Recurve or long bow, which one should i take for elk

[gobbler1662]

What a dilema, i have a Stalker Wolverine SL 58" 55@28. I love this bow i shoot it every day. My problem is I also have a 62 inch long bow that is 60 pounds @28", I also shoot this every day and love it. Recently every morning at about 0630 am, i step outside and fire 1 arrow at my target as if it were an elk. I do this one day with the recurve and next day with the long bow. I am consistantly a little better shot with the long bow. Now i know the recurve is faster even though my long bow is 5 pounds heavier draw weight. And also the recurve is shorter. I am leaving in 7 days for the archery opener a back pack archery elk hunt here in Oregon and I am still undecided on the weapon.It would be cool to take an animal with my long bow it is made by a friend who has been a boyer for around 3 yrs. His Bows are called OCD bows. To my knowledge none of the bows he has made to date have taken an animal. It would be cool to be the first

 

[G Posik]

First let me say that is a nice looking longbow!

Alright I will say early this year I said I was going to hunt with my recurve. So I was shooting it everyday. One day for some reason I grabbed my 70# longbow and threw 3 arrows down range at 3 different angles and ranges. The arrows were no more than 1/4 between any of them. So the recurve is sitting on the sidelines again. I will hunt with my longbow.

It comes down to that one cold shot every time. If you are more consistent with that longbow it is no question. So I will say Longbow!

Good luck this season and let the wood fly!

Glenn

 

[Eagle]

Absolutely, take the one you shoot the best, you'll have more confidence in yourself and your equipment at the moment of truth.

 

[gobbler1662]

I don't know what it is about long bows, I am absolutely in love with them. All the exotic woods they are so sweet looking. Well after I posted this,I had shot my recurve this morning so this evening I stepped outside and first arrow out of my long bow was in the bulls eye just a tad left of center at 20 yards. Hard not to go with that thing

 

[gobbler1662]

I guess I should add that I've been bowhunting for over 30 years but switched to traditional after elk season last year. I haven't harvested anything yet with traditional equipment so I am a little nervous. I shoot everyday and am good out to 40 so my hopes are high for deer and elk. I just need that first kill to get my confidence up.

 

[larryschwartz]

Definitely shoot the one that you shoot the best. One thing I would definitely do before you go is to start taking those cold shots from a realistic hunting situation; try them bent over, kneeling behind a bush, from behind a tree, the kind of real world positions you will likely have to shoot from in the elk woods. Also uphill and downhill. And remember, that longbow won't go to all the places that the recurve will so practice with it in the tighter spots.

Hope this helps,

Larry

 

[bbell]

Gotta love those longbows. I shoot a pronghorn and love it. I just havent killed any big game with it yet.

 

[LostArra]

For me the keys to traditional hunting accuracy is shot selection and CONFIDENCE.
Since both bows have plenty of horsepower, I would take the bow you are the most confident in making a shot from a variety of positions.
When I hunt out of state I always take a backup, so I would take both. At least leave one at the truck. Stuff happens when backpacking.

With all due respect to Larry, I have not ever had a problem with longbows under 64" in "tight" spots compared to a 58" recurve.
Exception is a popup blind, then I use a 54" longbow (Shrew). Short longbow=jumbo shrimp.

Good luck on the hunt.

 

[larryschwartz]

With all due respect to Larry, I have not ever had a problem with longbows under 64" in "tight" spots compared to a 58" recurve.
Exception is a popup blind, then I use a 54" longbow (Shrew).

LostArra, I wasn't suggesting that longbows didn't work in cramped spaces, just that they take a little practice if you have been shooting a shorter bow for a while. I've heard too many war stories from friends who switched to a longbow for a particular type of hunting and wound up with one limb or the other hitting the blind or a treestand platform or having to cant it more to be able to shoot from a small area. Just a warning to practice how you hunt before having to make the shot on that monster [insert favorite game animal here].

 

[LostArra]

>>just that they take a little practice if you have been shooting a shorter bow for a while. <<

Absolutely! Great point. Especially for those moving from a really short compound to the longbow.
I just had this discussion with a compound shooter who uses treestands that have large platforms while all of mine have minimal platforms.
I like the small ones for placement in tight spots where there are multiple tree trunks to hide in but a secondary benefit is the additional bow clearance.

I think we agree that gobbler needs to just practice in thick areas with his bow so clearance issues become second nature and he doesn't have to focus on it or get a surprise WHACK! when he releases on that bull.

 

[slvrslngr]

Since you're backpacking in, I would take the T/D recurve. If you get an elk down, being able to take the bow apart and put on/in your pack, freeing up a hand will be to your benefit, particularly if you use a walking stick or trekking poles. Good luck on your hunt!

 

[gobbler1662]

Like i said i have been elk hunting 30 plus years with a compound. I have been fortunate enough to harvest 17 elk with a bow and close to 30 deer.I have always owned a recurve, shot them and hunted with them as a kid but never took them serious. I retired last year from the fire service at a fairly young age of 56 and wanted to wait until i retired to give the recurve and long bow the attention and practice they deserved. I sold my compound and am going traditional all the way. I shoot every day. Once a week i drive up into the woods and take a portable target and practice up hill down hill and distance up to 40 yds. During the winter I would just walk around out in the sage brush and take practice shots at certain objects to practice different distances. I feel i have done all the home work to be successfull and guys i cant say how much i love the traditional bows. These things are works of art not just some production aluminum like the compounds. I am going to try to position myself in areas that will give me close shots. If i dont harvest an animal its no big deal but it wont be because of lack of effort. I am planning on spending 28 out of the 30 day season packed into a wilderness in a bivy sack, hiking three different wilderness areas. I have killed enough elk that its not about the kill, for me its the hunt the enjoyment of being 5 miles in and not seeing another person, and the group of guys i hunt with are great hard core to the bone. Hearing elk bugle and not having to worry about other hunters in the area. So whatever bow i take hopefully i will find success but if not i will definately have some good experiences. I am still deciding on which bow, so thanks for all the imput i definately need it.

 

[Shot]

easy answer, take the longbow. Both will kill elk, but from the sound of it you are/will be more confident with the longbow in hand. Accuracy surpasses all other aspects of the bow.

Goodluck

 

[Tenderfoot]

LB I left the compound world about 15 years ago. Practiced a lot. And the first time I drew back on a deer with a stickbow I totally lost it... "Where's the pin??!!"

 

[Mudd Foot]

Take the bow that you have the most confidence in Gobbler. Our "fair-chase" style is hard! That said, Larry's advice to practice odd angles/positions is spot-on. If the one-piece longbow is that bow, then I'd suggest you pack a fleece bow sock if you have one. The pack-out can be rough, and the protection afforded by the sock makes up for the weight.

My personal traveling bow is a 62" Bamabows 2-piece Expedition. Packs a wallop while being very stable. Nate the bowyer is great people.

Just my $.02,

Mudd foot

 

[larryschwartz]

gobbler, are you back yet? how did the hunt go?

 

[gobbler1662]

Back from the Backcountry

gobbler, are you back yet? how did the hunt go?

Well after 28 days in a bivy sack and three different wilderness areas, i can definately say i am tired of mountain house, granola and insant oatmeal. Bad news is still no kill with a trad bow. I carried my Long Bow, had several close encounters including 17 yds from a 320 class bull that i didnt have a good shot on. I know hard to believe. If the bull would have came down on my right i would have had a clear shot, but as always he decided to go to my left which gave me no shot opportunity. I did have a couple of questionable shots, between limbs but i wasnt confident in taking those shots. I had practiced those same shots in camp with a small game tip and as you guys know those shots are tricky with trad gear. I will be second guessing that decision the rest of the year. The three other guys i hunt with did take one 6 point bull, missed a black bear and called in a cougar to 15 yds all in the same day. One of the guys shot a nice buck. But for me still waiting for a trad kill