Hunting Bow

Hunting Arrows

1. The ideal hunting bow stave should be between five and six feet long and as straight as possible. A number of woods can be used to produce a bow. A flexible green sapling of an apple, ash, black locust, cedar, elm, hemlock, hickory, mulberry, sassafras, willow, or yew is ideal. Pine is poor choice because it will break rather than bend. The stave should be at least an inch in diameter. A piece of wood with a consistent diameter from end to end works the best.
   
2. Cut a shallow groove around the circumference of either end of the wood approximately one inch from the tip. This will keep the string from sliding.
   
3. Find a bowstring that is about eight inches shorter than the bow. A nylon cord, a boot string, or a jacket lace would be ideal because these man-made materials resist rotting. However, if none of the former are available plant fibers can be twisted together to produce effective cordage. Tie one the bowstring to one end of the stave making sure the string falls into the groove.
   
4. Tie a slipknot in the loose end of the bowstring. Brace the tied end of the stave against the ground and flex it until the slipknot can fit over the tip into the groove around the neck of the bow. If the string length is correct, it will fall across the middle of the forearm between the wrist and elbow when the bow is gripped at its middle.
   
5. Draw the bow a few times to make sure the cord is tight and the stave won't break when bent. A few wraps of safety tape around the middle of the bow will make a comfortable, no-slip handle. Make the top of the handle a little thicker with a few extra strips of tape to make an arrow rest.

1. Find a straight stick about three feet long and a half an inch in diameter. It can be either green or dry, but hollow reed and willow branches tend to work best.
2. Whittle the narrowest end into a sharp point. Charring the pointed tip over hot coals will harden a green stick. Cut a notch in the opposite end for a place to rest the bowstring.
3. Accuracy of the arrows can be improved by fletching the butt end of the arrow. This can be achieved by splitting a loose feather down the middle and attaching the two sides opposite one another on the end of the arrow. Feathers can be attached with a small amount of tape or several turns of thin string. They can also be glued on with melted pine pitch.