Compound Hunting Bows

Compound hunting bows are a modern type of bow using a levering system of cables and pulleys to bend the bow's limbs, which are usually much stiffer than those of a traditional recurve bow or longbow. The original design of compound hunting bows was developed as recently as 1966 by Holless Wilbur Allen in Missouri.

Compound Hunting Bows

Using archery to kill game animals is known as bowhunting. Using a bow to hunt animals is very different from using a firearm, because the firearm is more powerful and therefore the hunter can kill from a greater distance. So the bow hunter has to get up close to his prey, typically between two metres for fish and forty metres for large game like deer.

This can be achieved by stealth or by waiting, concealed in a spot where game are known to gather.

In order to ensure a humane kill at these ranges, it is necessary to have the right equipment, which means a powerful bow and hefty arrows. A hunting bow would typically have a draw weight of more than fifty pounds and an arrow would weigh about two ounces.

A fifty pound draw weight is not difficult to achieve but it is easiest with a compound bow. Compound hunting bows can be shorter than their equivalent recurve bows or longbows and they can also be dismantled for ease of transportation to the hunting ground.

Usually, compound hunting bows are used for hunting larger game animals. Compound hunting bows may utilize accessories such as fibre optic sights, stabilizers, an arrow rest and other enhancements. It is also far easier to manhandle a three or four foot compound hunting bow than a five foot recurve or a six foot longbow, when you are stalking game through a forest.

Bowhunting is legal in most countries of the world although it is illegal in the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland on the grounds of cruelty. In most countries where bowhunting is allowed there are regulations concerning when are where animals may be taken.

These regulations also cover issues such as the sex and size of the animal and the minimum draw weight of the hunting bow, which is why compound hunting bows are most often preferred.

Most bow hunters are pretty sensible about their sport and do not want to see an animal suffer. They also recognize the need for safety. Often bow hunters join an association of bow hunters which offers advice on such things as which kinds of compound hunting bows to use and where to hit the animal for a swift, humane kill.

Obviously two things are important here accuracy and 'punch'. The archer has to be able to hit the mark, usually the heart and the arrow has to deliver enough punch to be able to kill the animal outright.

Compound hunting bows help on both of these counts. Firstly, with accuracy: the mechanics of compound hunting bows mean that it is not a strain to be able to hold the string drawn at full weight, while the hunter takes aim and secondly, compound hunting bows can deliver the punch to be able to kill outright.

The only problem with compound hunting bows is that they can be noisier than other bows, so you may only get one shot. But good, safe, considerate hunters only need one shot, so they tend to stick with compound hunting bows.