North versus South

[Julian]

It seems to me that there is a greater following ( and more respect ) of the trad bow the farther north you go. Does anyone else find this to be true? Here where I hunt the trad bow is considered a toy and gets no respect at all. Most people write me and my bow off when the see me heading to the woods like I'm some sorta nut but job who hasn't got a prayer at actually taking any big game.

[ChuckC]

When you drag out that deer, they will shake their heads.  When you do it again, they may start asking questions.  

I know, when I get to the top of the mountain ( Colorado) and see someone with their heavy compound ( yes, they ARE getting much lighter now), they always comment about how light that longbow looks.
ChuckC

[NBK]

Maybe. Up here in a town of 3500 where virtually every guy hunts there are only about a half dozen of us who shoot trad. I'm more amazed at the abundance of southern accents on the hunting TV shows!

[Pointer]

I don't know...On the state land I've hunted for the past decade I've never run into a trad guy..not even once. Other than my friends from the range and my family they all shoot compounds or crossbows

[nineworlds9]

Never gotten a disparaging remark down here, only curiosity.  They usually ask what poundage my bow is and when they hear it's around 50 and that I don't use sights they're bemused and intrigued, many admit they wouldn't have the patience to practice that much, LOL.

[Julian]

Guess I am just an easy target lol!! Some body is always asking if I can actually kill a deer with that "thing" I guess they think I'm just out in the woods wounding animals left and right. No matter though I truly enjoy the Trad experience just wish other hunters had as much respect for my style as I do theirs. They don't know what they are missing!!

[Arctic Hunter]

Leaning my recurve up against my truck is always a conversation starter. Especially after the smoke poles get to the woods.

Trad bowhunting isn't that big around here. Most people just don't have the patience I guess. I think there is one other guy that shoots a recurve at the range I go to. And it's a target bow.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I think  its about the same wherever you go as far as people shooting trad.  I think people's attitudes are more localized based on the influences in that specific.

Usually I do not get the naysayers, just the people who are curious asking questions and those who keep to themselves.  If anything I have seen more disrespect to the compound hunter from trad guys than I have ever seen the other way around.

I dont care what other people think and say in regard to my equipment. I always try to be respectful and polite  to everyone I meet in the woods and 3D shoots, regardless of their attitude.  We are the spokespeople of Bowhunting regardless of weapon choice.

[Sam McMichael]

I have received a lot of comments, but I have also gotten a lot of questions. There are a lot of bow hunters here in the South, and the great majority are wheelie bow shooters. So I expect more negatives than positives. Most of the Northern bowhunters I have met have been at all traditional events, so I am not in a good position to evaluate this. Even in the midst of questions and sneers, back in the time when I went to mixed shoots, the young guys in particular would practically snatch my longbow out of my hands and run for the practice range. Several of them wound up getting trad bows of their own. I like the comments and sneers, as they often offer a chance to broaden some other archer's horizons.

[Pat B]

You ought to try it with a selfbow. Even the trad guys think I'm nuts.
 When I started hunting I shot a muzzleloader and all I heard was "go get a real gun!" When I started with a bow it was a recurve and all I heard was "go get a real bow" and now that I shoot a selfbow I hear "at least go get your glass bow".
 Actually, I don't give a crap what anyone says. I shoot what I want, when I want if "they" don't like it...tough nuggies.

[bigiron]

fellow ask me once "where do you get one of them new fangled things",i said at the "old archery stores". he seemed satisfied as I ran across him as I walked out of the deer woods carrying my longbow with quiver attached.

[Whitetail Addict]

Originally posted by nineworlds9:
Never gotten a disparaging remark down here, only curiosity.  They usually ask what poundage my bow is and when they hear it's around 50 and that I don't use sights they're bemused and intrigued, many admit they wouldn't have the patience to practice that much, LOL.

I think if more people took the time to try shooting traditional bows, they'd find that all that practice is actually a heck of a lot of fun.

I switched to a compound for a couple years in the mid eighties, and I found amoung other things, that I didn't enjoy my practice as much. I love to shoot my longbow. Not to mention the satisfaction I get from hunting with it.

It's been a long time since I've run into another trad hunter around here. Some of the folks I've met in the woods seem interested, but most don't seem to take it seriously at the same time. I've invited a couple people to my house to try out a trad bow, but nobody's taken me up on it.

My favorites are the reactions I get from other hunters during our gun season for deer.  :D  

Bob

[MnFn]

I often get the "you should try a modern compound bow, it's more efficient and accurate and once you try it you will never go back"  line.  I usually respond with "I tried it but it wasn't as much fun".

The only other trad guys I have seen when I am hunting is when I was elk hunting in CO.  I know there are a few around but I havnt met them.

[Mr. fingers]

We went fishing today. My wife went into the store,to buy bait and she was wearing her Hoyt hat another lady asked her if she shot a Hoyt my wife replied yes I do. The lady replied that she shoots an Elite. My wife then said yeah I don't shoot my Hoyt very much anymore my husband switched gears on me and went totally traditionally. The lady replied Oh!!! That's a totally different ball game! So I feel there was some respect for us trad guys in in that.

[Michael Arnette]

It's small town bull%#€ a bunch of rednecks who like to kill things. I wouldn't worry about it but if you try to make friends you'll probably meet a few who have the same mind wether they shoot trad or not.

[Charlie3]

Julian, you should plan on attending one of the traditional shoots at Tannehill Ironworks next spring. They are well attended and almost everyone there is from the southeastern part of the country.

Places like Alabama and Mississippi have such long modern firearms hunting seasons, which makes using a bow to extend your season less "necessary". Still, many folks still do it for fun. Of course many traditional bowhunters no longer gun hunt. I only deer hunt with a recurve now, just run beagles and shotgun bunnies and use a rifle on coyotes.

I think your experience is similar to elsewhere in the country. Trad bowhunters are the minority for sure.

[joe ashton]

here in Colo the compound boys out number us, I'd say, 8:1.  But all I hear from them is stuff like 'beautiful bow', "wish I could hit anything with a longbow" etc. Believe me you  are having more fun with your tradbow.

[Cory Mattson]

Interesting thought. I do think there are so many more bowhunters up north and the midwest bowhunting may get more respect generally. My experience here in the south has been favorable - 20 years ago GA was a core area for traditionals - Alabama has had a strong following since the days of Jerry Simmons - this along when the northeast - midwest - and Montana were also core areas of traditional bowhunting with visible followings. Speaking now of other hunters and people in general. Non hunters 100% respect traditional tackle and seem drawn to the beauty of our tools. Game agencies in the south and west seem to have become increasingly hostile to bowhunting over the last 20 years. On that front 'respect' has fallen a great deal.  
Cory<><
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[Doc Nock]

I haven't seen the stats any time lately, but it wasn't too long ago that Trad was only like 3-4% of the total archery market, right???

I could be a bit low on that...maybe it was 11%, but at this age, memory isn't that grand...  

Still, that is a tiny market segment. Sure, it's growing and more and more folks seem to be switching up, but when it comes to field contacts, the odds are still we'll be in the gross minority.

I've had landowners tell me that they won't let us hunt as bow hunters wound too many...when I'd take time to point out I shoot simple old style sticks, at under 20 yards, they ramp up their refusal.

I asked one lady if she was so certain that those old type bows were inaccurate, would she'd let me shoot at a few of her chickens since she was so sure I'd miss!

Since she already unequivocally denied me hunting permission, I thought I could at least show some confidence...

I just smiled, thanked her and headed to my car when she refused my challenge with the same enthusiasm   :rolleyes:    

[Biathlonman]

My experience has been quite the opposite.  Folks have treated me with more respect then when I carried a wheel bow and compliment me on my equipment choice.