I will refrain from describing any weather phenomenon over the next few weeks, for who knows what the climate will be like by the time the next few issues of Outdoors in the Sun arrive at your home. I am diligently writing to stay ahead of deadlines because I plan to be sitting in a tree or on the side of a canyon in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas with stick and string until Thanksgiving. If I don’t have these articles submitted for print and I’m stuck in some gnarly oak or bodark, Jimmye may cast a frown upon my frozen cheeks when I return. That magical time of year is happening in the Midwest and bucks are on their feet. It doesn’t last long in that country so have truck will travel and I’ll see you when I return.
For several months I have been preparing for what lies ahead. You can get away with picking up a rifle that has been in the closet all summer and hit the woods with a minimal amount of preparation. It is far different, however, when it comes to bowhunting. I have been both disappointed and downright frustrated in the past when one of those Kansas giants made a mistake and I couldn’t close the deal. Sometimes I missed and other times I couldn’t even draw my bow. It’ll make you sick to your stomach when the opportunity presents itself and because you haven’t fully prepared, you blow it. I may blow it again this year, but it won’t be for lack of effort on my part. Walking, lifting, and practicing, are all part of what goes into ensuring that the odds are in your favor when that whitetail buck or bull elk swaggers into bow range. Yes, hunting with traditional archery equipment is a whole different ballgame. I can only imagine what it was like thousands of years ago when the bow and arrow was invented.
Indirect evidence indicates the bow was invented some ten thousand years ago. With the discovery of stone points that date back much farther than that, we may conclude that the bow and arrow may have existed as early as sixty thousand years ago. Arrows, made of pine, have been discovered in caves and may date back to eleven thousand years ago.
Of course, arrows discovered with notches in the base of the shaft support the evidence that bows surely were in existence as well. The oldest definite bows were discovered in 1940 in Germany and date back eight thousand years ago. I think we are safe to conclude that archery has been here for a long time.
Mankind has used the bow for both defense and for hunting. Cave paintings depict both battle scenes and hunting scenes in many parts of the world. Documented pictures of deer and bison with man and bow have been inscribed in the walls where our ancestors dwelled. Regarding battle, we are told that over six thousand English archers released over fifty thousand arrows per minute at the battle of Crecy in 1346. Maybe my success would be greater in the field if I could launch that many arrows in the coming weeks.
The art of archery began to decline with the advent of firearms and gunpowder. The bow became obsolete during warfare when lead projectiles could be fired more accurately and from longer distances than arrows. Archers had the advantage of being able to shoot more arrows, up to six times as many, as one could load the primitive muzzleloaders, but alas, firearms finally won out. When repeating firearms were invented, this closed the door on the bow as being a formidable opponent.
There came a time of revival for the lost art of archery in the early 1800s. Though America was still considered a “primitive” nation, Great Britain established numerous archery societies to keep the tradition and history alive. Recreational archery became more and more popular almost to the point of becoming a notable, elitist sport. Both men and women could engage in contests and it paved a way for young women to express themselves in such a way to not only compete, but also show off their sexuality while doing so. Modern archery led to introductions and many romances ensued as a result of the bow and arrow.
Archery once again began to wane in popularity when sports like tennis, croquet, and golf began to be accepted as more “social.” As Britain explored other hobbies, traditional archery made a huge comeback when a native from the Yahi Indian tribe, Ishi, came out of hiding in California in 1911. He was cared for by a physician, Saxton Pope. Dr. Pope learned many of this skilled archer’s skills and popularized them. Pope, along with his friend Arthur Young, founded what is known as “The Pope and Young Club.” This organization, similar to the prestigious “Boone and Crockett Club,” was formed to advocate responsible bowhunting through fair chase hunting and sound conservation practices. Today, it is regarded as one of North America’s leading bowhunting and conservation organizations.
I suppose the best way to describe hunting with archery equipment is “challenging.” So many obstacles can prevent a bowhunter from being successful in his or her quest for a quarry. I can only speculate at the percentage when the hunter prevails in the wild. I assure you it is nothing like we see on the outdoor channels. Many stalks and sits result in nothing but disappointment. Even if the quarry makes a presence, the hunter must perform flawlessly for it to all come together. I can’t tell you how many times I have been detected drawing my bow. Misses abound at close ranges. Noises from your movement alert even the songbirds. Maybe these are just a few of the reasons we adore the bow and arrow so much. Maybe this passion stems back to our ancestors. Whether I am successful in the coming weeks or not, at least I will have experienced what has been part of our history for thousands of years. I hope you do the same.
Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, let’s leave it better than we found it.
