Giving up the stickbow

[Kebler]

Well just got back from my turkey hunt, was a great hunt and a nightmare. 2nd day called in a gobbler to 10 yards got busted drawing, later that day called in 2 jakes to 15 yards got busted drawing. No blind just ghillie jacket and a longbow.


I decided to take a blind and decoys the 3rd day, hunting public so I was not sure how they would respond to a blind and decoys, thats why I opted not to use them at first.


Very steep area for Missouri humped the blind and gear 1.6 miles back on a ridge, no gobbling they were all 2 ridges over. I break down, make the hump. Pop out on an old logging road, and a gobbler gobbles 75 yards away around the bend.


I threw the blind up stuck it in the tree line, put the decoys in the road, yelped twice he gobbled and came running to my decoys attacked the jake and knocked him off the stake. He freaked out was at 4 yards facing away I shot him in between the legs a bit low above the tail fan. It made a loud whack and hardly penetrated. I tried to put another on in him at 25 and missed.


He goes 50 yards and enter the tree line, walking pretty normal slow but not wobbling, then 5 jakes show up and I hear them fighting and purring right where I last saw him, I'm thinking he is down they are on him.


I wait half hour blood trail all the way to the tree line he went in, but no bird I looked for 3 hours under every log, brush pile nothing.


I sold my longbow this am, I'm done giving it up, switching back to wheels, It's the most ethical choice for me at this point, I don't even want to shot at an animal with a trad bow, I got target panic with it bad.




The range of the weapon is not a problem all my shots have been under 15 yards, high percentage shots. I killed a deer and turkey my 1st year so I know it can be done.


But right now, it's not working, maybe this winter the small game is what I will do, but I'm not going to go out and risk mortally wounding more animals to get better and to prove a point to myself I can do this right now.


I been bowhunting 20 years, and have never had the respect for game that I do when I started trad, you gain a whole new respect for them, when you let them get very close over and over and go after them with primitive gear.


My Journey was not a waste I am a better person, hunter and outdoors man for it.


But I'm ethical obligated in my mind to walk away right now. Most of you guys here are public land hunters, and not that animals on managed private lands don't deserve respect, they do. But a full mature public land animals is a warrior, deer,elk, turkey what ever, they are even more special in my eyes, they deserve better than what I am capable of right now.

 

[Kebler]

My reason for posting is not a pity party or pep talk, we all get to read the hero stories but rarely will guys post up the cold hard reality, I missed 2 150 inch whitetails under 10 yards last year, 4 does under 15, bad misses. I practiced daily could wipe the floor with most guys at a 3 d shoot, but put a live animal in front of me it goes bad real quick.

I have a high country mule deer hunt coming up, I lay awake at night and fear gut shooting a deer. This is just real world stuff I'm talking about.

 

[Rizzy]

I'm just starting Trad hunting, thanks for the reality check

 

[SHTF]

Kebler. I didnt read that as a pitty party at all. Takes a lot of guts to come on a hunting site and air that out. I commend you for seeing it and moving in a positive direction for yourself to change. Im just the opposite of you. Got tired of the training wheels and jumped into traditional. completely loving it. Hope to do some coyote hunting next week with the recurve.

 

[ethan]

Kenner, good on ya buddy. I've not hunted with anything but stick bows for almost 15 years and I think it takes a lot of guts to come to that decision and nothing but respect from me. Maybe the timing isn't right and you'll switch back after a while. Maybe you'll shoot a compound from now on, either way, if a fella respects the game he's pursuing and hunts honorably, and enjoys himself, then nothing else matters. Good luck!

 

[PA 5-0]

KEBLER, for the exact reason u r going back to wheels, is why I never went to traditional. I always felt that it was my responsibility to go into the woods with the deadliest equipment I could assemble and operate effectively. My friends and I shot a ton of 3D back in the day. Every time a stick bow guy tried to shoot with us, it just reinforced my belief that wheels was where I should stay. Believe me, I am all about challenge. Til I was like 20yrs old, I shot my first bow, a compound, with fingers and no sights. Very proud of the animals I took with a bare compound. In wanting to become more accurate, I finally broke down and went sights and it took another 3-4 years before I bought a release. I have just grown to believe that keeping speed, accuracy and penetration at a high level is my duty as a bow hunter. My responsibility to the animal. I know some will disagree.

 

[tipsntails7]

Wish more people would think like this. Heck I know a lot of guys that should give up gun hunting. I personally have been too scared of wounding game to ever pick up a trad to hunt with. My biggest deterant was shooting my recurve into the same rinehart as my compound. I walk up to the target ones hurried to the fletching and ones 6 " deep. That's always stuck In my mind. Nothing against trad guys (my grandad is one) but just not for me. At least right now.

 

[Kebler]

Thanks for the a advice, it was a hard choice for me because I'm not a quitter, but at the stage I am in right now walking away for a while is best, in reality I true respect for trad guys who can get it done year in year out, it's as hard it gets, it just may not be meant for me to be one.

 

[LostArra]

Regardless of the weapon, it all comes down to confidence.
At any time, from practice to the moment of release on an animal, if there is any inkling of doubt, then it's time to change plans.
Good call Kebler.

 

[ColoradoV]

Dont stress over it.

I did the same thing and made the switch from longbow to compound a few years back due to a accident where both shoulders were dislocated and I am a big guy or due to my 32 1/2" draw I was holding just under 82# on my longbow so after I got hurt I have never got the accuracy back. I still shoot a longbow bow here and there at gophers in the back yard and what not but no longer at elk and deer. Funny but my father took my hunting longbow to "shoot" one day and when I asked for it back he said "you have stolen or lost so much of my shit over the past 40 years that I am keeping it" LOL!

Have fun with it as it is fun to learn to shoot a compound with sights. I got my 2 biggest bulls and a couple good mule deer bucks with a longbow and after you go to a compound you will see how much advantage it gives you in just about every hunting situation that will add to your accuracy and will no doubt up your harvest.

Again just because you dont hunt with a longbow for great big animals does not mean you cant shoot it.. Have fun plinkng around and still shoot it who knows as one day you may want to change back.

 

[Rizzy]

Regardless of the weapon, it all comes down to confidence.
At any time, from practice to the moment of release on an animal, if there is any inkling of doubt, then it's time to change plans.
Good call Kebler.

I would agree, self confidence/ self control is a big part of hunting with any weapon. Those who know their limits are true sportsman.
I'm picking up on the bias between trad and compound. It sounds a lot like the magnum vs. non magnum argument with gun hunting.

 

[justinspicher]

Good post, and I agree with the previous folks about the decision. I have been attempting to hunt with a stickbow for the last eight years and still haven't connected on anything bigger than a grouse. I haven't wounded anything yet, just complete misses. I will keep after it though, mathematically, I have to kill something eventually.

 

[Kebler]

I truly believe every self proclaimed hardcore bow hunter should spend a year or two learning to shot and hunt with a stickbow, I gained a new respect for animals and hunters no matter what they hunt with.

In reality I grew from the experience, and you ever wonder why you never saw pictures of any over weight native Americans, I know no why they were so fit, they were Hungary!!!

 

[dangerousD]

Kudos to you making the decision you did. I think it's hard coming from compound back to traditional when you know how accurate and confident you are with a compound. At least that's my experience. I've only recently picked up traditional archery in the last couple years. Last year I didn't shoot regular enough to have confidence and I have yet to take any game with it or shoot at an animal. I'm going to keep at it, if nothing else for fun target practice until I have confidence that I can ethically take an animal.

 

[rodney.black]

I understand what you are saying. I love hunting with my trad bow, but I have respect for all of the other forms of hunting and will do them on occasion. This sounds like the right decision for you at this time and I wish you all the best with your future hunts.

 

[Hawker]

I went through the samething. Then I bought a SUPER compound and had the same results.
I only had target panic on animals not targets. It just didn't matter what kind of bow I had in my hands.
Then I went to go see Joel Turner give a shooting seminar on target panic. I didn't even realize that I had TP. After his coarse I AM healed. Last year I shoot 7 deer and I can tell you what my sight picture looked like on each shot.
He has a couple of DVDs out. Or you can just give him a call. If you want I can dig up his #. Or go on tradgang and look for the thread called" target panic reality check".
Best of luck with what ever you decide.

 

[Kebler]

Well I am about to be back JACK!! This 5 month break has made me realize that the stick was very much a part of me, I am searching for a new rig as we speak, got a high country deer hunt in Nevada in 2 weeks, taking the compund and I am good with that for that hunt since I never been.

I am hoping this time of reflection on what I want and break from it will have given me the confidence on getting back on track.

 

[LostArra]

Atta boy!

Get back on that horse!

 

[SHTF]

Well I am about to be back JACK!! This 5 month break has made me realize that the stick was very much a part of me, I am searching for a new rig as we speak, got a high country deer hunt in Nevada in 2 weeks, taking the compund and I am good with that for that hunt since I never been.

I am hoping this time of reflection on what I want and break from it will have given me the confidence on getting back on track.

Hey Kebler, I made the jump opposite of you. Im pretty dead on within 25 yards with my recurve. Every shot I make is within a pie plate and every shot within 15 is within a playing card with a few one offs. I feel that is pretty consistent I shoot rounds of 11 arrows and 1 or 2 are just outside of my intended target. Having a blast shooting recurve and loving the fact that Im shooting instinctive so effectively. So much so Im going with the recurve this year for elk. Now can I get within 25 yards of my target? That is the question to be answered. Ive started practicing out to 30 and 40 yards but am not nearly as effective but it has helped me tighten my groups within my effective range. So I think I can pull this off. Im drawing just under 60# now with 31 inch draw. Shooting a 450 grain arrow 170 FPS. So I plan to reconfigure my arrow selection up to probably 600 grains for elk. Shooting Muzzy broadheads on Goldtip traditionals. I feel I have this worked out but only time will tell when I get out there and get within range. Im sure I will have plenty of afterthought once Im there on my target. But thats if I get the opportunity.
I feel the same as you that I was meant to shoot this recurve. I have a really hardtime seeing my shots on the compound because of sight window issues and Im so much more confident with the recuve more so then I am the compound. So thats my evolution process so far. Ive shot recuves for years, but this will be the first time Ive made the change and have been training to hunt with one. Appreciate your post here. Im sure I will probably pass through this phase myself but hoping all this training and shooting Im doing keeps me on the positive end. Im also not just shooting target but 3D Deer. Its been a good effort for me to get on a 3D target so I dont feel so different when I get a Elk in front of me. For me visualization exercises have helped me a bunch also. playing shot sequence out in my head, visualizing my arc my trajectory. If I stop and do this before each shot I nail my spot everytime. Focus is definitely the key for me. I love sharing this stuff and hearing others interpretation and how they help themselves to be successful. We can all learn something from each other.

 

[Kebler]

I got an order in on a new take down longbow, as chessy as it migh seem, 3 rivers sells a tape on sight for $5 bucks, it 1 pin, like and old school match stick. I shoot institivley and a awsome shot on foam.

But live animal and high emotions, I cant harld focus on a spot, so I am going to try this little pin and see if that might work to help me.

Anyone ever use a clicker the draw stop or checker??