Trad?

[headbanger]

New here fellas but not to the hunt. Anybody else use trad gear to go after the longbeards?

[tjfish]

Sure do. Been after them for about three years now with the trad and can't wait for April to roll around. I shoot a rampart longbow.

[Fox Fire]

Wish I had the skills to take a bird with my trusy old recurve, make'n a body shot I could pull off at close range say about 20 maybe 25 yards but not anything farther, to me the hard part would be get'n past its eyes to make the draw.

I've thought of try'n it but just aint got serious about it, also would like to try to take a coyote with my bow, to me ther probably the most challenging 2 things to hunt with a bow.

[headbanger]

Happy to know I'm not the only "misguided" fella out here tjfish. Shure does make it excitin, don't it?

Foxfire, 20-25 yds, you are the man! I do my best to get em inside of 10 and hope the old bones don't snap, crackle and pop during draw. Shot thru the tail feathers on one last season @ 6 yds that was puttin a whuppin on my jake deke. Just a little low

headbanger

[tjfish]

Yep I whiffed on a strutting tom last year at 22yrds. About makes you want to cry.

[headshot870]

I bought myself a Hoyt Gamemaster II for Chrstmas. Hoping to be ready for gobblers with it by next month's opener. I'm having a blast shooting it! Shot my 1st trad class 3D tourney w/ it this past Sunday...I've got alot of work ahead.

[Fox Fire]

6 Yards...wow, he was close enuff to see you breath'n, good job man, that had to be a clincher.

I've hunted squirrels a time ot two (score...squirrels 3, me 0)its a blast, you can cast a arrow and if it dont make contact they stand up and act like "what was that ?,,,never heard a tree make that kinda noise."  then they go back about ther business, at least untill you have to retrieve your arrows because you've emptied out the quiver.

Rabbits are fune to, have'nt been rabbit hunt'n in a long time, maybe I should.

Recurves are great(never tried a long bow...yet) what got me on them was back in the 80s the over draw thing was wide open, all you heard was a faster bow, more poundage, lighter arrows.    I just got tired of my bow constantly be'n outta tune, noisey, heavy and by the time you paid for all the latest gadjet it just cost more than it was worth.
  I found a Browning fire drake ina pawn shop and I fell in love with it, it was weightless compared to my compound, aftergett'n  it home and shoot'n it ther was somethin miss'n...what was it?...OH YEAH !!! all the buzz'n and rattl'n noise, and teh always outta tune junk was no more.
  Like a moron I sold it to a friend and to this day I cant talk him into sell'n it back to me, but I do have a old Bear grizzly I restored, it turned out quite nice and shoots just fine for my skill level, would be nice to have a custom bow but I'm ok for now, have been eyeball'n the Hoyt Dorado and Game masters, they look great and most of what I hear is posative, mite have to break down and get one later on.

Oh yeah, glad to see more trad shooters on here also, keep the fires burn'n ya'll.

[headbanger]

yessir, breathing, panting, hyperventilating, something along those lines. Get's the ol ticker working, for sure. One of my longbows or recurves is my weapon of choice on anything that doesn't fly to make a living but I WILL pull out the 870 in a crunch. If scouting is lacking (due to work or family obligations) the scattergun comes out early to pattern birds..... now if the opportunity arises

headbanger

[headbanger]

headshot870,

good luck man and work on it. Nothing quite like it. Ain't no expert but PRACTICE at 10yds and less. Vitals are very small (softball size) and require pinpoint accuracy. I WILL NOT sling an arrow at one with my equipment at more than 15 yds and then only if conditions are perfect. As stated in a previous post, sometimes can't even make it happen @6! If I can help in any way, let me know.

headbanger

[Fox Fire]

 I have the Masters of the bare bow dvd vol.1 it has some good how to info and they teach sevral different ways to shoot, of the 3 dvds vol.1 and vol.3 supposed to be the better ones.
The way I shoot I pick me a spot and lock onto it with my eyes and in the back of my mind its a single hair I'm look'n at, you just burn a hole in it, draw back and my hand/eye coordination work together and release. aint exactly ROCKET SURGERY rite, thers a lotta ways to get tothe same place, thats just my way.
 I used to take old gallon milk jugs and kick it, wher ever it lands I always shot for the lid, even if it was on the blind side of the jug, as I got better I started shoot'n farther out, and love me some stump shoot'n its good because I have to bend around,stoop,lean,squat, to get the shot plus its a lotta fun, a clump of leaves, a pile of dirt anything will make a target.
 I aint a good shot by any strech but I'm ok(good days, bad days) enuff to make a kill shot on a deer and a fair range, actually could stand some more practice, I dont shoot as much as I used to, I got responsabilities and all that junk now days since I've matured...yeah rite.

[headshot870]

Thanks guys,

I've been shooting mornings & evenings. I bought all 3 volumes of the "Masters of The Barebow" series...they're great vids. I'm going to try to take a class w/ Rod Jenkins on the 26th...I can't wait! If the skills aren't up to snuff in time, I'll just hunt em' trad style in 2012.

[VAHUNTER]

my hats off to you fellas that make it happen with traditional equipment  thats how i started off 30years ago. but it was not long before i swithched over .
now i would like to get a Trad. bow just to mess with in the back yard

[EMSDJ2]

Got me 2 fred bears.  A hunter and a mag.  Also have a firefly takedown.  I also make my own flemish strings for my bears and my friends bows also.

[headbanger]

Yeah guys, once you REALLY get into it, it kinda takes over and consumes you. I try and shoot a little every day but if it gets too hectic I will shoot 4-5 dys a week. It may be 3 or 4 shots or it may be 100. I enjoy it and have a very patient wife of 30 yrs that understands my affliction I am in the process of staining my 1st selfbow... that was a lot of fun to make... so far so good... if it holds together I will probably go after a longbeard or 2 with it this year. Just what I need to go along with my longbows and recurves...another trad induced hobby. headshot, a Jenkins class will help greatly...just utilize what you pick up in the class and develop your own style. One more thing, shooting targets is great but BORING. I like to take walks in the woods and like Fox Fire, stump shoot. GREAT real world  practice and anything can be a target, leaves, ant beds, root balls, stumps, etc. Up, over, around, below, through...pick a spot, focus, and hit it. Sorry gents, I tend to get carried away with this stuff. Anyway, got about 6 weeks to get ready here in GA...TOMS BEWARE

headbanger

[Fox Fire]

Head banger...what part of G.A. ya from if I mite ask ??

Any of you gents ever make it over to TRADGANG.COM ?? mountains if info for the trad shooter but ther kinda picky about some post pertain'n to anything other than a recurve or long bow, they have some killer threads for building your own bow, arrows, leather craft, shoot'n technics, bows for sale, books and dvds, its teh bee knees for the trad archer, you can also find some trad equipment for sale on ARCHERYTALK.COM and (I think its) STIK BOW .COM., every now and then I find a few on craigs list.

Looks like this thread is already take'n hold, the recurve/long bow gets in your blood if ya aint careful, like the man said it'll consume ya.