This is something I struggle with a lot. I guess that I'm lucky in that I have killed a "big buck" with trad gear, but one is never enough... Let me explain..... All my life, I've been fascinated with big deer and killing them with a bow. Now, I haven't really done much to make that happen, but that is what drives me each season and I've been lucky a few times. I'm not just talking about any old buck... I'm talking about deer you may only see every 5 years. Those are the deer that keep me excited and keep me trying. But damn, every few years is a long time and I struggle with the decision of what weapon to take. I go back and forth and I think it touches on some areas Jeff talks about in his posts.... "Is the how you took it more important than the fact that you took it" Well, for me, sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't! I love hunting with traditional equipment much more so than with the compound, BUT, I like killing big bucks even more than that! Obviously killing big bucks with traditional gear is the ultimate prize(for me), but lets be realistic, the odds of doing so with trad gear vs compound gear are astronomical. I see a lot of trad guys don't get caught up in the whole trophy hunting thing and probably for a good reason, but I do! I can't help it, I love it. So.. Are there any other trophy hunters in the closet( ) out there carrying a trad bow that deal with these same feelings? I've been consulting with Duke and Buckeye about a certain giant whitetail that just fell into my lap and Buckeye asked me what weapon I planned to chase him with.. At this point its the compound, hands down. But it does make me feel a little dirty. :d
No doubt DC that a person Is handicapped right off the start when supporting a traditional bow In hand chasing whitetails or any animal for that matter. I know with myself that my biggest challenge seems to be getting that certain big buck under 25 yards which Is where I struggle all to much. I can't count how many times I've had P&Y bucks In that 20 to 25 yard range and a few at 30 that I just couldn't get any closer, man Is that frustrating! Most years my max yardage Is 18 to 20 yards or just a tad over that, depends on how my shooting Is at the time. I know damn well that If I was shooting a compound my walls would have some nice looking bucks hanging from them as long as I put that arrow where it needs to be. I'm not making excuses up but It Is what It Is, no way of getting around It. I really listen to what Greg H says when he's talking whitetails. He has said that most of his shots are In that 15 yard range with his compound, man I sure wish I was good enough to get these nice bucks In that close all the time like Greg does. Granite he's got more decent bucks around then I do but It Is something that needs much work on my part any way you look at It. What It all comes down to Is for me to be a better mature buck hunter then what I am partly because of the bow In hand but also because I really do need to get better and get to that next level. You will never see me picking up a compound to give myself an edge yardage wise, I except It for what It Is (traditional bow hunting) and am very happy with how It's gone the last 14 years. It's very satisfying for me no matter the size of the animal I take but the big ones do feel pretty damn special. Why do you feel dirty taking your compound out? Sounds like It's time to put It away DC or just except your compound for what It Is and keep hunting with It. Nothing wrong with either style of bow, grab the bow that fits you and makes you happy. That's what matters.
Steve, I was half joking when I said it made me feel dirty. It doesn't, but it does give you that empty feeling, BUT, like I said, if I'm standing over a big buck, that feeling vanishes! lol I honestly think it wouldn't be a big deal if I had opportunities at big bucks every year, but I don't. They are random occurences and if you don't take advantage of them you may go years without filling a tag. Some years I take issue with that, some years I don't. I never really know year to to year HOW I want to hunt. Heck, sometimes it changes week to week. The 3.5 years I went all traditional, it only cost me a couple bucks that would have been easy kills with the wheels, but, I likely would not have shot them with the wheels anyway.... So, my standards do change between the weapons, but not greatly. This post was really more about me venting than anything. Hunting is such a personal endeavor that what flips one guy's switch does absolutely nothing for the next guy. That's pretty cool if you think about it!
Jeff, i have a question for you, sorry if this has been covered but im not a trad thread reader.... But are you looking into going trad full time? Like Steve?
I know what your getting at DC, been there before. You hit the nail on the head with what you said here "Hunting is such a personal endeavor that what flips one guy's switch does absolutely nothing for the next guy." Well said!!
Odds are always against us to a degree in some form or fashion. It's how we deal with these odds that brings us satisfaction or disappointment. I will not allow deer hunting (or anything for that matter) become a competition between me and an animal. The deer are not competing with us, they are trying to avoid us. Whatever I need to do to stack the odds in my favor to keep deer from avoiding me is what I will do. I am not a big buck hunter. Bobby
I am still a ways away from putting down my wheels during the rut. Its hard enough to kill one for me as is, without the additional handicap. Some day I'd eventually like to get to the point of hunting with a trad bow only, but I've got a long way to go in building my confidence first.
I have missed a few great opporunities on awesome bucks the past few years and I hate that, all my fault of course. Its so difficult in these mountains to get a bowshot on a top end buck. I've killed my best bucks with my bow, and some dandies with a rifle too. Add in now that I want to hunt with my traditional bow...I am finding that my confidence is not where I want it to be to even think about soley hunting with a trad bow for big bucks. Big bucks for me fall into a completely different category than all the other animals that I hunt. As for other critters that I dont care as much about as I do hunting the big bucks in my home area. Then I dont mind switching it up more with the tradbow over my compound. If I found a state record class buck tomorrow to scout and hunt in the fall, I can not say I have enough confidence as of right now to pursue him with my trad bows, I would probably take my compound because I know I am going to get maybe 1 or 2 chances at that buck in a lifetime. Thats just how it works or has for me. On the other hand with critters, like, bear, turkeys, elk etc.. I dont mind hunting those critters much more with my tradbow because I am not as invested into getting one of those KILLED like I invest into killing top end bucks. Plus I need the practice and I dont get to kill multiple deer like many of you do. I get one "Deer" tag a year and two if the state has extras NR left overs.
