Traditional Archery

[Hoyt]

Right now I just like to hunt with flintlocks that I build and recurves.

I had a guy ask me one time why I hunted with a flintlock.."You trying to be Daniel Boone or something"? I told him "No, I just decided one day to see what it would be like to hunt like Ole Daniel did and liked it."

Had a guy ask me a couple yrs ago when he saw me coming out of the woods with my recurve.."You don't have a compound?" I told him "I got a good one, just like hunting with this recurve better."

I started in the 50's with stickbows, went to compounds for many yrs in the mid 70's and never did join up with the new trad stuff. Sometimes I don't know if my recurves are old fashion or too modern.

[eflanders]

One other short story I might add to this conversation...  Last elk season I was fortunate enough to have hunted in OR with 9 other guys on a private ranch.  All 9 were using modern compounds.  They saw that I could shoot with any of them within 40 yards when we shot in camp for practice.  By the end of the week most of the guys were asking me why I shot a longbow and how could they too get into shooting one too.  You see it was simple logistics.  My bow was easier and lighter to carry and so was my quiver.  After a few days of marching up and down the mountains carrying their equipment, they were alll looking to lighten-up.  I believe 6 of the 9 other guys have now switched to a different quiver system and several of them are now practicing with traditional equipment.

[Bowwild]

I know what the thread author is getting at and I certainly recognize the potential differences among folks who hunt with different equipment.  

I'm a big tent fellow. I don't care what someone calls my equipment preferences as long as I remain legal and can satisfy what I'm trying to get out of hunting.

"Real" archery can quickly be interpreted "Real" hunter.  

By these definitions I was a "real" hunter from age 14-21. Then I joined the unreal ranks from 1975-2009. I became a real hunter again (according to this) in 2010. If some self, long, or recurve bow fellows referred to me as something less than themselves because of my equipment choices, I wouldn't have a dozen recurves cluttering up my house these days.

We only impress ourselves with such labeling.

Hair splitting has turned me off to the use of the word "Traditional".  I'm simply a bowhunter who prefers recurves these days.

The other guy can hunt with and how ever suits him as long as he stays out of my tree (preferably out of my bow range).

[Stixbowdrew]

A traditional bow in the hand of someone who takes the time to practice and learn to make the bow and arrow as extension of his or her self is a far more superior hunting weapon at 20 yards and in no need to range just pick a spot, anchor, and let we' fly. I will argue this with anyone that disputes it. Have lots of friends that tot training wheels and those stupid horizontal things. As long as someone is ethical, a good steward of the land, responsible, and good hunter who are we to judge? The problem with the horizontal things is that it is an open invitation to slobs joining us in the bow woods, I will say this too just because someone is a "traditional archer" doesn't make them any of te things I listed before, in fact in know a few guys that have no right walking in the woods with a stick bow due to te fact they couldn't hit a freakinf garbage can at 15 yards

[beachbowhunter]

"No Let-off Archery"

[McDave]

I tend to stay away from kidding people I don't know very well, because they might take it the wrong way. But around our club, we probably tend to kid the compounders more than they kid us. Probably just our personalities, I guess. Things like, "You shoot that thing pretty well.  Have you ever thought about taking up archery?"  Or, "I think I read that there was a recall notice issued on your bow, something about the cup-holders not retracting properly?"  And of course endless variations on the theme of allen wrenches.

[S.C. Hunter]

Originally posted by Stumpkiller:
How about:

"Proper Archery"

"Manly Archery"

But then, there's a lot of guys here using compound bow arrows instead of wood so I don't konw if we should get too critical.  ;-)

There you go making sense. This is the internet, there will be none of that here.  :D

[UrbanDeerSlayer]

I shoot with a 66" longbow at my club with one other truly dedicated longbow shooter.  We are gradually winning a few compound guys over to our side when they see how much fun we're having.  They watch us adjust the brace height by turning our strings, and are amazed that we can tune the bow to our arrows by doing that. They watch us with our new, cool looking wood arrows that we stained and fletched ourselves. They are intrigued at how well we can actually shoot and are amazed when we hit the 11 ring on a 30 yard 3D shot.  They don't understand how we can shoot so well without sites. But they can see how much we enjoy it, notice our dedication to it, and admire our passion for it and because of that a few now join us with their recurves and longbows. And because of it all,the guys at our club are now in the planning stages for hosting some trad only 3D shoots.

[LoneWolf73]

Yeah, "Traditional Archery" probably not a good term. Traditional is something passed from generation to generation. If we were doing that then this type of Archery would be bigger and the grass roots Base with a smaller compound and cross bow avenues. As far as what they say about my bow and killing things I think I could get two arrows in them before they new what yardage I was at. LOL.  Guess I would go with "OLD SCHOOL ARCHERY." Nice T-shirt and hat anyway. I started with a Sapling and String. Passed that on to my Kids and Grandkids.

[The Whittler]

I like the being it called Traditional Archery. For me it implies that I am doing something that my forefathers did for thousands of years. And I am having fun doing it.

[thump]

Back in the late 70’s and 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 bowhunter and find that I don’t agree with 90% of the values of most hunters, no matter what they call themselves.
 I Didn’t know I was a traditional bowhunter until the magazine came out in 1989.

[Bruinbow]

THUMP : That's the point of my original post . Why is it called TRADITIONAL when we didn't change ? Why don't they call the wheelies COMPOUND SHOOTERS ? Nothing wrong with shooting a compound I just don't feel that it is the true spirit of ARCHERY . And I am not nit picking , that group looks down on the guys that still shoot eccentric wheels in stead of cams . When will it stop ?

[SteveB]

Quit worrying about titles, names and other such nonsense a long time ago. Could care less what any one calls their form archery.

I do find it odd to have an issue with the term "trad" on a site named Trad Gang dedicated to trad bow hunting.

[kill shot]

I call people who use recurves and longbows Archers.

[Deeter]

I just quit and sold my wheel bow.  I shot compounds for 20 years.  I just made the switch to trad about a month ago.  Decided that the ole kmag was alot more fun to shoot and simple.  You miss with a stick bow its your fault.  You cant blame an arrow rest or your sight pins being off like ya can on a compound.  I will say I never looked down on anyone throwin arrows at critters no matter if it was with a stick bow or a compound.  As for myself Im just another BOW HUNTER.

[German Dog]

I believe most compound hunters are just uninformed about "traditional bows". Also the history of bowhunting, the people, and the bows.
 Honestly I was really uninformed before I went to a longbow. Had no clue that people seriously hunted with something other than compounds.

[Flingblade]

In 95 I was walking out of a public hunting area in Oklahoma carrying my very heavy compound and met up with a fella near the parking area that was carrying a Dan Quillian Patriot recurve.  We talked briefly and I asked him if I could see his bow.  As I looked it over and drew it back I asked if he had killed anything with it that year. He shared stories of his hunts that season.  Less than a month later I had ordered a Bob Lee Signature recurve and a lifelong passion was born.  I wasn't at all being arrogant or looking down my nose at his bow when I asked if he had killed anything with it that year; rather I was amazed at the beauty and simplicity of his bow and thinking I needed to get a bow like that.  Your post reminded me of that day and I try to keep that in mind when I meet up with compound shooters in the woods.  Wish I knew that guys name; I'd like to thank him for sharing his traditional archery experience with me that day.

[dnovo]

Sometimes I wonder about the term "traditional archery".
When I started shooting there was just archery. Compounds had not come on the scene yet.
I do agree the best way to convert someone is for them to see how much fun you are having and how easy it it. However when we are around guys we know well, then let the insults fly. But this is a good natured and we don't do it to guys we don't know. But it is fun to act like you picked up a screw off the ground at a 3D shoot and ask " Somebody lose an allen screw?"
On a serious note, I will have no patience for somebody asking " Can you kill anything with that". To which I normally answer " Go on downrange about 20 yards and we'll see".
I'm totally amazed at how many have no knowledge of the history of archery and bowhunting.

[Plumber]

I hunt with the compounders in my club they almost act as if I dont even have a chance.I dont say a darn thing back to them.I will say this, when the sun went down I was the ONLYONE dragging deer an not one but two!!! one whitetail an one sika hind.they were all speachless,In all, they could not belive it.that night at camp it was my turn to talk s@%t.I just laught at them an say what in the hell do you think the indians did? I was proud an slept well that night.Iam not one to brag but it never hurts to punch a bully in the mouth once in a while.Iam looked at in an entirely differnt light.I like being the underdog it keeps ya focused...ED

[kbetts]

What a person shoots has a lot to do with confidence.......if the wheel boys where confident with themselves, they'd all go traditional.

They just don't think they can do it.