Bow technology

[Mr.Schertz]

When I see the new compounds out I think to myself,thats not my opinion of bow hunting. Does anyone else feel that? With all the gadgets that go along with new compounds you might as well be shooting a rifle. For me,bow hunting should be close to natural as possible. I'm not trying to bash any style of bow hunting ,just stating my opinion.

[cuttingedge]

I couldn't disagree more. With the advances in archery equipment, the bows have more speed and energy with less draw weight, and are just a lot more enjoyable to shoot. Also, with less required draw weight, folks that might not be able to shoot and hunt because of health issues, can still enjoy the great sport of bowhunting.

I also believe that some of the new stuff can help provide a quicker, more ethical kill of the game animal.

Anything within reason that helps archers shoot better and ultimately harvest their game more efficiently is a good thing in my book.

[Tom]

you still have to draw the bow while the animal is close.....that has not gotten any easier as a result of technology......

[Mr.Schertz]

I couldn't disagree more. With the advances in archery equipment, the bows have more speed and energy with less draw weight, and are just a lot more enjoyable to shoot. Also, with less required draw weight, folks that might not be able to shoot and hunt because of health issues, can still enjoy the great sport of bowhunting.

I also believe that some of the new stuff can help provide a quicker, more ethical kill of the game animal.

Anything within reason that helps archers shoot better and ultimately harvest their game more efficiently is a good thing in my book.

These advances IMO take away from true archery.Easier to pull back,trigger release mechanisms,multiple optics to "sight" in a bow,etc. Its actually getting farther and farther away from archery. Im not dogging it,just stating IMO what mainstream bow hunting is becoming. I know guys and gals are lined up to buy this because it makes bow hunting that much easier.

[Neohighlander]

You could always buy a recurve or long bow and go at it that way. I've only been into archery/bowhunting for two years, and with all this technology I still haven't harvested an animal. I think there are lots of different factors to it.

[TxHrvstr]

compound bowhunting

I have been bow hunting for 25+yrs. I started with a compound bow and updated every 5 or so years. Each time I update I am amazed at the tech. advances made made in archery equipment. That being said 2 yrs ago I decided to give trad. hunting a try . Not only was I excited about the prospect of this style of hunting I also became interested in the history of the old styles of archery equipment and developed a new respect our forefathers in this sport. IMO I think equipment should advance but I also think anyone who takes on this sport should explore all aspects of it and you can fully understand what it is all about.

[agtex42]

I think there’s a slippery slope when it comes to these types of conversations.

Which is more technologically advanced; a bamboo composite bow, a hickory selfbow, or a horn-backed horse bow? Now throw fiberglass limbs and carbon laminations in the mix, what about letoff or release aids (which are not an invention that originated with the compound) where is the line drawn?

I would argue that advancement was, and to a certain degree is necessary to maximize the efficiency of the hunter’s instrument of choice; particularly when it comes to bowhunting. Animals shot with archery equipment die from asphyxiation, mass hemorrhage, or a combination of the two. We owe it to the game we pursue to use equipment that is able to provide a clean kill. That being said, efficiency is only one side of the equation.

Can you buy a bow Wednesday that is efficient enough to kill a deer on the Saturday morning opener? Should you? Herein lies my problem with the commercial aspect of bowhunting that exists today. Instantaneous access to advanced technology and a performance first, results driven society does not set the stage for creating an ethical bowhunter. This is not to say that technology is the death of bowhunting as we know it. Take for example the hunter who started shooting a recurve in January, is he any more ready come opening day than the fellow who bought his bow the week prior?

In my opinion, a bowhunter’s ethics and mental preparation are far more important than what he draws to anchor at the moment of truth. Ask yourself these questions: When was the last time I engaged in conversation with another hunter about body positioning and shot placement? How have I served as a mentor to a new archer in my community? Am I a part of a bowhunting organization at the state or local level, why not?

The future of bowhunting lies in the education of those who will follow in our footsteps. No new hunter wants to hear about how he’s not doing it the right way with all the new-fangled gadgets, but I’ve met more than my fair share of individuals who will actively participate in a conversation about how to be prepared, know their equipment’s limitations, and wait for the right shot. There’s no stopping the industrial revolution of bowhunting, I for one would rather be standing on the ship providing course corrections rather than sitting on the shore watching it break apart on the rocks.

[BigWes]

So your set up is a homemade hickory long bow with a string you made your self shooting wood arrows you carved yourself with flint arrow heads you made by chipping away at one stone with another? Any compound is a step away from the roots.

Don't get me wrong, I know what you are getting at. Everyone (I think) has a bit of nostalgia in them that they look back on fondly. For most, it's the point at which they began or maybe a little prior. For example, I started playing baseball as a kid when aluminum bats were just beginning to come on the scene. When I got to high school I would actually take batting practice with one of those old bats that I found in the corner of the equipment room or a wooden bat (it was my nostalgia that longed for the glory days of baseball). But when it was game day, you can bet I was swinging the best technology I could afford.

My grandfather told me one time that anyone who longs to return to "the good ole days," doesn't remember them too well or is full of crap, one or the other. He grew up in the 1940s without running water or electricity. His parents didn't get a telephone until after he left for the army on the back side of WW2. He wasn't the most tech savvy person, but he sure did appreciate it. They make life, and everything we do easier. I don't see many folks riding the horse and buggy into work these days.

I think that if we are going to hunt, we owe it to the deer that feed us to kill them as quickly and with as little suffering as we are able to. For some, that means they will never get to trad hunting. I know I'm not there. Each hunter should use the equipment they can to make the most ethical kill possible. If you are, that's awesome.

[Bisch]

You could always buy a recurve or long bow and go at it that way. I've only been into archery/bowhunting for two years, and with all this technology I still haven't harvested an animal. I think there are lots of different factors to it.

This thread was started in the traditional forum, so he probably already shoots a recurve or longbow!

As far as the OP's original post/question, it really does not matter what a guy uses, as long as he is out in the wood enjoying himself, and does it legally and ethically! You said in your original post "For me,bow hunting should be close to natural as possible.". For a lot of other guys, that is not the case!

I only hunt with traditional equipment, the next guy a compound, and the next guy a rifle. Some guys mix it up and hunt with different weapons in different seasons. I have a love for trad archery and will hunt anything in the world with my trad bow, as long as it is enough bow to take the critter I am after.

Arguing among ourselves about which way is purer or better is not the way to go and anytime you say one way is better or worse than another, people are going to get defensive about the way they do things. In the end, we should all be supporting our rights to hunt and congratulating each others successes, even if they are with a weapon we choose not to use.

Bisch

[Bowtech1233]

In the end, we should all be supporting our rights to hunt and congratulating each others successes, even if they are with a weapon we choose not to use.

Bisch

Bingo!

[trad"Doc"53]

Easier, enough said. The world has more folks that are turned to be like water, taking the easiest path. Traditional archery takes more time and practice than most folks want to put into it to be proficient. There's always going to be the folks that grab the latest,greatest short cuts available. But those are going to be the folks in a jam when the batteries die or the electricity goes down, it won't be "easy" anymore. I enjoy the simple low road where if my string breaks and I can simply get my back-up out of my fanny pack and restring my bow and continue to hunt while most of the wheelie guys are going to have to pack out find a shop and pay out the butte to get going again. Nothing wrong with compounds, just like there is nothing wrong with trad gear. God made everyone different, that's why we have choices, we just need to respect each others choices.

[TacticalCowboy]

Some people like the precision. I prefer the challenge.

[ShaBow]

When I see the new compounds out I think to myself,thats not my opinion of bow hunting. Does anyone else feel that? With all the gadgets that go along with new compounds you might as well be shooting a rifle. For me,bow hunting should be close to natural as possible. I'm not trying to bash any style of bow hunting ,just stating my opinion.

Bowhunting with a compound is not even a close comparison to a rifle! I see shot opportunities fly away every year that would have been easy with a rifle.Not a whole lot of difference for me with a Trad or compound bow.I still strive to get them close but my comfortable range is a little farther with my compound but not even close to where it would be if I hunted with a rifle.

[killerbee]

This thread was started in the traditional forum, so he probably already shoots a recurve or longbow!

As far as the OP's original post/question, it really does not matter what a guy uses, as long as he is out in the wood enjoying himself, and does it legally and ethically! You said in your original post "For me,bow hunting should be close to natural as possible.". For a lot of other guys, that is not the case!

I only hunt with traditional equipment, the next guy a compound, and the next guy a rifle. Some guys mix it up and hunt with different weapons in different seasons. I have a love for trad archery and will hunt anything in the world with my trad bow, as long as it is enough bow to take the critter I am after.

Arguing among ourselves about which way is purer or better is not the way to go and anytime you say one way is better or worse than another, people are going to get defensive about the way they do things. In the end, we should all be supporting our rights to hunt and congratulating each others successes, even if they are with a weapon we choose not to use.

Bisch

Couldn't have said it any better!
Whatever gets you out there and make your heart thump!

[Retsbew]

It's not the type of bows we use that will ultimately shape the future of bowhunting, it's the attitudes of the people using them. The best place to start for evaluating that aspect is for each of us to look in the mirror.