Me too. But only for a season because I couldn’t afford a site at the time. It was pretty wild when I just started up close when I got my first compound my dad was like just get out there and start shooting it and I did. I was pretty good out to about 20 yards. I didn’t know anything at the time and used a combo of the tip of the arrow and instinctive while shooting fingers with a glove. Man the simplicity is appealing. Check out Dan Fitzgerald’s stuff too he’s and his son have always shot their compounds (now Matthews) instinctively.
Even compound bows in those days were pretty primitive by today's standards. I also shot fingers with a glove, no sight and a simple glue on Bear Weather rest on my first bow, a Bear Whitetail Hunter bow (internet picture) I bought new in 1974.
My second bow (~1979-1986) was a Browning Tracker that was set up exactly the same way (internet picture, mine didn't have a sight). Unfortunately I don't have either of those bows anymore, I wish I did.
My third bow was a Browning M6 Bobcat that I still shot with fingers and no sight. It at least had a spring button, flipper rest on it though so it did have some upgrade. I actually still have that bow in the basement (I don't have a hoarding problem . . . .
).
It wasn't until I upgraded again in 1990 that I actually had a bow with a sight installed on it. This is also when I upgraded to a "real" rest and went to a release from fingers. I killed a lot of deer with those early bows. Lots of great memories.
EDIT: I also have to say, truth be told, that I was a much better archer in those days than I ever have been since or ever will be again. There's just something about shooting all the time that just made every shot instinctive and the same. I took archery as a PE elective my first year of college (1980) and we shot in the gymnasium at between 5 and 10 yds (insanely close to me at that point) and I Robin Hooded not one but two 2117's during the course of that class. Easiest 4.0 I ever received in my college career.