Archer offended

In regards to Mr. Illi’s archery column, I take great umbrage at his ignorance. He infers that traditional archery is dead, and we are against the huge advances in “technology” as it relates to the sport of bowhunting. 

The problem with “bowhunters” like him is the simple fact that way too many new people entering our sport are not accomplished hunters, and are thus forced to buy all this crap, thinking that the addition of all this gear will make them a successful hunter. The simple truth is to become woods-wise, you need to spend countless hours learning the animals’ habits, etc., which I learned from my father and grandfather, as teachers and mentors. Then I transitioned easily into the bowhunter mode. And yes I strayed several years into the compound world, but went back to my traditional roots, with a Paul Schafer recurve, which allowed me to have great success.

We have so many custom longbow and recurve bow builders in Montana that I have no idea how many live and hunt here. Our side of the sport is thriving. Remember our longbow seasons are based on low success rates, but with the rise of technology, and the Archery Manufacturers Organization finding willing buyers, that fact may soon be a thing of the past. Population increases, animal declines, soaring success rates will bring an end to our long seasons, maybe even only permit hunting.

Mr. Illi, if you want to write about MY sport, do so accurately, or please stay a rifle hunter, which you must do more of anyway. —Michael Shepard, Columbia Falls