Whichever you decide to choose, it’s a personal decision that only you can make. And as I’ve discoverd over the past few months, these are the factors that have made me decide to pursue harvesting an elk in the 2015 season with traditional equipment:

• Lightweight and very easy to maneuver while hiking high country
• Increased peripheral vision and decreased tunnel vision
• More primitive and more challenging
• Instinctual aiming

My Journey To Traditional

I started with shooting Greg’s compound about a year ago. The feel of the power was absolutely amazing, and I was surprised at the level of accuracy I was able to achieve the first day out at the range — without shooting any kind of bow for 20 years, let alone a hunting compound. The sighting system seemed simple to use, and dial in a target, and I quickly became accurate, consistently grouping shots in the kill-zone from up to 50 yards.

After a few times out a the range, I wondered what I was missing. Greg’s longbow intrigued me. The simplicity. The authentic look. The instinctual aiming. I took a few shots and immediately handed the bow back, monologuing “there’s no way I’d ever be able to harvest an animal with this…”

It was shortly thereafter, I had the privilege of getting to know the guys at Rocky Mountain Specialty Gear (rmsgear.com). I spoke with Tom, the owner on about bows and my goals for elk hunting. Tom patiently walked me through every aspect of traditional shooting, from bow selection and shot sequence to optimal form and back tension.

Learning how to shoot a traditional bow reminded me of how amazing the human body and mind truly are. I started to realize fairly quickly that I was able to be fairly accurate with my shot placement despite not having any technology to aid my aim. I remember vividly the first time I hit the dot at 20 yards. “How the hell did I do that?” was my reaction. It’s an amazing experience that is hard to put into words — being able to pin a target without a site.

I must have shot 20 different bows of all types, lengths and poundages. Some felt good while others felt wrong. Then, about a week into trying out bows, Tom placed a bow into my hands, an A&H. Immediately I felt how balanced it was. The grip fit perfectly in my hand. There was a very prominent palm that fit my hand very comfortably. The thumb shelf was pronounced and made it easy to keep a very loose and neutral grip.

During this time I have grown close with Tom and his whole family — their family values are admirable and they have an amazingly infectious zest for the hunting lifestyle.