Trad Hunters vs. Traditional Bowhunter Magazine — What’s Different?

For more than three decades, Traditional Bowhunter Magazine has carried the torch for stickbow hunters. It gave the community a voice when few others did, and it remains a respected part of bowhunting history. In 2025, a new magazine entered the picture — Trad Hunters. Not to replace the old guard, but to carry the tradition forward in a new way.


🏹 Traditional Bowhunter Magazine — The Pioneer

Since 1989, Traditional Bowhunter has offered stories, tips, and insights for bowhunters who shoot instinctively and walk the harder path. It is the pioneer — the magazine that gave traditional bowhunting a permanent home in modern hunting media.


🏹 Trad Hunters Magazine — The Next Chapter

Launched in 2025, Trad Hunters Magazine was built on the same love of stickbows, but designed for a new era. It takes inspiration from the gritty outdoor magazines of the 1950s — small, rugged, and built to last — while expanding the scope beyond hunts alone. Inside, you’ll find:

  • Hunting stories rooted in grit and survival

  • Black-and-white pen-and-ink artwork inspired by the golden age

  • Bowhunting history alongside new voices

  • A community-driven approach that invites hunters to contribute

Trad Hunters is not just a magazine to read — it’s one to keep, share, and pass down.


🔑 Side by Side

Feature Traditional Bowhunter Trad Hunters
Founded 1989 2025
Role The pioneer The next chapter
Format Full-size magazine Digest-sized, ad-light, collectible
Style Modern hunting mag layout Vintage-inspired, 1950s outdoor feel
Focus Hunts + gear tips Hunts + survival + history + community

❓ The Big Question

Which should you read?
Both have a place. Traditional Bowhunter remains the legacy pioneer that anchored the community for decades. Trad Hunters is the evolution — built for hunters who want a magazine that feels as timeless and enduring as the hunts themselves.


Closing Line (respectful but strong):
“Traditional Bowhunter lit the fire. Trad Hunters carries it forward into the future.”