Has traditional archery become hypocritical?

[SwampRabbit]

Tradition isn't constant. It is history. And history changes as time moves on; specifically the perspective of history. Things get blended together. Relevant stuff become irrelevant and vice versa.

Time changes everything. Often times it is a very slow change, and you don't notice it until after you reflect back many years.

By definition, it takes many years to establish tradition... but tradition can be erased in a very short amount of time. That is, unless the tradition is passed on. But how it is passed on can serve to change the tradition.

Confused yet? It is a lot more complicated than a simple statement of "this IS tradition".

For several of us, we live and breath traditional bow hunting. We go afield with a simple stick and string with rather simple looking arrows and try to kill stuff. Some of us can articulate our reasoning for doing it this way really well. Some of us struggle. There aren't enough words to really articulate why I do it. I was drawn to it. I stumbled to get there... but once there, it felt right... right in my heart. Everything else that seemed right, all of a sudden didn't any more. But I acknowledge that at one point in time it felt right and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that at the time. "to your own self be true" rings out here. So it is really easy to take a step back and say... while I understand my method to be harder... there are harder ways... more simpler ways... and easier ways... but that doesn't make one better than the other.

Wisdom comes with time for those who pay attention and reflect and rationalize what they have seen and ask questions. You pose a very good question, and one worth discussing in my opinion. It doesn't sound like you are asking a question for which you have already sold yourself on the answer... and honestly, that is why I like this forum... we mostly have good conversations about stuff and folks learn on here... as long as they are being genuine in the asking of the question.

.... to make a long story short

[tradtiger]

"Whatever happened to that old traditional archery mindset?"

Guess it matters how far back you want to go back to set the traditional bar. Most would assume you're referring to the days before the invention of the compound bow in the late 60's. Maybe a sort of golden era of traditional bowhunting began to grow with that first 1934 bow hunting season, which was advocated by Fred Bear, inspired by Art Young, along with Dr. Saxton Pope, who was taught by Ishi.

But no less than the great Fred Bear was involved with a dispute over traditionalism with his bowyer Nels Grumley, who quit when Bear wanted to use machinery to make bows in greater numbers. Bear later began using fiberglas in his bows, and with Pearson and Hoyt, brought archery to the masses.

We can also look back centuries to the Mongols for building bows by using materials other than just wood. They beefed up their bows' efficiency using bone and sinew.

As far as hunting techniques, closeness to the game has always been a major part of bow hunting. No doubt compounds stretched the distance and enabled greater consistency and accuracy due to mechanical releases. The practice required for "traditional" archers to achieve success in the field is certainly more demanding than for compounds. Most of us don't use knapped flint heads and selfbows. Some may even gain an aiming advantage by string-walking -- gasp!. But I would submit that anyone hunting public land with virtually any type of "traditional" equipment is at very little advantage over his Native American brethren a couple of centuries ago. Government now dictates what type of deer we can shoot -- 13" buck or spike, and no doe after general season starts -- and when. Hiding behind a bush is little different now compared to way back when. Any of us can use smoke for a cover scent, work the wind, stake out a trail based on sign.

We're not allowed to do deer drives or stampede game off a cliff as hunters did for eons. Did you know that archery hunting actually dates back 65,000 years?

So, when did "traditional archery" start?

[Bisch]

Has traditional archery become hypocritical?

Before compounds, there was no such thing as traditional archery. It was just archery!!!! The term “traditional” was coined by someone after the invent of the compound to differentiate us from them.

To me, there is only archery! I love to shoot and hunt with a longbow. If the next guy wants to shoot a compound or xbow, more power to him! This season has been he77 for me, so bad that I recently bought a compound because I did not feel right going into the woods and hunting with the longbow as bad as I was shooting it! I still love the longbow, and will keep working to get “it” back so I can hunt again with it. I will not do the critters a disservice by hunting in a fashion that I know I am not proficient enough at!!!!! But I also plan to beat this and be hunting again with my longbow soon, because that is what I love to do!!!!!

Bisch


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[TP3]

It's all good.

[60 Deluxe]

I have seen this subject debated on other websites several times. It sometimes gets pretty ugly. The reason it gets ugly is because "traditional archery" is all about opinion. Even if a conference were held to establish parameters and decide on a textbook definition of traditional, there would still be people that would not agree.

I have my definition. It is mine and not up for debate so there is no need to throw it out for someone to poke holes in. I will say that things change. Always have and always will. This is not a group of people gathered together to do reinactment displays or to each do our part in preserving history. With no restrictions pertaining to historical similarity, traditional archery is free to experiment with new materials and innovative designs. Now, I think that I will go fire up the 3D printer and build me a penobscot bow this morning. I can see that design putting a Hoyt Satori to shame when you consider the adjust range for tiller and draw weight adjustment.

[CEpperson]

I’m usually stand offish on topics like this but here I go...if you are shooting a trad bow that only consist of a riser (wood or composite) two limbs and one string, as well as any arrow of choice at whatever weight shoots out of said bow it’s traditional archery. I’ve yet to find an easy way to shoot anything that falls into those boundaries. Yes things are maybe a bit easier to tune with modern arrows, adapters, and materials being used to build bows but not one of those things will make you pick up a trad bow and have it mastered in a short amount of time. You still have to put in a large amount of practice and effort to get to where you are good with the bow. If that is competitive in anyway so be it. If posting pictures of my kills or a good group is me being boastful, competitive or trying to one up someone in your eyes, that’s your issue not mine. I post that stuff because I’m proud of the work I’ve put in that enabled me to get to that point. I’m not going to apologize for the fact that things have changed over the last 100 years. If Fred Bear himself was alive and well today I believe he would be a part of a forum much like this one posting his many kills and info that he believed would help others.
It all comes down to the individual, do what makes you happy, call it what ever you want, stay in your own lane and make it work for you. I’ll shoot my recurve, call it killing instead of harvesting, fist bump my brother after a successful hunt and be happy with whatever I shot no matter how big or small and I could care less if it upsets the whole world. Y’all have a good day, shoot straight and God Bless!

Clay

[RickBarbee]

Heck, we beat up on each other way more than anyone outside our ranks.

Rick

[Pullersboy]

I've not read any replies to your post, OP. but, I'll give my initial thought as someone who does not own traditional archery equipment (though I'd like to try my hand at it at some point).

My initial reaction is that you're worrying too much about it. Just take your stick and string and go huntin'. Leave the all the concern about these sorts of things behind and enjoy the craft. Just my .02, Sir.

[Mike Javi Cooper]

Even though I can't shoot a bow anymore.. I still laugh every time I hear the words Traditional Archery... no such thing... There was, is now and always will be just archery

[RickBarbee]

I've never minded the moniker. Actually even liked/like it, but like I said - my definition is pretty open minded about what traditional archery includes.

Rick

[stickbowcoop]

Even though I can't shoot a bow anymore.. I still laugh every time I hear the words Traditional Archery... no such thing... There was, is now and always will be just archery

I think I disagree with that. I am not an elitist, 2 bicep and 3 back surgeries taught me I love to hunt regardless of what bow I use. But I would not lump compounds or crossbows in with recurves, longbows, etc. There is a difference. To me one is not better than the other, but they aren't all the same. I know states (most) lump them all together for a season. But if you show up for a "traditional archery" 3-D and try to use your compound you will be turned away. At least in PA they did.

[Phillip Fields]

I've never minded the moniker. Actually even liked/like it, but like I said - my definition is pretty open minded about what traditional archery includes.

Rick

I agree with Rick. When someone says Traditional archery we know that they are talking about bows that do not have wheels and cams on them. Within the traditional family we have people shooting self bows with cane arrows mounted with stone points and people shooting the latest Olympic rigs with sights and stabilizers with a myramid of different setups in between. There is nothing hypocritical about using any of the equipment that fits somewhere in there.

[Jimbo47]

I have to agree with what someone mentioned above, that "traditional archery" wasn't even a consideration for a category before the compound bows came along.....As mentioned, it was just archery.
I grew up during that period and my first bow I carved out of a cedar limb.
I spent many days in my youth hunting arrow heads, and thinking about what it was like to have to survive using such primitive tools and skills.
I became a hunter at an early age, and I used a bow and arrow with the most modern recurve and arrows that were available back in the early 60's, which wasn't much.
When compounds became available, I went that route, and found that I could increase my consistency, range and success rate beyond what I could ever achieve with my recurve bow.
As I grew older I had to go with a crossbow which made my success even greater.
I was a hunter, the same as when I began the journey, but only the equipment changed.
I still had the same mindset, just different tools.
I still shoot a recurve bow, and will hunt with it when I feel like getting back to archery in it's purist form, which is no sights, or mechanical releases, but it's still hunting, which will always stay the same.

[SwampRabbit]

Even though I can't shoot a bow anymore.. I still laugh every time I hear the words Traditional Archery... no such thing... There was, is now and always will be just archery

I think I get what you are trying to say... and the premise that there is just "archery" makes sense if you look at it from a 100,000 ft level. But once you get on the ground, you realize that there are definitely different forms of archery.

I think the word "traditional" might rub some folks wrong or give some folks some idea of "better" or whatever feeling it gives ya (laughter in your case.) It is probably similar to how I can get when I hear the word "instinctive shooting"... it's all learned... that word doesn't actually apply... but it is now the coined word that is used to describe the difference between that and something else.

So in that regard, I am okay with the idea of calling it traditional archery. Why? because I am too young to remember when it was just "archery". And all the old timers on here call it traditional archery... you could say that calling it "traditional" is somewhat of a tradition now

BTW For means/methods of archery that use hand made, non synthetic materials... I like the use of the word "primitive."

I've also heard some folks start to use the term "modern" when talking compounds and such.

At the end of the day, these are just code words... or handshakes as it were when you discuss your preferred style of archery. Nothing wrong with labels... unless you just don't like labels... and then well, sorry, not much can be done about that.

[RickBarbee]

If my memory serves me, the moniker was not coined by we stickbow shooters, but was a label placed on us by the compound guys.

In my neck of the woods, when the moniker came about, it was meant as a compliment from those guys who coined it.

I have always graciously, and appreciatively accepted that compliment.

Rick