Hunting animals with a bow. Posts tagged ‘bow hunting’

For hunting, bows and crossbows are used incomparably less frequently than firearms. This is partly explained by the fact that, for example, such hunting is prohibited in Russia. But the main reason is the difficulties that accompany it. Let's look at the main differences between hunting with a bow and regular hunting.

If the use of firearms allows you to kill an animal at a decent distance, then for a bow the maximum distance is 40 meters, and this requires good skills and regular training, otherwise it is impossible to maintain sufficient accuracy.

The second difference is the production speed. To fire a shot from a firearm, you need a few seconds to raise and aim, especially if you have sufficient experience. And using a bow requires a lot of time to determine the distance, take into account shooting conditions, and decide how to fire a shot. But you still need to get an arrow, lay it, stand sideways to the target, pull the bowstring, aim and shoot. It is unlikely that you will be able to make a second shot if the first one fails.

To shoot a bow, you need a certain amount of physical fitness and regular training. To hunt with such a weapon, a person must be in good shape - after walking several kilometers through the forest, tired and cold, he is unlikely to be able to make a quality shot from a bow. Accordingly, in practice, accuracy in archery is much lower than in training, because it is influenced by difficult circumstances and the state of the hunter. It can also be noted that a bow, like a crossbow, is uncomfortable to carry. And with a loaded bow it’s difficult to walk even a couple of meters. Finally, a bow and crossbow do not effectively hit flying birds or running animals. Therefore, hunters have to resort to ambush and lure, but approach hunting is extremely difficult for archers and crossbowmen.

Archers most often choose ungulates as objects of hunting, but there are also those who practice bow hunting for harmful animals. Going out with a bow or crossbow to hunt a wolf or a hybrid of a wolf and a dog, on the one hand, is easier due to the loyalty of the authorities to such hunting and brings benefits, on the other hand, it is more dangerous and the hunt in this case takes place in less picturesque places.

It takes a long time to prepare for archery hunting - you need to pick up a bow (or crossbow) and arrows, zero in, purchase a case, bait, camouflage, and conduct several training sessions. Moreover, to make a successful shot, an archer needs to know the anatomy of the animal he is going to hunt.

Good hunters stock up on anatomical atlases and textbooks, and visit zoological museums to hone their skills in comparing the appearance of an animal and its anatomical structure. At the same time, it is important to have an idea of ​​the position of the organs in three-dimensional space, because the animal will not stand strictly with one side to the hunter, and when it moves, the aiming point shifts. Studying anatomy from pictures does not provide such an opportunity; animal preparations, models and stuffed animals are needed.

To fire an effective shot, you need to know exactly where to aim. Is it possible to do without such difficulties? Let's look at a simple example. When hunting a large game, a huntsman may recommend shooting “under the shoulder blade.” However, most people have no idea about the anatomical structure of animals, so they aim somewhere in the back area. If the average hunter is given the task of drawing shoulder blades on a picture of a wild boar, he will draw something like outgrowths on the back of the neck. In fact, the shoulder blades are located along the body and extended vertically. What happens when a hunter shoots where he thinks the shoulder blades are? If he uses a carbine, then it simply breaks the spine, while when using a high-velocity bullet, bone fragments become secondary wounding projectiles that damage the lungs. That is, the animal still receives a mortal wound. But when using an arrow, such a shot becomes completely ineffective.

What else does a good hunter need? In addition to the ability to choose the right aiming point, it is important to have knowledge of wound ballistics. When it comes to a bullet, there are three ways it kills. First, there is damage to the central nervous system (brain or spinal cord), which leads to instant death. Secondly, damage to the heart or large vessels (that is, the circulatory system), which leads to very rapid death. Of course, the animal often still moves for some time (if we are talking about a predator, it may even have time to attack the hunter), but in the end it still quickly falls dead. The third method is damage to internal organs or a deep wound without damage to internal organs. In any of these cases, death comes inevitably, but first some time passes, during which the animal can manage to run quite far, and the hunter will lose his prey.

What options are there when using onions? It is difficult to pierce the spine or skull bones with an arrow - it lacks both kinetic energy and the strength of the tip, and the steep trajectory of the arrow complicates the task. For example, the bones of a boar's skull are up to 5 cm thick, depending on the angle, and the size of the brain is almost the same as a small coffee cup. Hitting such a target with a bow is an extremely difficult task. It is impossible to inflict a large superficial wound with an arrow. It is possible to hit the internal organs - just shoot in the stomach, but such a wound will allow the animal to run very far, and its death will not bring any benefit to the hunter. All that remains is damage to the circulatory system - the best choice when hunting with a bow or crossbow. Thus, there are not many possible aiming points compared to using a firearm.

How else can you increase the efficiency of hunting with a bow or crossbow? It is recommended to conduct regular training, and before your first hunt, be sure to visit the bow range. To develop a three-dimensional vision of the anatomical structure of the animal and the skills of correctly determining the distance to the target, three-dimensional models of animals are used here. At the same time, before starting training on three-dimensional targets, experts recommend first learning how to shoot at simpler objects, practicing accuracy. Beginners use multi-colored targets, then a black circle (you can use target No. 4 for shooting from a standard pistol), and only after achieving success in such tasks, they move on to animal models.

A well-developed eye is of great importance for productive hunting. He needs to be trained, and not only when shooting. You can determine the distance to any objects by eye, and then check with steps. Or move away from any object and look back every 10, 20, 30-50 meters, trying to remember the apparent distance. The most popular are determining the distance using a matchbox or the width of a finger. It is important to study some features of human perception, for example, that in an open field objects appear closer than they actually are, or that white objects appear closer than black ones. There are other exercises that can be found, for example, in sniper shooting manuals.

Knowing some effective approaches and tricks can also help. When shooting from ambush, it is recommended to take a certain landmark located at a distance that is limiting for your abilities. Accordingly, you need to shoot an arrow at the animal only after it comes closer than the landmark. There are other methods in approach hunting. For example, you can take an object (even an ordinary stick) the size of the intended object of hunting, move away from it to the distance from which shooting will be carried out, and remember how the height of the target relates to the length of the front sight and the diameter of the ring target. You can draw up some kind of memo in advance in which to reflect the angular dimensions of the parts of the bow in different positions (for example, at a distance of 30 meters the front sight covers the target, and the arrow tip covers a 30-centimeter object).

A common mistake made by beginners is wearing the wrong equipment. For a bowhunter, it is important to reduce unnecessary burden, that is, not to take too much stuff with you. Some people stuff a backpack with all sorts of “necessary” items, and after a couple of hours they are completely exhausted. And, as we noted above, fatigue prevents you from making a quality shot. Therefore, it is better to leave the equipment (with the exception of what you cannot go into the forest without) somewhere nearby (in the car or at the base), where you plan to return after the hunt. Here, too, there are various tricks that hunters come up with to make their task easier. For example, when shooting from ambush, you can also take a bicycle with you when going into the forest by car. The car and most of the things are left at the base, and by bicycle you can get to the hunting site, where the transport is hidden until the time of return. This way the hunter will not get tired from a long walk and will be able to quickly return in the evening.

An important role in hunting is played by camouflage and, accordingly, camouflage clothing. The biggest mistake here could be washing camouflage with powder and “optical brighteners.” The fact is that the vision of animals is different from ours; for some it affects the ultraviolet spectrum, so such clothes will glow in their eyes. Camouflage is not only appearance, but also the absence of an odor foreign to animals. It is best to purchase special impregnations. But there is also a “folk” way: to store things in a bag along with juniper branches. It is better to keep them in a non-residential area, but not in a garage, so as not to become saturated with the pungent smell of gasoline. The hunter can also be given away by the “aroma” of alcohol, which animals can smell from 500 meters away, and not only fresh, but also “yesterday’s”.

Let's consider the sequence of actions when hunting from ambush. Having arrived at the place, as mentioned above, it is best to find a landmark that determines the maximum distance for aimed shooting. It is by this object (or objects) that the hunter will navigate, waiting for the animal to approach sufficiently. Next, you should turn around with the bow in your hand, determining whether you are touching branches or tall grass (anything that creates noise), you can cut them with a knife or specially taken scissors with you. You should wait for the animal in complete silence and stillness, maintaining attention and readiness to quickly fire a shot.

You can use a decoy to attract the object of hunting. In this case, you should remember that the animal may appear suddenly, so it is better to hang the decoy on a cord so that you can quickly free your hands. In addition, the animal can come out from any direction, so it is important to be very careful.

Sometimes a three-dimensional model of a deer is additionally used. Its storage is subject to the same rules as camouflage, that is, it is important not to imbue it with an alien odor. It is better to touch it only with gloves. According to safety rules, it is better to carry the model to the installation site in a bag that completely covers it. Otherwise, another hunter may mistake the decoy animal for a real one and fire a shot. Such mistakes are not uncommon, for example, in America, and therefore it is better to avoid unnecessary risks.

When the animal has approached the required distance, it is better to prepare (lift and draw the bow) when it cannot see the movement, for example, when its head is obscured by branches or a tree trunk. While aiming, you need to try to maintain composure; it is best if through regular training all actions are brought to automaticity and a “muscle model of a shot” is developed.

After the first shot, if you hit the target, you need to get the second arrow as quickly as possible. If the animal is wounded, but is standing or lying still, another shot should be fired immediately. If the animal managed to escape, being seriously wounded, you can follow its trail. This must be done very carefully, slowly, hiding behind trees and moving from shelter to shelter very quietly. Having finally reached the wounded animal, it is important not to scare it away again, but to take a targeted shot. There is another option: agree in advance with another hunter or with a huntsman who will be ready with a dog, and after the shot, together look for the wounded animal along the trail. Of course, you can take your dog with you to hide, but you need to be sure that it will behave quietly and will not scare away the game. But you shouldn’t tie it at a distance - predators can eat it.

There are other rules and recommendations, but they are already the same for any type of hunting, so gun hunting masters can teach them to a beginner. They mainly concern safety precautions, methods of luring game, rules for processing it, etc.

Who are they, bow hunters?

In Russia today, few hunters objectively understand what a hunting bow is and what requirements are placed on it in order to be able to hunt effectively with the help of this ancient weapon. On
a number of the most popular questions that we constantly encounter in the process of our work
Russian club of bow hunters, I will try to answer.

"POWER OF THE BOW?"
Almost everyone confuses string tension with power. Hunters who use firearms have direct associations with the power of a cartridge of the appropriate caliber. A bow has a string tension that is measured in kilograms (lbs). This is the maximum force applied to tension it. A compound bow has a force that allows it to twist the blocks. 27 kg, or 60 pounds, is the maximum force that someone who wants to buy a bow in our country can expect. This means: to stretch the bow to the “combat” position, you need to apply a force of 27 kg. When the bowstring is released, the arrow gains a certain speed, which depends on its mass. Therefore, it would be correct to estimate the kinetic energy of the fired arrow, which depends on its mass and speed.
Without delving too deeply into physical concepts, I can say from personal experience that an arrow weighing 28-30 g from a bow with a force of 27 kg will have an average initial speed of about 70 m/s. With such characteristics, an arrow with a blade tip is quite enough to pierce through a medium-sized wild boar, medium-sized deer, or roe deer.
Optimally, the arrow should penetrate the lungs. With such a hit, any animal dies without walking even 100 meters.

“HOW HOW MANY METERS CAN A BOW SHOOT?”
“Can you kill a wild boar at 100 meters?” In theory, you can “overwhelm” 200 meters, but you can only get where you need to by chance. At such a distance, the arrow loses a lot of speed and falls several meters below the aiming point. A hunter with a bow has an average shooting distance of 20-25 meters.

“WHAT IS BETTER FOR HUNTING - COMPOUND OR TRADITIONAL?”
A compound bow, all other things being equal, will fire an arrow faster and more accurately, since it has the appropriate mechanisms and sighting devices. Moreover, a compound bow makes it possible (only for strong guys) to keep the bow cocked for several minutes. A traditional bow, without any sighting devices, allows you to effectively shoot and hit at distances of up to 25 meters (block up to 50 meters) and requires constant daily training. Therefore, I would recommend starting your hunting journey with a bow with a block version. The result will be faster, and at the same time you can train along the way with a traditional bow, for the future. I would like to note that an experienced hunter will get a trophy with a bow faster than a master of sports in archery who has no hunting experience. It takes months to prepare for shooting, and many years to gain hunting experience. The ability to be at a distance of 20 meters from an animal and fire a shot without spooking it cannot be acquired by any training, this is only hunting practice.

"POACHING"
No less often you have to communicate with “defenders of all living things” and “correct hunters”, who, in fact, have two main complaints: “Bow hunting is the path to poaching” and “Bow hunting is inhumane.” In short, our thoughts and arguments on this matter are as follows:
- in order to shoot accurately and effectively from a hunting bow (which requires at least 27 kg of draw force), you need to constantly and a lot of training (at least three times a week, 100 shots each);
- the optimal distance for an archery shot when hunting is 25 meters, and the maximum is limited to 50 meters, and then only in ideal conditions (and for a good shooter);
- there are many restrictions on the archery shot itself: the position of the animal in a certain projection, the presence of obstacles in the path of the arrow’s flight, a certain position of the shooter, the immobility of the animal at the time of the shot;
- when an arrow hits, it almost always pierces the animal’s body and remains in the ground. In many cases, the hunter loses it. The marked arrow itself is accordingly incriminating evidence;
- the average equipment budget for bow hunting is approximately 35,000 rubles. The arrow + tip ammunition is a “consumable” item, and the average cost is from 700 rubles per set;
- bow hunting implies good physical training of the archer, the impossibility of drinking alcohol and cigarettes while hunting;
- hunting ability with a bow and arrow, according to statistics, is 10 times less than when hunting with firearms;
- due to the fact that there is only one shot in this hunt, archers take this moment responsibly. According to statistics from the Danish Bowhunters' Organization, the presence of wounded animals is only 4%;
- an archer spends a lot of time, money and effort on preparation. Moreover, bowhunting itself is a painstaking process that requires observation, knowledge of the habits of the animal and much more.
Therefore, there is no point in a poacher spending time, money and constantly training to illegally obtain a piece of meat. There are many more accessible ways of poaching. It is much easier to catch an animal (elk, wild boar, deer, lynx, fox and many others) with the same noose or trap.

"INHUMANE HUNTING"
It is believed that an animal pierced by an arrow suffers greatly, since it does not immediately die on the spot. In fact, unlike a bullet, the sharp blades of an arrowhead, which have a minimal cutting surface, at a speed of about 80 meters per second make an extensive cut wound in the lung area (this is the only place where a shot is usually made in bow hunting). In this case, the animal does not experience severe pain or a powerful blow and often, having run a little away from the place of the shot, stops to “understand what happened.” Death occurs from a drop in blood pressure, and the animal simply loses consciousness. This takes approximately 10-15 seconds. After an effective arrow hit, the animal can walk no more than 100 meters. Compare, for example, with a multi-kilometer pursuit after a bullet wound.
Here, in fact, very briefly, I tried to clarify the most common misconceptions and help you form an objective view of bow hunting.

Text: Hunting and fishing magazine "Safari" No. 4 (July-August 2013) p. 50
Sergey Beshentsev

For many countries around the world, video bow hunting is commonplace, since this method of hunting is not only widely promoted in them, but is also practiced by thousands of hunters.

With a bow it is much more difficult to kill an animal, because the shot range has its own limits, which are much shorter than that of any firearm. In addition, the hunter must have special skills.

As a rule, over time something comes to us that in Western countries is already used to its fullest. I think that in five or ten years almost everyone will be running around our hunting grounds with bows.

Many people call video bowhunting silent hunting because there is not as much noise at the moment of shooting as there is when using a hunting rifle.

Of course this is true. This advantage can be called one of the main ones in comparison with other types of weapons. It turns out that you can fire several shots in a row at the animal and not scare it away.

It cannot be said that the flight of an arrow from a bow no longer makes any sound, but it is so weak that it practically does not interfere with the hunt. Please note that even the largest animals are hunted with a bow.

Going out hunting is always preceded by long and painstaking shooting training, since you need to have excellent archery skills. If you find yourself hunting a bear or wild boar, the slightest confusion or inaccuracy can create an unpleasant situation for the hunter.

Great duck hunting video with bow

Contents of the article:

It's hard to imagine a duck being taken with an arrow. We are already accustomed to watching hunters shoot from their semi-automatic rifles, but here the picture is completely different.

The footage from this video is more reminiscent of autumn or spring, when large flocks of ducks gather. In a small field, several hunters built a hideout for themselves, and placed stuffed animals nearby.

First, they practiced shooting with a bow at a stuffed duck that one of the participants in the hunt had thrown up. Next, there is an incredible attack of the duck directly on the stealth. The first shot turns out to be unsuccessful for the hunters.

The entire subsequent picture is simply amazing with its periodic archery at ducks. Some arrows hit the target, and some flew past, but the whole hunt was very dynamic. You don't always see this, so watch and enjoy.

Got 9 geese with onions

Very young hunters with their bows went to the fodder fields to catch wild geese there. The cornfield is already covered with a little snow, but this does not stop a whole flock of geese from flying there.

The scenario of this hunt is practically no different from most others that are held in Russia or in any other country. Several dozen stuffed animals are taken and placed on the field according to certain rules.

The long-awaited event of the geese flying right to the place where the stuffed animals stand is coming. Each bow shot is fired at the moment when the goose is already walking on the ground. Hunters do not shoot at flying birds. During the entire hunt they manage to catch nine geese.

Bowhunting deer in Colorado

Very often, any hunting in the USA is perceived a little differently than what exists in most CIS countries. Completely different people live there and behave differently when hunting.

The main character of this video has in his arsenal an ordinary bow, a backpack with a food set, a decoy decoy and a special smell in a small bottle to attract the animal to him and not scare him away.

In the middle of his journey, he stops for a snack, and then the fun begins. He uses a decoy to attract a male deer. He does this at a high level.

When the hunter approaches the animal at the optimal distance, an arrow quickly flies out of the bow, making a through hole in its body. After 45 minutes, the search for the deer begins. They manage to find him, so the end of this hunt was without surprises.

Night boar hunting with a bow in Lapland

It's a quiet and frosty night. The hunter is waiting for the wild boars to come to feed. There is very little snow, and any movement on the ground is accompanied by a characteristic crunch.

After a certain period of time, a whole herd of wild boars appears, among which there are large and small individuals. They don't suspect anything, so they behave without the slightest fear.

The hunter waits for the most opportune moment to shoot an arrow from his bow. He selects one boar as a target and shoots. In an instant, all the animals scatter in different directions.

Adventures of a hunter in Africa

The plot from this video is filled with various events that show the beauty and peculiarity of hunting in Africa. The hunter chose a bow as a weapon.

He chose a place next to an artificial watering hole, where a variety of animals constantly come to drink water. At a distance of about 20-30 meters, a special hide was built.

The first day of the hunt was unsuccessful, because it was not possible to shoot at the animals, because they were not in the position necessary for a successful shot.

In addition, it became obvious that the hunter had been noticed, thanks to the large observation windows from the stealth. The next day, all errors were taken into account and corrected immediately.

Now luck smiled on the hunter. He shot at the antelope, but did not hit the heart, so the animal ran a certain distance. He was found an hour and a half later.

Behind the bear with a compound bow

If you are planning to hunt with a bow, then you should listen to the author of this video, who explains in every detail the features of using a bow.

He believes that a bow is a weapon that can be completely customized to a specific person, which is impossible to do with a crossbow.

Incredible adventures happened to him while hunting a bear. The fact is that the huge bear even tried to attack him, but did not do so. For a long time the hunter waited for the right moment to shoot.

Only after feeding near the barrel with bait did the bear take the desired position, which became the last for him in his life. The arrow flew through the entire side of the beast and pierced its lungs.

Two arrows per moose

The breathtaking footage from this video will not leave you indifferent in front of your computer monitor, because there is something to be surprised and excited about.

It happens in the forest. Not far from the shooter, a large elk with a characteristic sound is moving in his direction. They continue to lure him with a decoy. There comes a moment when he stops and looks straight at the hunter.

Then the elk begins to move again. The distance between him and the hunter becomes very small, so one of the participants in the hunt tries to scare off the animal so that it takes the desired position for the shot.

An arrow from a bow flies towards the shoulder blade area. The animal rushes to the side, and the hunter runs a little behind it and shoots once more at the elk when it stops.

Bowhunting - It's Important to Be Properly Equipped

The lack of interest among newcomers is easy to explain. Not wanting to spend money on expensive equipment, novice hunters use weapons that they rent, that were given to them, or that they borrow from others. This is where the desire to hunt is discouraged, because the selection of equipment is as individual as the selection of shoes. For women or teenagers, the draw length reaches 61 cm, so on bows with a larger draw, they will not be able to create the force for a good shot.

No matter how hard the hunter stretches, he will get nothing but discomfort. Limiting the length of your arms plays a role; fatigue comes very quickly. Usually a hunter whose arm lengths do not match does not withstand long-term training. Bowhunting quickly gets boring and simply gives up. We will try to protect you from such a fate and give you some useful advice.

Release

Bow Release

It is necessary to use all the advice of experienced shooters. There is a lot of auxiliary equipment that will help you master this difficult weapon. The improvement of the shooter will progress quickly. Such equipment may include: Imagine, in addition to the rather heavy stretch, you will also have to do it with unaccustomed fingers, which get tired very quickly. Using a release, you can simultaneously release the bowstring with your fingers, so that you have time to rest.

Aim

It is important, which will significantly increase shooting accuracy. For beginners, we would recommend a sight with adjustment and one front sight. A sight with one front sight will leave no room for error, and aiming time will be noticeably reduced, which will be especially important when hunting. Adjusting the sight will make it possible to increase the distance, thereby gradually adapting the shooter to a certain bow.

Peep site

It is also necessary to take proper care of peep sites, which are simply irreplaceable at the very beginning of your passion for this sport. It serves to zero the bow to a certain point and with a certain aim. When choosing, it is worth remembering that the pip site should give a complete overview of the target, even if the bowstring is spinning.

When choosing equipment, beginners should not buy the most expensive model; they need to understand all types, especially if they expect to hunt with a bow. Bows with a high vibration absorption coefficient on the handle are also undesirable because they impose a lot on the archer in terms of grip. If the bow has a very long draw length, a powerful shot is simply impossible. Compound bows are too heavy for beginners. It is necessary to carefully consider the choice, and even look at such little things as twisting the handle, otherwise the aiming process may simply be impossible. You also need to choose a bow that does not require special physical strength; those who enjoy this action will then raise their level of athletic training. By adhering to the rules, you can acquire another interesting activity that will become an excellent leisure time.

Video - what to buy for a compound bow and what not

Bowhunting: tips for beginners was last modified: September 13th, 2017 by Anatoly Kanishchev

Several centuries ago, a homemade bow for hunting was the only weapon of the ancient Russian warrior. In addition to military campaigns, onions were used to obtain food. Hunting with throwing weapons is in the genes of any Slav, so you shouldn’t be surprised at the spontaneous desire to buy a bow, master shooting and go hunting. If the purchase of firearms is stopped by the problem of obtaining permits from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and licenses from hunting grounds, then with throwing weapons things are a little simpler. Having studied the legal norms, you can begin to search for the required weapon.

Legal standards

There are many disputes on the Internet between owners and potential buyers regarding the legality of purchasing, carrying and using throwing weapons, which include bows and crossbows. Each state in the post-Soviet space has its own legal framework. For Russia, for example, there is a Federal Law “On Weapons” 150-F3. If we put together articles 3, 6 and 13, we can conclude that throwing weapons in Russia are allowed only to participants in sports sections and for carrying out research and preventive work related to the immobilization and injection of animal objects. Bowhunting can freely hide behind this law. There is also GOST R 51715-2001, which allows the presence of throwing weapons, the tension force of which is no more than 12 kg.

What's Really Happening

Taking into account the fact that sellers of all gun stores provide a certificate that gives the right to use throwing weapons without permits for sports and recreational shooting, we can conclude that a bow purchased in a store will not bring problems with the law to the new owner. To ensure that the licensing authorities do not have many questions when importing throwing weapons, they resort to tricks to reduce the power of the shot; a reinforced set with complete installation instructions is included with the bow. Sometimes weapons, especially professional compound bows for hunting, are sold in parts. In any case, it is important for a novice hunter to remember that an administrative violation under the article “poaching” is given to any person who is caught with a weapon and a carcass at the scene of a crime. “If” they get caught!

An interesting loophole for novice hunters

Recently, the “Russian Bow Hunting Club” appeared in Russia. A rather interesting organization in a country where bow hunting is prohibited, it immediately attracted the attention of both hunters and animal lovers, who “put a spoke in the wheels” of club members who want to legalize bow hunting in the vastness of Russia. This club is attractive because it conducts seminars on training in shooting with throwing weapons, and based on the results of the exam, it can award a license that allows you to practice bow hunting in countries that do not have a ban. And there are about thirty such countries in the world - there is room to roam! For example, in nearby Belarus, bow hunting is allowed. You can also go to Bulgaria or Africa to get trophies without any problems; the club is ready to help with organizing the trip. A license from this club allows hunting in special enclosures registered in the unified state register. Over the past year, about a hundred such enclosures have been registered across Russia; their area is 100-1000 hectares and includes forest lands. There is something to think about.

The right approach to buying onions

You can understand people who recommend purchasing the cheapest classic option as your first bow. With minimal costs, it will not be so difficult to say goodbye to the finances spent on purchasing weapons if you lose interest in them. But professional athletes think differently. Having picked up a toy and not getting the required result, the desire to shoot a bow can disappear forever, and a real bow, capable of piercing a centimeter board from fifty meters, will become the idol of any novice shooter.

There is only one conclusion: if you plan to hunt with a bow, then the choice should not fall on a cheap purchase. Cost savings can be achieved by choosing an entry-level gun. The tension force of the bow must be at least ten kilograms, otherwise you can forget about hunting. Ideally, for a beginning hunter of feathered and fur-bearing animals, it is recommended to purchase a “thirty” - 30 pounds, this is a tension of about 13.5 kg.

How different are they?

The huge selection of throwing weapons on the market will stun not only the novice hunter, but also the experienced shooter. Determining your needs will help you narrow down a wide range of products: inexpensive price, purpose of use - “hunting” and ease of shooting. As a result, the choice of bow will be made from four categories.

1. Olympic. It is also called classic due to its appearance, the style of which has been maintained for centuries.
2. Recursive. In terms of quality and efficiency, it is not inferior to the classics, but its weight and size are reduced for ease of transportation.
3. Traditional. Each state produces such a bow using its own technology, and its appearance often causes mistrust. However, high efficiency quickly puts everything in its place, and bow hunting promises to be productive.
4. Blocky. Innovative developments by engineers have made it possible to create a bow consisting of blocks that allows one to obtain excellent shot power with little effort.

Mastering a simple device

When wondering which bow is best for a beginner in hunting, many look towards block devices, the price of which is significantly higher than their competitors. All beginners, without exception, are recommended to purchase an Olympic bow as their first throwing weapon. And you shouldn’t think that after the shooter learns to use a weapon, interest in the bow will quickly disappear. The classic has great potential for improvement. Installing a stabilization system and sight will be of interest to any hunter.

It will take more than one month, and perhaps even a year, until a novice hunter masters the basics of archery. For full training, professionals recommend shooting about a hundred arrows a day so that your hand gets used to the weapon, the tension on the bowstring is not painful, and the arrows fly in the right direction.

From simple to complex

Shooting a matchbox from a classic bow from a distance of 20-30 meters and “hitting a squirrel in the eye” are completely different concepts, for example, because a matchbox has no legs. Most hunters achieved the ease of shooting at a moving target through long and hard training. Just remember the ancient Russian poem, which mentions the gray-haired archers, who have no equal in the world.

Before purchasing, a new hunter needs to be prepared for the long-term training that archery requires. Hunting will be effective only for a person who is fluent in throwing weapons. It is possible to speed up learning, but to do this you will have to fork out money, because buying a compound bow requires serious financial expenses.

Best throwing weapon

Yes, a compound bow for hunting is considered an expensive, but very effective purchase. Learning to shoot from such a device will not be difficult. All thanks to specialized bowstring tension mechanisms. Naturally, compound bows come in several types, which have their own advantages and disadvantages.

1. Solo block. It is a single block in a rigid design. The lightweight design is quite simple and any beginner can handle it.
2. Hard block. The double system with rigid blocks has incredible power and high accuracy when shooting. However, a complex system requires careful handling and constant maintenance. For the professional, this is the best compound bow for hunting.
3. Round blocks. You won’t be able to shoot quickly from such a bow, but they have no equal in terms of accuracy and noiselessness of shooting.
4. Soft blocks. Along with high power, they provide good accuracy. They cannot be called silent, but the simplicity of the design may interest beginners.

If you want to do it well, do it yourself

Neanderthals, having only the “gifts of nature” at hand, somehow created weapons for hunting. A person of the 21st century has much more opportunities. What do you need to make a bow for hunting with your own hands? To make it, wood must have a number of useful properties: be uniform, durable, flexible and look attractive. To create a bow, you can use juniper, birch, oak, cedar, willow, rowan and elm. Be sure to remove the bark from the workpiece. It’s quite easy to determine the size of the bow; you need to measure the distance from the beginning of the thigh to the tip of the index finger of the shooter’s outstretched hand - this will be the length of the throwing weapon. Stepping back 1.3 cm from each edge of the shaft, cut out shallow grooves for the bowstring. After that, the onion needs to be grated with animal fat and dried. It is recommended to make the bowstring from either silk threads. Those who like experimenting should try stretching a thin rope or making a “braid” from Chinese nylon threads for fishing.

Creation of a shooting complex

The homemade bow for hunting is ready, and you need to decide what to do with the arrows. First of all, the length of the arrow is determined. It is equal to the length of the arm, starting from the shoulder joint and ending with the tip of the shooter’s index finger. The arrow should be smooth, even, straight and have a diameter within 6-8 mm. There are a lot of options for creating arrows, and you won’t be able to find a perfectly flat piece. In any case, you will have to modify the arrow with a knife, a plane, and a blank of the required size can be found in the forest, cut from a tree branch. In urban conditions, processing of mounting beads has proven itself to be effective, albeit with a lot of time. Many new shooters use bicycle spokes as their first arrows. It is up to the user to invent the feathers and tips on their own, because their creation is a creative approach that depends not only on the author’s imagination, but also on knowledge of physics and aerodynamics. You must always remember that the flight of an arrow depends not only on the efforts of the hunter; the flight is greatly influenced by the feathers.

Alternative option

There is another way to make a bow for hunting. You can order the production of a bow from a real master in the production of throwing weapons. Until now, many countries in Asia, Southeast Africa, South America and people actively use bows and crossbows for hunting. Naturally, they do not buy weapons in a store, but make them with their own hands using ancient family technologies that are passed on from one generation to another. True traditional bows are every bit as good as the more expensive and advanced compound designs. And their reliability and ease of use will provide the hunter with fresh meat in the house for a long time. As an alternative, you can search for the desired weapon at foreign auctions on the Internet. Sometimes you come across worthy things.

Finally

Each novice shooter determines for himself the best bow for hunting. It cannot be said that it is better because of its cheapness, and the block device is undeniably superior to competitors with incredible power and shooting accuracy. For every person, owning a weapon is its own story, which sometimes haunts him since childhood. Often, many novice shooters learn to hunt with their own bow, and some, exploring foreign history and traditions, long to immerse themselves in the atmosphere and culture of a thousand years ago and order the manufacture of weapons from craftsmen in Yakutia or the Nivkhi people. Each hunter independently determines his own destiny.