1. Bowhunting

2. History of Bowhunting
Egyptians: may have been the first famous archers
- bows shorter than a man
-arrows two feet or more
-arrowheads were usually bronze
Early bows were made of composites of horn, wood, and sinew
Were C shaped and sometimes 5-6 feet tall

3. Other famous Archers: Attila the Hun Genghis Khan
Turks – would pull the string with a ring around their thumb
Norsemen – brought bows to England
Robin Hood – legend in 1300
American Indians

4. Archery Clubs and Associations
1828: the United Bowman of Philadelphia – the first archery club founded
1879: the National Archer Association was started in Chicago

5. Bows and their Parts: Most shoot arrows more than 200 yards
Most at speeds more than 200 feet per second (135 miles per hour)
Lethal shots to penetrate an animal are usually limited to 40 yards or less

6. Four classes of bows:
Longbow
Recurve
Compound
Crossbow

7. Longbow
Straight limbs that form an arc when strung

8. Recurve Bow:
Much like the longbow, but the limbs curve back away from the belly of the bow

9. Compound bow: Most popular hunting bow today
Uses pullys and cables attached to the limbs
Easier to hold at full draw (pulled completely back)
Can propel an arrow faster than either a longbow or recurve

10. Draw weight: Force it takes to pull the bowstring back completely
Measured in pounds
Minimum USE to be 40 lbs, but there is no limit as of season

11. Draw Weight

12. Modern Bow Materials: Wood Fiberglass Metal Graphite
Combination of all the above

13. IMPORTANT: Buy shafts that match the draw weight of the bow!
Bows of different draw weights require arrows of different stiffness or spine weight!
Also, make sure you have the right draw length!

14. Arrows and their Parts:
Nock: snaps onto the string and holds the arrow in position

15. Fletching: made of feathers or plastic vanes – help it fly straight
Helical vanes: spin the arrow like a rifle bullet, making it more stable in flight while carrying a wide, heavy broad head
Straight fletched arrow: slightly faster but not as stable with a heavy broad head
Flu-Flus: arrows which have large fletching (used to shoot upward at moving targets)

17. Arrow points: Field (target): used for target practice Blunt: plinking
Judo points: small game
Broadheads: only for big game – kill by cutting blood vessels

19. Bow Accessories:
Finger tabs: protect three draw fingers

20. More Accesories
Armguard: protect the inner part of the bow arm when it is being released
Quiver: covers entire broadhead and securely holds the arrows until needed

21. More Accessories:
Mechanical Release: snaps on the string and is pulled back with shooting hand; a trigger is pushed or pulled to release the string

22. More Accessories
Bowstringer: a strong cord with a loop or pocket at each end that fits the limb tip or recurve and some long bows
- Allows the bowstring to be safely slipped into place