CHOICES??????

[Bartfrncs]

Cant decide this year longbow selfbow or compound? Havent harvested an animal with my longbow yet or may make a selfbow from osage to hunt with. Then there is always the superfast compound. Or maybe build a recurve. Ihave been bowhunting since 92 used all these types to take game. Just looking for sugestions.
Bart

[LckyTylr]

I'd say whatever is challenging and interesting to you. If you were to shoot a bull at 15 yards this coming season, would you look back on it and think, dang I should have built a recurve and done it with that?

[ELKrazy]

For me it depends on the hunt and what my goals are. So I mix it up and would perhaps suggest you try the same.

Here at home, for whitetails and turkeys, I'll take out the recurve once in a while just to bring back the thrill of the hunt more. Between doing management hunts for does and using my compound all the time, or chasing one big, hard to kill mature buck....I sometimes start to lose my love and passion for it. When that happens, I go back to recurve for a few hunts, kill an animal or two, or watch them slip by at easy compound range regain that feeling of when I was a kid.

I won't shoot over about 10-15 yards with my recurve at an animal, even though I shoot a lot if I plan to hunt with it, I just don't feel as though I'm skilled enough with it to reach out and touch them with the consistency they deserve.

Because of that, if I'm after a certain buck, or when I take my first trip for elk, I'll certainly be using my compound to increase my odds, but still keep it bowhunting. For whitetails I'll take shots to 30 yards if everything is just right. I actually shoot my compound the most and will practice a lot at 50-80 yards when I'm not blank bale shooting. But I just prefer to keep things in tight for a "slam dunk" when hunting. Most of my shots are about 12 yards or less, so I probably could be using the recurve more, but I just don't like the feeling of watching a mature buck walk by at 18 yards, completely unharmed because I won't shoot my recurve that far.

I guess this was a long-winded way of suggesting that you should decide for yourself and that the decision could be based upon what kind of animal you're after, goals for that species and overall mindset/attitude or need for meat.

Whatever you choose, good luck, shoot straight and have fun!

[Swede]

They are all good. For me the decision is easy. I could not hit those tiny little elk with a stick and string bow anymore. They have just gotten way too small, but if you can make it work for you, then go with what pleases you the most.

[buglmin]

You have to use what you shoot the best. I shoot my recurves a lot, year round, and even with that, some days Im just not happy with my shooting, dont feel confident in myself, and because I owe it to the animals Im hunting, I leave the recurve and carry the compound. I want to be the best I can be, and at times, my shooting may be off, my attitude could be wrong, or Im just not feeling the recurve. Its your choice, but if you choice a trad bow, spend the time required to be good enough with it to making the shot count...

[RockChucker30]

I LOVE my recurve. I like my compound. But, the effective range with the compound is probably twice what it is with my recurve.

Tough choice. As someone else said, if you get a 15 yard shot would you regret not taking the trad bow? Maybe, but if I get a 45 yard shot I would definitely regret not taking my compound.

I'll probably take the compound elk hunting and deer hunt with my recurve.