Andersen

When Ron Roettger let an arrow fly at a black bear several years back, the creature was completely unaware of the impending danger. This was due to the fact that Roettger was positioned downwind of the unsuspecting beast as he readied his longbow and shot a handcrafted arrow. The distance from the archer to the […]

When Ron Roettger let an arrow fly at a black bear several years back, the creature was completely unaware of the impending danger. This was due to the fact that Roettger was positioned downwind of the unsuspecting beast as he readied his longbow and shot a handcrafted arrow.

The distance from the archer to the bear was a mere 3 yards.

Roettger, aged 64, hails from Star Prairie, Wis., situated about an hour northeast of the Twin Cities, and he has been practicing traditional archery since turning 12, when his father gifted him a Ben Pearson Colt with a draw weight of 45 pounds at a J.C. Penney outlet for $20.

“I shot a small fiberglass bow in our backyard as a child,” Roettger reminisced. “Archery has always intrigued me.”

However, his passion isn’t just for any type of archery; rather, it’s for what is commonly referred to as traditional-style archery—utilizing bows and arrows that closely mimic those crafted by Native Americans and the Indigenous peoples from eons past.

Recurves and longbows—two types typically defined as “traditional” are rare nowadays, having fallen out of favor since the 1960s in favor of the more widely embraced compound bows.

Compound bows are not only easier for novice archers to shoot accurately over extended distances, but their pulley systems also allow hunters to keep them fully drawn for long periods while they wait for an unobstructed shot.

Conversely, traditional bows rely on “instinctive” shooting, where the bowstrings are drawn and released in a fluid motion. Moreover, unlike compound bows, traditional bows lack sights.

“Effective shooting with a traditional bow hinges on having well-tuned equipment and extensive practice to cultivate muscle memory,” explained Roettger, a veteran hunting education instructor. “In contrast to the mechanical release used in compound bows, traditional bowstrings are drawn using fingers, and ensuring that the anchor point—the spot where fingers and drawstring touch the archer’s chin or face—remains consistent is critical.”

Though few in number, traditional archers frequently connect with like-minded individuals online, with communities like the Traditional Archery Society and Traditional Bowhunters active on Facebook.

In many respects, traditional archers are throwbacks, vastly outnumbered not only by those using compound bows but also by crossbow enthusiasts. In the past year alone, close to 60,000 deer were harvested in Wisconsin using crossbows, which share mechanical similarities with rifles rather than traditional bows. (Out of 24,000 deer taken with archery methods in Minnesota in 2023, 43% were using crossbows.)

While Roettger has triumphed in traditional archery competitions by hitting targets at distances of 65 yards, he always limits his hunting shots to a maximum of 17 yards.

“Preferably, I prefer shots at 12 to 15 yards,” he noted. “Before settling into my stand, I gauge potential shot distances.”

With his longbow, Roettger has claimed 37 deer, including a behemoth he shot on Nov. 9 that measured 139½, only surpassed by a whitetail he hunted in 2015 that scored 140¼.

Despite his pride in his shooting skills—having been a regular presence for 40 years at weekly league shoots at Willow River Rod and Gun in New Richmond, Wis.—Roettger emphasizes hunting expertise as more pivotal for his achievements in traditional archery.

This is primarily due to his preference to approach animals closely before taking a shot.

“For me, getting close is never about high-tech equipment or costly camouflage,” he remarked. “It centers on understanding the wind and remaining still. I also refrain from hunting from great heights. While I don’t fear heights, I respect them. I won’t set my stand higher than 8 feet in a tree. Moreover, I avoid using trail cameras; I prefer to track trails and interpret deer signs on my own.”

Roettger’s respect for tradition extends further than his equipment choices.

Every opening day of Wisconsin’s archery deer season sees him settled in the same stand, wielding the same Ben Pearson bow from his youth.

“While I recognize I may not shoot anything with that bow, adhering to this tradition means a lot to me,” he shared.

Additionally, he is an advocate for utilizing public lands whenever feasible. Some years back, he wrapped up a decade-long endeavor where he pursued 10 different game animals across 10 states.

“In each state, I isolated myself to hunt and camp on public land,” he described. “I wanted to do everything with the same longbow I’ve used since 1997 and my personally crafted arrows. It wasn’t about harvesting an animal in every state; rather, it was about the experience.”

This adventure took him to states ranging from Arizona to Minnesota. Nevertheless, he was never able to get close enough to elk for a shot, nor did he succeed with antelope.

“I did manage to hunt mule deer and whitetails,” he noted.

On Nov. 9, having been settled in his stand for merely 45 minutes, the large buck he aimed to take appeared. He had been keeping his right hand warm because, with age, arthritis made drawing the bowstring with his fingers more challenging than before.

“I had an arrow prepared, but when the buck entered my view from my peripheral, I couldn’t rise to take a shot for fear of him noticing the movement,” Roettger recounted. “Thus, I shot while seated when he was just 12 yards away.”

Recently, Roettger found himself in his archery workshop, which occupies a section of the garage at his home in Star Prairie with his wife, Rita Keating. The walls of the shop boast a display of antlers, while a workbench displayed arrows at various stages of their creation.

“I aim to use 500 grain [weight] arrows crafted from cedar,” he shared. “I’ve experimented with other arrows too, including those made from sitka spruce, but I adore the scent of cedar. For broadheads, I employ 160 grain three-bladed Woodsmans.”

In his younger days, Roettger was capable of drawing a 60-pound longbow and maintaining it at full draw for up to a minute.

Those times are behind him.

“I believe I might still manage to shoot my 60-pound longbow for another year, and potentially a 50-pound bow for another five years beyond that,” he remarked. “With luck and by keeping my arm conditioned, I should be able to continue hunting with a longbow through my mid-70s, perhaps even into my late 70s.”