Anyone enjoy traditional hunting?

[Cornfed]

Just curious how many guys who regularly use this site choose traditional types of weapons for the added challenge and enjoyment? I read posts about shooting 100yds, etc. with muzzleloaders, etc. I personally would not consider a shot at that distance, getting close is an important part of the satisfaction of hunting with more primitive weapons.

I personally choose to use the old style guns with iron sites..... much more fun and personally rewarding. Heck, back east where I grew up, it was illegal to hunt blackpowder seasons with a scoped gun.... iron sites only. I am in no way knocking what others choose to use as a weapon as long as it is legal...... I just know that for myself, HOW I harvest an animal is very important for my personal satisfaction. There are way too many vendors willing to sell 'gadgets' at the expense of learning hunting skills, woodsmanship, etc. I recently glanced through an archery catalog.... they had over two dozen types of arrow rests, sights, etc. Talk about making something that should be relatively easy... complicated. (sorry guys.... I am just a little bored at work today

) ....... good luck to all the shotgun hunters this weekend!!!!!!

 

[bowmaker]

Cornfed I agree with you about all the stuff that can be purchased. I have two Lyman rifles and have used them on several deer, but I got a deal on a Knight disc rifle 4 years ago and haven't put it down since. I really enjoy the way this gun handles and shoots. I have used it on 6 deer and 2 black bears. The bears dropped in their tracks over bait at 25 yards. I use this gun during the shotgun seasons also because i like it.

Having said all this I also enjoy building and using all wood longbows and cedar arrows. I got hooked on this several years ago. It is the same feeling of statisfaction, that you get, to take a deer with equipment that you made with your own hands. Give it a try some time, you will get hooked also!

People should use what ever equipment that lets them enjoy hunting the most. They should also take the time to become skilled with that equipment a long time before trying to hunt with it. The game deserve it.

 

[moosehunter]

good topic there cornfed. i also shoot a knight after getting sick and tired of miss fires from my t/c. i know there's people who say this isn't really a muzzle loader but the fact is you still only have one shot. But through technoligy that shot will always go off. The traditional muzzle loaders like the old Hawkins were also very accurate, maybe not at 200 yards but still pretty good for a ball and patch. I bet if people could go back in time and ask an old mountain man if he would trade is old gun for one that would shoot every single time you wouldn't have to ask him twice.
I do agree with you 100% on HOW I harvest an animal. I personally can not ever see myself shotgun hunting again. After 10 or 12 years of sitting in trees or spot and stalking, I've had much more rewarding hunts than I ever had with driving deer. Nothing personal Cornfed but I'm a little bored at work today too !!!

 

[vike4life]

Bowmaker I shoot a compound but, I just got a couple osage orange fence posts. I love woodworking and archery. And the thought of combining the two really has me excited. I don't know if I could shoot a stick and string but taking an animal with a bow that you made would be awsome! I hope I can do it someday.

 

[Rembrandt]

I know a couple of hunters that profess to be "traditional hunters".......but it only goes as far as their weapons of choice. These guys look at themselves as being more pure in the take of game than those that use modern methods....interesting fact is they drive 4X4 pickups, wear the latest in Gortex clothing, and use satelite photos for planning hunts. Interesting they don't pack their deer out on foot, wear handmade clothing, and use natures signs to guide their way.

I have no problem with those wanting to hunt the way our ancestors did, but the fellows I've met seemed a little full of themselves and condesending towards others....as for me, well it's the 22nd Century, and I plan on using every advancement in technology that's available.

 

[bowmaker]

Hey vike glad to hear you are excited about this project. Do two things before you start. First get a copy of the Traditional Bowyers Bible, it is full of info and step by step procedures Second start with a good piece of ash or hickory for your first bow. Save the osage until you get the feel of picking grains and tillering. God luck! Bet you can't make just one!

 

[Bowhunt]

I started out with a traditional muzzleloader when I started muzzleloading, man it was fun!!
Then I went to the Knight, it is still fun! I am going to get my buck with the knight this year, and then I am going to borrow a tradional muzzloader from someone and get back in the woods and try to fill my doe tag with the tradional gun. I wish now that I had not sold that old gun, it was alot of fun.

 

[Cornfed]

Hey Guys,

I have enjoyed all the candid comments...... never intended to 'knock' anyones choice or style of hunting (and it appears that no one took it that way)...... I agree with Rembrandt that there are certainly jerks out there that think they are 'traditional' and if you do not do it their way then you just aren't quite their caliber of hunter.... unfortunately, these types of individuals exist in all camps.

I have been on all spectrums of the hunting experience...... rifle hunted for years growing up back east, shot compound bow for many years, etc. I guess that I have just 'settled' into a hunting style that I find very rewarding and personally satisfying. I just hate to see so many new or inexperienced hunters get sold into all the gadgets and other garbage that is unnecessary to enjoy hunting and harvest game animals...... just my 2 cents worth.....

 

[BowHunter84]

Yes i think a hunt is topped off if you are able to get up close on a deer. I only go Muzzelloader but i do not use a scop on it. My buck this year was taken at 10 yards!! It was a rush! I also do bow hunting which needs a lot of patience.

 

[Mark5995]

Cornfed I agree with keeping it some what simple as long as the use of the bow and tunning it can be done with very vine adjustments. I have a hoyt bow that I bought as a used one, was cheaper and works just fine. The part of doing things myself makes the hunt more rewarding. I find it challenging to tune my bow to shoot a perfictly straight arrow flight. Sitting out in the woods and watching the deer as they feed and move about is relaxing in itself. I am going to miss the woods while shotgun season is going on. I have gotten buck early this season and am working on the antlerless tag.

 

[deerman]

There's alot of disputes about what traditional is anymore.So,2years ago when I told myself I must get a new bow to replace my recurve that dates back to 1979 and was getting scary to pull back.I shopped around and could not believe the prices of bows without wheels.So,I shot a compould and could not believe the speed.I was sold.So I call myself a traditional hunter that hunts with a compound.Boy I took some mocking on the change.But the bottom line is the person behind the weopon and the arrow killing the deer.To Thine Own Self Be True.

 

[Cornfed]

Deerman brings up an interesting observation / statement..... the compound was so much faster. I personally have never understood why so many guys get worked up over shooting a fast bow. Until a bow is able to shoot faster than the speed of sound (which I believe is around 760 feet per sec.) I will gladly take a quiet bow over a fast one any day. Most bowhunters that I have shot with will state that they can hardly hear my bow when I shoot. The deer that I have missed (more than I care to remember) with my recurve, few have ever showed any reaction to the sound of my bow. Fast noisy bows only cause the deer to jerk at the sound of the noise and sometimes lead to poor shot placement and sometimes complete misses. I have no problem getting full penetration with my 'slow' 55lb. recurve...... besides it is just plain fun to watch the flight of the arrow....

 

[scout]

I have a Browning Take-down still in the box for two years now.

I'm interested in making some wooden arrows up and trying my hand. I've done some "stump shooting" and shot a couple rabbits with an old Ben Pearson but never a deer or turkey.
Who is a good supplier of traditional supplies? Wood shafts, feathers, ect.
I've looked at the Stickbow website. It has alot of how to.

 

[raven]

Yes!

Had as much fun taking a big doe yesterday with my recurve as I did shooting a big buck a couple weeks ago with my compound! Well, almost!

The thrill of a traditional harvest is a notch above doing the same with a compound....but I still love hunting with both!

Raven

 

[BW]

Traditional? I did not know there was anything else but longbows. And does one actually use a gun?

"One lugs a compound, carries a recurve but a longbow just floats along"

It is something that has to be in your blood. Even if you don't start out with the simple things the lure will get you sooner or later.

If it does'nt, no big deal, you have to be a little odd to begin with to limit your opportunities on purpose in todays world.

"Watching the flight of the arrow"(good one)
"Hearing only the impact of the arrow"
"Sharpening your own BH's"
"Dipping & Cresting an arrow"
"Making a flemish string"
"casting your own bullets"
"Using patch & ball"
"Using real Black Powder"

Those that are driven by a little extra challenge and adventure or adding a personal touch fall prey to such things.

The most important tool in hunting is the person behind the device. If there is something out of tune there, nothing else will make up the difference.

Besides, the compound and in-lines have been around long enough now to be "traditional"

It is great we can all do our own thing. God Bless the USA!

Have fun and be safe!

Scout, pick up a copy of Traditional Bowhunter magazine. Everything you would like to be aware of can be found there.

 

[bowmaker]

Scout you can also pick up a copy of the Primitive Archer magazine. It has lots of suppliers. Also The Wappelo Chiefs bow culb has a traditional only bow shoot arround the 4th of July over a weekend. There is a company there every year called T & Me Lone Wolf. They carry cedar shaft, points, feathers and anything else you might need, and are great people.

I'm not sure how close you are to Paraire du Chen, but there is a big rendezvous there over Father's Day weekend. If you would like to look me up I can show you some very nice wooden longbows and fancy cedar arrows and answer any questions. I will be in a big white wall tent under two huge maple shade trees. There will also be a primative bow shoot on friday or saturday afternoon. Hope to see you, but be forwarned you can get really hooked.

 

[River Rat]

Scout,

Three Rivers is a good start for avrything you'll need. I myself shot a browning recurve 45#@28". This being my fifth year shooting a recurve, I've been fortunate to take on every year so far. i though about going back to a compound after missing a shot on a decent buck early this year but on the 16th of Nov. my season changed when I arrowed a nice 2 1/2 year old doe and the 10 point buck that was trailing 5 minutes behind. Both went down within 100 yards in sight. You couldn't get me to go back now. To each thier own!! Good like You'll enjoy it.

 

[Cornfed]

I may get flamed by some of your more die hard traditionalists, but...... I personally would not recommend anyone who switches to a more traditional style of archery equipment to start with wooden arrows. Unless you buy wooden arrows by a top-notch arrowsmith, they will not be consistent, and can be down right discouraging. Aluminum arrows are hard to beat for consistency and availability..... and by the way, don't pay any attention to the Easton Arrow spine charts for recurve/longbow recommended spines (they are terribly OVER-SPINED)..... few 'stickbows' will shoot an arrow stiffer than 2018 unless the poundage is over 60lbs. Another huge mistake that most make is starting overbowed. Do yourself a favor and start at 50-55lbs..... you will be able to kill any animal on the North American continent, and have a lot more fun learning to shoot well..... don't consider myself an expert, just have learned some things the hard way.

 

[Hadwin]

Do you guys that profess "traditional techniques" still use horse-and-buggy to get around town too? Just curious.

 

[bowmaker]

Cornfed, I won't completely disagree with you about alluinum vs cedar arrows, but under some conditions the alluinum shafts wont shoot nearly as well. Almost none of the self bows are full center shot, and are shot off of a shelf or your finger. Alluinum won't shoot arround the bow nearly as well as cedar, and the big feathers work well with an arrow shelf instead of a rest. For most people cedar arrows will shoot as good or better than the shooter without sights or releases. A good shot will be as consistent with wood as alluinum and a bad shot will be a bad shot. Also there is just something special about cedar shafts with 5 or 51/2 inch sheild cut feathers, and you can sure make them prettier than alluinum.