuff -- they think the latest and greatest gadgets are a must-have, that you can't hit anything without satellite navigation to your target and arrows designed by German scientists.

Try explaining shooting "instinctive" to someone like that; they look at you like a dog shown a card trick, heh.  Still, everyone I've ever discussed archery with has always been open and receptive if not willing to try it out themselves (I was on a ram hunt a few months ago with 9 people, all rifle hunters, yet they thought my Toelke Whip was the coolest thing since sliced bread, was great fun discussing archery with them -- should've seen the looks on their faces when I non-chalantly said, "20 yards is my max range, I like to get in close", haha).

I just honestly think they feel it is too hard and takes too much time, which I can't disagree with; it took a lot of practice to get any good and it is something you have to be very passionate about.

[centaur]

The guys I hunt with are all compound users. One keeps saying that he needs to hunt with a recurve, but I haven't seen it happen yet. At least they don't give me grief about using trad gear, and actually talk like they respect me for doing it.

[MJB]

Originally posted by centaur:
The guys I hunt with are all compound users. One keeps saying that he needs to hunt with a recurve, but I haven't seen it happen yet. At least they don't give me grief about using trad gear, and actually talk like they respect me for doing it.

X2

[Pete McMiller]

Personally, I think you are as alone as you want to be.  If you want to be a loner, go for it - there are many times I want to be too.

When I got back into traditional archery 3 years ago I knew only two guys still shooting trad, everyone else was a compounder.  I bought my first longbow from a guy on craigslist who turned into one of my best friends.  From there I attended a trad bunny shoot, joined the Wis trad archers, going to as many shoots as I could including Comptons.  I still shoot daily in my yard, alone, but talk to at least one or two buddies almost daily about traditional archery.  We plan shoots, hunts or just BS.

If you want friends in traditional archery make an effort, go out of your way to go to shoots or other events and it won't take long.  Every guy/gal you meet will have at least one and sometimes many other friends.

Just in Wisconsin we have 400 or more members in our WTA.  I don't know them all but every event I meet a few more.

[camodadd]

most of us in this area are traditional, meaning recurve/long bows and wood arrows, but no shooting clubs. More just kind of practice on your own and get together to hunt now and then with 1 or 2 others. Trad. archery vs. modern much like trad. muzzleloading vs. modern. I think we have more fun!!

[Iowabowhunter]

Overspined I have to disagree with you when you said most compound bow hunters would shoot a gun in place of their bow. I do shotgun/muzzle loader hunt and enjoy that as well. I do not get need the satisfaction or amount of fun from hunting with a gun as I do my compound. I am learning to shoot trad bows but at thus point I wouldn't feel comfortable hunting with a trad bow due to my woeful innacuracy. I will continue to hunt with my compound up until the point that I no longer enjoy it, and hopefully by that time I will feel proficient enough with my trad skill to hunt with that.

[lt-m-grow]

Originally posted by centaur:
The guys I hunt with are all compound users. One keeps saying that he needs to hunt with a recurve, but I haven't seen it happen yet. At least they don't give me grief about using trad gear, and actually talk like they respect me for doing it.

x3

[lt-m-grow]

Originally posted by Pete McMiller:
Personally, I think you are as alone as you want to be.  If you want to be a loner, go for it - there are many times I want to be too.

When I got back into traditional archery 3 years ago I knew only two guys still shooting trad, everyone else was a compounder.  I bought my first longbow from a guy on craigslist who turned into one of my best friends.  From there I attended a trad bunny shoot, joined the Wis trad archers, going to as many shoots as I could including Comptons.  I still shoot daily in my yard, alone, but talk to at least one or two buddies almost daily about traditional archery.  We plan shoots, hunts or just BS.

If you want friends in traditional archery make an effort, go out of your way to go to shoots or other events and it won't take long.  Every guy/gal you meet will have at least one and sometimes many other friends.

Just in Wisconsin we have 400 or more members in our WTA.  I don't know them all but every event I meet a few more.

Pete I have a different take.   I didn't take up traditional hunting to replace my friends or hunting buddies...It is not that other folks aren't fun to meet - that is all good. I am very busy and I like my current friends.  They don't shoot traditional so I shoot my bow and they shoot theirs and we go hunt.

[ishoot4thrills]

Try this link I found on this website under "State Trad Bowhunting Orgs". It's got trad bowhunting places in your state:

 http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=83;t=000008

Go to one of their shoots and you can meet other like-minded people and have a great time as well. Oh yeah, and you may just make new trad friends too.

[threeunder]

Don't get me wrong.  I'm perfectly happy doing this on my own terms.  I do know, though, that without the members of tradgang, I would probably have only lasted a few months in the sport.
One of the guys I hunt with is intrigued with traditional archery, but I really don't expect he'll even make the leap far enough to even purchase a bow.  Me being a southpaw doesn't help any...LOL...all my stuff is backwards for them.
It'll be great if it happens....it'll be great if it doesn't...as long as I'm able to do it on my terms, then I'll be fine.  This year, I plan on trad hunting only (with the exception of a couple of state park hunts that don't allow archery gear).  A kill would be great, but, I've been successful over the years and am at the point that I'm ready to enjoy the hunt.
Ken

[Kamm1004]

I feel your pain. All my friends insist on rifles. One even told me once, "I dont think i'd ever be a good enough hunter to get close enough, let alone kill anything with a bow and arrow" I think thats big underlying reason for alot of people. They want to be killers not hunters, and they wont put the time or effort into becoming a good hunter bottom line.

[Sirius Black]

Just me!

[Bowwild]

I have four friends and my son who shoot recurves (two shoot a longbow).

There are also two hot-spots of recurve and longbow shooting groups within 30-45 minutes from me. \\

Definitely alone in my journey here!

[thump]

Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s when I would go to 3D shoots, I would shoot in the bare bow glass and I don’t recall any one else shooting a longbow or recurve except for me. All my friends that I hunted with shot compounds and still do. I consider myself a bow hunter and find that I don’t agree with 90% of the values of most hunters no matter what they call themselves.

[PaddyMac]

I used to be in a good position to find out who was trad and found a good half dozen of us here in this isolated valley. The voters privatized me out of my business though, so I'm kind of on the beach. Got everybody's name and phone number though.