From before medieval times the archer was one of the most feared weapons on the battlefield.

Their ability to silently take out the opposition from considerable distances made them lethal.  The predecessors to modern day snipers. Even the medieval armor plating struggled to protect against well placed arrows. There was also the ability of the bowmen to rain arrows down from above, not just in a direct line of sight, that made archers doubly dangerous.

Archers were not just effective in war times. Bow hunting is a modern day connection to bygone times when the skill of the hunter was directly connected with how well their family ate.

With the advent of bows it was possible for the whole family to take part in hunting expeditions. As we can see in the picture below (WARNING NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH) bow hunting can be rewarding for all.

If hunting is your thing, then there are few greater thrills than taking an animal with only a couple of sticks and some string. It is raw and gritty, and presents a far greater challenge to the hunter than standing back at great distances with a high powered rifle and blasting an unsuspecting animal to death.

The bow hunter has to get up close and personal – which the first challenge to be over come. They also have to pick their shot as they do not have a barrage of bullets at their disposal. The arrow is just as effective as a bullet, even more so, when placed accurately, but a miss of the kill zone will not bring a game animal down like a bullet might. So you have to get closer, and then you have to hit what you are aiming at (the first time).

If you have never tried hunting with a bow, then I suggest you arm yourself with an English Style Longbow and a couple of arrows and challenge yourself to a bow hunting expedition.