Any traditional bow hunters in the group?

[Jordan Selsor]

Looking to order my 3 young boys some legit shootable, tunable traditional bows. Buddy of mine referred me to a custom bow maker called Black Rhino bows. After checking out their web page I am considering ordering a few boys for my boys. Might even order myself one too:) They have a pretty cool trade in program for youth bows. When a kid out grows them and is ready to upsize they pay back 75% of original purchase price toward next bow. Not sure my boys will want to let go of their first bow but a cool option none the less.
I would like to hunt with one some but not sure I can commit to hunting traditional exclusively. The speed and efficiency of a compound is a nice tool to have when chasing mature bucks! An acquaintance does something pretty cool. He has an annual traditional weekend with his boys and nephews, brothers ect.. They set aside one weekend a yr where they hunt with stick bows. Its a back to the basics "if its brown its down" weekend. They even have hawk and spear throwing competitions with prices and bragging rights. Thought that was pretty awesome and hope to do something similar with my family once kids are old enough.
Posted a link to the bow maker below if anyone is curious. If anyone recommends any other bow makers please let me know

http://www.bows.net/index.html

 

[Bill]

I think Tap is one of those crazy traditionalists

 

[Tap]

I think Tap is one of those crazy traditionalists

You bettcha! When I can no longer shoot my trad bow effectively, I will hang up bow hunting and meat hunt with the rifle.

 

[roymunson]

Good for you. I have not become tired of killing deer nor proficient enough for my liking with a compound to go to traditional gear.

 

[Tap]

Good for you. I have not become tired of killing deer nor proficient enough for my liking with a compound to go to traditional gear.

Thanks. For me, it's not about the kill, it's all about how I go about the kill.

 

[roymunson]

Thanks. For me, it's not about the kill, it's all about how I go about the kill.

I can totally see that. And I think there's a maturation and progression in the life of a hunter. I'm no longer interested in killing as many deer as I can, I want to kill the right deer.

Once I kill a bunch of the right deer, i'm sure I'll look for the next level. Wasn't knocking you, I was making a point as to how tough it is to be proficient with a trad bow. And right now, I don't have the skills nor the patience required for it.

 

[Catscratch]

Thanks. For me, it's not about the kill, it's all about how I go about the kill.

Funny, I say the exact same thing and have it mean something completely different. I really do care about how I go about the kill. It's been forever since I've shot at an animal that was more than 15yds away. What I pull the trigger with doesn't concern me much (compound or crossbow are about the same to me) as long as I got close them. With that said I truly want to shoot one with my longbow. Was going to practice all summer and make it happen this yr. I didn't do it :( If I killed one with my longbow it would be a big deal! Maybe next yr.

 

[KDdid]

Looking to order my 3 young boys some legit shootable, tunable traditional bows. Buddy of mine referred me to a custom bow maker called Black Rhino bows. After checking out their web page I am considering ordering a few boys for my boys. Might even order myself one too:) They have a pretty cool trade in program for youth bows. When a kid out grows them and is ready to upsize they pay back 75% of original purchase price toward next bow. Not sure my boys will want to let go of their first bow but a cool option none the less.
I would like to hunt with one some but not sure I can commit to hunting traditional exclusively. The speed and efficiency of a compound is a nice tool to have when chasing mature bucks! An acquaintance does something pretty cool. He has an annual traditional weekend with his boys and nephews, brothers ect.. They set aside one weekend a yr where they hunt with stick bows. Its a back to the basics "if its brown its down" weekend. They even have hawk and spear throwing competitions with prices and bragging rights. Thought that was pretty awesome and hope to do something similar with my family once kids are old enough.
Posted a link to the bow maker below if anyone is curious. If anyone recommends any other bow makers please let me know

http://www.bows.net/index.html

Check out Tracey and David at St. Joe River Bows- the make some great youth bows, and offer a trade in program as your kids grow!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Tap]

I can totally see that. And I think there's a maturation and progression in the life of a hunter. I'm no longer interested in killing as many deer as I can, I want to kill the right deer.

Once I kill a bunch of the right deer, i'm sure I'll look for the next level. Wasn't knocking you, I was making a point as to how tough it is to be proficient with a trad bow. And right now, I don't have the skills nor the patience required for it.

I didn't think you were knocking me at all. I wasn't getting upitty.
But I will say this... pretty much any compound shooter that can keep their mental crap together at the moment of truth can shoot trad. It's just a matter of accepting the fact that your effective range will be shorter. In the case of some guys, especially in the beginning of trad hunting, your effective range may be much shorter.

I believe the real challenge in bowhunting is to not fall apart in the presence of critters. If you can stay (somewhat) calm and cool at the moment of truth, then you can shoot deer effectively with trad equipment, it's just going to have to be an extra close range affair.
The same can be said for some of the most gifted, high-tech shooters. They can drill tacks out to 50 yards all day long, but they fall apart in the presence of game and can't hit the broad side of a moose at ultra close range. Heck, there are guys that fall apart and miss close range deer with rifles in hand. So much of being successful is mental.

I'm not calling anyone out, but someone saying they really want to hunt with trad but they don't because they can't effectively hunt with trad is a bit of a rationalization. If you accept whatever effective distance you can shoot, and also accept that you won't get to kill some deer that you may have killed with high tech equipment...that's just the nature of bowhunting. My brother always said he could never be a bowhunter. If he saw a legal buck, he wanted to tag it. The only method he wanted to use was the one that assured not eating tag soup. Just the thought of having a buck at 50 yards walk because he didn't have a rifle was just too much of a challenge for him. To him, it wasn't about the "how", it was all about the end result.

I had a slammer buck broadside at 30 yards last season. He was teetering on 170". Most of you guys would have that buck hanging on your wall right now but he was out of my ethical range. I didn't shoot and I accepted that without any regrets about my equipment choices. For me, a doe with my recurve is more of a trophy than a 125" buck with a rifle. I just feel more satisfaction with close range kills with minimal equipment.
There's a part of me that actually likes when the deer wins. The more they win, the more rewarding it is when I win.

 

[roymunson]

I didn't think you were knocking me at all. I wasn't getting upitty.
But I will say this... pretty much any compound shooter that can keep their mental crap together at the moment of truth can shoot trad. It's just a matter of accepting the fact that your effective range will be shorter. In the case of some guys, especially in the beginning of trad hunting, your effective range may be much shorter.

I believe the real challenge in bowhunting is to not fall apart in the presence of critters. If you can stay (somewhat) calm and cool at the moment of truth, then you can shoot deer effectively with trad equipment, it's just going to have to be an extra close range affair.
The same can be said for some of the most gifted, high-tech shooters. They can drill tacks out to 50 yards all day long, but they fall apart in the presence of game and can't hit the broad side of a moose at ultra close range. Heck, there are guys that fall apart and miss close range deer with rifles in hand. So much of being successful is mental.

I'm not calling anyone out, but someone saying they really want to hunt with trad but they don't because they can't effectively hunt with trad is a bit of a rationalization. If you accept whatever effective distance you can shoot, and also accept that you won't get to kill some deer that you may have killed with high tech equipment...that's just the nature of bowhunting. My brother always said he could never be a bowhunter. If he saw a legal buck, he wanted to tag it. The only method he wanted to use was the one that assured not eating tag soup. Just the thought of having a buck at 50 yards walk because he didn't have a rifle was just too much of a challenge for him. To him, it wasn't about the "how", it was all about the end result.

I had a slammer buck broadside at 30 yards last season. He was teetering on 170". Most of you guys would have that buck hanging on your wall right now but he was out of my ethical range. I didn't shoot and I accepted that without any regrets about my equipment choices. For me, a doe with my recurve is more of a trophy than a 125" buck with a rifle. I just feel more satisfaction with close range kills with minimal equipment.
There's a part of me that actually likes when the deer wins. The more they win, the more rewarding it is when I win.

I don't disagree with anything you just said. A deer with a bow is a lot of fun. A deer with a longbow or recurve is a whole other level. I am probably a hybrid of you and your brother. It'd kill be to have to let a giant walk at 30 yards. but the thrill of drilling on at 18 yards trump anything I've ever done with a bow.

 

[ACCMan]

I used to shoot Trad but my shoulders are so bad I have basically given it up. Trad bows are beautiful works of art. I still have a Jeffrey Longbow and a Brackenbury recurve made for me by the late Jim Brackenbury. I also have a couple of recurves I made from scratch and took deer with. This thread just may make me give it a try again.

 

[H20fwler]

I used to shoot a BEAR Kodiak recurve years ago more target than hunting, I think I shot one doe with it.
I love absolutely everything about my compound and how it shoots, almost all my deer hunting shots are fifteen yards or less...would like to get another recurve one day for target shooting though.