Attrition rate of newby traditional archers

[Jbogg]

I will be 60 this year, and just re entered the Trad waters last fall. I tried it for the first time around five years ago, but after a month or two I quickly became discouraged due to lack of consistency. I did not know any other Trad shooters at that time, and did not realize I was heavily over bowed while starting out. I sold the bow, and did not think about it again until this past fall.

This time around I benefited from my earlier experience. I Purchased a Fleetwood Knight takedown recurve, and started with a set a 30 pound limbs. After shooting daily for around six weeks, I swapped them out for some 40 pound limbs. I also started shooting three under with a fixed crawl. Being able to site down the arrow shaft improved my accuracy and consistency overnight. I firmly believe there is a big benefit to using an aiming method, especially for new shooters. Instinctive is a wonderful way to shoot, but it can take years for someone to become proficient enough to hunt in that style. I’m certain there are a lot of guys just like myself that grow frustrated trying to shoot in that style and eventually discard Trad altogether.

To the OP’s original point, I recently went to my first traditional archery club 3-D shoot. There was a great turn out with almost 100 participants. At almost 60 years of age, I was honestly one of the young bucks. Could not believe the number of guys in their 60s, 70s and 80s that were still shooting. While I think it’s awesome that this is a hobby that I hope to be able to enjoy into my later years, the lack of young people at the shoot was very telling and concerning for the sport of Trad.

 

[sodaksooner]

I first started with a recurve when i was not even 10 years old. Practice and more practice and realized I just wasn't very good at it. I still shoot some with it and have even taken deer with it, but I realize I struggle with no sights and am just better with a compound. Still like shooting the recurve, but not going to hunt with it unless the hunt requires it (we have a special hunt in OK that is trad gear only) Even at that I limit shots to 15 yards or less.

 

[thejones]

Like life, hunting is full of seasons. People bow hunt for many reasons, longer season, increased challenge or possibly more hospitable weather. And like seasons people will pick-up and use different tools based on where they are in life. Speaking for myself, I will never fully "quit" the trad bow. Time constraints of family or work may preclude me from being able to practice enough to be as proficient with the trad bow. This will trigger a self imposed "tool" selection for me to ethically hunt game.
In the end we are hunters and I think most of us will use various "tools" to fill our tags throughout our life, or at least take them on long walks in the woods.

 

[tater]

There are so many personal factors to be considered when committing to hunting with a recurve or longbow.
Game density/opportunity-what are the total opportunities to release an arrow per season on your target species? If you are hunting for that one shot per year, that increases the pressure and may decrease the "fun". Does the terrain help or hinder hunting with that tool?

Time commitment to practice AND hunting-the maintenance of skills is s BIG time commitment compared to other hunting methods. Yes, quality of practice beats quantity of practice, but it still takes time. And as above, you may be spending more time to get "that one" shot.

Definition of success-Are you trying to create "content"? Does age class/antler-horn size matter? Does your spouse expect a return on your time investment for the family (meat in the freezer)?

Are you prepared to let slam dunk shots with any other weapon pass because of your chosen weapon that day and truly feel content with it?

Do you enjoy ALL aspects of the lifestyle-Do you enjoy tuning? Do you look down at your bow in the backcountry and marvel at how cool it is and how lucky you are to be out there with it? Does seeing a spinning ball of fletching as it arcs to an animal stir your heart?

Simply put, are you more into the journey or the destination?

Either way its truly a personal decision and definitely not for everyone at all stages of their lives as hunters.

 

[dreamingbig]

If I was retired, not married and didn’t have kids I might use a recurve to hunt with.

I watched my dad hunt traditional growing up. I decided I liked venison too much to go that route with the limited time I have to hunt.


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[sacklunch]

I went all in on a trad setup...got bored shooting my compound, and the recurve was perfect for shooting in the basement all winter. Got some lessons from a great coach. Had a blast tinkering with it, and learning something new was part of the draw for me. But once summer rolled around, I just couldn't have fun at the range at 20 yards, not my cup o tea. Picked up a new compound and didn't look back. I think it made me a more fundamentally sound compound shooter though.

If I killed big bulls every year with a compound, it may be an easier choice to stick with a recurve, but honestly, I need all the help I can get and I wasn't willing to pass an opportunity for a 30-40 yard shot on an animal just to carry a recurve.

 

[bobinmi]

Very few, its hard and requires dedication to your craft.

 

[Aklongbow]

I think the percentage is very low , there has to be a certain thing inside of a person for it to become a obsession. 9 years ago I put the compound down when I decided to make my first selfbow .
I had grew bored with compound and it was no longer fun for me . Once I put a longbow in my hand, I've never had the urge to go back to compound. I do shoot laminated bows and primarily hunt with them .
Personally I will go back to rifles once I can no longer shoot trad.
I love guns , I reload /cast bullets and shoot a lot ....... but I'm having troubles hunting with a rifle even though I need to put some meat in the freezer .
I do duck hunt with a shotgun but other than that it doesn't feel right if I go hunting with anything other than a longbow in my hand .
I have been thinking really hard about duck hunting with trad gear ...... but I have enough trouble hitting them ducks with a shotgun, and my dog already gives me dirty looks !!!! My guess is that he would trade me off if it got any worse!!! lol

 

[Newtosavage]

I was just curious. Out of all the guys that try out traditional archery how many do you think stick with it long term vs how many give it up fairly quick and go back to a wheel bow? I barely even know any guys that tried it out in the first place. There's not much interest in it around here.

Traditional archery is a lifestyle. Otherwise, it's a curiosity that gets dropped pretty quickly.

Basically it comes down to what's more important to a person. What they kill or how they kill it.

I dumped the clunky compound back in '88 and have never looked back. Not once have I ever been in the woods with my traditional bows and thought man, I really wish I had a compound right now. If killing something is that important to me (and sometimes it is) then I take a rifle. I just don't get the point of compounds to be honest.

 

[Stickmark]

I have seen two trad hunters in about 12 years hunting in AZ. One being guided.

I agree with all about the reasons people quit trad.

(In Arizona, bucks only. That detail regarding harvests confirms my orientation towards process. I make my gear, homemade primitive bows, mulefat shafts, and some doug fir. My friends have zero interest in that avenue; heck, one pulled back a 45# and said his shoulder hurt days later.)

 

[CamoPirate]

I enjoy shooting both equally as much; the biggest caveat with traditional vs compound is that you have to be able to practice almost daily to maintain any semblance of proficiency; add to that your lethal range goes down and your chance of wounding goes up, you're taking your already pretty low odds and making them lower still.

 

[Newtosavage]

I enjoy shooting both equally as much; the biggest caveat with traditional vs compound is that you have to be able to practice almost daily to maintain any semblance of proficiency; add to that your lethal range goes down and your chance of wounding goes up, you're taking your already pretty low odds and making them lower still.

Effective range goes down but chance of wounding remains the same or even goes down, by definition. Otherwise the effective range of a compound would be endless. Some would even argue the chance of wounding goes up with a compound. I know for me personally, that was the case. People will take shots with a compound they would never take with a traditional bow at distances that make it much more likely for something to go wrong.

 

[oldgoat]

I enjoy shooting both equally as much; the biggest caveat with traditional vs compound is that you have to be able to practice almost daily to maintain any semblance of proficiency; add to that your lethal range goes down and your chance of wounding goes up, you're taking your already pretty low odds and making them lower still.

If you take the time and effort to develop proper form, you don't have to practice every day! If you're a short drawing snap shooter, then yeah, you better be out there every day and get close to the target!

 

[North Idaho Stickbow]

Traditional archery is a lifestyle. Otherwise, it's a curiosity that gets dropped pretty quickly.

Basically it comes down to what's more important to a person. What they kill or how they kill it.

I dumped the clunky compound back in '88 and have never looked back. Not once have I ever been in the woods with my traditional bows and thought man, I really wish I had a compound right now. If killing something is that important to me (and sometimes it is) then I take a rifle. I just don't get the point of compounds to be honest.

I love this, it mirrors my thoughts . I couldn’t have said it better.

 

[Beendare]

I hunt 90% with a recurve.
I have been picking up my compound every so often- dont shoot me- …typically on hunts like the AZ desert where stalking in wide open country makes it almost impossible to get 25yds from a bedded buck. Snow, wind blowing…I like low odds with the compound vs zero odds with my recurve.

I killed a good P&Y coues with my recurve in Az…but I ambushed him from a blind

 

[Coveyleader]

I hunted with a longbow for 10-12 years and did well, but had some losses that hurt. Believe me when I say very, and I mean very few people can consistly kill animals cleanly consistlenly with recurves and longbows.

The range was never an issue with me, I still keep it a 20 yd game. I can say this, I've hunted with some big 90's early 2000 big named hunters, and trust me, long tracking jobs, lost animals was pretty common and some of those guys are legends in the trad community.

 

[Trackerbacker]

I learned allot but the overall inconsistency of my performance made me feel like I should not be hunting with it. I might go back to it someday.

this statement you made needs to be highlighted. that takes introspection on your end.

not as anything negative, or attacking, or judgmentally.

we could use more of this messaging. can vs should. setting your ego aside for ethics and morality. i hope that pushes you to become much more proficient, competent and qualified in trad arch. the fact you recognized those ideals, lends credence that you could build that proficiency if desired.

good on you.

 

[Beendare]

Just because they were high profile, doen’t mean they can shoot.

I know a trad guy that writes for a couple big publications…he was asked to leave Africa for wounding game. I shot with him once, lets just say he has no business shooting a longbow.

On the contrary, go shoot one of the Trad National shoots- there are a lot of very good shots there.

 

[Coveyleader]

I was just stating one of the reasons why people fall off hunting with traditional archery.

If they’re truly hunters, and not just target archers what you find is many have years of excellent hunting experience with a compound. For whatever reason, they switch from wheels to a recurve or longbow, they get hooked on the simplicity, and kill a few things, life is grand. Then comes a couple losses in a row for no apparent reason as they’re good hunters, get close to game, but some how the arrow missed by an in or two. They go back to basics, shoot well against people on the range but that doesn’t erase the history of the previous fall. Those once dedicated traditionalist fall back to what they know. Seen it a hundred times, and have the tshirt.

 

[CamoPirate]

If you take the time and effort to develop proper form, you don't have to practice every day! If you're a short drawing snap shooter, then yeah, you better be out there every day and get close to the target!

Hmm maybe it comes with time, I feel like shooting traditional helps my compound shooting and vice versa, but also feels like my form is somewhat different when I pick up the recurve. I already lost so much strength in my recurve T I'm going to have to go buy 15lb limbs again to get the muscle memory.