This stick bow shot went a little high, it broke the running turkey's neck, and flew on into the tree. Read: Fall Turkey
The stickbow probably requires the most skill of any popular hunting tool. It scores highly with us.
The stick bow or traditional bow, can be a long bow or recurved bow. There are many variations and some hunters still prefer one over the
compound bow.
Each type of bow has some advantages, and some disadvantages.
Most hunters are more familiar with the compound bow today. A compound bow with sights is somewhat like shooting a rifle.
You see the target, draw, anchor, focus on the sights, settle the sights on the target, concentrate, control your breathing, and release. Because of the compound bow's let-off you can hold your draw and shoot more slowly or deliberately. You are using a sophisticated tool; the bow and the sights are responsible for some of the accuracy.
Most often this is a slower, but more consistently accuracy way to shoot. With sights you may become very accurate on targets where you have plenty of time and know the range. All arrows drop considerably with range. Estimating the range is one of the hardest things about shooting any bow.
Compound bows keep improving. Today's compound bow is usually shorter and more compact than a traditional bow, 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 a traditional stickbow is usually listed in ounces.
The traditional stickbow is a little more like an upland shotgun, and most often used without sights. Lighter, easier to carry, and generally quicker in use than most compound bows. Shooting flying birds is very difficult, but possible.
When shooting a stick bow hand/eye coordination, or so-called instinctive shooting is used. Exhibition shooter Byron Ferguson hits aspirin, tossed in the air, with his long bow.
Stickbow shooters use many small variations in shooting styles, but most are relatively simple and quick. Many simply concentrate on the target, draw, anchor, and release. With traditional bows you must draw and release fairly quickly because there is no mechanical let-off; you are holding all the draw weight.
A good stick bow shooter doesn't consciously think much about the exact range. Similar to throwing a ball, or casting a lure, with practice, our brain calculates the distance. Balls and fishing rods don't have sights either.
Instinctive shooting is simple, and fun for most people. But you'll 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.
With this style of shooting you are doing almost everything and only using a simple tool. You'll sometimes make an amazing shot, seemingly without trying. Then try to repeat the shot and "miss by a mile". Shooting a stick can be a physical and mental challenge. It can take a long time to achieve a good level of consistent accuracy.
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.
Consider a stickbow if you like hunting on the ground, stalking or still hunting. Especially 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 the stick bow.
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