Is traditional archery hunting unethical?

[MattB]

Hunting with trad gear is not unethical. Shooting beyond one's effective range is. It has been my experience that some people use trad gear as an excuse for exceeding their effective range. That is on the shooter, not the equipment.

 

[StupidLightweight]

Well said, MattB. Lest anyone think I'm anti traditional archery, my mission this year is to practice with an old recurve I was gifted and see how hard it is to gain proficiency. With two young kids, I don't leave home often, but I can practice in the backyard this spring and summer to see what all the excitement is about. I'm not saying I'll hunt big-game with it, but the passion for trad archery in this thread does intrigue me. Thanks to everyone who shared their insights into this ancient tool.

 

[1Canvas]

I have struggled with this a bit myself and waited two years of almost every day practice to be very precise at 17 yards and under.
Over that I will use a compound. That said, there is nothing like hunting with traditional gear and the reward after a good kill is nothing like any other hunting.