Is trad growing, maintaining, or declining?

[SwampRabbit]

A recent thread made me go back and look at an older thread where I made some snarky (which I am now embarrased about...) comments that I thought all the questioning of equipment rules was based on the idea that the sport was growing and newcomers like myself, simply didn't understand the reasoning of the rules and traditions. Of course, I was new, and asking a bunch of questions, which you guys patiently answered.

But I have to wonder, because I really have no point of reference, do you guys think trad is growing? or is it just maintaining the same numbers as before? Could it be declining?

[jerp]

I have no data to back this up, but I think trad numbers are going up. You always have some percentage of compound shooters who make the switch, but that seems to be increasing. There are so many longtime coumpound shooters in this country it only makes sense that more (numbers-wise) are ready for a new challenge and buy a trad bow. We are also getting growth from youngsters who inspired by recent movies. When we have a membership drive at the club I am always pleased to see quite a few young boys and girls show up with trad bows. Whether that is a fad that fades, or a trend that continues remains to be seen..

[Limbwalker]

Just depends on how you define "trad." (as usual).

Archery is immensely popular right now with young people. Most of them are picking up recurves and most of those are being shot without a sight - at least at first.

As for us "older folk" I don't really think it's growing. Holding steady? Sure. But I don't see Bass Pro or Gander Mtn. adding trad bows to their inventory. In fact, the Gander near me cut their archery range out, and nearly all their archery sales, to make room for an entire two walls full of guns.

And they used to have a good selection of traditional bows too. It was very sad to see. These days, you can hardly find a trad bow in Bass Pro. Just 4-5 years ago, they would routinely have 7 or 8.

[RickBarbee]

I think it is on the rise, and has been since the late *90's.

More recently however, there has been a real big burst of new & young Trad shooters, and I attribute a lot of that burst to the movie exposure of late.

Yep, I think it's growing, and it is up to us to nourish that interest & knowledge for those coming in to help keep the enthusiasm alive.

Rick

[BowBuddy]

Trad is going up

[panhandlehunter]

I bought me a trad bow last year. Seeing the trad posts here made me want to try it out. I will get my first kill with it this year.

[SwampRabbit]

Just depends on how you define "trad." (as usual).

Good point. Okay, lets maybe narrow it down a bit. Since this is a bowhunting site, and I know I pretty much got into trad with the primary goal of having fun (3D shoots, etc) with the possibility of actually hunting with it if I felt I was good enough...

So, are there more folks shooting the "trad" shoots and/or hunting with "trad" bows?

[SwampRabbit]

I bought me a trad bow last year. Seeing the trad posts here made me want to try it out. I will get my first kill with it this year.

Same here. I actually visited this site before buying my first bow. Didn't join TBH until I started hunting with my first compound bow. When I was running the archery range for cub scout district day camp, I realized how much more fun it was shooting single string bows without sights. So I bought one with the thought that maybe, if I was good enough, I'd be brave enough to try and hunt with it.

[Limbwalker]

One of my best young compound students asked me last month to help him set up a barebow recurve rig. He said he was tired of watching all of us have fun while he was sweating over "x's". LOL.

He's now having the time of his life, and thanks me every time I see him for putting the fun back in archery. He's also turning out to be one heck of a shot with that barebow.

John

[bucknuts]

I find that most guys iv'e shot around consider the recurve and longbow a joke. They ask stuff like "can you really kill a deer with that thing" It would be great to see more young guys take trad more seriously . But i think everyone is in to "instant" gratification these days.

[Chunky]

I don't really know....but if I were to guess, I would say its about the same.

I don't really see an increase in shooters at the local shoots, and like stated before there is not much retail demand.

I think the recent movie glorification of archery will be a fad and short lived. Most of today's generation has become use to instant gratification, which we all know is not realistic.

[wisco-hunter]

I just got into it, I will mainly be hunting for the challenge of it, but I will try to make a few 3d shoots over the next year to gain tips from the experienced trad shooters. But the my main intention is hunting

[TacticalCowboy]

Definitely not going down.

[JoeyF]

Don't see it growing around here. Many of the 3d shoots I don't even have a trad guy to shoot with so I shoot with the compounds.

Gander shut down the range here too, I miss it this winter.

[Featherflinger]

For me it's hard to say either way. Online, I see more stores advertising cheaper trad bows than a few years ago but in store they have no selection and do not advertise it. I'm constantly hearing of people going from compound bows to trad bows but the retailers don't seem to carry much of an on-hand inventory to try out. In 2009 when I bought my first recurve, Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops both had quite an inventory of trad bows in stock. Now they have very few unless you order online. On line they have more than they use to and even have In-Store exclusive trad bows but do not advertise them. I am constantly seeing more newcomers to the sport but I am still fairly new and don't have a lot of experience to base it on.