The Bow, Father of the Rifle?
The day after thanksgiving's end, where do you want to be most? I'd wager you want to be out hunting some game right now. You wish you were out in the woods, stalking your prey, and getting ready to go in for the kill. However when you are about to strike, what tool are you going to use? Will you use your trusty hunting rifle? What about a bow and arrow? I bet you'd definitely say no to the bow and arrow right? That way of hunting is so outdated, who even uses them anymore, this isn't the stone age! Well, hold on right there, my friend; for there is much more to the bow and arrow than you'd expect. In fact, without the bow and arrow, you would probably not even be hunting the way you are right now. There is far more to Bow hunting than meets the eye, even bows themselves have depth hidden to most.
The Bow Family
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| Figure 1: Excluding crossbows, the multiple types of bows in archery. |
When you think of
bow hunting, you would probably say that there can't be anything special about the
bows used, there you'd be wrong. There are actually 4
separate and very distinct types of
bows used for
archery. Firstly, there are
recurve bows, who's tips are curved away from the
archer. Bows like these were mainly used by horsemen during combat and hunting. Today
Recurve bows are used for the Olympics, as well as to teach young
archers because they don't require as much strength to pull back as other
bows. Next, we have
compound bows, a more modern and advanced version of the
bow; it allows for a lot of range but requires a large amount of strength in exchange. Thirdly, we have
longbows, the oldest known bows to man; mainly used as weapons during the 1200's. Being the oldest known
bows to man,
longbows are simply long curved sticks with a rope tied to both ends.
Longbows are much more unwieldy than more modern bows. And finally, we have the most unique type of bows out there;
crossbows. It's very likely that you've seen these things used in movies or t.v. shows nowadays. Believed to be developed in ancient china to be used against the Greco-Romans; this
bow greatly resembles a firearm. Mostly used for target archery, but comes with many different stipulations and requirements from state to state. The complexity that goes into
bows isn't the most well known, alongside its rich history.(1)
History of the Bow-Hunt
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| Figure 2: Cave drawing of primitive bow hunters. |
With such a wide variety of
bows to choose from, you're probably asking,"
Where did bows come from"? Well, I bet you'd be surprised to hear of the very simple yet impactful
history of
bow hunting as a whole. The use of
bows to hunt prey dates back to the
stone age. Many native Americans would use bows and arrows while stalking their prey in order to bring home food. And gradually as more and more cultures began to
meld and mix, many techniques were passed on and combined together in order to make archery what it is today. Through
archery, a practice of survival has evolved and changed into a sport that many participate in, to this day. (2)
How Far has the Bow come?
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| Figure 3: Archers shooting Clout, a special type of target archery |
With such beginnings, where has Bow hunting gotten itself today? In the 1920's, a Dr. Saxton Pope published a book called "Hunting with the Bow and Arrow". Dr. Pop's novel would lead to bow hunting and archery as a whole becoming widespread in its popularity. Dr. Pope and his colleague, Arthur Young, learned how to bow hunt from a native American man named Ishi. Ishi was the last member of his California tribe and used his knowledge of bow hunting to teach both Pope and Young. Years of Native American knowledge went into the making of the book, leading to the great American bow hunting tradition living on. In the 1950s, Fred Bear, Earl Hoyt, and Ben Pearson began to mass produce what would become modern bows for the public to use. The three men then went even further to use their hunts to create many tutorials in order to further help people who wanted to get into it. Despite its humble history, bow hunting and archery became a widely known and practiced sport; leading to many young people taking interest.(3)
Which Will You Choose?
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| Figure 4: National Archery in the Schools Program Growing in New York |
Now you know about the
depth and history that goes into
bow hunting. With this know-how, what choice are you going to make? When you go on your next
hunt, maybe you won't use a
bow, maybe you won't even think about it. But go into
hunting with a better understanding of where the origins of your beloved sport came from. Understand just how important the
bow and arrow were to
hunting as a whole. And maybe, just maybe find a new appreciation for your fellow
hunters who just so happen to use a
bow and arrow, rather than a loaded gun.
References
1) Unger K. (May 4, 2014). Four types of archery bows. Livestrong. Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/116274-four-types-archery-bows/
2) The history of modern bow hunting. Michigan Bowhunter Ed. Course.(n.d.) Retrieved from: https://www.bowhunter-ed.com/michigan/studyGuide/The-History-of-Modern-Bowhunting/301023_3622
3) Shadow S. (n.d.) How bow hunting works. How Stuff Works/Adventure. Retrieved from: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hunting/traditional-methods/bow-hunting2.htm
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