My Traditional Journey...

[Butchie]

[Nathan Killen]

This is shaping up to be something real good!    

Bisch

[D. Key]

Tease....  :D

[Bill Carlsen]

Can't wait for the rest of the story. I hunted the day before Sandy hit us up here in NH and took a four pointer out of my Double Bull blind. Hunting before a weather front is very productive.

[coaster500]

T-shirt weather so far    

 

[emfunk]

 I am liking where this one is heading, traditional fire is lit, bring on the hunt. Good stuff

[John146]

   

[GRINCH]

   

[23feetupandhappy]

 
Im likeing it so far  

[KAZ]

[Sockrsblur]

That mid August at camp 2011 with a no brand internet bought 66 inch longbow and six to light, wrong spine, wobble through the air GT arrows lit a fire that my brother Dan didn't let go of. Dan was the only one with a trad bow at the time and he was stringing it, shooting it, talking about it, simply passionate about it! By the 23 of August I could take no more and placed an order with the "worlds foremost outfitter." Because longbows are suppose to be long!! I ordered a 68" PSE Sequoia longbow 50# @ 28", bow stringer, string keeper, bear hair arrow rest, bow sock, glove, $361.92 total. Not knowing where this all was really going I bought the cheapest LB they sold but still I had a new traditional bow delivered in a crushed broken in half cardboard tube on the 30 August... WOW! the bow seemed fine and was really easy to take out of the box. Out of the box, out of the house, to camp, to Dan's house... shoot shoot shoot that's all we were doing! It was Fun!

[Sockrsblur]

My brother Dan trying to convince a gray squirrel over to the long bow side of the tree on Sept 2nd. The picture is not a purist traditional poster for the sport but makes me laugh and realize how the longbow permeated our activities. it was an active transition in process...

[Sockrsblur]

Dan was shooting way better than me. I didn't understand why at the time but he simply had better form drawing back fully with a more consistent anchor. We both decided to try and take a doe early in the season with our long bows but we need more gear and a little help. I Remember well walking into Little Ridge Archery Shop, Roy looked up and said "What are you doing with that big walking stick" lol He was kidding. He sells everything but is passionate about traditional archery and we are fortunate to have him period! We left with Beman MFX Classic wood grain arrows, 75grain inserts, Magnus stinger 150gr two blade broadheads and a pack of the serrated heads with bleeder blades, matching field points. Most important was the ten minutes he spent with an experienced eye on us in the range. I had no idea that i was short drawing to inconsistent places all over my face.

[Sockrsblur]

Shooting at camp i sent this photo to my brothers as a brag photo! I was proud to have hit the bag all those times... I love it now for the progress and growth it shows. We earn it the hard way one arrow one thought at a time...
can someone say pick a spot? ha ha I was totally shooting at the whole bag.

[Sockrsblur]

9 September 2011 I was shooting at my brother Dans house in his yard and we had been going at it for some time. Between shots he looked over at me and said he had decided something yesterday... He decided that this year he was only going to hunt with his longbow! What? He went on and on about how he loved shooting it, didn't care about his compound any more... i told him he was crazy! how are you at 40yds?! He said he wouldn't shoot that far! I shook my head and tried to consider that as he smoothly came to anchor with his next arrow... BAM! POW!  His longbow delaminated ! Being the supportive brother I am I started laughing so hard I had tears. I felt bad but the timing was priceless.

 

Two days later Dan went back to Roy's and spent $4-500 on a beautiful new Kota-Praire Fire longbow. He was serious, I was shocked. This was a guy who was using a #84 PSE MACH 4 compound with the vintage wire cables and over draw. He refused to spend money on  new bow because there was nothing dysfunctional with the old one. Big Dan was clearly committed, all longbow this year. As proud of his courage as I was I couldn't do it. It was both bows for me in 2011.

[Sockrsblur]

16 September first traditional kill at camp...

[Sockrsblur]

[Sockrsblur]

In August we also brought something else new and exciting into our hunting and scouting. The trail camera! Wow, no going back. Photos of does and small bucks were exciting but it didn't take long to remember there was a big buck I saw while Bow hunting in 2010. He looked wide and heavy with tines that appeared short for his mass as he chased a doe up an old logging road on the other side of a ravine. As I focused on this area I was shocked the pictures that came in. No longer did we have to wait for the rut to see the biggest buck on he hill it was exciting but only reinforced my insecurities of not having a compound in the tree with me. The buck was huge to me and this was a much better look at him than I had last year. Because of the way he acted so elusive and cautious even around a trail cam in September I called him Sly. He seemed to like the company of a particular 8pt that looked really nice too. I photographed them in a core area i knew well and hunted often all ready.

[Sockrsblur]

Sly in 2011 5 on left 7 on right.