New poll-Who Are You?

[Cookies]

I'm from a family that doesn't hunt, fish, shoot, trap or anything of that ilk. I enjoyed archery back in Scouts and at Y-camp (despite being terrible at it).
I tried making a board bow a couple years back, with moderate success and then the bug bit. I found a mid-70's Grizzly for dirty cheap in the classifieds, snagged a target and some arrows, and here I am!
A Few of my buds picked up the fanciest wheelie bows, shotguns and hunting licenses and I didn't (new kid = no money or time). So I joined up here and chat periodically, shoot when I can and live my hunting fantasies vicariously through you fine fellows.

I'm an archer who doesn't shoot, a hunter who doesn't hunt and a builder who doesn't build! I think that lands me squarely in the "Other" category.

[Captainkirk]

I'm from a family that doesn't hunt, fish, shoot, trap or anything of that ilk. I enjoyed archery back in Scouts and at Y-camp (despite being terrible at it).
I tried making a board bow a couple years back, with moderate success and then the bug bit. I found a mid-70's Grizzly for dirty cheap in the classifieds, snagged a target and some arrows, and here I am!
A Few of my buds picked up the fanciest wheelie bows, shotguns and hunting licenses and I didn't (new kid = no money or time). So I joined up here and chat periodically, shoot when I can and live my hunting fantasies vicariously through you fine fellows.

I'm an archer who doesn't shoot, a hunter who doesn't hunt and a builder who doesn't build! I think that lands me squarely in the "Other" category.

Really doesn't matter, I know people via the 'net that are strictly collectors; they don't hunt or shoot. It's all good...we all have different goals and objectives but they all involve sticks and strings.

[dhaverstick]

I had to choose "Other". I am a hunter, first and foremost. It's in every cell of my body and I cannot imagine life without doing it. I use traditional archery and muzzleloading equipment because I love the challenge and I feel it makes me a better person because I have to master myself in order to be successful. I also love the rich history that comes along with using that kind of equipment and hanging around the folks who feel the same way.

Looking at myself, I think it's interesting that I am a high-tech minded person who works in a high-tech field yet chooses primitive weapons over high-tech gadgets. I guess it comes down to preferring the challenge over the "cool factor" of the latest techno wizardry.

Darren

[Carpdaddy]

Very interesting stuff here, enjoy reading these post.

[Captainkirk]

These are some amazing stories, guys. Thanks for sharing your memories and interests.

[Jaydogk9b]

My first bow was a 40# Bear recurve. I used it until I was 15. Then i bought a compound with my lawnmowing money. I never looked back until I was in my mid 30's. I received a smoking deal on a Cari recurve. Shortly after I hooked up with Graps and got the traditional feaver. I still shoot recurve for fun, but I regretfully still hunt with training wheels. I am just scared of wounding an animal. I feel more comfortable knowing my shot is placed in a kill zone.

[Shadowhntr]

I can't believe I missed this....my history brief and personal mind set is below to give you a glimpse of myself.

I chose option one but Its second sentence doesnt quite fit my mold... but it's as close as any.

I was raised up shooting and/or hunting and at some point in time in my younger years, done so with all the common weapon types...both modern and traditional,.. handguns, rifles, shotguns, and archery were a regular occurrence from as far back as I can remember. I've hence been a hunter from very early on and my story would make most have a meltdown in this modern day. I started hunting the same year I was forced by law to pass the hunter saftey education course (a good thing) and exam. I took the course along with 4 of my older sisters and a room full of others. I passed that course and exam not long after I turned 7 years old. Many would scream that's too young but trust me I was not your average 7 yr old when it came to hunting and shooting. I'd been shooting guns pretty steady since the age of 5 and did it often and had been trailing Dad hunting since I could walk good.. I remember bawling my eyes out when I awoke the one time Daddy went hunting with his adult friends and left me in bed sleeping. By the time I was 7 I didn't miss target much. Small game was my main query, and did so with shotgun and rimfire. By age 9 I followed my Fathers footsteps and took up archery with my first bow being a longbow, and in no time was stomping around the brush piles all alone, and after rabbits in our back 40. (I'll leave the firearms history at this point, which has never left me, but was hunting on my own and alone with rifles and shotguns by age 12. We ate lots of rabbits and squirrels.)Two years later I got my first legal hunting weight recurve (35lbs) and fought the draw weight non stop until I could dominate it because I wanted to hunt deer so badly. By the age of 14 I was lethally accurate at close ranges, and at age 16 found myself with my first archery deer tag as the law would allow. Archery has never left me, but I did "expand" in my early 20's for a couple years with a wheel bow. Didn't care for it much, then right back into a recurve and stayed with recurve up until later on in my life and finally back around to longbow. I still own 2 recurve however, but then again I own or have owned and hunted with about every weapon type in existence that's legal here and yes including crossbows.
I'm a hunter period, always have been and will be until it's no longer possible. After a life long process, I've learned hunting does not equate to killing or filling tags. Its can be part of it, yes,... but if I wanted to just kill deer, I could use a bomb or set snares or any other hundred methods.... if I dont fill my tags at the end of the season with a rifle it doesnt mean I cant...it means I dont choose to. I've killed heaps of game in my life with rifles including deer. Been there, done that, and it's not the hunt that trad archery is I dont care how you slice it. Nothing wrong with anyone choosing other methods for deer, but it's wrong for me. I dont need the kill so bad as to leave my true desires. I dont want "bragging rights", and numbers killed mean zero to me and that goes for mine or anybody elses.. and anytime I see a person where numbers seem to matter, I know their growth stage in hunting is twisted, stunted, or simply have not grown past that point yet. I know this because I've been there, and seen it as well, and its damaging if its allowed to continue in ones life. Filling tags does not make a person a better or more dedicated hunter, the same as NOT filling tags doesnt always mean lack of abilities or luck. I will never starve for meat if I carry out tags to the trash bin. But I WILL live with regrets if I'm not true to myself in my ambitions. Again...I know from experiencing the regret. When in my mind, a hunt gets as simple as easing out into nature, seeing the animal a distance away, dropping the hammer on it, then the work begins....It ceases to satisfy my inner needs as a hunter. If I'm needing meat fine I've done that a lot in the past...but that's all it is to me at that point, meat collection. On the other hand I've ate so much deer meat in my life its lost its luster. It's good meat sure, just like all the rest of good meat on this Earth, but beef in my book is better. I personally enjoy fish more then any other meat. But the point is I'm not starving if I dont shoot deer. I NEED to hunt....but I dont NEED to kill...and if I do not kill meat, it's largely by choice, not lack of hunting drive or any ability...and all the while eating like a King anyway. That's why I choose the trad bow for my deer hunts and many of my other hunts. I dont use trad bows on dove....and I only take it part time even for Turkey because of the high cost of a broken down back lugging a blind everywhere I go. But if I can use trad without involving certain stipulations and impairments, I would choose it every single time, whether I filled my tags or not. I eat and enjoy my deer kills, but I do not enjoy the meat so much as to get it on my table by any means. If that were the case, I'd never pick up a bow again because a rifle is much more effective.

[Shadowhntr]

My first bow was a 40# Bear recurve. I used it until I was 15. Then i bought a compound with my lawnmowing money. I never looked back until I was in my mid 30's. I received a smoking deal on a Cari recurve. Shortly after I hooked up with Graps and got the traditional feaver. I still shoot recurve for fun, but I regretfully still hunt with training wheels. I am just scared of wounding an animal. I feel more comfortable knowing my shot is placed in a kill zone.

Jason, I would never ask you to do something you're not ready for. But in your growth as a hunter, I ask you to consider a few things about hunting with trad gear and your statement above.

First, have you ever considered what the folks of yesteryear did for archery deer hunting, back before the invention of the compound? Obviously they knew nothing else but longbow or recurve. There were beginners then too. They shot, and practiced on targets until they had good control at close range. Then they went hunting. There was nothing higher or harder or archaic about it, they just simply grabbed the stick and went after the game with no other preconceived ideas.

Do you realize there are still people this day and age that have very successful deer hunting lifes and all they have ever known are trad bows? There were never any so called "training wheels" involved, proving there is no need to involve the compound bow in order to "graduate" to a trad bow. In my humble opinion, if we want ourselves or our children to use trad bows, teach them with trad bows from the beginning. Otherwise it hinders them either by their eventual flat out preferring the compound, or making them to somehow feel inferior with the trad bow in their hands, lacking much needed confidence.

Secondly, if the highest percentages are your only concern, why shoot a compound bow or any bow for that matter? Isn't the rifle a more efficient weapon with much less risk then a compound bow? There are risk of miss hits with every weapon you choose. There is nothing inferior about a trad bow or how you shoot it, provided you understand it's a short range weapon.

You use an aiming method to hit the mark, just like you do with a compound.

If you do not put into real world experience what you've practiced at the target range, you will miss with both bow types.

If you do not exercise form at the shot no matter how much adrenaline flows...you will miss with both bow types.

When You hit the mark both bows put the arrows through the animals lungs and kills it just exactly the same.

The only limiting factor you in reality face in the Trad VS. Compound issue, is your effective range.

Thousands of animals are killed cleanly every year by both bow types.

What one man can do, another can do.

Hope this helps you over that hump your facing. My boys at age 24 and 16 had never deer hunted with a compound bow. Both killed deer effectively with their longbows.

[Jaydogk9b]

It's kind of funny how you put this, because when I shoot my recurve I just throw the target out. I never set a distance. I also always hit the target, even though it may not be dead center. I have trouble pulling my bows back theese days. My shoulder absolutely hurts every time now. I'm considering looking for a 40# long bow.

[Carpdaddy]

Then I will welcome you to the 40lb club, I’m already in!