Casting Animal Tracks with Kids
Casting animal tracks with kids is a fun family outdoor activity to help parents and children learn about the wildlife nearby. Even if you live in a neighborhood or large city, [...]
The Hunt Process—Packaging Meat
How many of you butcher and process your own deer/game instead of taking it to a meat processor? I grew up on a farm in the Eastern US and one of my first [...]
Pack Snacks for Traditional Bowhunters
Whether you are packing for an extended backcountry hunt or an afternoon looking for mushrooms or antler sheds, you should carry nutritious snacks for energy to fuel your body for the hike. Here [...]
Making River Cane Arrows
For hundreds and probably thousands of years, native people of the southeastern United States used river cane for many important material goods. It was used to make dwellings, it was split and woven [...]
Handle Your Arrow By The Nock
Favorite Bow Poll I have often heard that the first arrow is the only one that counts, because few hunters get a second shot. If you subscribe to that notion, it might be [...]
How to Set Up a Traditional Bow
When you get a new traditional bow, whether it be a longbow, recurve, or selfbow, there are a few things you'll need to set up before you go out to the [...]
Chasing Solitude—Passions of a Solo Moose Hunter
Mike Mitten is due to release his latest video in May or June of 2018. This movie spans over three seasons, as he takes the viewer along on self-filmed solo hunts [...]
Five Blister Prevention Tips
When you do a lot of stalking on the ground, you can cover a few miles in no time. The quickest way to make a hunt uncomfortable is to develop blisters [...]
Managing Buck Fever
I was thirteen years old and had just finished crawling through knee-deep Wisconsin snow in December to position myself within bow range of a deer feeding in a cut corn field. In addition [...]
The Push Archery Podcast with TJ Conrads
The first ever recorded podcast with TJ Conrads is live now! The Push Archery had a great evening conversation with TJ about his beginnings magazines and hunting. Listen through the link. Or check [...]
What’s In Your Pack?—Beka Garris
When it comes to hunting, I've always been a fan of packing light. There's no point in carrying a full pack around the woods if you're never going to use half of what's [...]
Fred Bear Polar Bear Hunt
Here is a video of Fred Bear's exciting polar bear hunt. Twenty-five days into his third hunt for this species, Fred gets it done.
What’s In Your Pack? Don Thomas
The contents of one’s pack obviously vary to some degree with where you are and what you’re doing. Here, I’ll talk about what I carry when I’m hunting in Alaska, although most of [...]
What’s In Your Pack?—David Darling
As a traditional bowhunter who hunts a variety of seasons what’s in my pack varies greatly, but the pack take into the field for my fall whitetail tree stand hunting basically falls into [...]
What’s In Your Pack?—T. J. Conrads
What I put in my pack depends on where, what, and when I am hunting. Above are the basic items I load up when I am hunting elk and mule deer out West. [...]
FOC Explained by Clay Hayes
Having weight forward of center can help with arrow flight and penetration. Clay explains how to measure your Forward of Center (FOC) in this "Field Tips" video from Twisted Stave. Leave [...]
Forum Members Reading List
The final list in our series comes from the members of our Campfire Forum. It's a longer list, so there's no description for each book. Log in (or sign up for a free membership) [...]
Masters of the Barebow 5
Last weekend, at the Traditional Bowhunter's Expo in Kalamazoo, I visited with some of the people who produced this video. This trailer explains what the video is all about. It is [...]
David’s Reading List
David Tetzlaff, our resident book reviewer, reads a lot of archery books so it was hard to pick only a few favorites. If the author sells the book directly, the photo will link to [...]
Fred’s Reading List
G. Fred Asbell, is well-known for the books he's written on instinctive shooting and stalking or still-hunting, and for his shooting school held every spring at Black Widow Bows in Missouri. He also served [...]
Care For a Traditional Bow
With the right techniques, and consistent care, the life of your traditional bow can be lengthened significantly. When caring for your bow, there is some regular maintenance that should be done, as well [...]
Don’s Reading List
TBM Co-Editor Don Thomas has written many books and articles about everything from archery to wingshooting. Here are a few of his favorites. If the author sells the book directly, the photo will link [...]
Shooting: Practice
I don’t hear the word practice very often in conversation with traditional bow shooters. We talk about shooting instead. There is such pleasure in simply shooting traditional equipment, but there’s something about the [...]
T.J.’s Reading List
The Witchery of Archery by Maurice Thompson Probably the first book that introduced target and field archers into the idea of hunting with the bow and arrow. It is a classic piece of bowhunting [...]
Why Hunting is a Healthy and Moral Option
Many people today are concerned about health: Health for themselves, health for the environment, and health for future generations. Seemingly endless studies on which ever-present chemicals, additives, preservatives, and seed strains are bad [...]
Opportunity Calls
I was cow-calling for a bull elk one September day deep in the bottom of a canyon. While there was daylight on the canyon rim 500 feet above, evening had come early to [...]
Make Archery Target Rugballs!
Buying targets and setting up an archery range can cost thousands of dollars. In this piece, I’d like to share how to create inexpensive targets and a fun way to set up a [...]
Three Common Mental Shooting Mistakes
You’ve done your shooting homework by establishing a repeatable, torque-free grip on the bow and locating an anchor point that places the nock under your dominant eye, aligning your draw arm elbow with [...]
Winter Hydration
We all know how important hydration is when you're outdoors. Winter hydration should be top priority as the cold hunts are beginning. There are a lot of cold-weather bowhunters who have [...]
Traditional Harvest Photos
I get a lot of questions about how to submit a kill photo for the magazine. The Traditional Harvest pages are sponsored by Columbia River Knife and Tool in Portland, Oregon. They give away a knife to one lucky hunter in each issue. If you would like to submit your picture, mail it to us at: Traditional Bowhunter Magazine Attn: T. J. Conrads P O Box 519 Eagle, ID 83616 Please include your name, address, and any pertinent information you'd like to include, such as bow, arrow, broadhead, etc. If you would like the photo returned, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Photos can also be emailed to tjc@tradbow.com. Please email the full-sized image for the best results. I'd like to outline a few other tips for good hunting photos. This applies to the magazine, our online galleries, or even the bulletin board at the sporting goods store. Keep in mind that not everyone who sees your photo is a hunter. Images of hunters straddling their quarry, animals hanging from a hook, o
How to Use a Compass and Map
Krik of Black Owl Outdoors thoroughly yet simply explains how to navigate with just a compass and a map. Regardless of why and how you spend your times in the great [...]
Nordic Story: The Modern Bowhunter
THE MODERN BOWHUNTER Bowhunting is more than just hunting. Ulrik never chose to hunt, hunting has just always been with him. The nordic nature gives him something nothing else can. We [...]
Water Filtering Basics
Randy Newberg, Hunter explains the basics of water filtration, the types of systems available and his preferences for the style of hunting he does. Gravity flow systems, hand pumps, straws, and [...]
See How the Woodsman Broadhead is Made
The Woodsman broadhead has helped bowhunters put big game on the ground all around the world. See step-by-step how the original series Woodsman broadheads are built. These fixed blade broadheads are [...]
Meet The Champs: The Wilhelm Brothers
Walt and Kenneth Wilhelm, are in the archery hall of fame. In the 1930s they appeared in these Paramount newsreels. The shots they make will amaze you! Howard Hill shot with [...]
Gutless Field Dressing
Are you a gutless hunter? There are pros and cons to gutless field dressing of your game. This video from Elk101.com is a good tutorial for how to field dress an [...]
Mountain Fit
As the astute Benjamin Franklin noted, "Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other." You can let yourself believe you're in pretty good shape--maintaining that belief is certainly the [...]
Anchoring for Accuracy
One evening I was at an archery club when a local coach asked me to work with one of his up and coming adult barebow shooters. We’ll call her Janet. He pointed her [...]
10 Years a Bowhunter
Join Chris Shelton as he takes you on an adventure through the last 10 years of bowhunting with a traditional bow. Bowhunting has many ups and downs and you'll experience that [...]
Building a Soda Bottle Bowfishing Reel
A homemade bowfishing reel made from a 20 oz soda bottle, a rubber chair tip, some nuts and washers. This reel was made for a homemade PVC pipe bow, but you [...]
Photo Gallery
Traditional Bowhunter Photo Gallery Upload your favorite pictures of camp life, your bow, or your latest animal hunted. Click on an image to enlarge it. *These photos are for our website ONLY. We [...]
The Woods Look Different At Night—Use A Compass
Over twenty years ago, a friend of mine was giving me an impromptu lesson on coon hound training along a familiar creek on our farm. When his pup finally treed, we started into [...]
Paul Bunyan Bucks—Traditional Archives
Left to right: Eugene Reeber, Leo Lange, and Nelson Grumley. Back in the days of lumberjacks and logging camps they told the story of the “winter of the blue snow” when meat was [...]
Ron La Clair Recites “The Legacy”
Ron La Clair, a traditional bowhunting legend in his own right, recites the following poem to the children at the Compton Traditional Bowhunters' 2017 Rendezvous. I think the adults were entertained [...]
Compton Rendezvous 2017 – A Journey to Remember
Earlier this year I received a message from TJ saying he and Robin were unable to attend the Compton Traditional Bowhunters' 2017 Rendezvous for the first time in seventeen years. He asked that [...]
How to Set Up a Traditional Bow
In this bow hunting tip, Damon Bungard shows you how to set up a Bear Takedown Bow. Setting up your new bow is always exciting, and it can also be relatively [...]
Footwear—Where the Rubber Meets the Trail
I am not a gadget guy or an equipment junkie. I usually settle on a good solid tool for the job and stick with it until it wears out. For instance, I’ve been [...]
Byron Ferguson Explains the Archer’s Paradox
See here how Byron Ferguson helps explain the Archer's Paradox on this Smarter Every Day video. This video helps explain in detail why spine weight is so important as well as point [...]
What Is Your Camo Philosophy?
Follow along as Damon Bungard of Orion Coolers goes through his top three camo philosophies in this Orion Chronicles episode. Share with us what your top three choices are and why. [...]
Bears, Bear Spray, and Bowhunters
Most folks do not like to carry guns when bowhunting. However, bowhunters can get into situations where more lethal weaponry is desirable, especially when hunting in bear country. The most common bear in [...]
Survival Craft—Fire and Food
In this video by Clay Hayes he shares his two "Free Range Kids" gathering wood, building a fire and cooking wild edible plants for lunch. These are many of the skills [...]
How to Tune Arrows for Traditional Bowhunting
Ever wonder how to tune arrows? Ken Beck, of Black Widow Bows, does a great job of explaining some of the important fundamentals of arrow tuning. The procedure is the same [...]
Historic Footage of Art Young Hunting a Grizzly Bear
Throwback Thursday takes us way back to one of the pioneers of bowhunting in the United States. Amazing footage from Art Young's 1926 grizzly bear hunt fueled the fire for many [...]
Watch this Great Shot with a Recurve on a Spring Turkey
It's springtime and the turkeys are calling. Watch this short video of Kyler Moore taking a spring turkey with his recurve.
Staring Down a Bull Moose With a Traditional Bow In the Yukon
Jason Hairston from KUIU and his father Mike go on a once in a lifetime hunting trip to the Yukon. This video portrays traditional bowhunting as it really is: quiet, difficult, [...]
How to Make a Bowstring for Beginners
Check out this awesome tutorial for Flemish twist bowstrings! Let us know what you think.
Encountering a Trophy Mule Deer With a Traditional Bow
Remi Warren is known for his incredible footage, but it's usually with a compound bow in his hands. This short, self filmed video captures a moment where Remi experienced the rush of [...]
Video: Improve Your Shot with Proper Form
15 years ago Clay Hayes converted from a compound bow to a traditional bow. Since then he has become a great resource for woodsmanship and traditional archery information. In this video [...]
Gap Shooting – Part 1
One of the wonderful things about barebow archery is the creativity it allows with respect to aiming. Without sight pins, your options are restricted only by your imagination. Even though many discussions on [...]