Make My Day

[stillhunter]

Been a little melancholy lately about the lack of trad shooters in the area. Even my friends who were long time trad shooters have gone to the compound. Don't want to judge a man by his bow but with the crossbow coming on strong in Wisconsin I wonder who is our next generation? Stopped in to the book store yesterday to pick up a Trad bowhunter mag and there was a girl looked to be in her 20's and she grabbed a Traditional Bowhunter mag! I asked her if she shot trad and she said her boyfriend did and she was very interested too. Said her boyfriend was going to have John Mcdonald make him a bow hopefully soon.(We were in Wisconsin Rapids where John lives) I said I knew John well. So my question is if your a trad hunter let's say around 35 or younger let's hear your story, maybe how you got started, and what pulls your string. For us older hunters, make our day.

[nineworlds9]

I REALLY want to reply to this thread at length, but its a holiday so won't be able to sit down and collect my thoughts until probably later this evening or tomorrow.  I turned 32 last month.  One could say I'm mildly obsessed with this sport  

[IndaTimber]

Just a tad over 35, so I'll share. I grew up hunting, like most here, but I started with a compound; now, I did terrorize the woods in my back yard with my plastic recurve but true bow hunting was with a compound and started around 1994.  

I've been shooting trad gear just over two years now and what follows is how I got where I am today:

The 2011-2012 hunting season found me chasing a pretty nice buck on our property. Several pictures and many hours on stand, I had a pretty good pattern on him. I knew two places he was bedding and after a little cat and mouse I found a stand site that would give me an easy 42 yard shot, yep I purposely set up 42 yards from where I thought he would be.

I was so proud of my "hunting" wisdom I called my dad and told him my plan. True wisdom was about to hit me hard when my father simply said "I thought the reason you loved bow hunting was to get close to animals. Now, your trying to get farther away?" Boy, those words hit hard and two days later sitting in that stand, the deer showed, I didn't even reach for the bow but decided then and there to start shooting trad gear.

I bought a hybrid longbow and started practicing. I used my compound the last two seasons but changed my hunting style and thought process, more ground hunting and see just how close I could get. Killed two deer in those two seasons, both under 10 yards. This will be my first year in the woods with trad gear but I feel like I've prepared the best I can and it is time to make the jump, with both feet.

One more piece of wisdom my father gave me was while he was lying on his death bed, well he never really slowed down but a brain tumor took him from us on April 12, 2013. Anyway, he told me he would like to see me actually enjoy hunting again and told me to keep things simple. He made it very clear that simple did not mean easier!!

Well, that is how I got to love shooting trad gear and while I've yet to bloody an arrow, I'm completely hooked on watching the arrow fly to the target and hit where I'm looking, even if it doesn't happen every time. That was something I took for granted with all the gadgets.

Take Care and Happy Fourth,
Chance

[Matthew Bolton]

I'm 20 years old and I've been shooting trad for 5 years now. I have up on the compound because I couldn't ever judge distance from a treestand and which made me miss a bunch of deer and I didn't want to buy a range finder. My dad had an old Ben Pearson hunter in the garage which is what I started on. When I was 17 I purchased a used zipper sxt longbow and killed my first archery deer with it 10 days after I bought it which was in October of 2011. Since then I've killed 5 deer with it and just never had the urge to go back. My story isn't that great but I enjoy the whole aspect of trad archery which is what keeps me coming back. Just recently I started hunting frogs with it and that's a huge driving force for me during the summer.

[Jeremy Gentry]

I am 35. I shot a compound as a kid and hunted with one up tell I was 20. For me it was all about how close I could get to the animal being hunted. I started thinking that I wanted to try to kill a doe with traditional gear so I traded a elk rack for a longbow and started shooting. I killed my first doe with it in early September.  It was like killing my first animal all over again! I have not looked back and have been a die hard traditional hunter since. Sure I could have killed more and bigger deer or elk If I had been packing a wheel bow over the span of years. But that's not what it is about. It's the hard work that one puts into tuning, shooting, working a little harder to make sure your stand is in the right spot or stalking in those extra 20 or 30 yards. It is more rewarding! I have a son that is 11 years old and he wants to hunt with a traditional bow. I told him that was great but it is a lot of work. He would have to work twice as had as his friends. (both of whom shoot compounds) and might not get as many opportunities as he would if he started with a compound. He told me " I am okay with that dad. I will just have to be a better hunter." Made me proud! We got him a bow and he is working at becoming a better shot and getting stronger.  Hopefully he will be ready next year. If so I am going to surprise him by taking him on a baited bear hunt somewhere For his first hunt. I just want to sit and coach and film.

[dhermon85]

Just turned 29. Hunted a little with a rifle. Hunted some with a compound. Have had success with both.  Was gifted a 1969 Bear Grizzly 4 years ago today, I believe. I didn't have the patience originally for it and still continued to hunt with my compound. I gradually lost interest in the compound due to lack of challenge while practicing. It just got repetitive(boring) placing the pin and clickin the release. All my harvests with my compound had been 15yds and in. I thought, I can do this with trad gear.  I decided to commit and man what fun it's been. Got my first traditional deer after my second year fully committed. Really felt good. Practice, shooting, and hunting is some much more fulfilling. What really has helped is having a brother,(converted same time), and two Uncles who both shoot traditional gear. (One is Hermon on TG) So, several bows later, lots and lots of tuning, broken arrows, missed shots on game, to long of shots to take on game, I still do it. Because I love it and it's fun. I think when it comes down to bowhunting you need to pick YOUR spot and go with it.

[sveltri]

I'm just turned 35 in May. Started hunting with a rifle, that's how my family has always hunted.  I used to go out with my buddies that bow hunted and thought it was nest but not something I wanted to delve into to.  Around 25 years old I had a good friend challenge me to the effect that since I was such an avid fly fisherman it didn't make much sense that I was still rifle hunting.  Anyway, he gave me a Darton compound.  I decided to hunt elk with that year, although I'm not sure why because everybody told me I was sure to miss, if I even got a shot at all.  Long story short I ended up killing the biggest bull I've ever killed.  Two years ago I picked up a copy of Traditional Bowhunter mag and the lights started to twinkle.  It seemed so romantic and bad ass at the same time.  A few months went by and I decided to buy a Sage samick, and you guys know the rest of the story.  It's become completely consuming, almost a complete lifestyle change.  Still waiting to hit full draw on an animal (actually I did kill one rabbit), but still completely in love with and driven to succeed at this game.

Stefan

[damascusdave]

Originally posted by nineworlds9:
I REALLY want to reply to this thread at length, but its a holiday so won't be able to sit down and collect my thoughts until probably later this evening or tomorrow.  I turned 32 last month.  One could say I'm mildly obsessed with this sport    

One could say you are totally obsessed too...and the way you have approached the whole process means you are going to stay obsessed...you have learned more at your age than many will learn in a lifetime

DDave

[Jake Scott]

I am 29.  I have always been obsessed with hunting and the outdoors.  In junior high the spark of interest for bowhunting was lit, but never burned with a fury due to things that occupy the time of many boys that age, sports and girls.  During high school I was blessed to discover a a talent for wrestling, which ended up putting me through college.  Wrestling season runs from October to March...not good for hunting.  When I graduated college I declared that hunting (my real first love) would be my life, and it has been.  Strangely enough I skipped the compound phase altogether, having a soft spot for fine wooden things of all kinds.  Like chuck said, obsession seems to under describe it!  It is a lifestyle that I have really come to love.  Shoot straight young guys!!!

Jake

[Sam McMichael]

Well, there is not much we can do about the general trend of bowhunting, etc., but there is no real need to worry about it. Even with all the compound and crossbow hype, there will always be a few who prefer the older ways. Not many years ago, traditional archers were very few, but now our niche has grown in recent years. There will always be an ebb and flow, but as long as there are traditional minded people there will be a place in the world for traditional archers.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

My re entry to archery came  at a  fair and a  4H booth.

Shortly after I was also standing in Wisconsin Rapids in Johns shop, shooting his bow.  I soon had my own.

[Biathlonman]

I'm 34.  Grew up with a compound then just completely walked away from archery while in college and getting a career started. Began casually trying different bows about 5 years ago then met a fella in Montana who encouraged me to go all in. Did that about 3 summers ago and have been consumed ever since.

[stillhunter]

Well said Sam, and with awesome men like these it's in good hands.

[Mudd]

This has made for some really good reading.

   

[Tradtical Commando]

Im 33. Back in 2011 I was in Iraq and kept seeing golden jackals (Iraqi coyotes) all over the base. Well I couldn't very well go busting off rounds on a base in a war zone. Thats a good way to get shot. I feigned over how to hunt these things and eventually came to the conclusion that I needed a bow. Well eventually I got home and dug out an old Browning Nomad Stalker out of a closet and wondered if it would do. I got on a local hunting forum and asked and a fella started posting pictures of every big game critter known to man that he had taken with a trad bow. He sold me on the idea and had me to his house, set me up, and Ive been addicted every since.

[Machino]

Turned 31 on the 3rd.  Started out with the compound in PA because I didn't know there was an alternative.  My family passed the hunting gene down many generations, much like many of yours. Personally, a while ago I decided to start doing things the harder way with the compound.  Geeses and ducks.  Single fix pin with no range finder. My first deer was on the ground a 5-7 yards.  

Came out to MT 10 years ago and was blessed to kill some awesome animals. Killed a big bear at 22 with the compound and from that point on it just seemed too easy with the wheels.  I had some crazy ideas of what I should have started out with.  Luckily, I called Dan Toelke to ask him about bows and he told me to come up. Never ever going back to the darkside.  Now 2 whips and a kestrel deep.

These days I shoot woodies only that I make.  I make strings and tabs and even made a bow out of juniper last year.  Got my first trad kill last year.  This year is monumental being that I drew a mountain goat tag here in MT.  Everyone is trying to convince me to "bring the rifle in case", but I'll be happy doing it only one way.  

Training for the goat tag has been first priority.  Yesterday, took a 13 mile bike ride in then and 4ish mile hike to a lake and peak making a big 30+ mile round trip day.  Saw two different bears that could have been sneakable.  Cooked some trout on rocks by the fire. Next week I leave for a 60ish mile through walk in the Bob Marshall wilderness on a scouting trip.

This site is a wealth of info and hands down the best forum ever.  Thanks for everyone's contributions.  I wish it didn't take so long to find traditional, but I'm here to stay!

[Tradtical Commando]

Some food for thought for all the young guys that have posted on here, from a guy your age:
You should definitely consider joining PBS (Professional Bowhunters Society) and they are a sponsor on here. I am 33 and just joined and its mind blowing what they have to offer, especially to newer and/or younger bow hunters! Its a lot to type out on here, but if you really like to bow hunt, and want to do more of it without breaking the bank and get better at it then you are doing yourself a disservice by not at least seriously considering becoming an active/involved member!
Shoot me a PM if you want to know more about it and I can give you a run down from someone in your shoes's perspective.

[stillhunter]

Tradtical Commando. First I want to say with all my heart thank you for your service to our country... And second for your storyline and commitment for the love of this great sport of archery. Machino. Good luck to you and make sure you share your hunt with us. Will be watching...All you guys are great.

[Jake Scott]

I have to echo stillhunter, Tradtical Commando, thanks for your service to this great nation.  Have a fantastic 4th of July weekend, sir.

Jake

[halfseminole]

I'm 32, and hunting is in my blood, my bones.  As the handle, I'm Seminole, and I grew up of all things hunting with a rifle or shotgun, but I made and shot bows my entire childhood.  My father and great-grandfather shoot compounds, so I'm the only trade hunter of the bunch.  I shot horses for a fair bit of my college days, and spent some time with kyudo even though I never progressed very far.  After the accident in college where I broke my back in three places, I put the bows away until recently.  I'm relearning a lot after a pair of strokes took my good eye and leg, but the bow really helps.  I'm currently using it as therapy, both as a reason to try to walk and to help strengthen my arms for pushing my wheelchair.  I build up my draw weight too.

I would have loved more than anything to pass my love of the woods and love of the bow to my son.  He passed away last year, and maybe in time I'll teach someone else's child, but now my practice time is a time to remember him and feel like he's still with me.  He would have loved it.

I shoot trad to commune with my ancestors.  To fell as they felt, free under the sun.  To know how they lived, to love the wild as they loved it.  I still pray for my kills, still try to use every bit of my kills.  I remember, and shooting trade is part of remembering.