Hunting with the Bow and Arrow

and the base of your left palm against the back of the bow, near the top below the loop of the string. Holding your left arm stiff and toward your left side, your right elbow fixed on your

fingers caught beneath it. Do most of the work wit

ly measured by setting the fist on the handle and the thumb sticking upright, where it should to

an this because of the prolonged strain on the

n the left side at the top of the handle. Place the left forefinger over the shaft and keep it from slipping while you shift your right hand to the arrow-nock, thumb uppermost. Push the arrow forward, at the same time rotating

place your fingers in position for shooting. The release used by the old English is the best. This consists in placing three fingers on the string, one above th

the thumb and forefinger, and is known as the primary loose. This

traighten your body, stiffen the back, expand the chest, turn the head fully facing the mark, look at it squ

ow. This point on the jaw below the eye is fixed and never varies; no matter how close or how far the shot, the butt of the arrow is always drawn to the jaw, not to the eye, nor to the ear. Thus the eye glances along the entire length of the shaft and keeps it in perfect line.

draw the arrow out of line. Two great faults occur at this point: one is to permit the arrow to creep forward just before the release, and the other is to draw the hand away from the face in the act of releasing. Keep

efinger, also start the draw with the fingers more acutely flexed, so that as the arrow is pinched between the first and second f

that the arrow comes up in a straight line with your mark, otherwise the bow will be twisted in the grasp and deflect the shot. Then fully drawn, set the grasp of the left hand without disturbing the position of the bow, make the left arm as rigid as an o

t the head of the arrow is in a direct line with the mark by the indirect vision of the right eye. Both eyes are open, both see the mark, but only the right observes th

engths the archer must estimate the distance below the mark on which his arrow seems to rest in order to rise in a parabolic curve and strike t

k beneath his right eye, or he has thrown his head out of line, or the

, creeping release, or weakened in his bow arm, or in drawing

is because it is not drawn up in true line, or because it fits too tightly on the s

right, it is because he has not kept

ng hand to his jaw, right elbow horizontal. This insures that he maintains the proper position during the

ike a bird, without quaver or flutter. Al

tension during the release. The chest is held rigid in a position of moderate inspiration, the back muscles are set and eve

the bow, one should read Sir Roger Ascham

this point which is perpendicular above or below the bull's-eye. The arrowhead is held on the point of aim, and when loosed, f

tly by eye. He should practice pacing measured lengths, so

before he shoots. In fact we nearly always cal

s allowed. But up to sixty yards the lateral deflexion from win

y consider it when approaching game, as a carrier of scent, because our hunting ranges are well

e than fifty years. He was past seventy and had to resort to a thirty-five pound weapon. He complained that his release was faulty, but he felt that with a

He should study the game from its scientific principles as f

e's target work. The use of heavy bows so accustoms the muscles to gross reactions that they fail to adj

s of any sort, at all distances, from five to two hundred yards. A bush, a stray

n, to stop short and shoot, fresh or weary he must be able to draw his bow and discharge one arrow after another. With the bow unstrung walking along the trail, often we have stopped

and roam over the land, aiming at various marks;

exact length. For this reason it is easier to split t

Hitting objects tossed in the air is not so difficult either. A small tin can or box thrown fifteen or twenty feet upward at a distance of ten or fifteen y

s helps to train one in lea

tly upward and is supposed to drop on the mark, is difficult and

rious distances. Shooting in the woods over hanging limbs may interfere with a good s

ing walking, and the left thigh should be held out of the way of the bow-string. When not in use, but braced, the bow should be carrie

ne off the left side of the horse, and a certain amount of p

ht. Even the dimmest outline will serve the bowman,

is this that spoils the archery career of many a tyro--he gives up in despair. It looks so easy, but really is so difficult to hit the mark. But do not be cast dow

lives have come through poor shooting. Just when we wanted to do our best, before an expectant gather

ed by the game itself. Under actual hunting conditions y

your failures so that you can correct your faults. Extreme

the man who shoots with his hear