# How long have you been shooting trad?



## Al33 (Dec 18, 2009)

I am aware of several here that did not own a trad bow two years ago yet in this very short period of time have become fantastic shooters and even better hunters with trophies to prove it. Some who did not own a trad bow now have wuite a collection of them, right Jake?

I put up this poll just to see what our averages as trad shooters are for years as well as the old guys compared to the new ones.

I'm just curious.


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## stick-n-string (Dec 18, 2009)

Good idea Al!
Something I would like to know as well!


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## JustUs4All (Dec 18, 2009)

Got bit at WARII.  Now have an old Wing recurve and and a cedar and bamboo long bow.  I find shooting very relaxing and am getting a little better every day.  I like poking targets but am not ready to poke critters yet.


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## Apex Predator (Dec 18, 2009)

I built my first selfbow in 1997.  I built 10 all wood laminated bows in a period of about 10 years after that.  I had two fiberglass lam trad bows during that period, a Jeffrey takedown and a Kodiak Hunter.  

I had a renewed interest around the time I retired from the Navy in Aug 2006.  That first year I built 7-8 boo backed osage and ipe bows.  During that year, I bought and sold around 20 fine custom recurves and longbows.  In July of 2007 I sold my last compound bow and went 100% trad.  I killed my first trad big game critter, a boar hog, that same day!  

In 2008 I started building fiberglass lam bows and vowed to do all my hunting with my own hand built bows.  Since going strictly all trad bowhunting, I have killed 10 hogs and 3 deer.  Pitiful if you are Robert Carter, or Chris Spikes, but pretty good for me!  

The grandest part of this journey for me has been the wonderful friends that I have made!


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## John Cooper (Dec 18, 2009)

i started out with an all wood bow that my dad built (with the help of dan quillion) when he was in his teen's, then when i was 13-14 i got a browning bow and shot and hunted with it till i was in my early 20's then i got an allen compound and shot it for 2-3 years and then hung it up and never looked back.


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## Longstreet1 (Dec 18, 2009)

2 Months and have meet 4 good guys off this site willing to teach me a thing or two. Hope I can pass off some skills in the future.


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## fountain (Dec 18, 2009)

jan 2010 will be 2 years constant for me--played with it since i was 5 or so--26 now

i have came a long way since then with the help of many from here!  great peeps


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## Bowana (Dec 18, 2009)

I started shooting trad when I was about 8. That was...wow, 36 years ago! Been back and forth with the compound and the stick bow. Went all trad in 2006. I don't even gun hunt anymore.


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## Necedah (Dec 18, 2009)

Started out shooting a Shakespeare Necedah recurve in 1964, and I'm still shooting a Shakespeare Necedah recurve today. 
Love those little bows. 

Dave


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## belle&bows (Dec 18, 2009)

Went strictly to trad in January 2008. Been the best 2 years of my 40 year hunting life! I still have the old blue and white fiberglass Stemmler i played around with when I was 8 or 9, all warped and twisted but still a cool bow to me. BTW, I'm 52.


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## BkBigkid (Dec 18, 2009)

Got rid my compound around two years ago. I hav not looked back since. No Big game harvest yet. Of course no misses on big game yet either. 

Without this group here I probably would not have gotten involved with trad archery. Thank you to everyone on the traditional archery forum.


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## threeleggedpigmy (Dec 18, 2009)

Right at two years now,  Thank you, Al for the addiction.  Thank you to others I meet along the trad road I started down.   Great friends and great times.


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## robert carter (Dec 18, 2009)

I started hunting with a Pearson recurve in 1974-75. Hunted a few seasons with a compound .Hav`nt killed a deer with a gun in nearly 20 years. 

   I really and I mean really got into trad hunting when I met Jim Vaness. He had electronics - radio shack type store in Baxley I saw a bow on his counter and we started talking. He loaned me a Bear Kodiak and showed me his style of shooting. Its still mostly the way I shoot now. If you have read Fred Asbells book on Instinctive shooting you would have heard of him. He`s the guy in the building your arrows chapter that told Fred about building wood arrows....me too. Small world.RC


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## TIMBERGHOST (Dec 18, 2009)

Got a Ben Pearson Fiberglass Recurve in Spring 1975, out grew it that Summer (I was 11)  and  got a Bear Black Bear Recurve for Christmas that same year.  The bow was 60" long and 48#@28".  I was kind of afraid of it at first (stringing it was intimidating) but I got over that quickly.  

Never had a compound and I think I can count on 2 hands the number of times I've actually shot a compound -  usually resulting in a bad experience... So I've always been a recurve man.  Had  brief affairs with a couple of longbows along the way but the recurve is my first and last love.

Only been Hunting since 1996 though.  Always with a recurve or longbow.


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## ChrisSpikes (Dec 18, 2009)

I put down 10-20 years, but I don't feel like that's really accurate.  I've only hunted with one for 5.5 years.

I bought my first trad bow, a Martin Damon Howatt Hunter, in 1995.  I ordered it from Black Widow, and I think it was $200.  Actually, I guess looking at the Black Widow ads in the bowhunting magazines is what got me wanting to give it a try in the first place.  I didn't know anyone who hunted with one, so I just sort of developed an interest on my own.  I lusted for a Black Widow, but didn't have the money to drop on something I wasn't sure I would like.  

When I got the bow, I played around with a little, but didn't get serious about it until 1998.  I got enough confidence to hunt with it, and actually killed the first deer I got a shot at.  Made a perfect 17 yard qtr. away shot.  I ended up killing 4 with it that season.  I also killed 4 deer with it in the '99 season, but had a pile of shots and did a lot of missing.  I lost my confidence, and the next year I went back to the compound.

I didn't touch the recurve again until the middle of October of 2006.  We had a target set up where I worked, and we shot bows pretty much every day.  One day, for some reason, I decided to take my recurve to work and try shooting 3 under.  Within the first 20 shots, I was shooting better than I ever had while shooting split finger.  By the end of the week, I had enough confidence to take it to the woods.  I killed a deer with it the next week, and haven't looked back. 

I honestly wish I had gotten serious with it back in '95.  For me, the level of enjoyment I got while hunting with a compound doesn't even compare.  This is a blast!  Not to mention all the fine folks I've met.  Most of them, directly or indirectly, through this great little forum.  And while I'm talking about this forum, let me say this.  In my opinion, over the last couple of years, THIS forum has spurred more interest and growth in traditional archery in this state than ANY other platform. 

And Marty, I've only killed 8 pigs and 31 deer with trad bows, so I'd say you're doing pretty dang good.  Nothing pitiful about it!


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## Jake Allen (Dec 18, 2009)

_


Al33 said:



			I am aware of several here that did not own a trad bow two years ago yet in this very short period of time have become fantastic shooters and even better hunters with trophies to prove it. Some who did not own a trad bow now have quite a collection of them, right Jake?

Click to expand...

_


Al33 said:


> QUOTE]
> 
> Yep, and each bow that I am proud hold is a work of art, a labor of love of someone's talent, sweat and efforts, a vehicle for many hours of fun and in the right hands and situation, an effective, yet simple and elegant killin' machine.
> 
> ...


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## bobman (Dec 18, 2009)

1964  still love it like I did as a kid.

I got a shooting lesson with some other kids once by Fred Bear himself, unfortunately I had no idea at the time who he was.

Just some old guy that could really shoot well.


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## mountainarcher (Dec 18, 2009)

Started shooting trad.arround age 8,at age 16 or so went to compound,took all sights and other junk off the compound and shot it bare bow with fingers for couple years.A few years ago I went back to shooting a longbow.Had to retrain myself all over again & still don't shoot as well as I did as a kid but I think it's because when I was a kid that's all I did was shoot my bow.Everyone would be playing some kind of ball and i'd be huntin or shooting a bow.I just always had a greater feeling of accomplishment when I took anything with a longbow as opposed to any other weapon.Didn't matter if it was small game or my personal favorite,Black bear.Nothing i've ever done compairs to making any harvest with a traditional bow and a arrow that I made...


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## TNGIRL (Dec 18, 2009)

I had to take electives in college, getting my nursing degree. That was 1975, had a semester of "field archery" with long bows. Never touched one before. I really enjoyed the class and made an A!!!!!!
Fast forward to about 2000 and a close family friend named David Harris convinced my late husband and myself to shoot in his backyard. The bait took, but hook didn't get "set" with me for another yr, couldn't pull the big boys bows back. But it's been smooth sailing for me ever since I got my little Shakespeare Sierra. (yeh Dave!!!)  I have 2 of them, just alike, a longbow and 2 self bows. And a whole lot of pleasure from shooting them. My entire family, down to little grandkids have equipment to shoot with. It's a family affair for sure!!!


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## Al33 (Dec 18, 2009)

I am truly enjoying reading everyone's trad history and so glad so  many of you decided to share it in this poll.

Interesting to see how the numbers are shaping up. I know it's early in the poll but it shows we are split right down the middle experience wise. I am really excited about that because that confirms that traditional archery is on a strong comeback from the 80's and 90's when compounds ruled the day. I can only hope outdoor/hunting type companies see the potential for catering to our needs and desires.


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## trad bow (Dec 18, 2009)

I never hunted with a compound. No need really. I have shot a few animals with my longbows and recurves and even back in the 70's and early 80's shot a deer or two with a gun. The traditional bows I shoot suit my hunting style and demenore just fine. Timeline, I guess since 1969 when I shot my first Bear bow I just  thought that it is the way it was suppose to be.


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## hogdgz (Dec 18, 2009)

I have been at it for about 2 years now. This year has been trad only since I sold my Mathews to a fella in Canada. It has been an awesome journey thus far and I hope to have many more years of hunting with a trad bow if the good LORD is willing. I shot a couple of hogs with it, only recovered one. I shot 4 deer this year and lost one of those and 2 last year and lost one of those also. I hope to contniue to get better with my trad equipment and hone my hunting skills. I have learned alot from you fella's and I appreciate everyone on here.  I am so hooked on trad equipment that I never quit thinking about it, constantly reading as much as I can on it, and shoot my bows daily and year round, it is definetly an addiction. Cant wait to see everyone again.


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## RPolk (Dec 18, 2009)

Started shooting a bright yellow fiberglass Bear Longbow around age seven. Through the years I've had Longbows, Recurves and a few Compounds. I've come full circle back to my lefty longbows. I recently built a longbow for my six year old son, I look forward to seeing the path he takes in the coming years.


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## longbowdave1 (Dec 18, 2009)

back in 1977 i joined an archery club that shot in the gym of my high school. i bought a ben pearson 40# cougar. i only shot targets with it. i still have that bow so i dug it up and took a few photo's. i hunted with compounds form 1980 to 2005. got bored and built a self bow on a bet. harvested a whitetail and some small game with it. built quite a few selfbows over the next few years. then i switched to building fiberglass laminated bows.i would have never guessed that i would be selling bows and people from hawaii to new yok to ireland would be shooting them. it's been a great trad ride! you can't make me go back!


dave, strictly trad!


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## pine nut (Dec 18, 2009)

I don't know when I started for sure but first good bow was a lemon wood long bow  and I wa sjust a kid.  I'm allergic to privet hedge today probably because I cut so much of it for bow and arrows when I was young.  I used to tape canvas clothe on the arrows for fletching, which we call "feathers" back then.  
I killed my first deer in 1966 or 7 with an Indian Archery recurve.
I killed my third deer the next year with the same bow.  Then I gave up bows for guns for the next38 years or so.  Started back with a bow about four years ago.  Hunting is fun again!


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## baldfish (Dec 18, 2009)

I've been infected since WARII when Al passed on this nasty little virous


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## Dennis (Dec 18, 2009)

I started as a kid with a bear bow but i did not know what i was doing and it was way to strong for me.I used a compound when they first came out and killed a lot of game with them, but i noticed all my hero's that i would read about shot longbows and recurve's. So one day in 1992 i  went to see a guy named Dan Quillian and that day he took my compound away from me and handed me a longbow and showed me how to shoot it.I killed a deer with it the first year and i have not hunted with anything else, even a gun since.


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## schleylures (Dec 18, 2009)

I got my first bow from hachett dan at the spring shot at culonden in 2008 after warI.I did not even own a bow till then, even though I killed my first deer with a bow I borrowed from my uncle Dpoole when I was not even big enough to string it.
 I think i have two or three bows now, the best shooters I got are, well never mind. No a right hand left hand I got from jeff hamptom for the kids. Thanks.


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## Bubbaforsure (Dec 18, 2009)

My first exposure to archery was P.E. class in elementary and jr. high school school. I have always loved the outdoors and it just seem the natural thing to do. During the mid sixties, I joined our lcoal archery club and back then field and indoor archery was the rage. Being under age and unable to drive. Several of the club members took me under there wing and helped me with transportation and was able to go field archery  tournements all over the southeast.  It was a blast! When I started driving, hunting became my main focus and started working at a local sporting goods store, after school each day. It was here ,I developed my passion for traditional archery. Back then "Fred Bear" was the man and is still is in my book. Each year the store had a bow hunting clinic the weekend before season came in and it was here we got to see all of his movies. I was hooked!  I just love everything about traditional archery, it's simplicity, heritage, challenge, it has such a satisfying quality to it. It does not matter if you shot good, bad, missed, ground checked something or did not see anything at all...It's just fun.
In late fall of 1972, I  was blessed with opportunity to meet Papa Bear. The store owner had struck up a freindship with Fred during his yearly visits to sporting goods trade shows and he stopped by the store on his way to hunt the opening St. Vincent Island archery hunt. We skipped school to meet him and when we walked into the store, it was sureal...There's was the "man", standing right there in front of you , hat and all, shaking you're hand. We got to talk with him for some time. I found him to be everything we had always thought he would be, soft spoken, tall, lean as a bean stalk, but he had huge hands, with a grip like a vice. Hunted strickly tradtional bows and hog hunting was the thing I loved the most till the early eighties where I tried compounds for a few years. I hated it. It just did not feel like a bow in my hand. I just gun hunted till 2006. But started shooting again with my two boys. I'm hooked worse than ever now..Have locked all the guns away and will only hunt this way from now on...It has gotten so bad...I come home for lunch to shoot,  even set up a light at night to fling a few before bed..It's terminal...!
But right now it is this forum which has added a new element to my tradtional fever...my wife said I'm addictted to it" We just have a great bunch of folks here ...and I hope to meet some of you very soon!


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## ScottGray (Dec 18, 2009)

I'm 44 now. Dad bought my brother and I a couple of  Bear fibergalss bows when we were about 13. Been doing it ever since........Thanks Dad.


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## LongBow01 (Dec 19, 2009)

Started at about age 12 with one of those little fiberglass bow sets yall know the ones. Then at about age 14 got a fiberglass recurve from Dan Quillians shot for a year then got a 45# longbow from quillian which I still have. I did stray for one deer season and bought a new PSE compound I hated it. To much to worry about yardages which pin do i use are my sights still ok. I sold it before the end of that season and will not shoot anything else. We always went to traditional shoots as a family when I was a kid I have several tropphies plaques etc. but My most treasured prize is my Hunting the hardway book by Howard Hill Given to me by Jerry Hill at the Howard hill world longbow championship in 1994. I was called up on stage to receive the second place trophy but then was called back up to give it back they had made a mistake I really got third as you can imagine as a 13 year old Kid I did not take that very well. After all of the awards wer given out Jerry Hill came up to me with the book and apologized to me for the mistake and gave me a signed copy of the book. I still have it and read it and look back in it for bow building and hunting tips alot.


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## Fishin & Hunting (Dec 19, 2009)

At 16 I bought a used Wing Falcon recurve/longbow.  Used it for a year and bought a new Wing Red Wing Pro.  Used it for about four years when I bought one of them new compound bows.  Gave my Falcon to my bother, sold my Red Wing Pro to a friend.  Bought the Red Wing Pro back from my friend and gave it to my brother.  My brother never did get into archery, and can't remember what he did with the bows.  

My friend found that old Red Wing Pro at a yard sale 10 years ago with his driver Lcs number still engraved on the limb.  He gave it back to me two years ago with a lot of begging on my part.  Then last year I was given a 1960's Wing Red Wing Hunter and Ben Person Colt.  

Trying to get good enough with the recurves so that can I feel confident  enough to hunt with them again.  I don't know if I will ever be as good a shot as I used to be.  One thing I sure, I do enjoy is the great time I have shooting them.  Ain't nothing better than stump shooting while out scouting for deer.

One thing I sure am wanting to try is a long bow.  When I was young, a recurve was the bow in style.  I never shot a true long bow.  Wonder how they shoot, and one day plan on trying them out.  

Will I ever give up my compound, I don't know.  I shot my first compound for 28 years before I upgraded to the 2001 PSE I bought two years ago.  So you can say I don't go for the modern stuff, or I am just a cheap old son of a gun.


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## dutchman (Dec 19, 2009)

The first time I picked it up was in Scouts in the early 70s. My dad had a Pearson rucurve that I shot some but never got serious with. Left Trad Archery alone until a picnic at the GON HQ in Madison in 2007, I think it was. I let Al talk me into shooting his Bear Montana at a plastic cup with flu-flus and blunts. Bought a Bear Byron Fersugon Patriot the next January and I now own 7 bows. I really enjoy it.


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## CallMaker (Dec 19, 2009)

I started shooting in 1967, of course then it was not traditional archery...just archery.

Ed


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## johnweaver (Dec 19, 2009)

I was given a hickory bow  in 1967 by this little old man that made bows and sold them in North Alabama, I can't remember his name, I was 9.  I had seen Fred Bear on TV and I wanted to be like him.  We didn't know anyone who shot a bow so I had to learn on my.  I never could figure it out so I put down the bow till 1987.  I bought my first compound at Hopkins Sporting Goods on South Cobb Drive in Smyrna.  I couldn't believe how easy a compound was to shoot, after all the time I had spent with that little long bow and never hit a thing.  I made my first archery kill in1989.  Shoot a compound until July  11, 2009, when I bought a long bow from Jim Taylor.  I had started to follow this forum about the end of 2008.  The people on here were so friendly and so helpful that I became addicted to hearing about the hunts and the backyard shoots and couldn't stay away.  I haven't made my first "Traditional Kill " yet , but I've only been on this trail for 44 years. These things take time.


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## SOS (Dec 19, 2009)

I started hunting at 26 after my new bride bought me a shotgun so I could bond with me father-in-law shooting doves.  Took a skeet shooting class and a fellow loaned me a rifle, took me hunting and killed my first deer.  So then my wife bought me a deer rifle, then a muzzleloader, then handguns and a compound bow.  Little over 5 years ago I bought a 40# Pearson Cougar to play with off an auction site.  Somehow I ended up with RC and crew at Horse Creek that fall even though I didn't feel ready to hunt, took my Pearson and my wheelie bow down there and loved the folks and the stump shooting at lunch.  Once someone loaned me a ThermaCell, had a ball.  Best bunch of hunting folks I'd met.  Realized my shooting wasn't too bad and started looking for a little heavier bow.  Met Hogtamer off TradGang and went to his house to shoot a little.  2 hours later after just meeting me, he loaned me a 45# Necedah and I shot it until I got a good deal on a 52# Bear Hunter TD.  Hogtamer built me a string, helped me tune it and I killed my first deer 5 seasons ago.  Next season hunted with my ChekMate 56" Hunter I and the following year I built El Cheapo, my TD longbow and been hunting with it ever since.  As I'm recovering from knee surgery in January, going to try building a bamboo backed IPE bow for therapy!  Merry Christmas.


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## gblrklr (Dec 19, 2009)

I bought a Brackenbury Shadow off of Woody's in June of '08 when my son decided that he seriously wanted to bow hunt.  I briefly considered a compound, but decided to go with the simplicity of a recurve.  Even though I haven't killed anything with it, I have had a ball.  I missed 3 bucks the first year, one of them I missed twice within about two minutes.  I missed a huge buck the first weekend of our season this year when my arrow hit the window on my blind.  I'll keep at it and eventually I will connect.

Both of my boys now have recurves (and compounds). We have a great time shooting in the back yard and at the Traditional Bowhunters of Florida shoots in August and March.  My youngest came in second in his class at the August shoot!


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## WarrenWomack (Dec 19, 2009)

A long time. I'm 65 and this is a picture of me (5 or 6 years old) with my first bow. 







That's my Dad with the cooter shell hat and my uncle sitting on the tackle box. 

I didn't start bowhunting for deer until 1969. 

I hung up my recurve and bought one of the first three compound bows to come to the Baton Rouge area in 1975. I killed a lot of deer with wheel bows before I went back to the recurve for the 93 season. I haven't shot a compound bow since then.


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## Elbow (Dec 19, 2009)

Oh, yeah, long time for me...let's see a full 6 months! I'm still learning and enjoying the ride!
El


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## GrayG (Dec 20, 2009)

Me and my brother got a 25 LB. bear fiberglass recurve bow each when I was about 8 or 9. We use to cut pictures of different animals out of Daddy's Field & Stream and paste them on a cardboard box to shoot at. When I got older I got caught up in the compound craze. I sold my compound around 1995 and bought a recurve made by a local bowyer. I killed my 1ST traditional deer in 1986, but didn't bowhunt much until about 3 years ago. Since then I've killed 11 deer and 8 hogs. I now deer and hog hunt only with trad gear and love it.


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## RUTTNBUCK (Dec 20, 2009)

My first bow was a Bear something or another..............Really don't remember. I paid $45.00 for it around 1981...........Shot it for a while, never went hunting with it

I was given a compound bow by my Father in law around 1984. My accuracy was much better with it than the recurve. I never had a kill with that bow. Sometime around 1986 I think I bought my first new compound from Hopkens Sporting goods in Smyrna. I took my first bow kill with that bow, and several more after that!!

January 1 2001 I bought a Mathews Solo cam............Dressed it out to the nines...................I've hunted with it less than 20 times...............Lost interest

Fast forward to this last spring WARII then a camping trip with some other members here, Then at D.O.G. I bought a recurve from Al. I attended a get together with the Poole's In September, and was given a self bow by HatchetDan.................That Self bow is my favorite one to date!!

Sometime around the first of this year I plan to have Apex Predator build me a longbow!!

I don't think I have the bug too bad yet!!


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## dtala (Dec 20, 2009)

I ain't quite as old as Warrenbut I too started at age six er so, that'e make 52 years. I shot recurves for most of that time, went to the dark side in the 80's and early 90's killad a lot of compound deer. I still shot the recurves some, usually a 1969 Bear TD I bought as a high school grad present to myself.

I still use the TD, killed a deer last season with it. Mostly now I shoot longbows by Dwyer and Turkey Creek, some selfbows and stone points as well.

  troy


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## Nicodemus (Dec 20, 2009)

1968, Bear Super Grizzly recurve. 45#


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## FVR (Dec 20, 2009)

I'm 46, started shooting a Bear bow when I was 8 or 9.  Got my first lemonwood longbow when I was 12.  Lost my way after the USMC until Dan Q. brought me back.


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## sawtooth (Dec 20, 2009)

I remember how happy  was to have won the bidding on a Ben Pearson cougar on ebay. oh I loved that thing. 50#. I was shooting easton eclipse 2413's out of it cause I didn't know any better. I read an article by Robert Carter in a magazine I saw at a curb store, his phone no. was in there, so I called him. He packed a ton of advice inside a twenty minute phone conversation. He got me on the right track and I've loved traditional archery ever since. I shot a small button head that following fall. That was 2004.


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## Arrow Flinger (Dec 21, 2009)

I started with traditional when there was no choice in the matter. In 1974,  I tried to shoot a 55# Kodiak Magnum at the age of 14 and 15. It was way too much bow for me and put a bad taste in my mouth for traditional.  Went to a compound as soon as I could get one and never had the desire to go back.  In a strange sequence of events, my Son got interested in Traditional 3 years ago and stayed on me to try it again.  After a year, I picked up an old used Pearson recurve and was hooked from day one.  I shot it more than I had shot in years.  I had always had a desire to try and build a bow and the new sparked interest got me started and built 10 bows for family and friends.  
I went all traditional this year and although I haven't let loose an arra, I enjoyed it as much as I have ever enjoyed a season.


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## RogerB (Dec 22, 2009)

Got my first bow, an all fiberglass model, when I was 11 or 12, the only thing I remember shooting with it was a bullfrog. Not sure what I did with it.
Got my next bow, a 45# Bear Grizzly, when I was a Junior in college ('73) and killed a doe with it.
When I graduated and got a job, I bought a compound and shot compounds for many years.
In 1994 (still shooting compounds) a guy I worked with said he wanted a recurve to shoot, so I gave him my Bear Grizzly, boy am I sorry now.
About 1996 a friend of mine in Miss. (that shoots trad)introduced me to a fellow in Miss. that made bows (Mr. Cooper) they were so pretty I asked him to make me a longbow (bamboo under glass with action wood riser). I asked for around #55 and the bow ended up #58 (close enough I thought) but it was really too heavy for me and I didn't enjoy shooting it.
While looking for arrows for that longbow I ended up in Archery Traditions. While there I saw a Bear Minuteman take down with two sets of limbs (#50 and #38). I thought the #38s would be good for bow fishing so I bought it for $75 (never taken it bow fishing).
Since I knew no one that shot trad I had no idea of how to shoot (form) and was terrible, so I put both bows in the corner and kept shooting my compounds.

THEN!!! about 2 years ago I desided to give it a try again and wanted to get some new arrows. I began searching the internet for arrows and somehow found the Woody's site. I just lurked for awhile, but finally posted to see if any one around Lawrenceville knew of places to shoot. Two people immediately answered me, Dennis and BK, and invited me to come shoot with them. Dennis' and my scheadule worked out so I went to his house and its been a whirl wind since then. THANKS Dennis and BK. This is what turned it around for me.
I then found another internet site "Trad Talk" and those guys kept talking about WARF bows. They kept saying how stable and fast they were, while being relatively inexpensive to build, so I desided to build one. Since then I have built several for both myself and others, and they are the bows I shoot 99% of the time.
To date I've not gone 100% trad, and I am not sure that I ever will, but what I can say is that I love shooting my trad bows, and the folks I shoot trad with are the finest group of people I have ever had the privilage to associate with.
It's sort of like the flu, few catch it on their own, but if you ever come in contact with someone that's go it, you probably will. Of all the pastimes/sports I have become interested in, it seems to always be the ones where the experienced people welcome the newbies, and that is what makes me so proud of this group.


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## Al33 (Dec 22, 2009)

Very interesting poll results (at least to me) and they confirm that the sport of traditional archery has been and is making a very strong comeback.

60% of the responders have been shooting trad for 6 or more years while right at 40% have been shooting trad for less than 5 years. 30% for two years or less.

I have no way of knowing if this is occurring like this all over the country but I suspect that the percentages would be very close. I also expect these numbers will shift in the next five or so years to where the largest percentage will be for 10 years or less. Makes me want to open up a metro traditional archery shop. 

Thanks for responding to the poll and especially for the stories of how you came to be a part of the trad archery world.


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## Fishin & Hunting (Dec 22, 2009)

It is kinda like the compound company's have priced themselves out of a good percentage of the market with their high price bows.


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## LanceColeman (Dec 22, 2009)

28yrs


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## johnweaver (Dec 22, 2009)

Al I agree with you.  I think that a Trad store could make it in the metro area, especially if it was between me and work.  I would stop by every afternoon to shoot and chew the fat.  The main problem is I would also buy stuff every day on the way home and it would end up costing me too much to go to work.  This same thing happened back in 1987 when Hopkens Sporting Goods  was on South Cobb Drive, I would stop every day and shoot my new bow.  They had a 53' trailer out back that we used to shoot in, it was great to be able to shoot every day, rain or shine.  An archery store has got to have a range where you can try out the bows and stuff.  Thats how they sold me, the guy just handed me the bow and said "Here, go try this."  Five minuets later he had sold a bow.


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