Archery Hunting Equipment – So Much More Than a Bow and Arrows
Archery hunting is one of the more popular sports practiced by true conservation minded sportsmen. One reason is that they are pitting their skills in the outdoors against the superior senses of a wild animal. In order to make a kill, the hunter must be able to close to within thirty yards of the animal, if hunting deer, closer for small game. Archery hunting equipment has changed a great deal in recent years to make this easier for the hunter.
Naturally, an archery hunter must have a bow and some hunting arrows. Archers may now choose between longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, and some people count crossbows as well. The arrows must be chosen for the bow being used to match the draw length and the strength of the pull. Most states require that broadheads be used for hunting big game such as deer, elk, or bear. Field heads may be used for target practice and hunting small game.
In addition to these basic essentials, archery hunting equipment today includes camouflage clothing that can render a hunter virtually invisible in the woods if he is not moving. Patterns and colors have changed a great deal from the old original camo known as Mossy Oak. Today’s camo is a far superior product that is really difficult to see when worn by a skilled woodsman.
Targets are also an integral part of archery hunting equipment. Practice on a regular basis is required of the archer if he wants to be assured a kill shot when he draws his bow. Archery is not a skill that can be used for a couple of weeks out of the year and ignored the rest of the time. Some targets are in the form of the traditional bullseye and are relatively inexpensive. Deer hunters may purchase a life size dummy of a deer that can be posed to resemble the real thing and practice where to hit the actual animal. More costly models have a replaceable core that goes into the area of the body known as the “”kill zone”” so that the target is not rendered useless by repeatedly being hit.
Sights for bows have been invented that hunters can set to be accurate at certain ranges. These may be colored pins, fiber optics, or for the really serious, a laser sight. Most hunters choose to use three pins of different colors and set them in increments of 20,40, and 60 yards. Then, when a deer is in range, the hunter can estimate the distance and align the pins accordingly to make the shot.
Some hunters like to use a mechanical aid to draw the bow string when preparing to fire. Many of these are designed to clip onto the string and pull back, then when ready to release, a trigger is pulled to release the string from the clip.
As you can see, there is a lot more to archery hunting equipment than just a bow and some arrows. Clothing, bow sights, targets, and mechanical aids for use with the bow are just some of the many items of equipment used by bow hunters.