Remi’s Take on Traditional Archery

I shoot a 55-pound takedown recurve bow that I bought a long time ago at a local hunting shop. I used to use wood arrows to keep it traditional, but then I started to buy carbon arrows that look like wood because they shot a lot better. I have a leather three-finger glove I shoot with to keep my fingers from blistering and I carry three arrows in a quiver mounted to the bow itself.

I am not sure how much practice it takes to become an expert with a recurve. I shoot mine as much as I can, and I don’t consider myself even close to expert status. Unlike a compound bow, where there is a decent amount of proficiency gained in a relatively short amount of time, a traditional bow is something that takes a lot of dedication to get good at.

Even after a lifetime of shooting, you won’t be as accurate at long ranges as a newbie archer with a tricked out compound cow.  For me, this is the appeal of traditional archery: simplicity combined with challenge.

Although I had taken plenty of animals with a gun and compound bow, it took me a few years of hunting with a recurve before killing a deer with it. My first deer with a traditional bow was a huge 4×4 mule deer. After the shot I was shaking like it was my first hunt all over again.

I was so overwhelmed by excitement and emotion I just had to sit there on the mountain and collect my thoughts. To be 100% honest, I thought I was going to shed a tear. I put a lot of work into hunting that deer and when it all came together the moment was almost unbelievable.