KodiakHunter

I' ve been shooting an old Browning Spectrum II compound for about 10 years now (on and off)...and my wife just bought me a new Fred Bear Super Kodiak recurve.

How difficult is it, or is it even practical, to shoot both bows? I' m wanting to hunt with either one...

Suggestions, comments?

Thanks!

Andy
Kodiak, Alaska

Arthur P

I switch back and forth quite a bit. Usually shooting a recurve or longbow and taking the compound out for grins. It' s easier to shoot compound when you shoot mainly stickbows rather than regularly shooting compounds and picking up the stick only once in a while.

I' d be wearing out the Kodiak and leaving the Browning to gather dust until you feel the urge.

IrishLad32

Hey, Andy. It' s very practical to shoot both. Even if you don' t hunt with both, you might just use the recurve for fun at first. Compounds are pretty easy to shoot, so you won' t have to worry about not being able to shoot it after shooting a recurve for a while. If you don' t want to hunt with the recurve you' ll still have the compound. Then as you get better you may decide to hunt with the recurve and use your compound to get someone else hooked on archery and continue the bowhunting cycle. Learning to use a recurve is a little more difficult for most. If you can shoot a compound pretty well then you probly have most of your form down already. Get some arrows matched to your bow-wood, aluminum, or carbon it makes no matter-and start practicing. Visit the traditional bowhunting forum here and the leatherwall at www.stickbow.com Maybe pick up a book or two to learn some different aiming methods and just work with it ' till you become proficient enough to hunt with it. I' ve heard good feedback about Byron Ferguson' s book " Become the Arrow" and Fred Asbell' s books on instinctive shooting. I haven' t read them myself, and there are probly others to mention, but those are two that come to mind that I' ve heard some good stuff about. Just keep in mind that you' ll need to develop your own form, but these books and the sites can help you learn the basics. Having shot a compound for a while you probly already have the basics and just need to work on refining it for the recurve. After you get pretty good with the recurve, but still feel uneasy about going after big game, try for some of those Alaskan spruce grouse I hear so much about. It' s more of a hit or miss situation and it' ll help you concentrate on a small target. I' d definitely recommend getting that recurve set up and getting into the fun of traditional archery. Keep in mind that doesn' t mean you have to get rid of all your compound gear, but it does mean you' ll learn to appreciate archery and bowhunting more. So go for it, you already have the ' curve, you' ve nothing to lose!

Brandan