My first bowhunting adventure took place several years before I was even old enough to drive a car. The hunt was a classic example of what not to do as a bowhunter. David Glover, my archery mentor at the time and the guy that I blame my bowhunting addiction on, let me borrow his old Bear recurve bow. I'll never forget how excited I was just to have a bow that I could shoot everyday in the back yard.
With a borrowed bow and three fairly straight aluminum arrows, all I needed now was some broadheads and I was ready to embark on my first bowhunting adventure. I went to Wal-Mart and bought the cheapest broadheads I could find; a 3-pack, for less than ten bucks.
That first opening morning found my dad driving me to the little chunk of ground we had permission to hunt. I proudly carried that recurve in one hand a those pitiful three arrows in the other hand…without a quiver…just three broadhead tipped arrows all grinding together.
Though my bowhunting career started with traditional equipment, I dreamed of the day I could step up to hunting with a compound bow. That day finally came and I really never thought twice about going back to traditional gear.
However, last summer the traditional archery bug bit me hard and I encountered the traditional temptation that falls on countless of unsuspecting archers every year. I couldn't resist. I gave in. I dove headfirst into traditional archery. It has been and continues to be a learning process. The following is for anyone that is suffering or has already succumbed to the traditional temptation.
Brooks Johnson, co-owner of Double Bull Archery, is one of those guys that is not only a great traditional shooter, but continues to excel at taking a great number of wild game animals each year while hunting with his longbows and recurves in the Double Bull ground blinds. I owe much of my fascination and temptation with traditional gear to Brooks and his close-range ground pounding that is commonplace on the Double Bull's Another Year on the Ground video series and Double Bull Outdoors TV show.
I've had the opportunity to pick Brooks' brain over the last few months . And in this article I want to pass along some of his words of wisdom for those wanting to delve deeper into the traditional temptation.
When asked how and when Brooks got started shooting and hunting with traditional gear, he was quick to point out that he fell in love with recurves the first time he stepped in the archery shop. "I started shooting traditional when Keith (Keith Beam - co-owner of Double Bull) bought me a Palmer recurve for my birthday," say Brooks. Needless to say, Brooks has never looked back and is now helping pass on his passion for traditional archery to his fellow-staffers, hunting partners, and anyone else with an itch for traditional gear.
As with other aspects of archery, there are countless resources for the newcomer to the sport of traditional archery. Whether through books written by the pioneers of traditional archery, magazine articles, internet columns and websites, and videos, there is a wealth of information on how to get started. Brooks recommends websites like tradgang.com, books by Fred Asbell, and taking advantage of the big traditional archery shoots around the country for anyone getting started in the sport.
Brooks Johnson with WY pronghorn the 'traditional' way
"The beauty of shooting traditional is that it's like throwing a baseball," says Brooks. "There is a bunch of ways to do it, and they all work for different people. I think the biggest problem most people have is they don't tune their stick. It takes me hours, and multiple combinations of arrow length, spine, brace height, and tip weight to get properly set up. If you don't get the right arrow for your bow, you will never enjoy shooting a stick, because groups are impossible. There is a ton of information available online and there is no reason for anyone to be shooting arrows that are not in tune with their bow. Period."
I was immediately hooked on hunting from the ground blind when I had that first encounter with a whitetail buck that marched past my setup and never knew I was in the world. Years have past since that first ground blind experience, but the memories of that adrenaline rush have never left.
There is something very addicting about hunting game at eye-level. Something you just don't get from tree stand hunting. I asked Brooks about some of the differences encountered when hunting from the ground blind with traditional gear as opposed to a compound bow.
"Upper limb tip clearance can be a problem in some models," says Brooks. "More limb length only creates problems." The guys at Double recommend leaving the shoot-through mesh windows down when hunting for whitetail deer. The black hole windows do not bother turkeys one bit, but deer generally do not like a black hole encounter."
"The big difference in ground blind hunting is that I can pull my animal in very close with no fear of being detected on the draw," says Brooks. "I like my turkey decoys at 3 yards and my whitetail decoys at 12 yards. If the animal is going to come, I want to bring it home. Closer is better. As for shooting through the nets, the two-blade Magnus heads slice through the net like it's not even there."
What is your shooting range when hunting?
"Depends on how much I have been practicing and what I feel comfortable with. It could be as far as 35 yards, but I like my game inside 20 yards. A lot of the time it's not that you can't make the shot, but that you don't know where the animal is going to be when the arrow gets there. I'm shooting 10 to 12 grains per pound, and the momentum is there, but it takes its toll in the speed department. 175-180 feet per second is close to a major league fastball pitch, and if a fat first baseman can dodge that pitch while standing at the plate, imagine what a skitty whitetail will do when do when it hears that arrow coming."
How do you go about building the instincts/memory for different shot distances?
"Again, it's like throwing that baseball. You need to practice at different distances and when you do it enough, you won't need to think about it. I prefer shooting at objects versus paper. Paper is great for muscle toning and developing consistency, but is very boring and not as effective at developing the instincts a traditional shooter needs.
What do you prefer, longbow or recurve?
"I like the lines of a longbow, but for me, a recurve is easier to shoot and more forgiving. My two favorite bows right now are either a Bob Lee or an ACS from O L Adcock. I always send guys to Bob Lee Archery in Texas for an economically priced bow that performs. Rob will sell you a bow for $475 that will outperform most, if not all of the $900 custom units offered today. Adcock is making longbows that outperform anything that I've ever shot. His patented process produces the friendliest and fiercest piece of equipment I have ever used."
As Brooks mentioned, the Magnus broadheads are awesome blades for shooting through the mesh, but they are also a killer broadhead for any style of big game hunting you choose, whether in the blind, or out. The Magnus Stinger broadheads fly as good, or better, than field points, are razor sharp right out of the package, and hold their edge better than anything I've used in a long time. They are the ideal blades for anyone diving into traditional archery.
The traditional temptation is strong. Once it gets hold of you, you'll discover an excitement like no other. It'll make you like a kid again, discovering a new passion all over again. Traditional gear offers archery in its purest form. There is something extremely refreshing about not worrying about sights, arrow rests, release aids, and the other gear that weighs down a bow. It's a beautiful thing to watch an arrow sail through the arrow and find its mark. When it happens as a result of your instincts guiding that arrow, you'll know that you've been overtaken with the traditional temptation - and you'll never be the same.
Brodie Swisher is the Executive Director of the Covenant Ranch in Paris, TN and founder of the ranch's SonRise Adventures Youth Sportsman Camp & Retreat.Check out his website at www.sonriseadventures.com
