Question for the Elders here - back when periodicals were less about pushing product (lets say before the 80s), which magazines did you read that provided good articles on fieldcraft, hunting knowledge, and and archery? I was digging through some archived magazines and thought it was an interesting retrospective and at the same time, just as current for the guidance within them. What was your "go to"?

Before 1980 was Bowhunter.

Before 1970 it was Archery magazine.

While it was being published Instinctive Archer was the best and it was a modern magazine.

Advertising pays the bills!

What got me going to some degree in the early 60's was Outdoor Life. G. Howard Gillean had a column specific to bowhunting in every issue back then. Later Bowhunter magazine, Western Bowhunter.

I probably learned the most from PBS newsletters and later magazine. Some pretty hardcore and knowledgeable Bowhunters in that organization. Rothhaar, Wensels, Paul Schaefer, Brunner, Bob McGuire, Dave Samuel, etc.

I bought a lot of Books as well over the years. I'm self taught as no one hunted in our family.

Fur-Fish-Game, TAM and Archery.

Still plenty of advertising and sponsored writings back then, however it became much worse.

Outdoor Life had a monthly archery column early on. I loved Bowhunter,was married and subscribed to the first issue, but to survive they buckled under to the big ad spenders. Dad always took Fur-Fish &Game, but can't remember any archery stories, but sure there had to be. Sports Afield used to have an archery issue every year, think it was July? When I was still at home my sister used to buy me and my brother Bow and Arrow subscription every year. I always remember a lot of ads in all magazines, but they were part of the enjoyment when you lived in the country on a farm. Heck, the neighbor used to put the old Sears or Wards catalogs in their out house.

As a teenager in the 1950s and a beginning bowhunter I devoured my uncle's issues of NATIONAL BOWHUNTER and BOWHUNTER,...both then published by the WI Bowhunters Assoc. (Note - this is not the BOWHUNTER mag most know today,...it was a completely different publication) I spent hours reading and re-reading those magazines and the articles (primitive by today's standards) therein. I first heard about a deer "runway" in an article,...had no idea prior to reading about it. These mags kindled my interest and I learned a tremendous amount from them. They were my bible about bowhunting back then!

Fur Fish and Game ALWAYS a favorite

Pennsylvania Game News a close second

Pennsylvania Game News was #1 for me as it included all hunting genres and of course about Pennsylvania. I also liked Bow and Arrow, Archery, and Archery World before Bowhunter Magazine was born in 1971. All of those old magazines had lots of ads, just leaf through one and you'll find them. Those ads paid for the magazine.

I have Archery and/or Bowhunter magazines that go back to 1949. They are chuck full of info, how to's and great stories

I used to get Outdoor Life, 1961-65, then agian after I came home. Then Bow&Arrow, Bowhunter, Archery. First book I read about archery was “Hunting the Hard Way” from our school library.

Helpful! Thanks

Just for clarification...ads are fine and always were there. I just want to read some old articles that aren't driven by today's product heavy influence. I love hunting, but not sure I like the modern hunting industry. Probably a bit lost knowledge in those old articles!

Bow and arrow,and Archery world. ....BC!

Bowhunters of course and Outdoor life lived pat McManus! Field and stream was also pretty good in the day.

Bow & arrow and outdoor life for G Howard Gillelans archery and bowhunting "how to's". From 71 on Bowhunter with the occasional Archery World. My first bow and arrow was sept/oct 1969 and the back cover was full page Fred Bear takedown, "the last bow you'll ever have to buy." Problem is all those bows I bought before I got my Bear td.

Fur-Fish-Game Outdoor Life Field and Stream Sports Afield

Outdoor Life had some outstanding staff writers in the 1960’s - 1970’s. Bowhunter magazine was pretty good until M.R. Sold the magazine. Traditional Bowhunter was good until T.J. Gave up editorship. I no longer subscribe to any of these magazines.

Instinctive Archer was my favorite magazine ever. Longbow Digest also was good for the trad archers. I always took Outdoor Life but mostly for Patrick McManus and not the how to articles.

Bowhunter Magazine. Remember funny, John "Maggie" McGee columns? "Maggie's Meanderings" column and I have his first book, "Almost Bowhuntin'.

Bow and Arrow, Outdoor Life, Instinctive Archer, Pennsylvania Game News, Archery World. Archers Bible and the Archers Digest also.

Used to sub scribe to 'Deer & Deer Hunting' and 'North American Whitetail' but when they both started advertising crossbows I dropped them. (They were both getting pretty repetitive anyway.)

'Bowhunting magazine' would run about one 'traditional' issue a year, so I didn't last with them for long. Another geer geek fest.

Have subscribed to 'Traditional Bowhunter' for a couple decades, I think. Still happy with TJ and his crew.

Bow & Arrow , Archery world were two I thought was best in the 60's then in the 70's Bowhunter was my go to. Today I hardly ever by a Mag because of all the X-bow crap.

back in the late 1940's my old gramps who was a northern mo. farmer always had a subscription to out door life and every time we would visit he would load me up with them! back in the early 60's we had bow and arrow, american bowhunter , archery magazine, which was a nfaa publication i believe, anyway about the only hunting magazine i get anymore is tbm.

This is an aside..I loved the magazine Ted Trueblood wrote columns in..was that Outdoor Life? My gray head cant remember

I'm still a huge Traditional Bowhunter fan. I think my wife and I have every issue. I believe Don Thomas is the best current outdoor writer going, and T.J. is right up there, also.

Murray

Have been taking Bowhunter since 1974, was dissapointed in all the crossgun ads but that's income, if they ever run a success story with a crossgun I'm cancelling out.

The 3 greats back in the 50's. Outdoor Life Sports Afield Field & Stream

Started reading archery magazines in the 60’s. Enjoyed the writing of C.R. Learn, M.R. James, John Alley, Larry Bamford, Doug Kittredge and Jim Dougherty. Now I only read TBM.

I used to get Deer and Deer Hunting for many years too, until it became Deer and Deer FARMING.

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