Giving up the stickbow

[SHTF]

Pretty much all at my shop do for target. Never heard of anyone using for hunting. but if it works go with it.

 

[G Posik]

I know a few people that use a clicker for hunting. I tried one just for fun, the click threw me off. I have a three point anchor system and it works everything. The use back tension to release and have consistent releases every time. Keep working your 30-40 yd shots and like said the 25 will get tighter. My recurve is my go to bow and always trust her on a shot. You can never let a bad shot get you down. If you do not do blind or blank bale shots I strongly suggest you do those. Try them for 1 week with no other shots. Concentrate on form only, DO NOT AIM!!! After one week of doing this every day step back to 10 yards and take 10 shots with perfect form. If you flub a shot go to the blind/ blank bale for the rest of your shooting session. The next day try again. When you make 10 perfect form shots at 10 yds move to 15. If a bad shot due to form guess what you get to do..... Yep blind/blank bale. Keep doing this until you get to the 40 yd shots. I do blind/blank bale at every session even if only 3-5 in the beginning and 3-5 at the end of the session. It will help you to develop the repeatable form every time without thinking.

Glenn

 

[Ryan K Sanpei]

I've struggled and went back and forth for years. Almost threw in the towel a few times too!

You should see the countless aiming styles I've tried, but I think I've finally found that "system" that works for me in the field.

Finding what works may take some time, but boy is it rewarding once you do.

Let me know if I can help in any way.

Aloha,
Ryan

 

[SHTF]

I know a few people that use a clicker for hunting. I tried one just for fun, the click threw me off. I have a three point anchor system and it works everything. The use back tension to release and have consistent releases every time. Keep working your 30-40 yd shots and like said the 25 will get tighter. My recurve is my go to bow and always trust her on a shot. You can never let a bad shot get you down. If you do not do blind or blank bale shots I strongly suggest you do those. Try them for 1 week with no other shots. Concentrate on form only, DO NOT AIM!!! After one week of doing this every day step back to 10 yards and take 10 shots with perfect form. If you flub a shot go to the blind/ blank bale for the rest of your shooting session. The next day try again. When you make 10 perfect form shots at 10 yds move to 15. If a bad shot due to form guess what you get to do..... Yep blind/blank bale. Keep doing this until you get to the 40 yd shots. I do blind/blank bale at every session even if only 3-5 in the beginning and 3-5 at the end of the session. It will help you to develop the repeatable form every time without thinking.

Glenn

Glenn fantastic advice. I did something similar to this and its helped tremendously. Im am very confident in my form and shot sequence. I feel consistent in my anchor and my flex when Im at full draw. I focus on my back for making sure Im perfectly stretched each shot. Its definitely rewarding when I can throw 3 arrows down range before a compound shooter can get one off and all 3 arrows are on the money. I get guys at the range looking at my like Im sort of freak sometimes.

Another helpful tip for traditional instinct shooting that has helped me tremendously is shooting moving targets. Youll surpise the heck out of yourself how accurate you can be nailing a flying target with no sights. I feel this is the most pure form of instinctive shooting you can get too. Id love to try some grouse shooting with the recurve.

 

[gobbler1662]

Man you guys all have some great points. I made the switch two years ago from compound to traditional. I have harvested lots of elk and deer with a compound and I was really wanting a new experience. I shoot everyday with either my long bow or recurve and really love shooting more now than I did as a kid 30 yrs ago. But like others have stated you definately have your limits. I am hoping this switch will make me a better hunter again. And yes my friends that shoot the new compounds will probably harvest lots more game than me, but i just love the trad experience. I joined a winter traditional league at our local bow club and these old timers have taught me a ton. Last year I passed up a shot on a 320 class bull that I could have easily made with a compound but, when that first animal does drop with trad gear its going to be so special and I refuse to go back I will make this successful. Good luck with the compounds.

 

[justinspicher]

I thought making the switch from a compound to a recurve would make things "simpler". I was completely wrong, the dedication and practice is way more critical, but I am glad I made the switch. I try to shoot as much as possible, with a couple of days dedicated to just shooting for form. I get a bit of slack because I shoot with my feet together and I twist my upper body. I place my feet at about a 20-25 angle away from my target which requires me to use my back and really seems to help me stabilize my bow arm. I think it works, but it's not for everybody. Like it has been said previously, you have to find your own style and then practice it religiously over and over again. Persistence and consistency are your friends. I can shoot decent at twenty to thirty yards, but I still need to focus on my form for the forty yard shots. I don't think I'd ever take a shot that far, but it sure does let you know if you are doing everything right.

 

[AndyB]

Staying within ones effective range is the key, no matter what the weapon, and that will vary from person to person.

 

[Kebler]

Back to the top

update, back at it and had awesome season in 2015,View attachment 31921View attachment 31922View attachment 31923
changed the way I shot and it all came together, killed 2 does to along with theses, the buck was shot from the ground at 4 yards, all public DIY hunts.

 

[69ChrisCraft01]

Right on! Those that are proficient with traditional gear have my ultimate respect.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

Kebler,those attachments show up as invalid how can I see them?

 

[Kebler]

I suck at posting pic, I can email them for someone to post

 

[jorden.mattinson]

Good on ya! Trad hunting sure is a special pursuit

 

[Takeem406]

It's not got some people. I'm no bowhunting legend by any means. I've only shot a few deer with a wheelie bow as a kid then worked for me to quit bowhuntin. When I came back to it I went trad. I have a local bowyer whos a former expedition trick shooter. He wouldnt sell me a bow without teaching me how to shoot it. The first year I got it I hunted speed goats and never made it happen. Then took another year off. Last year was my first year archery hunting elk since probably 2007. I'll tell ya what, you couldn't pay me to carry a heavy compound. That and there's so much stuff to break on a compound. I can throw my bow and it's still on. I managed to arrow a whitetail doe from the ground at 10 yards from natural cover with it. First trad kill. Just above her heart and she went 60 yards and I saw her drop. My only complaint is I love ground blind hunting and most blinds aren't tall enough. On the other hand there's a lot of wounded game with compounds too. Deer jumps the string, miss judge yardage whatever, stuff happens. There's just something magical and zen like about shooting a stick.
I dunno I'd suggest to anyone to play with it and stick with it. Even if you still hunt with training wheels, a traditional bow is just a lot of fun!

 

[ravenhunter]

I'm just moving from compound to a recurve and a long bow. Already blew it on a nice 8ptbuck in Dec. With my compound he was done but at 35 yards just too far for my skill set with a recurve. Called him into 15 yards and got busted drawing. Can't wait for turkey season.

 

[LostArra]

It's not got some people. I'm no bowhunting legend by any means. I've only shot a few deer with a wheelie bow as a kid then worked for me to quit bowhuntin. When I came back to it I went trad. I have a local bowyer whos a former expedition trick shooter. He wouldnt sell me a bow without teaching me how to shoot it. The first year I got it I hunted speed goats and never made it happen. Then took another year off. Last year was my first year archery hunting elk since probably 2007. I'll tell ya what, you couldn't pay me to carry a heavy compound. That and there's so much stuff to break on a compound. I can throw my bow and it's still on. I managed to arrow a whitetail doe from the ground at 10 yards from natural cover with it. First trad kill. Just above her heart and she went 60 yards and I saw her drop. My only complaint is I love ground blind hunting and most blinds aren't tall enough. On the other hand there's a lot of wounded game with compounds too. Deer jumps the string, miss judge yardage whatever, stuff happens. There's just something magical and zen like about shooting a stick.
I dunno I'd suggest to anyone to play with it and stick with it. Even if you still hunt with training wheels, a traditional bow is just a lot of fun!

you might check out Hidden Hunter blinds they work well with most trad bows
I've got one and I use it occasionally. I'm just not a ground blind hunter but they are almost a necessity for turkeys around here.

I know Ron LaClair (shrew bows) sells them

http://www.shrewbows.com/hiddenhunterblinds/

 

[Bonedalien]

great thread. recurves have been a part of my family longer than i have. i have still only hunted with my compound,but shooting trad bows is still very important to me.i regularly take both to the range. i just think it makes you a better ,more rounded archer.

 

[Treeline hunter]

Kebler,

Congratulations! Glad you kept after it and were successful!

Would love to see the pic's!!!

 

[Nick Muche]

I didn't read through this entire thread but I will add this. I shot quite a bit the three weeks prior to my first trad bow hunt and I was very confident in my abilities. Maybe three weeks wasn't much time, but I feel that my practice was focused and often. That said, what I learned when I had a 6' 8" bear at 18 yards was that shooting at an animal vs a paper plate is VERY different with a trad bow vs compound. That bear would have been toast with my compound long before a shot I was willing to take with the trad bow presented itself, which I consequently blew. Lucky for me he came right back and I focused considerably more on the little things that make a trad shot perfect, like I should have the first time.

I had planned to hunt musk ox next week with my trad bow, but I didn't prepare properly and I am not confident with it at the moment, so I will take my compound and have just as much fun.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Chris D]

Kebler, nice work sticking with the "stick"!!!

Being able to "hold your mud" with any weapon can be difficult. I have shot trad for close to 20 years. I was like you at the 3D range, I could smoke anybody, however in the woods, I consistently was shooting over deer. Went through a 5 year drought of no deer killed. I knew once I shot a few deer, things would come together, that has definitely held true for me.
Shooting foam is great, however nothing replaces real wild game. Because we can't hunt deer year round, I turned my focus on small game in the off season. One animal that is great fun to hunt are woodchucks. I have spent summers now chasing them with the longbow. Being able to stalk upto a feeding woodchuck, and putting an arrow into it, has been great practice and confidence builder for me on big game.

chris <><