It never occured to me!!!!

[buckeye_hunter]

I agree and I like my choice of archery tackle too. I love having deer close, so I never worried about using more "advanced" archery gear to kill deer that came into my stand further away.

However.....

I'm working hard to get consistent out to 35 yards for a few reasons.

1. So that my traditional gear can do any job that is asked of it.

2. I want to be able to shoot further more accurately for elk hunting next year.

3. It is a TON of fun to watch the arc of the arrow as it flies longer distances!

Best of luck and happy hunting!

[Sam McMichael]

The need to limit our shot distances is part of the fun and fascination of traditional bow hunting. I no longer feel angst when others make comments of the type you heard. They don't understand what drives most trad hunters and most likely never will, so I simply brush off their comments, while hunting my way. Hopefully, some of them will reach a point in their hunting lives where they will embrace the challenge and fun of our hunting style.

[Shakes.602]

IMHO if you use a Crossbow, ya might as well use a gun. Just my $.02.....No Offense intended.

[T Sunstone]

Originally posted by Friend:
You are doing well in recognizing,acknowledging and adhering to your effective range.

Arrow drop for a typical conventional bow is ~21"s at 30 yards.

Arrow drop for a typical traditional bow is ~59"s at 30 yards.


Even if one's traditional shooting skills match and/or exceed the hi tech advantage, you still may be required to judge distance approximately three times more accurately.

The magnificant quarry we pursue deserves nothing les than our best.

Your adherance to residing within your effective hunting range is  also a mark of excellence in reperesenting our traditional family.

Friend, 59" seems way too much to me at 30 yards.  Almost 5 feet, I'm not holding 5 feet high at 30.    

Chech this chart out for compound bows, doesn't seem close.
 http://archeryreport.com/2010/03/arrow-flight-fact-fiction-pin-40-yards/

[Michael Arnette]

Yea, I took my buck this year at 36 yards. Normally outside my comfort zone and I ended up making a poor shot. Honestly, I don't think about yardage anymore and am glad to not have to worry about it.
That being said, I use traditional equipment because I want to get close to the animals I hunt. I'm not interested in taking animals at long range. That's what I tell folks like the ones you met. Although I do practice out to 40 yards and find myself very accurate out to 25 yards.
I've never had a shot inside 20 yards at a buck over 2.5 years old. Any mature animals that I have taken (which isn't many) have been 20-38 yards.
That being said, it's easy to get within 50 yards of a mature deer...it's getting within 20 that takes woodsmanship and a little luck  

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Everyone has their own comfort range. Mine changes a lot depending on the situation at the time.

Using a bow with site pins, whether it's a stick & string or a compound bow makes no difference. Its all about guessing yardage and shooting the right pin... Using sight pins can increase your accuracy at longer distances a lot....

Shooting instinctively.... If you start thinking yardage you are screwing up... It's either in your comfort range or it isn't.

What ever you choose to hunt with, everyone makes their own decisions what feels right.... there is no right or wrong way of doing it, as long as its done legally.....  

Actually....I've always wanted to play with a cross bow, but never have....But they are not legal to hunt with in Oregon in archery season.

[Michael Arnette]

I have had a couple bucks but I have drawn down on and then decided against the shot just because I didn't feel comfortable.

[Red Beastmaster]

I take a lot of razzing at work. I'm the island of enlightenment in a sea of ignorance (compound shooters).

On one such good natured encounter I said, "You can tell the difference between a traditional bowhunter and a compounder.........the traditional hunter will be walking out of the woods with a smile on his face".

To this my boss quickly said, "No, the difference is the modern bowhunter will be dragging a deer!"

It was pretty funny, even if the joke was on me. And, it's so true 99% of the time. I've been hunting with nothing but trad bows for the last 28 years. I don't eat a whole lot of deer meat, but I always have a smile on my face walking out of the woods!

[MnFn]

I have had similar comments as well when I was relating a story about elk hunting to some friends.  I had a legal bull coming into my call. I  had him about twenty yards straight towards me, then about 35 yards angling away.  I drew to about half-draw and something said bad angle/too far so I let him go without releasing an arrow.

Glad I did but hope I get a better chance one of these years- I have been trying for an elk four years now.

I like venison and various wild game but still more important to accomplish it my way. I feel that way more strongly about elk. Perhaps because I have been successful on deer already- I do gun hunt a little as well for deer with family members, but still hunt predominately with my bows.

[ChuckC]

Red, now, ya see, none of that is actually really the truth.  

The ONLY thing we give up with trad equipment is yardage.   I KNOW I can easily shoot twice as far with compound as with trad.  But I also know that I can kill a deer every single year, I can fill all my tags if that is the goal, all with Trad gear.  

The mindset may be different.  I hunt smarter to be able to get closer and pull off the kill at under ten yards range, but I do it none the less.  

I find it unappealing sitting high in a tree at the field edge, wearing high tech scent proof clothing so that I have a 75 yard shot capability in any direction.

I can pull up and shoot in nearly any direction and if a branch is in the way, I can turn my bow sidewise or even upside down and get er done.  No way can 99% of modern shooters do that.  I can often get a second shot (if needed or if available), can't say that about most modern shooters.

I hunt from the ground A LOT and do well.  Most modern (Eastern) archers don't believe it is possible to shoot a deer that way.  Of course, out west, they do it all the time.

Nope, the distance is the biggie.  Being able to hold at full draw is another plus, but I don't find that as totally important except maybe on turkeys.

I choose my way, not because it is harder, but because it is my way and I get something out of it.
ChuckC

[Cwilder]

This is the first year I hunted the rut with my recurve. I could have killed 4 nice bucks if I had my compound. But I wouldn't have changed they way the hunts played out at all hunting with my recurve. I'm looking forward to many more hints like that

[RedShaft]

I'm glad you had a great season. And it's hard to see good deer like that walk. Esp that class of animal.
I am on the opposite spectrum. And I dont frquent this place as much anymore. I am the exact opposite as I'm interested in putting game down. Why I have not hunted with traditional equipment this year. And Chose to hunt the exact opposite of traditional archery  I will be N observer when it's time for my son to hunt. My hunting opportunities are just not there to be successful in the part of pa I live with trad gear consists y enough to suit my desires.
It's all in what you like. I never would condem for not shooting. As it is enjoyable to view deer sometimes with out the feeling of need to kill. I'm more impressed with how many bucks you seen. What's this in PA? If so that's impressive.....

[redfish]

There are folks who can't get past the "score", or at least haven't yet, but that is part of the maturing process.

[Eric Krewson]

It is a "glass half empty or half full issue".

One of my horn crazy friends has one of my selfbows but seldom hunts with it because his stance is; "what is a monster buck comes in just out of selfbow range and I have to watch him walk off"? He hunts mostly with a crossgun.

My stance is; What if a good buck comes within selfbow range and I have some high tech killing machine, this rare, special moment is lost.

[ChuckC]

amen

ChuckC

[Stickbow]

Originally posted by Eric Krewson:
It is a "glass half empty or half full issue".

One of my horn crazy friends has one of my selfbows but seldom hunts with it because his stance is; "what is a monster buck comes in just out of selfbow range and I have to watch him walk off"? He hunts mostly with a crossgun.

My stance is; What if a good buck comes within selfbow range and I have some high tech killing machine, this rare, special moment is lost.

I have heard that more than a few times. I always smile and say, "Just enjoy being there"