The Stick Bow
This stick bow shot went a little high, it broke the
running turkey's neck,
and flew on into a tree.
Read: My First Turkey
This bow type probably
requires the most skill of any popular hunting tool.
It scores highly with us.
Sometimes called a stick bow, a traditional bow, the long bow or the
recurved bow.
Whatever you choose to call them, some hunters prefer one over a
compound bow.
Each type of bow has some advantages,
and some disadvantages.
Most hunters today are more familiar with the compound bow. We will use it for comparison. Today's compound bow is shorter and more compact than a traditional bow. Still, the compound bow is most often used with sights in a slower, more deliberate way. It could be compared to a target rifle. Traditional bows are a little like an upland shotgun, and most often used without sights. Light, easy to carry, and quick to use when compared to most compound bows. Shooting flying birds is very difficult, but possible.
Compound bows keep improving, but with all the extras on them, they are still comparatively heavy. The weight of a compound bow is often given in pounds. The weight of traditional bow is usually listed in ounces.
Carrying a stick is easy! Shooting it is not so easy!
Shooting a stick bow is something like throwing a ball, or casting a fishing lure. Balls and fishing rods don't have sights either.
Hand, eye coordination, or so-called instinctive shooting is used. Exhibition shooter Byron Ferguson can hit an aspirin, tossed in the air, with his long bow. Instinctive shooting is comparatively quick, simple, and fun for most people. But! It can take a long time to learn, and be frustrating when trying to be consistently accurate. Shooting a compound bow is a more conscious discipline. Somewhat like shooting a rifle, you are lining up the sights, controlling your movement, and carefully releasing the arrow. For most people this is an easier way to shoot with more consistent accuracy.
The following gives you some idea of how most people shoot with each bow:
When shooting with a stick: you concentrate on the target, draw, anchor, and release. You need lots of practice to gain the muscle memory, and the hand eye coordination needed. Once you finally "get it" you won't need as much practice as in the beginning. You are doing almost everything and only using a simple tool. Doing it every time is very difficult for most traditional shooters. Practicing, you may make an amazing shot, seemingly without trying. Try to repeat the shot, and "miss by a mile". Shooting a stick can be a physical and mental challenge.
When shooting with a compound bow and sights: you see the target, draw, anchor, focus on the sights, settle the sights on the target, concentrate, and release. You are using a more sophisticated tool: the bow and the sights are responsible for some of the accuracy. With sights you may become very accurate on targets where you have plenty of time and know the range. Estimating the range is one of the hardest things about shooting any bow, and especially a compound bow. A good stick bow shooter doesn't think much about the exact range. Similar to throwing a ball, or casting a lure, our brain calculates the distance. Still many misses are from shooting high or low. What people enjoy is not always the same. How you hunt may help determine which bow you like to use. Almost any
bow-hunting
is going to be challenging. Many people today are hunting out of
elevated deer stands
. Hunting from an elevated position may allow for a little more movement, time, pre-ranging, and possibly works best with the compound bow. If you like hunting on the ground, especially stalking or still hunting. If your hunting is more likely to be taking advantage of a sudden opportunity.
If you can master the art and skill of traditional archery, you may love a stick bow.
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