Committing

[Cedarsavage]

Anybody else have trouble committing to trad? I always practice before season, get confident and in the end hunt with wheels. I think my biggest fear is wounding an animal. I'm just so much more confident with a compound. With my longbow, I'd draw a line at 17. Im consistent there, but I have a hard time sticking to the stick. I really wanna kill with the stick but if it doesn't make it in the woods you can't kill anything.

 

[Geewhiz]

Dude. I have been there and let me encourage you. Its worth it. Give yourself one last season with the compound and hit it hard and finish strong. Pick up the trad gear the day after season ends and hang up your compound. Get it in your mind that its not even an option.

I was in your shoes summer of 19 and I did just that. Hit it hard one last season with the compound and then jumped in head first. When I first started shooting the trad setup it was pretty discouraging. Only could hit a 4x4 foot target about 50% of the time from 10 yards. Yeah, that bad. I spent the time and money to get some quality coaching so as to not form bad habits right out of the gates. I shot every single day, many days twice a day up until season. I could feel myself building strength and my shooting was improving. By the time season rolled around I was as confident as can be. I spent a heck of a lot of time shooting that setup and that's what it took.

Build confidence. Shoot every single time you get a chance. If your not confident in your setup it will never happen. If the training wheels aren't an option you will have to commit. Realize your limitations and make the most of it. There are many benefits to trad hunting as well.

I killed a 6 point bull 5 days into the season here in montana with my super kodiak. Talk about rewarding. I cant even explain it unless you've been there yourself.

Do it man. Commit, and you won't regret it.

It took me three years of consideration before I jumped in, wish I would have done it sooner.

 

[Cedarsavage]

I like that it makes a lot of sense. I think part of my problem is using old arrows. I think if I had started with perfectly matched arrows and tuned I’d feel a whole lot more confident.

Dude. I have been there and let me encourage you. Its worth it. Give yourself one last season with the compound and hit it hard and finish strong. Pick up the trad gear the day after season ends and hang up your compound. Get it in your mind that its not even an option.

I was in your shoes summer of 19 and I did just that. Hit it hard one last season with the compound and then jumped in head first. When I first started shooting the trad setup it was pretty discouraging. Only could hit a 4x4 foot target about 50% of the time from 10 yards. Yeah, that bad. I spent the time and money to get some quality coaching so as to not form bad habits right out of the gates. I shot every single day, many days twice a day up until season. I could feel myself building strength and my shooting was improving. By the time season rolled around I was as confident as can be. I spent a heck of a lot of time shooting that setup and that's what it took.

Build confidence. Shoot every single time you get a chance. If your not confident in your setup it will never happen. If the training wheels aren't an option you will have to commit. Realize your limitations and make the most of it. There are many benefits to trad hunting as well.

I killed a 6 point bull 5 days into the season here in montana with my super kodiak. Talk about rewarding. I cant even explain it unless you've been there yourself.

Do it man. Commit, and you won't regret it.

It took me three years of consideration before I jumped in, wish I would have done it sooner.

 

[Geewhiz]

I'm still working on the tuning side of things. I'm relatively close I think, but not quite spined right. Problem I have is I don't know anyone in my area that knows squat about trad archery so it has been a challenge to figure it out myself. But that just makes it all the more rewarding.

As simple as it is, there sure is a lot to it.

My best advice is, just get it in your head that your gonna do it, and do it. Jump in head first and shoot like crazy. It takes a crazy amount of time (at least for me) to get proficient and even somewhat accurate. But once you start to see progress, things just get better from there.

 

[Wrench]

One of the best things about doing it now is the amount of quality information and coaching available online. When I started the process was to read instinctive shooting and go shoot. Today you can see guys who coach top shooters and Olympic medalists feeding you information.

The single hardest part of this is making time. It's something that needs time.

 

[TaterTot]

Sell your compound then you won't have a choice

 

[Pflum]

You have to really love shooting the bow, then hunting with it just comes naturally. I've dabbled in trad bows a long time, for whatever reason really got serious about a year and a half ago. Last season I only hunted with my longbow, I also missed two deer and ended the season with no kills. I never said I wouldn't use my compound, it just never even crossed my mind. I sold it this summer.

I guess it's probably different for everyone, but I never put any pressure on myself to shoot or hunt. This is recreation, I do it because I enjoy it. I shoot just about every day. Now this week has been weird with work and family, haven't shot since Sunday. No big deal.
I do agree that you have to put in more time with the stick to be proficient, but don't make it a chore.

 

[Boxerboxer]

Sell your compound then you won't have a choice

This is what I did. No idea whether I'd have trouble committing because I never gave myself the option.

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[Kentucky]

Sell your compound then you won't have a choice

Same here, sold mine 5 years ago, I bet I’ve owned 20 bows since then, slippery slope.

 

[Nomadx2]

Not sure how long you have hunted, but when you have hunted long enough, you begin to look at it from a most effective kill approach.

I have killed many. many deer with a compound bow, have also wounded a few. For me, i have learned to pass on poor opportunity shots regardless of the trophy as I no longer want a wounded animal.

If you are unsure, there is a mental reason. make sure you practice from every conceivable release point you will be in. Make sure you bow & arrow are ready for killing an animal, not just target practice. Practice with different "hard" targets at different angles and then measure what you penetration is at different angles.

A trad is very different and you need to find out where your weak spots are and wear you feel comfortable. You'll know when you are ready, just be patient.

A good book to read for approaching traditional bow hunting ...

Zen In The Art Of Archery

 

[Cedarsavage]

Thanks for the input. I think my problem was making it too hard. I was using my off center selfbow. Kifarucast recent trad episode Had some good info. They said make the transition easy. My plan finish the season with my wheels. Then go to my recurve. I shoot that way better than I have any other trad bow. Paper tune, new arrows, bare shaft, whole 9 yards. When I go out west I’ll take my wheels but at home next season I’m committing to the stick. I might take a trip down to farmland where I can get on high numbers of does n feel no urgency to shoot unless everything is perfect.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

Thanks for the input. I think my problem was making it too hard. I was using my off center selfbow. Kifarucast recent trad episode Had some good info. They said make the transition easy. My plan finish the season with my wheels. Then go to my recurve. I shoot that way better than I have any other trad bow. Paper tune, new arrows, bare shaft, whole 9 yards. When I go out west I’ll take my wheels but at home next season I’m committing to the stick. I might take a trip down to farmland where I can get on high numbers of does n feel no urgency to shoot unless everything is perfect.

Definitely easier if you sell your compound, but also always hunt with what makes you confident. Or be willing to pass on 15 yard shots .

That's what I did early on. I knew I needed the animals damn close, and so I just hunted hard till I got them that close. You will learn a ton by trying to get a 10 yard shot, even if you're competent at 20.

 

[Cedarsavage]

Definitely easier if you sell your compound, but also always hunt with what makes you confident. Or be willing to pass on 15 yard shots .

That's what I did early on. I knew I needed the animals damn close, and so I just hunted hard till I got them that close. You will learn a ton by trying to get a 10 yard shot, even if you're competent at 20.

I see what you mean. I feel like I shoot better if I shoot trad a bit and comp

Definitely easier if you sell your compound, but also always hunt with what makes you confident. Or be willing to pass on 15 yard shots .

That's what I did early on. I knew I needed the animals damn close, and so I just hunted hard till I got them that close. You will learn a ton by trying to get a 10 yard shot, even if you're competent at 20.

I realize I'm committing partially lol. I feel like I execute back tension better when I shoot my compound from time to time. Do you know of any good resources for learning to shoot back tension with fingers?

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I see what you mean. I feel like I shoot better if I shoot trad a bit and comp

I realize I'm committing partially lol. I feel like I execute back tension better when I shoot my compound from time to time. Do you know of any good resources for learning to shoot back tension with fingers?

Yeah, Solid Archery Mechanics online course by Tom Clum. It's available through The Push archery website. Best $200 I've spent on archery.

 

[Cedarsavage]

Yeah, Solid Archery Mechanics online course by Tom Clum. It's available through The Push archery website. Best $200 I've spent on archery.

Thanks

 

[TaterTot]

Yeah, Solid Archery Mechanics online course by Tom Clum. It's available through The Push archery website. Best $200 I've spent on archery.

I'll second that.

 

[kfili]

Thats so funny, im in my first season and i dont even know where my compund is lying around! I just love shooting the recurve soooo much more.

 

[Mudd Foot]

Joel Turner + Clicker = Confidence.


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[Beendare]

Not all hunts are conducive to hunting with a stick.

I'm out west where we do a lot of stalking; Deer,Elk bears....and my animal count has dropped drastically since picking up a stick bow.

Drawing on a bull elk coming to the call is much tougher with a stick...vs being able to hold at full draw with a compound

Stalking in close on hogs is pretty easy; but species like bears, coues deer and blacktail deer and its a trick getting that close....especially in dry conditions.

So....though I prefer to stick bow hunt...there are times when I'm spinning my wheels and just pick up the compound. My buddy wants me to do a whitetail hunt with him where they spot the deer coming out of fields and hunt them in the thick brush...on the ground-no trees for miles. That hunt would be almost impossible with a stick.

Whose to say you can't hunt with different weapons? I still call coyotes with a rifle....

____

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Clearly you are not shooting your bow enough. Shooting trad is a serious commitment in time spent practicing. Once you get to the point where you've developed the confidence to hunt with a stickbow, the idea of using anything else disappears. At least, that's how it is for me. I want my first trad kill so bad I can taste it. Haven't shot my CB in two years. It would seem you are mentally just "not there" yet.