WI Trad Ganger's - Are You A Member?

[New Wood]

Been a member since taking up Trad in the late 90's.  Time flies by, it's been 15 years....

[larry f]

I am a member but I have never been to the banquet,I hear it's a pretty good group of bowhunters.

[Sirius Black]

1Longbow and Pappawoody,  I've also noticed that many bowshops I have been to are very pro WBH (and members of) yet they were selling crossbows hand-over-fist and enjoying every bit of it. I guess $ always comes first....?     :confused:

[habujohn]

I live in Iron Mountain Michigan and used to enjoy the shoots held outside of Eagle River but WTA has not had one there is some time.  I would love to here more about the shoot in Pound.  We have a good group of MTBH members in my area.

[G.R.]

Just signed up for three years,good to be a member of a
Trad-Only group.
Gary.

[goobersan]

thought about it. don't have time for the archery club I belong to. someday....

[DaDVM]

Looking forward to moving to Wisconsin in a couple months and just signed up for WTA

[BILL LEU]

I'm a life member of the WTA born and raised in Sussex, WI. Don't live in WI anymore, was living in Kansas but moved to Michigan last Feb. Went to Kalamazoo this year for the first time enjoyed it, joined MTA as well.

[jiane]

HabuJohn,

Where was the shoot near Eagle River held at?  My parents are in Eagle River and I'm always looking for a new place to try out.

WTA does not have a home club or course per se.  WTA sponsors the State Shoot at clubs who submit to host the State Shoot.  So if there is a trad friendly club in your area that can meet the requirements of the State Shoot bring it to their attention.  We all enjoy shooting different places and different set-ups.

[smoke1953]

Living the dream with Wisconsin Traditional Archers. Problem is you end up with too many new friends with common interests. You just can't get rid of em. They want you to do this and that and go here and there. It becomes increasingly hard to live a life of solitude. You'll never regret getting to know everybody and who cares if you might not shoot well yet. The advice you get from knowledgeable folks just increases your rate of improvement. Just don't believe everything you hear.

[lt-m-grow]

Please take no offense to this, but I am assuming non-members are welcome to chime in as part of the conversation.

I am not member as I am not sure there is value for me.  First I am a life-long member of the WBA as their main value for me is legislative support for bowhunting.  I know there is more there, but that is my reason.  I don't attend any of their events and the newsletter is nice enough, but -seriously - it is a newsletter :-).

I contribute here as I find this place and the people interesting and entertaining and I have a sense I am part of this place.  In a small way of course, but part of "the club" that is tradgang or at least my takeaway from tradgang.

Reflecting that upon the WTA, I know WTA has some political positions (which I support) but the group isn't large enough especially in the unusual political cycle we are in to affect change.  And as we can see in the recent C-bow stuff, the WBA could only affect very minor changes :-( so scaling up the number of club members enough to affect changes is unlikely.

Now I may be missing more to the club, but frankly it seems hard to feel part of any club that is statewide for the sake of joining "a club".  I will not be going to go to "the club" - physically or virtually -  to shoot or  BS, so the things I see in joining a club are missing.  Even if I attended one event a year, I am not sure that is enough for me.  

And I am not trying to diminish other folks reasons for joining.  I respect them and think it is wonderful that they get what they need from the WTA.  And I think it is great that the WTA exists.

Thanks for hearing my opinion, and would gladly hear what I am missing.

[ChuckC]

Like in all things "life" you get from it what you put into it.

If you don't attend or become a part of something, you really can't expect that something to become part of you.

As in every group I have been a party to in my life, there are folks who won't become a member of anything (for a lot of reasons, there are members that join just to be a member, there are folks who join to participate and be a part of something, and there are those that jump in with both feet and do all the work.  We need all of them.  Well, maybe not the first group.

Even for those that chose not to become part of the big picture, understand, your number counts and your dollars help.

Yes I am a member of several local and national organizations.

ChuckC

[Whip]

lt-em-grow.  I can understand your position in wondering why to join an organization even though you don't intend to become active.  

About the only response I can think of is that even non - active members help us do some of the other things we do such as the youth program,  our financial support of a variety of causes, and the efforts we put in toward simply promoting the sport of traditional archery.  There is a long list of things that WTA does that don't involve most of the membership yet do require dollars to accomplish. Membership dues are an important part of our budget.  

Some recent examples include donations we made to help the DNR refurbish a deer decoy used to catch poachers, and another to help fund a video promoting our sport.  We provide bows and equipment to clubs around the state to use in youth shooting programs .  We help at events such as the deer and turkey show both with our own booth exposing our support to thousands of people,  and also helping to staff a shooting booth where kids of all ages get a chance to spot a traditional bow.  The list goes on.  

Most of our members aren't actively involved in doing these things personally, but without the financial support of our members none of it would happen at all.  

We don't have a club house or a place to meet and hang out.  There are traditional shoots all over the state, but you don't need to be a member of WTA to attend those.  The only one that WTA is officially a part of its the annual state shoot which moves around to different clubs each year.  


I know we will never appeal to all traditional archers,  and I respect your opinion.  I really don't mean to come off as critical of it at all,  so please don't take it that way.   I'm just trying to give another reason some do consider joining us.

If you ever do decide to join in and end up attending any of the events you might find that you enjoy it enough to try others.  There were a number of of group rabbit hunts recently,  and they were pretty close to you.

[lt-m-grow]

Chuck and Joe...thank you for the wonderful comments!

[habujohn]

The shoot over by Eagle River was held off hwy 70 in the Nicole Forest.  There was no club there, they cut out a course in the NF and it was great fun.  Northern Wisconsin has some great places to hold 3-d shoots.

[BillW]

Joe, Well said. I would also add the community aspect. I know many of my fellow WTA members by name. My wife and I enjoy traveling across the state to other clubs 3d shoots and we run in to lots of WTA people through out the year. Many WTA people make the trip to Compton in Berrian Springs every year. There are so many WTA people there it almost feels like a bit of a home coming to me. Many of us camp together as well.

WTA is also active in the WI archery scene. I know first hand because my archery club (Bigfoot in LK Geneva) was a recipient a few years ago of some Black Rhino bows for archery classes we hold. Two weeks ago we had over 60 young people at one class.

Anyhow, We may be a state wide organization but we are surprisingly close. Like said above I guess you get what you put in. My wife and I have gone to many of the WTA events since we joined so I guess that is why we feel such a part of this organization.
Regards,
Bill

[ChuckC]

E. Donnall Thomas Jr wrote a book entitled "How Sportsmen Saved the World".

Anyone who has read "E Don" knows his words are a pleasure to read.  The book is not cheap, but it is an eye opener.  I really heartily suggest each of us read it, if for no other reason than to gain the knowledge of our history.

Without going nuts here. .  it shows, among other things, that the right folks, in the right time, that put themselves forward and take on important issues sometimes really do save the world.  

It is easy to sit back and complain... we all do it.  It is not as easy to actively support what we believe in, whatever that may be.

Read the book and get ready to see how close we came to losing... well, nearly all we currently hold near and dear and that many of us take for granted will always be there and available.

ChuckC

[Whip]

That is a great book Chuck.  And Don Thomas is going to be our speaker at next year's banquet.

[ChuckC]

Can't wait to meet him.  I feel like I already have.  Read many of his books.  I like his writing style.

I hope my words did not upset folks, that was not what I was trying to do.  My apologies if I wrote the wrong words.  I am simply trying to point out that it is important, not just in this day and age, but since the dawn of mankind, that we stand up and make ourselves heard.  If we won't, the others most definitely will.

Anti hunters and anti realists are not necessarily the biggest threat to our prized way of life.

You may not currently have extra money to throw at a club, that is unfortunate and I pray will change for you soon, but most of us do, or will in the future. It isn't THAT much, but we can all be active in promoting and supporting what we hold dear.  And... you don't have to be a member of EVERY club or organisation, but be counted in the big picture.

ChuckC

[Bazooka Joe]

Just renewed yesterday and got Feb. newsletter today.

Rick