Pat Lefemine

---

 

Traditional vs. Modern Archers

Are we really divided?

 

 

When I asked this question on Crossfire I knew it would get me in hot water. Within minutes of going live, messages began to hit the Campfire and Leatherwall accusing me of stirring up a hornets nest - pitting brothers of the bow against each other over equipment differences. The responses to the question were pretty much as I expected. A few people were mad for my even bringing it up, a few traditional as well as modern archers made some derogatory comments, and the overwhelming majority of modern as well as traditional shooters complained "not enough info to determine skill!"

Now before I continue I owe all of you an apology. I deliberately placed this trick question to prove a point that I believe firmly - there basically is no real animosity between the two - only a perceived animosity by both.

The initial reaction from many people was outrage over asking this question. "How dare you" was one remark "Shame on you" or "I'm surprised at Pat for asking this question." A knee-jerk reaction by many whom never really thought about the question because all they saw was a description of the shooters' equipment. Never did I explain the circumstances around either of these hunts, hunters or shots. I never mentioned the techniques or the experience level of either hunter. So based on that, there is really no way of answering this question. The description of equipment was really irrelevant.

 

Now here was the trick…

 

The situation described in the Crossfire question was real, based on real people that I have met.

A few years ago a hunter I knew decided to go traditional. But just as there are many people born with great instinctual abilities, there are some that couldn't hit the ground while standing on the roof. He was one of them. He tried for years to hit anything with his longbow, wood arrows and sharpen 'em yourself broadheads. In 1994 he got lucky on a ten day guided hunt and shot a nice 6x6 mulie out of a tree stand next to a watering hole in Colorado. (Sound familiar?) He has since gone back to shooting a compound, which he shoots really well.

In 1996 I met a man at the Eastern Traditional Shoot that was a phenomenal longbow shot. A discussion a year later with some high tech buddies led to a mule deer hunt in Co. The longbow shooter and the compound hunter both made a bet that they could kill a mule deer with the others' equipment. They both practiced diligently and the longbow shooter, armed with an 80% let-off bow, fiber-optic site, release, and carbon arrows with expandable heads made an open country stalk and shot a nice mule deer at 45 yards (Again, Sound Familiar?). To this day he switches back and forth depending on the situation.

Got you thinking eh?

 

My buddy Greg

One of my best friends and favorite hunting partners is Greg Hammell from Higanum Ct. Greg shoots a PSE compound with sights, aluminum arrows, Thunderheads and a tab. He practices two weeks before the season and is not what I would consider a "dedicated" bowhunter as he freely admits. He has three beautiful young children and is my first sons' Godfather. He works a very stressful job long hours and his wife works weekends and evenings to help make ends meet. He does not have the time to become proficient with a stickbow and he does not practice as much with his compound bow as he should. So he only takes shots fifteen yard shots and under. Should Greg have to live up to my standards to enjoy bowhunting? How about your standards? If he was your friend, would you rather him not be in camp?

My wife Julie tried for two years to shoot a traditional bow. She was terrible at it and we both agreed that she should continue practicing with her compound of which she was deadly. My wife shot the largest kudu bull ever shot by a female bowhunter in 1993 after practicing every day for six months with her high-tech equipment. Is she less of a bowhunter than someone who shoots longbow?

 

Since you don't like me, I won't like you

When I was in elementary school we had a girl named April who was a real busy-body. She told me that Rusty Wade hated my guts and was telling people things about me. So I did the only honorable thing… I hated him back. We sneered at each other in the halls, bumped into each other in the playground, and I did my best to talk about Rusty to my friends. Rusty did the same. One day it came to blows on the playground and I got my butt handed to me. We both ended up in the principal's office and that was the very first time that Rusty and I actually sat down and talked to each other. He went on to tell the principal that I was spreading rumors about him and that's how this all started. When the principal asked who told him that, he said…April. I often think of that lesson now that I am a long way from that playground.

Perception can be a devastating tool, throw in someone who believes in his or her choices passionately and you have a volatile situation. I believe the same holds true for this traditional vs. modern argument. Having been on both the high-tech side and the traditional side I believe one thing - that there is no side. I have shared as many camps with dedicated, ethical, high-tech bowhunters as I have with lousy traditional bowhunters. I have seen people try to replace hunting skill with technical gadgets only to be a lousy bowhunter who makes good shots at 3-D targets. I have also seen my share of traditional archers who refuse to admit that they are not accurate enough to hunt with that equipment.

 

Of Wrongbows and Loincloths

My other hunting buddies owned a great camp in New York State. There were seven of us, all of differing degrees of commitment and me being the only guy shooting a stickbow. We actually had a blast kidding each other over our choice of equipment. Dave and Charlie called me Ishi and said that I hunted with a "wrongbow" and that I would chase deer down while wearing my loincloth. I would go right back at them asking them if they remembered their tool kit in their fanny belt, or my personal favorite of offering to carry their bow after a long hike since their arm must be tired from carrying 'all that weight'. When the deer was on the ground, the congratulations all seemed the same no matter what equipment was used.

My point is that we have become too sensitive to this whole issue of equipment. I knew that by the reaction of pure terror when I asked this crossfire question. The fear of tearing apart our ranks is admirable but is it really founded? Do you think that the Marines in World War II would not help the Army fight the Germans? Everyone knows the Marines don't think much of the Army but when an issue causes us to focus on a real threat, don't all those silly issues just go away? I think so. Just ask Rep. Godshall in PA, or the farm bureau in West Virginia.

We will always have our prejudices, but its how we react to those prejudices that determine whether this issue will ever be real or just perceived.

Greg Hammell with a PA buck taken at 5 yards from my stand - I never really got over that one.