Many people call themselves traditional bowhunters because they hunt with a recurve or longbow. Some think they’re more traditional than others, because they hunt with a selfbow of their own making. Some think the use of wooden arrows makes them traditional. HOGWASH! Traditional is HOW YOU HUNT! A true traditional bowhunter goes afield with a bow and arrows and his little bag of tracking/field dressing supplies. He leaves the modern gizmos and gadgets home. In fact, he probably has never purchased them to begin with. He needs no tree stand, pop-up blind, food plot, scents, scent block, you name it. He chooses to hunt game on the game’s terms. He’s not afraid to get up close and personal with the game he pursues. It’s that very contact with the game, and not an attempt to avoid it, that has made him a hunter. He’s a true hunter in a tradition going back thousands of years. He’s not disconnected from the game he pursues, like we see today. 99% of today’s hunters are non-traditional.

Joe

As noted fly-fishing author John Gierach once wrote, you probably don't know that you don't need all that stuff until you've bought it and tried it ;-)

I love reading old 'how to hunt' books and articles. Move slow, play the wind, all that classic stuff still works.

That said, I like a comfortable seat and enjoy playing with trail cameras. But I will never own an 'ozonics' generator...

My last one I didn't even have my finger tab.

Bjrogg

Amen!

X2 my friend

I used to over accessorize in both fishing and hunting All the gear and an idea. Same with fly fishing and it gets kind of ridiculous.

Thanks for the definition Joe..I wished I could be part of the 99% but I would personally never kill any thing but a blind possum.. But there's always "one day".

Sorry 1%..see I'm already wishing.

Although I don't seek to conform to a specific definition I'm close to Frisky's. I don't use treestands, electronics, trail cameras or scent cover but do have a Waldrop PacSeat that will help me stay in the woods longer as knees worsen and I have to gradually revert to more sitting.

As for flyfishing - with retirement and more free time lurking around the corner I have been checking out the concept of Tenkara as the "trad" form of flyfishing. Simple is good.

Right. To be truly traditional I guess you would have to walk from home to hunt.

Or ride a horse!

Lots of folks here apparently are able to walk out the door and hunt. I have to drive at least 35 miles to get to a place to hunt.

And once there it might involve 1 to 6 miles of walking and an entire day. It could, if lucky, include handling and transporting 50 to 160 pounds of boned out meat. Temperatures might be in the '90's. Doesn't play well with a little bag of field dressing gear!

Well first thing is, you need to know and understand the definition of tradition and how it applies contextually. Nothing more traditional in the old states like Pennsylvania than wool shirts and pants and a good rifle on the "first day of buck". I wouldn't get too overwhelmed with any of it actually. This too shall pass.

Longcruise, you can find extremes anywhere. Where you choose to live is mostly a choice, and you do what you have to do. I can walk out the back door and go hunting and that doesn't diminish anything about the hunt. Your opinion of what our hunts entail is pretty baseless since you apparently don't do it the same.

Self bow hunters knocking recurve hunters,recurve hunters knocking compound hunters, compound hunters knocking cross bow hunters. rifle hunters knocking all bow hunters. Over the years I have heard it all, and in any combination of the above.It,s all relevant to me.I hunt with a self bow from a tree stand.Call it what you may,but It is just a personal choice.

Yes, there are traditional Gun Hunter's too!! How you hunt not what you look like, or what gun you carry.

George, been there done that. Didn't Express an opinion on what others do but rather pointed out that what frisky defines as "traditional" isn't applicable to the entire membership here. Stick bow hunters from all over the world gather here. Many of them probably don't even apply the word "traditional" to what they do (includes me BTW).

Irregardless, Frisky got what he really wanted. :^)

Joe, Stir the pot and put it on the fire. LOL :-D It seems to me the term traditional has been given by us the "modern- less complex- bowhunters". Although I LOVE my longbow and recurve there is NOTHING traditional about them or the materials that make them perform. I'm completely okay with that, and the fact that sometimes I still choose to over-gizmo myself is just part of my modern brain activity. I do hunt from the ground and leave a lot of the modern technology behind, but not all the time, and to say all would be to leave the modern made hunting utensil behind as well. My utmost respect goes to those who take time to carve out a selfbow, make their own wood arrows and tip them with self made stone points. THERE is the traditionalist. The rest of us, if we were to be truthful or have to have an associated group, would jut be loosely affiliated groupies.

-Bones

Agreed Frisky.

Joe always gets what he wanted, and we always help him out, either advertently or otherwise. ;)

Sorry but that's why I say I am a killer!!!!!!!!!!

Don't have to hunt just go out and kill an animal or bird or fish with stick and string.

What so hard about that.

No books written to justify what you do just go out find em takem and eatem.

See you later Joe.

When the grass hopper grows up and finds out his teacher suxs then he shoots the teacher don't he? LOL

In foreign lands they shoot you for far less don't they.

For me it is less about the specific equipment . What is most humane for the animals we kill is being the most prepared ,comfortable and skilled with the weapons we choose to use to do that killing . So I see it more about our Personal Ethics, Rules of fair chase, A deep respect and appreciation for the lives we choose to take that will nourish us and in that regard ONLY kill what you will eat. To me killing for for sport, fun, or trophy's ...even though Human's law may make it legal does not make it SO, What ever ones definition of traditional may be.

99% percent ain't traditional hunters...hahaha Seems everyone has an idea of what "traditional" really is. Go on to Facebook and make a post and you'd get so many posts for days and days.

Seems anyone, the young generation, with back yard shooting skills, is making videos on what they think traditional is and how shooting a stickbow helps to teach themselves about themselves, about how carrying a stickbow into the woods makes them feel... Hahahaha, heck, they even are doing podcasts now on why their equipment is right and the only thing to use!! Seems social media has turned out a lot of "true traditionalists". Legends in their own minds, seeking attention from those that believe their way is the only way...

I'd have to elaborate on that in that (to me) it's how you live & not just how you hunt or with what one hunts with but rather how one lives his or her life I call it (traditional values) yes I hunt with all types of weapons not just trad bows & yes I fish with everything from cane poles to 130 class gear for giant bluefin tuna & I put away usually 15 deer a year I can venison both plain & with seasoning I freez steaks roasts backstraps burger plain - with pork shoulder & leggs sausage seasoning & also with bacon. I freez & can all types of fish I grow a large garden & have a dozen laying hens. the grocery store gets very little of my money for food. I also barder quit a bit with all the food that I put away (another traditional value) so in my mind with which one uses to gather his food is a very small part of the equation compared to just staying out of the grocery store & living as much like our ancestors did beying as self sufficient as possible in these modern times. if that trad bow & wool flannel floats your boat by all means go for it. supplying my family's food much like the homesteaders did is my thing. & frisky if I'm correct I believe you went without harvesting a deer last season & if that's true my offer still stands pm me your address & ill gladly share some venison from the above mentioned whatever you prefer even some canned tuna but it wasn't killed with a trad bow or a bamboo flyrod

I don't call myself a traditional anything, but I hunt as you describe Joe, have for many years. I just see it as a more simple(simple and easy aren't synonymous) way to go about it. I like working toward self-reliance and full accountability because I don't want to owe my success, or failure, to another bow maker, arrow maker, a treestand, bait, a trail camera, scent blocker, fancy camo clothes, you name it. And you can keep the 'traditional' label. I don't want any parts of that either. Such labels are for folks who care too much what others think.

I like labels. They make my life easier. Imagine going into a grocery store where none of the products are labeled. That would be chaotic.

Imagine a file cabinet with no labels. That would be chaotic.

Imagine a town with just blank street signs. Chaotic.

Just because I hunt with a self bow, self arrows and trade points from the ground doesn't make me any better than anyone else but it certainly makes me different.

These days our society does not want to celebrate differences.

Personally, I like the label "traditional".

Jawge

I love these Pot stirring threads

Yes, fun. :) Jawge

Yeah I hunt what some call traditional but it doesn't matter only to myself, bowhunting has gone off the rails a few yrs ago with the dreaded x-bow allowed in and technology.

I've been told that if it wasn't for the compound we wouldn't have a season, never seen the proof of this propaganda just the promoters of it, but there was a very large increase in bowhunting prior to the compound.

I'll just do my own walk in my twilight of bowhunting and bag the rest of the junk as long as my own fire is still burning, enjoy the hunt.

Since I turned 80, I have used my version of a 4wheeler to get to where I need to go to kill my bear. At 84 now, I don't think that will change. I use my 4wheeler every day and have used ones like him since I was 5 years old, so it's traditional to me. All the rest of it, I couldn't be less interested. And that's why I didn't mention my weapon. Traditionally, that's MY business.

Idk if I do much agree w this. I do agree w most though. Equiptment can/should never be used as a crutch but imagine a whitetail only hunter in a heavily pressured state. Now take a whitetail hunter “hunting” a game rich 10 acres. I’d personally have to disagree the fellow in the treestand in big woods had it easier than the knucklehead sneaking through a yard between houses. Here’s another, years ago I had a lease. The farmer would occasionally get upset w us for not shooting enough does. I’d tell him tonight I’d shoot one. So these deer came down a mountain, across a hay field, through a dried up brook to hit his pumpkins. I’d stay in that brook and mirror the deer until I figured which brook crossing they’d use. Once they committed shots were easy. I shot em from the ground, does this sound tough? How bout the mule deer guy who stalks easier to see/approach prey? I’ll agree w everything stated in the the initial post except the stand sites. Is a good ground blind constructed by us that superior? Idk I’m thinking there’s so many ways to “set up on deer”. This area should be the least to worry about when bait, ozonics, disposable blade knives, pre sharpened blade broadheads, trail cameras, carbon fiber suits, etc etc. rule the day for most guys. I do understand the premise though. I use nothing myself except the treestands sometimes but not always. My optic nerve was hit in a surgery, I can’t see periphally to the side. A tumor crushed my hearing on that side and now I’m deaf there. Can’t tell direction, can’t see em coming. Need some height to see them beforehand. No way a slight scuffle up close would tell me where to look. If ya figure a fellow who had limitations to overcome and used a treestand is less trad than some trail cam guy I’d tend to disagree. I personally have no thin skin. Make no excuses for anything. To each his own but let me ask something??? Do many whitetail hunters not use treestands cause they wanna be “real trad” or cause the higher percentage is afraid of heights and making excuses for that??? Trad in my mind is what you can do to really hunt. To really give the game a chance and be involved. There’s dif limits to it too. Imagine a fellow w his longbow, cedar arrow tipped w zwickeys. He’s sat all summer n watched deer through binoculars (like a man) to pattern them. Shot that bow religiously. Taken a file or stone to his broadheads. Glues them into the arrows he made himself. Opening afternoon. He hops out of his outfitted truck, he’s helped into a trax chair (pretty modern gadget) and wheels over to his hide between the bales. He shoots a button buck (God forbid). You telling me that guy was less trad than the fellow who had a camera or outfitter do his scouting to put him in a similar field to sneak around bales w his store bought arrows n heads??? Idk, I say no though. Eye of the beholder I guess

No more simpler or traditional fishing than a pole and worm

Scoped crossbows are more traditional than airbows. 50% letoff compounds are more traditional than 85% letoff compounds.

I use osage selfbows and cedar arrows. I have no idea how those rate, but I have enjoyed them for fifty deer seasons.

I just like to kill deer with a recirve bow.

I'm with Jeff and Jawge on this one. Yes, it's a simple thing to be a traditional bowhunter, but it's too tough for 99% of the crowd. They've grown too reliant on ways to take away the game animal's advantage over them. They don't want to face that deer, one on one, with all advantages going to the deer. They fear a lack of success. Yet, in doing so, they deprive themselves of the privilege of ever becoming a true hunter, formed from the traditionalist mold.

Joe

The great thing about archery tradition is there apparently isn't one, not on the internet.

The actual guys who coined the phrase, or promoted it were certainly adventurous hunters, but many of them where whitetail specialist and for sure used tree stands. Gene Wensel comes to mind, who is a stand hunter but also the guy who once still hunted to the point where was able to grab a deer by the antler.

The early guys (not early bowhunters, but early merchants of the idea of "Traditional") seem to have been pretty influenced by Fred Bear, in bows and maters of dress. So then you have to figure in how traditional owning Grousehaven is. Owning your own deer infested woods has to be some kind of leg up.

Then there is the ultimate arbiter of Trad: TBM. They often support dog hunting, where the archer runs and shoots. That is way less hunty (if often lung busting), than a mock scrape.

It aint' the arrow boys....it's the indian.

I'm glad everyone agrees with me on this issue. That makes me feel good, as we can now move forward and become better hunters.

Joe

Around here we call all the people that just completed an Orvis fly fishing class "Orvilles". 99% of the time they were talked into buying all the high end accessories they have to offer. Then they look like a tinker's wagon wading through the streams.

That Orvis thing is funny. One catskill stream near me has an Orvis shop. Guys walk out of there w new waders, new rods, new reels, new line, new vest, new flashlight, new forceps, new hat, new polarized glasses, I could do this description thing forever but the wade right in and try looking the part. They always display all that junk on the truck sides during breaks. (Did I say they can’t cast n certainly can’t haul lines) Archery as well as other disciplines have em too. Taught a family day at range w some guy. Kept trying to challenge me til I had answers for him. He set up his gear, displayed it nice, even wore a quiver w matching arrows as he taught. Once he showed everyone how perfect his draw was by dry drawing a bow pointing it into the crowd (after we explained not to) he was asked to leave. But boy he sure looked an expert in his eyes Each time I say my normal hunt attire is jeans n a flannel all I get is guys thinking it can’t be true that success can be had without matching, new camo. Don’t even remember that last time I bought camo but for sure it over 15 years ago.

LOL!

My wife dusted off a few turkeys on along the back road to town last year. She'll be using her car this year as her weapon.

last year the guy with the recurve that drives the gold trimmed Caddy suburban thing, that has a crew come in with pickup loads of tree stands to blanket a public hunting piece, and then puts notes under people's windshield wipers telling them that he has the area covered, 'PLEASE HUNT SOMWHERE ELSE'. While he said 'please'. The top of the line trad hunter, he even owns three other parcels of land in the area. I need to get one off those electric rotating tree stands, to go with my pass to drive a four wheeler on public land. I wonder if i can special order an electric elevator to go with my electric rotating tree stand. i should hire a crew to create funnels, so all of the deer will be forced to walk past my tree stand. This sneaking' around that i have been doing for 55 years is making me tired.

Which is more 'traditional'? My ILF bow with machined riser and carbon/foam limbs, or my wood and blue steel pump shotgun? My carbon arrows or my lever-action rifle? My stainless-and plastic muzzle loader or my blued bolt action rifle?

My 'personal' tradition is telling people to shove their labels where the sun don't shine. Didn't ask you to label ME.

Sounds to me like you could use a crossbow, a traditional crossbow.

Yea bow guy and all that need is a worm.

Worms work great with brook trout, but you need to be able to do a very gentle roll cast. Sorry, but I would rather eat a Canadian brook trout than pretend that i am an expert fly fisherman.

A lot of fishing these days, especially trout, is simply going after " pen raised " and artificially manipulated fish stocked for the trade. I never found much enjoyment in "put and take" fishing or hunting.

Before the compound bow, there was no no traditional archery. The name “traditional” differentiated the longbow & recurve from the compound. Some people really get their hackles up by the term “traditional “. Don’t understand their aversion to it. I like being traditional, and trying to keep things simple. Wouldn’t want to live in a cave, I would miss having advanced medical, indoor plumbing, my iPad etc. but I enjoy the “tradition” of grabbing my longbow and drifting back in time, getting away from the gadgets & gizmos for a while. Yes, I like being traditional.

Before the compound bow, there was no no traditional archery. The name “traditional” differentiated the longbow & recurve from the compound. Some people really get their hackles up by the term “traditional “. Don’t understand their aversion to it. I like being traditional, and trying to keep things simple. Wouldn’t want to live in a cave, I would miss having advanced medical, indoor plumbing, my iPad etc. but I enjoy the “tradition” of grabbing my longbow and drifting back in time, getting away from the gadgets & gizmos for a while. Yes, I like being traditional.

what kinda worm do yal recommend to catch these with this one was 600# & I guess I'm not a fisherman cause I was wearing camouflage & didn't use a bamboo flyrod .....but whatever that's a LOT of tuna salad samiches

correction a REAL OR TRADITIONAL fisherman

I like trad archery because of the people. I chose it because its simple, back to nature for me. It gives me pleasure in a world gone haywire.Man by his very nature will all ways want to make a competition out of every sport he choses, wether it is hunting fishing or what ever. Who can shoot the furthest, who can run the fastest ,who can kill the most ,or who can catch the most. For some it is an obsession.For me a stick and string is my weapon. I don't count success by amounts caught or killed but by spending time with friends and family at 3D shoots, the hunting club, or river, thats what matters to me.

Ludy, well said sir.

Todd you need to be on Wicked.

Joe you need to go on the show Alone because you would not need to have a fire starter with you your good at that just write a couple notes and call fire company. Full blown blaze. LOL

I just love to hunt. Been doing it for 57 ( 50 with bow) years and can't imagine not doing it. I hunt places like this, so come follow an old man around Joe and see if you can take it. ;^)

Glenn, don't be silly, you can't start a fire with bullsh't.

A long time ago I hunted "trad" with my compound bow, 52 inches long, shot wooden arrows, fingers with a glove. Isn"t that Trad?

I agree Ludy, I get more like that the older I get. I don't care about competition. I got enough of that playing college ball and running. I don't compete at shoots anymore. Im at the point I just want to sit in the woods and shoot deer. Not being able to shoot a bow since last Sept. Made me aware of that.

I neither agree or disagree with the first post. It all comes back to what is traditional and who is going to define it. Are we talking about limiting ourselves to the technology and hunting tactics used by Fred Bear? Well, if yes, we all know that Fred used the best materials available to him at that time. Also know that on occasion Fred hunted from elevated platforms. Does this differ from using a treestand that was commercially made? All this stuff about what is and what is not traditional is a bit of a waste of time as there is no set definition of "traditional."

Babysaph, hoping you can heal and get back out there

Nice post Ludy.

Most folks don't have the patience or attention span to hunt the hard way. I hunt the hard way because I don't have the patience or attention span to figure out how the gadgets operate. That's a funny irony.

Traditional is also about killing the game, not just hunting it. Stone Age man had to get the game or starve!

Joe

Good analysis on fly fishing, and traditional hunting. I have fly fished my whole life now over 59 years. I still love it and am pretty good at it....... that said, when the PC types, came into the game, and all the fly shows etc, I shook my head.....

Yet today, hard to find anyone in my area, that fishes trout. TU was always suppose to be about cold water resources, now mostly they have turned into a PC group, dictating how I am to fish

Traditional hunting, as Frisky stated is just that,,, go hunting,,,, all the stuff is not necessary..... different world today..........

also its about being helpful to your fellow hunters, good ethics, and keeping the woods clean

What ever you want to hunt with just get out there and do it.. I've been bowhunting over 30 years wheels and curves/LBs. I've been strictly shooting the Trad side for 20 yrs now. I dont mind shooting with a rest, stab, plunger, vanes, etc.. I do hate when people say your not trad because you don't shoot feathers or so on and so on. I do have bows set up for both. Far as I know the late great Schafer only shot vanes so I guess he wasn't trad?? All I'm saying is just hunt with what ever you want being firearms, wheels, stick bows, cross bows, Who gives a s×××.. We are all on the same team in the end trying to preserve or heritage and a sport that some are trying to take away from us.. Last but not least I think a top archer said " I'm not trad, I just happen to shoot a recurve." Stick together everyone and don't judge because someone hunts or chooses to shoot different equipment than you do....

a post about no gadgets on a social media page typed on a hand held super computer and transmitted via wireless network, fiber optics and a huge server to people all around world in seconds.... hmm. haha. i love it

Haven't you guys beaten this dead horse enough already? Will be amazed if the OP ever comes up with a new and timely topic of interest.

I know this is taking the bait, but I have to weigh in on this. To those bashing the youth which includes myself. I think it's funny you say were attention seekers because of podcasts, videos, pictures etc. but if we weren't out there promoting the traditionsl aspect of archery there would be none. The older generation is not going to be around forever and without the promoting those of us are doing there will be no trad archery someday. Yes modern materials have come in to play but look at Lancaster and how it's grown due to the promotion through the intetnet, podcasts etc. It's not about attention it's about growing this sport. I shoot lots of 3d and about 4 years ago at all these shoots there were like 4 trad guys and rest compounds. This year there were 15 I think that shot regular at these shoots. Hate to say it but it's because of the promotion of the sport partly through social media. My 2 cents

" Also know that on occasion Fred hunted from elevated platforms. Does this differ from using a treestand that was commercially made? "

Yeah, forty years ago I had access to free boards, nails were cheap, and the Baker stand scared heck outta me ;-)

Used a bunch of different stands over the years and now I prefer solid earth under my feet. Also prefer ILF bows ;-)

"Traditional is also about killing the game, not just hunting it. Stone Age man had to get the game or starve!"

Good point. No such thing as "hunting with a camera". I'll bet those people who drew the animal pictures on cave walls starved ta death. :^)

I am not rising to the bait...just watching the show!

Aimsmall15- I know you're a well-intentioned, young promotor of the sport. However, when I die, the sport will die with me. It's only a sport as long as I'm around to rule over it. No youth promotion will change that!

Joe

hahaha

The truth is trad will still be around when you are our age no matter what. I doubt its going anywhere - history repeats itself, and trad has been around for centuries. Internet promotion will change it some, but its not essential. Internet did not exist prior to 25 years ago (or Al Gore, whichever came first - ;)), and it thrives. The sport promotes itself. It is mostly handed down generation to generation, and word of mouth, more than anything, IMO.

so thats 3 deathmaster owners posting in row on a post thats not about deathmasters whats the odds....

as iv stated I'm into self sufficientsey & staying out of the grocery store it's ironic that the simpler life & times so many wish to emulate kinda like going back in time with your simple or lack of equipment well those folks were trying to improve & make more efficient their equipment & everything else in life.it's just human nature ....... a buddy of mine lives in Loudon county VA he only shoots a few doe's for food but has a camera with x hairs etched into the lens & has an entire wall covered with photos of very respectable buck's that were or should I say could have been killed with the camera

I don't care two hoots about emulating simpler times. Neither do I care about "traditional archery". It's just a reactionary term that came about with the advent of the wheel bow.

I have traditions. My family has traditions. I and friends and family have hunting traditions that sometimes involve bows. Some shoot wheels and some shoot sticks. Some both. Not a one of us ever talks about "traditional archery".

Is taking a late morning nap in the woods on a nice day in October traditional? I'm pretty good at that.

Well, it's June and last night we had venison roast. That's traditional too me. Now if you didn't loose so much meat from the impact of the truck grill Joe, you might not have had to crack open that can of Spam last night.

im using an atlatl and wearing a lion cloth but the damn naked rock throwers keep busting my chops about all my fancy gear and new fangled gadgets :0. lol

a good hunter brings home food (PERIOD) not saying that in these modern times one has to kill something to have a good hunt or enjoyable comrodery with family & friends however in these modern times we have the luxury of the grocery store... cavemen Indians & early settlers weren't so fortunate survival depended on killing and I'll bet everything I own that they weren't trying to make it harder

The "bait" is poisonous and I am not getting near it...

Last year I laid on my back with an apple in my mouth and 2 stubs of cedar with flint arrowheads on them. When the dear come up to eat the apple, bam! Double lunger! Traditional style. Someone somewhere is designing a 3D course for this very method of hunting I just described. I think Frisky should do it. Last target is a run over with a car though. Nybubba

I hunt like that but I prefer the "other T word" ...."tightwad"...lol

Joe is the only trad guy who can kill a deer and grill it at the same time. 'Kill n Grill' Frisky!

Glad the term "traditional" evolved to describe the gear I like. Never had a name for my old rosewood recurves. They were just my bows to me.

My three hunting camp and shooting friends have gone-on so they never got to use the word "traditional", although one was a regional field archery champion, another the state longbow association president, and the other a hunter who ran a duck camp for years. Yup, they just missed out. They would have liked to have been able to use phones that shoot photos of their hunts and camps instead of having to go to the center of their homes to talk on black phones on cords. Suppose we used traditional phones then. We drove traditional cars (52 Chevy, 57 Ford, and a 60 pickup) then too.

Had to change my cars through the years and have one that turns its wipers on in the rain automatically, detects other cars around me, has DVD players in the headrests, tells me where to turn (took my wife's job away) and I can talk on the phone into this radio/tv monitor screen thing. It's not very traditional, but sure works just fine for driving over 150K miles the last four years.

Hello. My name is James, and I'm a traditional bowhunter.

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