Bow-Fishing!

      A great way to have fun with traditional archery equipment is to go bowfishing. Bowfishing is exactly what it sounds like, it is using a bow to basically harpoon a fish. Bowfishing is extremely fun for the beginning archer or even the seasoned veteran. In this discussion about bowfishing I will talk a little about the equipment needed for bowfishing.
     The great thing about bowfishing is that very little equipment is needed. The first thing you need is a bow. I prefer to use a bow that I do not mind getting a little banged up. Sometimes in all the excitement and action of bowfishing we will sometimes forget about how we are treating our bows. For this reason I have several cheaper bows that I prefer to take bowfishing rather than my more expensive custom bows.
     You'll also need a bowfishing reel. There are several different types of bow fishing reels, however the drum style reel is the simplest and cheapest reel to buy. These reels screw into the stabilizer bushing of your traditional bow, if your bow does not have a stabilizer bushing you can purchase an adapter from Great Northern Archery, or purchase a drum style reel that tapes onto your bow.
     You'll also need to buy some line. The fish you will be chasing with your bow will be rough fish, most fishing laws prohibit the shooting of game-fish. Rough fish include gar, carp, and bowfin. These rough fish are often quite large, it is for this reason that you will need to purchase some heavy line, I recommend 80# or more. You will also need to buy some of the safety attachments for attaching your line to your bowfishing arrows.
   The last thing you need are some bowfishing arrows, and points. There are arrows designed specifically for bowfishing. These arrows are solid fiberglass and are very heavy and durable. These fiberglass arrows also come with rubber fletching for better flight. Purchase a few of these arrows and some of the fishing points and you are ready to go!

Shooting Practice Methods

       Shooting a traditional bow is very fun, but shooting a traditional bow well takes a lot of practice. In this short essay I would like to discuss a few of my favorite methods of practice for shooting my recurves and longbows. I hope these tips will help you improve your shooting!
      Probably the best way to practice for hunting game animals is to actually purchase some 3D targets that represent the game animals you will be hunting. You can find some pretty good deals on 3D targets at places like cabelas, bass pro shops, or even yard sales. I recommend buying as many as you can afford, or if they are cheap buy a few because if you shoot as much as me you will go through several targets. I like to place 3D targets in wooded areas that are similar to the areas I hunt. I also like to shoot from my treestand giving me the best practice for actual hunting situations.
      However, practicing hunting situations is not always an option, this is why stump shooting is such a great tool. Stump shooting is exactly what it sounds like. I like to walk through the woods with my hunting buddies and shoot at dead rotted logs or stumps. Because they are soft the logs do not harm your arrow. A good tip to use when stump shooting is the zwickey judo point. The judo point forces your arrow to pop up when hitting the ground keeping it from burrying under grass or leaves. However using a regular field point will work just fine as well.
    If you do not have a woods that you can stump shoot in and cannot purchase any 3D targets then you can shoot your recurve at other objects as long as you do it safely. Sometimes I will head to my backyard and shoot at anything from old basketballs, tennis balls, dirt clods, or even bottle caps. Always remember to be safe when practicing. Practicing often will help you become a proficient archer with traditional equipment!

Hunting the Whitetail Deer

     The most commonly hunted game animal in North America is the Whitetailed deer. The whitetails have been often referred to as the greatest game animal. Their keen senses of sight, smell, and hearing make them a very sporting animal to persue. Here are a few tips that might help you when hunting the whitetailed deer with traditional archery equipment.
    Always remember to hunt the wind. Hunting the wind usuallly means staying downwind of the deer. This will allow your human scent to be blown in the opposite direction of the whitetails nose. The whitetails nose is very hard to fool, and this is the single most important sense that the hunter must be aware of.
    Another important tip would be to make sure that you position your ambush spots in areas that give you the best chance at a shot. Or if still-hunting make sure that you are always in a position that you can shoot from. Shooting a traditional bow can sometimes be difficult in the woods due to its length. The best way to avoid problems is to plan ahead. Make sure you have shooting lanes in the direction you think a whitetail is most likely to approach from, regardless of whether your hunting from a treestand, groundblind, or stillhunting.
    Wear proper camo. Wearing camo can greatly increase your chances of fooling the whitetails eyes. If you would rather not wear camo try wearing something like wool plaid, this allows your human outline to be broken up. When choosing camo try to choose colors and patterns that match your hunting environment.
    Hunt the rut as much as possible. If you are persuing a whitetail buck then your best odds to take one would be during the rut during the first two-three weeks of november. These few weeks are the best time to catch a buck during his most vulnerable state. This is sometimes the only time of the year when a whitetail buck will move during daylight hours!
    My last and most important tip is be safe and respect nature. Neglecting safety in the woods can ruin your hunting experience or worse end your life or someone else'. Always be safe with weapons and always remember to take proper precautions when hunting from treestands or elevated platforms. And lastly respect wildlife and nature so that everyone can continue to enjoy it!

Instinctive Aiming?

    There are several ways that an archer with a traditional bow may aim at his target. These aiming methods range from gapping, point of aim, and purely instinctive. Most traditional archers tend to use the instinctive form of aiming. In this article I would like to briefly describe what instinctive aiming is and then quickly describe how most archers are successful using this method.
   Instinctive shooting is simply using your instincts to guide the arrow where you want it to hit. The theory behind this technique is that using your hand eye coordination, with your hands guiding the bow and your eyes doing the aiming you will be able to accurately hit where you are looking. Some shooters will argue that there is no such thing as shooting purely instinctive. Their argument is that seeing the arrow is necessary even if your only using your peripherals for some reference. I would probably fall somewhere in between these two arguments. I will often focus as much as possible on the spot I want to hit, as well as use my peripheral vision for a reference on the arrow.
    The process of aiming instinctively recquires the archer to have good shooting form. There are several videos that are excellent for learning proper form, these include Instinctive shooting with Paul Brunner, and the masters of the barebow collection. Once proper form is achieved the aiming process is very simple. It all boils down to concentrating as much as humanly possible on the spot that you want your arrow to hit. This technique like any other takes many sessions of practice to master, but it is well worth it when shooting a traditional bow!

Why I hunt with Traditional Archery Equipment

    There are several reasons for why I hunt exclusively with traditional archery equipment, meaning recurves and longbows. I made the switch from compound when I was about 17 years old. I was influenced by my neighbor who was constantly shooting his longbow in his front yard. One day I asked him if I could try the longbow, from that day forward I was hooked on traditional archery.
    I ended up buying that longbow from my neighbor and since then I have owned around ten different traditional bows. Since using that first longbow to harvest a few whitetail deer I have pretty much switched to only recurves. I like the shootability of recurves a little better than longbows, and I now collect Bear recurves and own a black widow SAII recurve.
     I love the simplicity of shooting a traditional bow. There is very little you have to do with a traditoinal bow. By this I mean all you basically do is string the bow, nock your arrow, and shoot. This is the main reason I shoot traditional, the simplicity. I also love the beauty of traditonal bows. I hold nothing against someone who shoots a compound, heck even my dad hunts with compounds, but a compound with all the gadgets and gizmos is just downright ugly compared to a wooden recurve or longbow. Lastly I shoot traditonal because it is a much more natural form of archery to me. Drawing a smooth recurve or longbow is much more enjoyable then shooting a compound that breaks over and then having to line up the sights. If you ever decide to try a traditional bow I think you will understand what I mean. But whatever weapon you choose to hunt with remember to respect nature, and the wildlife we persue so that we can enjoy it for many generations!

Tips for Choosing a broadhead for large game

      Many traditional archers use their archery skills in hunting situations, particularly for big game. Big game refers to animals like whitetailed deer, elk, moose, bear and more. Before heading to the field to persue a big game animal you may have some concerns about which broadhead to choose. Here are a few tips that may help you out.
     There are three basic styles of broadhead, 2 blade, 3 blade, and 4 blade. All have been used with success over many years, but each has different characteristics. Lets start off with discussing the two blade broadhead. The two blade is very popular among traditional archers because it provides excellent penetration, often complete pass throughs. This means that when a large game animal is hit the two blade broad head will often allow the arrow to pass completely through the animal. Two blade heads are also very easy to sharpen and re-sharpen, so they will last many years if taken proper care of. Personally I prefer the two blade broadhead.
    The three blade broadhead is also quite popular. It allows for massive holes, making quick recovers on game animals. However, the three blade is often much harder to sharpen than the two blade, and can take some getting used to. Three blade broadheads fly very well, often very similar to a field point (practice point).
     The four blade broadhead is used quite often as well. It also will leave large wounds and makes recoveries easier. However sometimes the bleeder blade (small blade that makes it a four blade head) can snag bone when it enters the animal making very little penetration. When using a four blade broadhead or any hunting head for that matter make sure you are producing good ethical shots on game animals. We must become proficient with our equipment so that we can produce quick, clean, humane kills. Please respect nature, other hunters/forrest users, and wildlife when hunting. Good Luck!

Choosing the Correct Draw Weight

      If your out shopping for a new recurve or longbow your probably thinking about which poundage to choose from. Most recurves and longbows these days are made from around 40lbs to 70lbs, however some old school archers prefer to shoot 100 lbs or more. When selecting the weight of your next bow there are a few things you need to consider. Here are a few tips that will help you choose the proper draw weight.

     The first question you have to ask is will you be using your bow for target archery or for hunting? For target archery a light bow will be sufficient, but for hunting a much heavier weight will be needed in order to harvest game efficiently. Most states recquire at least a 40lb draw weight for hunting. The next question you must ask yourself is what weight do you feel comfortable shooting? A beginner should probably start at a lighter draw weight. If switching from a compound bow you should probably consider dropping at least ten pounds from the weight you were shooting with the compound. The best way to determine what weight you will be comfortable with would be to visit an archery shop that has a good line of traditional bows and then ask the shop if you can try shooting the bows. Most shop owners have a range where you can test bows and will be happy to help you select your next bow!

Hunting From Ground Blinds or Treestands

       Hunting from ground blinds and treestands has become very popular among traditional archers. They are both very affective methods for hunting almost any type of game. However, using these methods can be frustrating for the beginning hunter. Here are a few tips that may improve your success when hunting from ground blinds and treestands.
      When hunting from a ground blind it is usually a good idea to wear dark clothing. This is because it is usually black inside a ground blind to something viewing from the exterior. However is using a natural ground blind you should always where camouflage that blends into the material of the blind. It is usually a good idea to use a shorter hunting bow when hunting from a blind, this makes the chance of catching your bow on something less likely.
     When hunting from a tree-stand make sure that you approach your stand either early in the morning preferrably dark, or in the afternoon before game is moving during an evening hunt. It is also a good idea to make sure that you carry all your treestand equipment in a seperate pack, this way your gear will always be organized. Some things I like to carry in my treestand pack are flashlight, bow hanger, water, a saw, and a extra safety tree strap. Always remember to wear a safety harness when hunting from any type of tree-stand. I cannot stress this enough!
    Hunting from ground blinds and tree stands can be very effective. But always remember to be safe when doing any form of hunting. Please respect nature and the wildlife we persue as well. Proper care and woodsmanship will allow for great hunting for many generations.

Choosing Arrows

      Choosing arrows is often one of the most confusing ordeals for the beginning archer. After all, there are so many to choose from. There are a few things that you need to keep in mind when choosing your arrow for your traditional bow. I hope the following tips can help take some of the frustration out of choosing your arrow.
     There are four categories of arrows that you need to choose from. Alluminum, Carbon, Wood, and fiberglass. You also need to choose an arrow that is spined correctly and has sufficient enough weight for the recurve or longbow you are shooting. You will also need to decide whether or  not you will be using your arrow for hunting or for target archery. Hunting arrows need to be much heavier than target arrows for sufficient penetration on game animals. All four of the categories of arrows stated above will work however there are some advantages and disadvantages between them that I will discuss.
      Alluminum arrows have been around for many years. They are fairly durable however they can bend, causing flight problems. Alluminums are fairly cheap, and are very easy to tune. They come in many spines and weights and have been known to be great hunting arrows. If you are just getting started in archery alluminum may be the arrows for you.
     Carbon arrows are also great hunting arrows, however they are often much lighter in weight than alluminum. They have only been available for a few years now but are quickly becoming many archers go to arrow. They are extremely straight and will not bend, they are very durable arrows. They are however the most expenive arrow material available.
      Wood arrows are also very popular among traditional archers. They have a classic look that cannot be matched. However they are the least durable arrow. They break very often, and it does not take much to break a wood arrow. Like alluminum they are much heavier than carbon, making it easier to achieve desired weight.
     Fiberglass arrows are not used much these days. They were popular in the 70's but now are usually only used for bow-fishing due to the fact that they are extremely heavy and travel through the water quite easily. I hope this informaiton helps you choose your next arrow! Shoot straight!

Recurve vs. Longbow

When most archers begin their journey into traditional archery one of the most frequently asked questions is whether or not they should purchase a recurve or longbow. I have experience with both categories of traditional bows and would like to shed some light on the advantages and disadvantages of each.
       In most hunting situations a recurve will be superior to a longbow. Most of the time a recurve is much shorter than a longbow and therefore is much more maneuverable when in the field. A recurve is also much easier to shoot from a tree stand especially when dealing with those steep angle shots. Most traditional archers feel that a recurve is much easier to shoot because a recurve is cut to center. This means that the arrow will sit directly in the center of the bow shelf, making aiming an easier task. Recurves are also much easier to tune, this is also because of the fact that they are center cut. There is also a much wider variety of grips to choose from when shooting a recurve for example recurves are offered in high, medium, and low wrist grips. Longbows are usually a low wrist grip.
      The facts stated above do not mean that recurves are superior overall to longbows. Longbows also have their advantages. If you are a hunter that likes to pack light, then the longbow is for you. Generally longbows are much lighter in weight than most recurves. Longbows are also usually much quieter when shooting than recurves are, this is due to the fact that longbows have no areas where the string can touch their limbs. Longbows are usually more forgiving to shoot due to their longer working limbs.
       I hope this information can help you decide which traditional bow to shoot. Both are excellent choices and I have an array of bows that I switch back and forth between, including custom recurves, and homemade longbows. Whichever you decide always remember to shoot straight!