By Ron Notarangelo
Over the past year, we’ve had the opportunity to learn from some remarkable bowhunters, men who’ve spent decades shooting traditional equipment, hunting hard places, and earning their lessons the long way.
With a new year underway, we wanted to pull together some of the best advice shared on traditional archery. Whether you’re new to trad or you’ve been shooting for years, there’s a lot here worth slowing down for.
These aren’t shortcuts. They’re fundamentals.
Find a Mentor Early (Advice from Monty Browning)
If you’re just starting out, learning to shoot traditional equipment, picking up a longbow or recurve, and thinking about becoming a bowhunter, the best advice is simple:
Find the best archer you can, and learn from them.
Most of us didn’t do that. We traded a bike for a bow, grabbed a couple arrows, and taught ourselves. And while that builds grit, it also builds bad habits, habits you’ll spend years fighting through later.
Everyone deals with target panic at some point. Every archer in history has. The difference is whether you have someone watching you shoot, correcting form, and helping you build a foundation that lasts.
Form matters more than the bow in your hand.
You can adapt to almost any bow. But poor form follows you forever.
Form Is Everything (Advice from Jeff Kavanagh)
One of the biggest mistakes new shooters make is ignoring their shooting frame.
If you’re hunched over—back rounded, shoulders collapsed—you lose range of motion. You lose draw length. You lose back tension. You might not notice it at first, but you’re giving up inches of draw and power without realizing it.
Stand tall. Open your chest. Maintain structure.
When your chest can expand, your back muscles can contract. When they can’t, you end up pulling with your arms instead of engaging your back. That’s where inconsistency and injury creep in.
Yes, you can shoot however you want. You can shoot standing on your head if it works for you. But if you’re just starting out, start from the most efficient, repeatable position you can—and build from there.
It’s Still Manly to Ask for Help (Advice from Big Jim)
A lot of us resist instruction because we want this to be fun. We don’t want classes or rigid systems—we just want to shoot our bow.
But missing targets isn’t fun. Wounding animals isn’t fun.
Getting advice doesn’t take the joy out of archery—it protects it.
Even experienced shooters benefit from another set of eyes. You can’t see what you’re doing while you’re doing it.
Shoot Arrows. Don’t Baby Them.
Arrows are tools.
As long as it’s safe, shoot them. Sling arrows long distances. Increase your range. Watch them fly.
If you lose one, that’s part of it.
This doesn’t mean being careless—but it does mean letting go of the idea that arrows are precious artifacts. You shoot them. If you recover them, great. If not, you get more.
Traditional archery isn’t about perfection. It’s about repetition and confidence.
Keep It Simple (Advice from Jason Samkowiak)
Traditional archery is a stick and a string.
Most people come to trad because they’re tired of sight pins, rangefinders, cams, releases, tuning charts, and endless adjustments. None of that is wrong—compound bows are incredibly effective—but that’s not why we’re here.
You pull the string back.
You point the arrow.
You let it go.
The more complicated you make it, the more you’ll hate it.
Forget about numbers. Forget about killing counts. Forget about expectations.
Have fun first. Let everything else fall into place.
Hunt Where Your Skill Is
If you’re grouping well at 10 yards—go hunt at 8.
That idea shocks people. “How do you get within eight yards of a deer?”
You learn.
Traditional equipment forces you to slow down, read the woods, and set up better. It doesn’t take long before close encounters become normal—if you’re honest about your limitations.
Don’t chase gear fixes. Don’t change arrows because the internet says so. Change something only when you identify a problem and understand why it needs fixing.
There are no magic arrows. No magic calls. No magic tricks.
Woodsmanship Matters More Than Shooting (Advice from Bryan Burkhardt)
Here’s the truth most people miss:
Woodsmanship matters more than being a perfect shot.
If you can get close—really close—you don’t need to be exceptional. You need to be competent.
Learn animal behavior. Learn how they move, feed, bed, and react. Learn how to read sign. Learn when not to shoot.
Targets don’t behave like animals. Backyard practice matters—but the woods teach lessons targets never will.
Every time you step into the bush, go in with one question:
What am I going to learn today?
If you learn one thing each time, over years, you’ll become a far better hunter than someone who only chases tighter groups.
Make the Time While You Can (Advice from Shawn James)
Opportunities don’t always come back around.
When you’re young, it feels like there’s endless time. Later on, you realize how rare certain chances really were.
Family matters. Balance matters. But so does making things happen when you can.
Hunts you put off don’t always wait for you.
Final Thoughts
If you’re getting into traditional archery:
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Find a mentor
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Build solid form
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Keep it simple
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Shoot your arrows
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Learn the woods
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Be honest about your limits
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And enjoy the process
Traditional archery isn’t about perfection. It’s about patience, humility, and respect—for the craft, the animals, and the time we’re given.
Spend time in the bush.
That’s where it all comes together.
