Curiosity Question-What do you do with your bows.

[PEARL DRUMS]

This is a great question and it can explain the many, many answers to the same exact question. How a person uses their bows completely dictates their opinions. If a person does nothing but shoot paper, his expectations, his opinions and his experience is all going to revovle around shooting paper. Now ask another guy who does nothing but hunt with his bows that same question. The answers will vary greatly. Of course there are some guys who never really even shoot their bows much at all. They just make them. This explains to me why we never have settled which wood is best or which style bow is best.

Im 110% hunter and dont use my bows for anything else, unless its shooting foam to get better at shooting critters. As for my "extra's", they are spread out all over. I give most of them away or donate them. I usually keep 8-10 behind for myself to mess with.

[tgtmatt]

Just as ionic said "Man do i have it bad too. if you find yourself examining all the trees you pass while trying to drive then you know your in over you head" That is totally me. Whenever I'm in the car driving I am always looking for new places to cut bamboo, cane, etc. It is just a good way to spend your time instead of wasting your free time away by doing absolutely nothing. I have only recently started making bows and I swear my parents and family always nag on me about just wanting to go home and work whenever I get the chance. But they sure do like looking at them and shooting them when they aren't saying "You're obsessed". You really never understand how fun and worth while it is until you actually make one for yourself.

I make mine for a number of reasons. I plan to hunt with them, target shoot, admire them, and most of all get in touch with nature and it's beauty. Being able to make a bow from a piece of wood is amazing and I can't wait till the day I use all primitive tools to make myself a bow.

[dbb]

The good ones i give away.
The bad ones i torture to a splintery death to learn what they can take 
The only one i will keep for sure is my first shooter.

[ionicmuffin]

tgtmatt glad to know im not the only one 

[seabass]

i am not a good bowyer and don't make many.i do have one that i am going to give a friend at the classic this year.i have many bows made for me by great bowyers.i use them for target shooting,hunting,stumpshooting and bowfishing.my real love is squirrel hunting and bowfishing.these are what i really love to do with my bows.the greatest thing about making bows is the people that you meet along the way,so i guess i also use my bows for the comroderie and friends.

[Ifrit617]

I hunt, target shoot, and experiment with my bows. I have gotten into the really primitive native bows, and am a perfectionist, so I keep building bows to find that perfect one.

Jon

[tgtmatt]

Haha Yeah Ionic at least we know we're not crazy, or maybe we are. But we aren't alone.

[H Rhodes]

It's all about building the most effective hunting bow that I can build....  That and the fact that I am hopelessly addicted to making them.  It is like dopers who are always looking for the ultimate high - that next bow might be the best one yet.  I give them away.  I haven't sold one - they are either too special to sell or they aren't good enough to sell - so they are gifts to the deserving folks that look like they need a bow. Mostly they just pile up to add fuel to my wife's opinion that I need professional help. 

[SLIMBOB]

Osage Outlaw hit the nail on the head.  I made my first one strictly to hunt with.  Took a deer with it that first fall, and fell in love. I just kept making more.  Some I have never hunted with, so for me it's not "just" to hunt with.  I just dig it!  Best answer I can give.

[Newindian]

shoot the target in the back mostly, plan on hunting when I get the chance, and starting to sell some to keep me in the hobby

[Roy]

I send a lot of my bows to Pearly Boy so he can have good bows to shoot:)

[osage outlaw]

I hear ya Roy.  I sent my best shooter to Ol' Pearly.  How else is he going to have something that will kill a deer.   

[Roy]

Bout the only way he could even hit a deer is put one of them thar compound sights on his bow...

[Keenan]

I send all mine to pearlie boy Tooo!     Maybe with all them bows he can get something someday  

[Keenan]

Maybe Pearls doesn't really shoot em?? Ya  spose he's just one of them  hoarders!,,,,,,,,,,,,Just kidding Pearls