This is really for all the people that remember shooting back in the 70-80's and earlier. Last night I had my monthly archery club meeting. We were discussing how to increase memberships when a heated debate began between two gentlemen. Gentleman "A", around 55 years old and gentleman "B," around 70 years old. "A" said that archery has died down over the years. He claims that in the 70's, 80's, and before then archery was a family event. He said that people all shot as a family (Mom, dad, and all the kids). He states that families no longer participate together concluding less people shoot archery. "B," said compound bows have brought more archers into the world than ever before starting in the 80's and into today. So who was around back then to know the difference? What do you remember? Do we have more archers today than say the 1970's?
I can tell you that dove hunting used to be a "family affair". Ditto rabbit hunting. We never really heard about much archery hunting, back then. Honestly, I can count on one hand the number of deer I saw before I got out of college.....and I grew up in the "country"....and went to school, there, too. In places where archery was more mainstream, I can't imagine it being too different. Compounds have definitely (IMO) made archery hunting more commonplace.....much as cars/planes have made vacationing abroad more popular. THE biggest thing we have going for us (in today's hunting environment) is the abundance of game (specifically - whitetail deer). Our population has grown (in NC) nearly 500%, since 1974. I remember plenty of times, growing up, where we would shoot (guns) as a family (mom included). But we had WAY fewer entertainment options back then. I also remember my LL baseball league having 26 teams (3, in my farming, bedroom community). Now, they're lucky to field one team in my old community....and that league has dwindled to 12 teams or so. Damn soccer!....lol Times have changed. But, I'd say both men were right.
While not able to comment much on the 70's, I do know in the 80's there were FAR fewer bowhunters than there are now. THe population boom of both deer & people have ceated a bowhunter "paradise" that draws a lot of hunters. That said I can also agree the "shooting as a family" thing has dwindled, just as every "activity as a family" has. (sadly)
I started bowhunting at 12 years old In 1985 or so. Bow hunting was popular In our area at the time but there's also no doubt that bowhunting has Increased more sense then too. To me It was way more family orientated then, then It Is now.
Hmmm.... I think archery (hunting anyway) in the 70's and early 80's was more of an individual thing. It was so new. Yes, hunting was very much a complete family ordeal but it did not involve bows to the same degree as firearms-not even close. I think the late 80's and early 90's ushered in more family involvement. Bows (compounds)became easier for women and youths to operate. That's a trend I see becoming even better.
More bowhunters now, without a doubt. Field type archery was more popular back then. (a good family pastime) Look at all the old target recurves that are still floating around. I remember when small game hunting used to be where it was at. Sure people deer hunted but more time and effort was spent chasing small critters. Deer were downright scarce in a lot of places in the early 70's. Now, too often 3d tournaments are serious events with expensive equipment the norm. It's very intimidating to most noobs. Families hardly do anything together anymore.
I don't know a whole bunch of the early 80's or 70s but I know that when I started shooting in the late 80's as a kid we used to go to shoots around town all the time. We would also always meet the same families at these shoots and you always kind of knew most of the people at the shoots. Now, we do alot less of this as a family, and have noticed that as people grow older, they get involved in their own lives and get away from some of these things. Also, growing up, I hardly ever came across a kid that was into archery other than those I met at the shoots. Now a days with the faster bows and everything getting more high tech, I think it appeals to a wider audience so more people are getting into it. But with that, I think that the whole archery group loses that personal/family feeling.
It was really tough to find a decent 'woman's' bow in the late 80's. Pretty much all the women that I knew that were shooting compounds were either shooting undsized kid's bows or oversized men's bows. I'd also say, while learning to be consistent enough to hunt deer is probably much easier with a compound... nothing is easier to operate than a basic recurve. :D
Some may criticize me for this but I can say first hand I would not be a bow hunter without compound bows. I have the utmost respect for those of you that shoot traditional. At this point, it's not for me.
There's nothing you said for one to criticize you. Trad bows aren't for everyone. Keep doing what your doing Brad!!
I agree with both of you. there is nothing to hold against you for not shooting a trad bow. I personally wouldn't hunt with one either. I don't have the practice time to get good enough to hunt with one. Whenever I shoot one I'm lucky to hit a target at twenty yards, let alone try to pinpoint a shot at a kill zone. I have so much respect for those who are good with a traditional bow. It's definitely an acquired skill after several hours of practicing.
gri22ly True that gri22ly. I kept shooting my recurves for several years after compounds came out. Some had half a dozen wheels, 10 yards of cable and if you were lucky you might get 30% break over if it was in tune.
More bowhunters/archers today, but as a whole bowhunters were thought of as very unique back in the 70's and 80's. I really think back then it was more of an individual thing as mostly fathers were involved. More likely to see family involvement today. Along the same lines, if you asked for permission to bowhunt it was much easier to gain permission, in part because it was so unique. Back then(70s-80s) when a farmer found out you were going to use a bow and arrow, he was much more apt to allow you to bowhunt. Today its much more common and much harder to find places to bowhunt, let alone hunt with gun or bow.
About the same here to, The sport of Bowhunting is bigger now without a dought but back then it was more individuilized <spelling We to had more ranges and shops in the smaller towns near me. Now I have to drive 35 miles to to go to a shop. Internet orders have also cancled out alot of smalll town shops. Its just to easy to order online now days. seems to me that I remember more family oriented events back then to.
That is what I hear alot of when I ask about where I can find 3D shoots. Guys say back then there was multiple shoots within an hours drive every weekend. Now it's darn hard to find a shoot or two a month.
I am hoping that my hunting experiences and love for the woods will help start a trend in my family. I am the only one that hunts in my entire family, I picked it up my senior year in high school. My two eldest kids seem to really love talking about deer and "buck deers" with their dad. My daughter seems to be the most likely to want to hunt, she can tell you where your aiming point is on a deer and everything at age 7!
i remember my dad going to wyoming elk hunting when i was little and coming back saying that guys were making fun of him and his buddies for "bow hunting" wont that just wound the elk? the people would say... we ate good that yr with what he brought home =-)
Late 60's to late 70's I pretty much had the woods to myself, and most archery shops were in your local hardware or a secondary business. Our local Archery shop was a TV repair business. Late 70's I started seeing a bowhunter in the woods from time to time, mostly the first week of season. I think alot of this had to do with the introduction of the 2 wheel compound along with the heavy advertising Bear started diong, The 2 season hunter!!! Throw in the 2D foam targets and the organizing of the IBO in the early 80's that lured both Target shooters and Bowhunters alike made for great shoots and get togethers. The wife kids and I could go to a differnt 3D shoot every weekend within an hour of the house when we lived in Ky in the early to mid 80's. There are probably more or just as many bowhunters now as there ever was, I think things were just more hands on back then. At the Anderson get together in Grand Ledge Michigan it was nothing to see plates on a car from FL, TX, CA or Alaska.
Hey now. I told you. We're having them at my club EVERY month from March to September. Now I just need to get you down here... Silverflicker, that's more of the response I wanted. Good Feedback. Wish I could find more.
