The Recurved Bow
I started reading everything I could find on bow-hunting. I quickly realized I had some choices to make. I had no bias for any kind of bow. I simply wanted what would be the most effective for getting a deer. I liked the cross-bow, it was more like a gun, and it looked to be the most efficient. Then I realized only disabled hunters could use a cross-bow in my state.
Compound bows; I found plenty of articles, and information on this relatively new bow. The compound bow seemed to be the best thing since "sliced bread" according to everything I was reading. Now all I needed was to make a list, and decide on the brand of bow. Wow! This bow & arrow thing looked pretty complicated. I needed a lot of stuff: sights, stabilizer, release... Near the buying stage; I bought another bow-hunting magazine. I wondered why anyone would use those old bows... It told me! I was confused, but I wanted to know more about the old traditional bows. I had to go to the library to find that information. 
In the library I learned about Fred Bear, Howard Hill, Pope and Young...
Pictured here is my first turkey. She was running, a link to the story is at the bottom of this page.
I found enough current information to realize there were hunters who had used both bow types, but preferred Note: In 1989 the compound bow was even heavier, and more complex that today's compounds.
I began to think for myself. Although I had never used any bow, the virtues of the recurved bow appealed to me. The recurved bow seemed simple like the long bow, but shot a little harder, and was more compact. I've always been a fan of somewhat shorter and lighter guns. I also liked the way the recurved bow looked. I think it was mid July when I bought my first recurved bow, a take-down Jeffery, it was 60" long and 53#. I started practicing on a bag target almost daily. After a few days I thought I'd made a big mistake! I had trouble keeping the arrow on the bow shelf. I had a painful string burn, muscle aches, and sometimes missed that big bag target at fifteen steps. I admit, I'm not very good at quitting, or at being wrong. Shooting a bow wasn't as easy as it had appeared. Stubbornly I kept at the books, and at the practice. When the October season arrived I told myself I was ready. An added insult was when my brother-in-law bought his first bow; a compound just before season. His shooting made me look like a total idiot. As soon as his pins were set he could seemingly put his arrows almost anywhere he wanted 'on a target'. We both learned a lot about bow-hunting that first year; I loved it. We shot some 3D targets for a while; he and the other compound shooters usually hit where they wanted. When I hit close, it was a celebration. Today I have a much better perspective. My shooting skill continues to become better, more natural. Sometimes I amaze myself, but not very often. I enjoy just walking around and stump-shooting at times. With my stick bow I can usually find my arrows, and they seldom bend or break. Small game; a quick shot, usually I miss, but not always. My favorite hunting partner is now a shorter Jeffery; a 52", 52#, one piece recurved bow. It's a simple, light, elegant, little bent stick; part of it, born in the woods. (It's in the pictures.) We (the bow and I) seldom try to hit a small ring on a plastic deer or target today. My little recurved bow and I like the wood and the field. We can shoot quickly, from less than perfect positions, and in any lighting condition. The compound bows today are engineering marvels, they continue to get smaller, lighter, simpler, quieter, and more powerful. I like them, and I respect any good bow-hunter. I know the compound bow is more consistently accurate when there's time to pick a pin, and the range is known. If I hunted from a tree stand I'd consider a compound bow. For my style of hunting, I feel that I would give up more than I would gain. We have many more pages of information. Recurved Bow to Bow Hunting Deer
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