So I have embarked on a new quest. I am going traditional. My father gave me his 58", 40# Bear Grizzly recurve at the beginning of the summer with my intention of using it to bow fish. It has been sitting in my closet since. A couple weeks ago the thought hit me that I wanted to hunt with it. Now, that has turned into an obsession. This is nothing new, I am always picking up new obsessions like this that usually last a couple weeks before dying. Last spring it was self-filming/photography. When I was a kid it was boondoggle and lanyard making. Boondoggle just got phased out after Mom bought all that plastic chord for me and I was over it. The film/photography bug was curbed by a lack of equipment and something in my gut telling me it wasn't something to financially prioritize. At this moment the obsession is this recurve. Will it last? I think so. The difference is that I already have all the equipment, and then some.
I am not exactly sure where this obsession stems from. I am not an accomplished archer. Sure, I have killed a couple (3) deer with compound bows but have never had an effective range past 25 yards. But its not like I have done great things in the archery world and this is just the next step. I just... have the gumption.
So last Sunday I pulled her out and fought to get her strung and decided I was going to go fling some arrows. The first thing one notices is that 40# of recurve is a heck of a lot different from 55# of compound. I could hardly get my fingers to my mouth much less start to choose an anchor point. I flung five arrows and this is what I got:
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The fifth arrow is another five yards behind the target. Oh, this is at five yards.
I know I am already overbowed. After 30-40 arrows my shoulders hurt and I was left with a sore forearm for a couple days from pulling the string. I know I will not be able to learn correctly with this bow. Luckily, Pops also has a 25# recurve sitting at home that he has offered me, as well. This will get me started. My goal is to learn the "instinctive" style of shooting.
So this will be a long journey and a challenge that I am pretty pumped to take on. I am going to go through a full range of frustrations and small moments of triumph along the way. But, hey, that sounds a lot like what hunting is all about.
Now for my real goal. If I am talking baby steps, I want to kill a deer with the recurve. But I will be able to do that. I know I can in time. But my overall goal is to kill a Pope and Young class buck with it.
I may be going off the deep end, but I'll be shooting for the stars.
Anyone else here shoot traditional or ever tried? I am all ears for any insight and advice I can gather. I've got a buddy who has been shooting traditional for seven years and, though he says he is no authority, he is willing to help me. He has a bunch of books and videos on the subject on top of his invaluable experiential knowledge he is willing to share.
Best,
Royce