Hunting with the Bow and Arrow

he cannot make and repair it, he will never shoot

ws, he appreciates them more. But it will take many attempts before even the most mechanically gifted can expect to produce good artillery. After having made more

of bows and all so inferior to the Engli

world. That was proved thousands of years a

u where you can get it and how to work it, and how to make hunting bows just as we use them today, and presumab

Coast Ranges of northern California. By addressing the Department of Forestry, doubtless one can

rom Sudworth's "Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope," to be

the Van Duzen River, Humboldt County, California. Splendid staves have been

n the mountains, down narrow canyons, and along streams. It likes shade, water, and altitude. Its bark is reddish beneath and scaly

have long wounds in the bark, or deep scratches made by the claws of these animals as they climb to get the yew berries. It is also stated by some authorities that the female yew has

that the rot stains the rest of the wood and nature makes the grain more compact to compensate for the loss of structur

knots, twists, pitch pockets, rot, small sprouting twigs and corrugations. One will look over a hu

ast, I have never seen it. But there is a bow in every yew tree if we but know how

t it. Having felled it and marked with your eye the best stave, cut it again so that your stave is seven feet long. Then split the trunk into halves or quarters with steel or wooden wedge

ss, wrap it in burlap or canvas, and preferably saw the ends square and p

or use. It will not be so good as if seasoned three to seven years, but it will shoot; in fact, it will shoot the same day you cut it fro

on, used to say: "Yew cut in the summer contains the seeds of death." But this does not seem to have proved the case in my experie

brash; but after the first month of shade, the s

stave to bend backward toward the bark. Since your bow ultimately will bend in the opposite direction, t

oin the two pieces with a fishtail splice in the handle. Target bows are made this way, to advantage, but such a makeshift is to be deprecated in a hunting bow

llows: Bows may be single staves, or one-piece bows, those of one continuity and homogeneity; spliced bows consist of two pieces of wood united in the handle;

, the concave arc, is called the belly of the bow. The opposite surface is the

notches cut in the wood or surmounted by horn, bone, sinew, wooden or metal caps called nocks. These a

d reflexed. One that continues to bend toward the belly is said to

ing bow should be from fifty to eighty pounds. One should start shooting with a bow not over fifty pounds, and preferably under that. At the end of a season's shooting he can command a bow of sixty pou

han others. The finer the grain and the greater the specific grav

n inch thick, covered with a thin maroon-colored bark, let us make a bow. Counting the rings

s extremity having the most compact grain, and the strongest, should constitute the lower limb, because, as we

s compatible with good shooting, and reduce

r three inches wide, and straight throughout, then rip it down the center with a saw. Place one stave in

f your bow. Now draw on the back an outline which has a width of an inch and a quarter extending for a distance of a foot above and a foot below the center. Let this outline taper in a gentle cu

ensile strain and the grain of the wood should not be injured in any way. But you may smooth it off very judiciously with a sp

e raw knife shave the wood very carefully, avoiding cutting too deeply or splitting off fragments, until the bow assumes the th

high-crested contour, or Gothic arch, what is termed "stacking a bow"; some have chosen a very flat curve as the best. The former makes for a quick, lively cast and may

irst place you must follow the grain of the wood. If the back twists and undulates, your cut must do the

set in with glue. A pin crumbles while an inserted piece will stand the strain. If such a "Dutchman" be not too large nor too near the center of either limb, it will not materially jeopardize the bow. If, in your shaving, you come across a sha

Old Horrible," and with which I've slain many a beast. The width just above the handle is

above the handle it is 1-1/8 wide by 7/8 thick. Twenty-four inches above it is 15/16 wide by 3/4 t

temporary nocks on it, very near the ends. These consist in lateral cuts ha

ing your bow an

ly tests is very strong and roughly made of nearly ninety strands of Barb

and having the string properly adjusted on the lower limb, pull on the upper end in such a way that the other presses against the wall or a stationary brace, t

for its curve, or, as Sir Roger Ascham says, "brought round compa

ving a V-shaped notch at the lower end to fit on the handle and small notches on its si

y twelve inches from the handle. If the curve of the bow is fairly symmetrical, draw the string a few inches more. If again it describes a perfect arc raise the string still farther. A perfect arc for a bow should be a

than a second or two at a time, you ultimately get the two limbs so that they b

eeded here. By marking a correct form on the floor w

ff at the center and the lower lim

hand grip, being four inches long, will be one and a quarter inches above the center and two and three-quarters below the center. This makes the lower limb comparatively shorter, so it mu

string. It is necessary, therefore, to reduce it further. This is done with a spoke shave, a very small h

under utmost strain, and one part doing more than the rest must ultimately break d

he was right. Draw your bow three inches more than the standard cloth yard of twenty-eight i

dle so that it will be rigid in shooting and not jar

and reducing the width at this point. This gives an active recoil, or as it is described, "whip ended." This can b

it requires months to get one adjusted so that it is good. A bow, like a violin, is a work of art. The best in it can only be brought out by infinite care. Like a violin, it is all curved contours, there is not a straight line in it. Many of my bows ha

facing you. Take a spring scale registering at least eighty pounds and catch the hook under the string. Draw it until th

s a hook to draw the string and the bent portion permits the attachment of the scale. The dowel is marked off in inches so that one can test different lengths of draw. With the bow in the bench vise,

correct any inequalities that may have existed before and reducing it to what ultimately will be sixty-five pounds. Put on the string and weigh it ag

use lasts from three to five years. The longer the bow, the longer its life. Some, of course, break or come to grief after a short period, others live to honorable old age. Yew bows are in existence today that were made many thousands of years ago, but, of cou

ent as possible, free from dead or overstrained areas, work it down with utmost solici

n the nocks. A bow shoots well wit

eems best of all. From your butcher secure a number of horns. With a saw cut off three or four inches of the tip. Place one in a vise and drill a conical hole in it an inch and a quarter deep and half an inch wide. This can be d

y to illustrate. It must have diagonal grooves to hold the string. The nock for the upper limb has also a hole at its extrem

a half inches long, for they get a lot of hard usage in their travels.

ng soaked in boiling water, and are ready for use. Cut the ends of the bow to fit the nock

sapwood requires no backing; but having had many bows break in our hands, we at last

skin. Its principal use is in the manufacture of artificial limbs, drum hea

e feet in length and two inches wide

pply them to the bow. Overlap them at the hand grip for a distance of two or three inches. Smooth them out toward the tips by stroking and expressing all air bubbles and excess glue. Wrap the handle roughly with string to keep the strips from slipping; also bind the tips for a short distance to secure them in place. Remove the bow from the

he nocks fitted prior to the backing process the horn nocks

the handle. This should be about one-eighth of an inch thick

and finish. A little liquid glue or shellac can be placed on the wood to fix the serving. Some prefer l

This should be soaked in water, beveled at the edge, sized with glue, put around the bow, and overlapped at the back. I also glue a small piece of leather on the left-hand side of the bow above the handle to preve

eatment with scraper and steelwo

lint or flash of a hunting bow will frighten game. I have often seen rabbits or deer stand until the bow goes off, then jump in time to escape the arrow. At first we belie

a good soaking with boiled linseed oil. Using the same oiled cloth place in its center a small wad of cotton saturated with an alcoholic solut

s rub the whole weapon with floor wax, g

every day or so with it. Personally I add one part of light cedar oil to two part

it in a corner, this tends to bend the lower limb. Keep it in a warm, dry room; preserve it from bruises a

TUTES

t to obtain is hickory, although it is a poor alternative. I believe the pig-nut or smooth bark is the best vari

g bow will be found slow and heavy in cast and to have an incurable tenden

iper, tan oak, apple wood, ash, eucalyptus, lancewood, washaba, palma brava, e

ge orange, which are hard to get, the next best woo

out of it six feet long, two inches wide, and about an inch thick. Plane it straight and roughen its two-inch surface

hem together. With a series of clamps compress them tightly. In the absence of clamps, a

d the same as yew. The hickory back

st and the hickory backing

nches like a fishing rod. Several coats of varnish will

ld be no difficulty in the matter save the mechanical factors involved

A BOW

dead; therefore, we must

y the more modern. Animal tissue stretches when it is put under strain or subjected to heat

gical catgut is apparently a D string on the violin. Taking this as a standard diameter, a series of waxed strings

breaks at

eaks at 1

eaks at 2

aks at 2

n breaks a

fiber breaks

s, is not on the market in the form of

12. Each thread will stand a strain of six pounds; therefore, a

w because here a quick cast is desired; but in hunting, security is nece

the late Mr. Maxson and described in American Archery. Some

e threads in your hands as

ring off on the bow a length eight inches beyond each end--that is, sixteen inches longer than your bow. Double your thread back, drawing it through your hand until you reach the beginning. Now repeat the process o

ds, each way. Now roll the greater part of this strand about your fingers and make a little coil which you compress, but allow about twe

his point with an additional splice. So lay out another strand of twenty threads six feet long. Cut this into six pieces, each twelve inches in length. Take one of t

nd and lying along the last foot of its length one of the above des

toward you. Seize another strand, twist it from you and pull it toward you. Continue this process with each in succession, and you will find that you are making a rope. By the time the rope is three inches in length, it is long enough to fold on

nd away from you while you pull it toward you. Continue the motion until you have run down the string a distance of eight inches. During the process you will see the wisdom of having rolled the excess strin

the rest lies along the tapered extremity. Wax them tight. Hold the three long strands together while you give them final equalizing traction. Start here and twist your second loop, drawing each strand towa

r horn. Swing your right knee over the bow below the string and set t

f the string. Replace the loop and brace your bow. This will take the kinks from the cord. Wax it thoroughly and, removing the lower loop, twist the entire bowstring in the direction of the previous maneuver until i

ld make one complete rotation of the string in a distance

t loop to overcome the error. The fork of these loops is often bound with waxed carpet thread to reduce their size and stren

the arrow must now be served with waxed silk, linen

and double it. Start with the doubled end, threading the free end through it around the string, and wind it over,

erlapping threads or clove hitches. This will form a little lump or knot on the string at this point. Continue serving for half an inch and repeat this maneuver; aga

dily while nocking an arrow in the dark or while keeping your eye on the game, and the othe

beeswax and adding about one-quart

taining glue or any hard drying substance seem to cause the strings to break more readily. Paraffin, talcum powder,

th the action of the string. A well-greased bow will sta

s if in use; you should alway

and are subject to most bending. An inspection at this point frequently should be done. An impending break

greater tension on a string when the bow is braced but not drawn up. A fifty-six pound bow registers a sixty-four pound tension on the str

osition, this strain must rise tremendously, for if the a

ked on the string, it is ordinarily already six inches drawn across the bow. Now in the same fifty-six pound bow for every inch of draw past this, the weight rises between two and three pou

s softly at first and in the last part of the draw is very stiff, will require more caref

k Spanish yew and more than fifty years old, flew to splinters just because a treacherous string parted in the center. Sturdy hunting bows are not so liable to this catastrophe, but be sure you are not cau