Night hunting with a bow

Often, hunters hear unfounded accusations that their hobby is nothing more than the killing of unfortunate animals. On the contrary, hunting is more than an atavism, a vicious legacy of the past, which has a place in the modern world. People make such claims cannot even imagine how far they are from hunting and how little they understand it.

And to clearly demonstrate how much the adherents of such theories are mistaken, today we will talk about bow hunting. This is an incredible weapon with its own character that requires special skills and even a state of mind. It isn't easy to cope with a bow. It would help if you become one with it, even to hit a static target. Bowhunting requires a unique blend of experience, composure, and concentration. And, if you are not intimidated by such complexity, then the impressions you will receive will be incomparable with anything else.

But let's complicate the task and talk about night hunting with a bow. This is a completely different level. Thanks to this specific type of hunting, you can feel like a real nocturnal predator. But only if you find the perfect bow and the best night vision optics for hunting.

History of bowhunting.

Of course, it is silly to count the history of bowhunting from any particular date. However, bows and arrows have been a main source of food production since ancient times. Moreover, this weapon can be called one of the most significant and key inventions in the entire history of humankind and one of the main markers of the development of ancient civilizations. After all, it is obvious that the bow was a very complex weapon, and its creation requires a certain technical process and a relatively multi-stage manufacturing process.

It would seem that the practice of hunting by using archery equipment was doomed to extinction with the advent of more effective weapons and the continued development of agriculture. No matter how unobvious the connection between these two industries may seem. In the middle of the 19th century, it began to seem that archery would remain in the culture of our world only as entertainment or sport.

But, not everyone thought so. In the United States, a new start to interest in hunting emerged from the heritage of the last Yahi Indian tribe, a native known as Ishi. This happened in 1911 in California. Due to the interest of Dr. Saxton Pope in the culture of the Native Americans, Indian hunting traditions began to gain popularity. 

Interest in the doctor's idea was very high and it began to expand beyond the scope of enthusiasts. In 1961 the Pope and Young Club became the largest and most famous bowhunting and conservation organization in North America.

Types of bowhunting.

Due to its obvious specifics, bow hunting is unlike any other type of hunting with a firearm. To begin with, let's clarify that the effectiveness of the fire is limited, and the distance to the target should usually be between under 80-100 yards. Naturally, it all depends on your skills, the weather, the terrain, the characteristics of the bow, and the animal you are shooting at. It is also worth remembering the peculiarities of arrow ballistics, which introduces complexity and adds another element of difficulty.

Usually, bowhunting is long stalking of the victim and a careful choice of where to shoot at the final stage. But, there are other types of hunting. For example, how do you like hunting fish or fishing with a bow?

Such activity usually requires some changes in equipment. For example, you should take a modified arrow and attach a line to it. The bow itself has also been modified to meet the specific requirements of water hunting.

Stand hunting is another type of bow hunting that is quite similar to fishing. Its essence is that you are preparing an ambush on the target. This can be either a tree-top deck or an artificial platform at a height of three to six yards. A camouflaged observation position with cover will be set up on the site. And a long waiting period begins. And, this has its own meditative charm, allowing you to enjoy nature and loneliness.

Night bow hunting.

Many animals of particular interest to hunters continue their day to day activities at night. As you can imagine, hunting with a bow already requires much more specific skills and qualities from a hunter than a regular hunt with a rifle or shotgun. Therefore, the need to act in low light is unlikely to complicate your life too much.

But the choice of the night as a period for active hunting will open up really new perspectives. Tracking a target may be difficult, but bait hunting makes setting up an ambush an auspicious plan.

Equipping the observation point and waiting for the animal to react to your bait is only part of the plan. After all, the main point  remains - the decisive shot. And to do it at night or dusk is very difficult.

Therefore, you need a night vision device. Better yet, two devices that embody two different technologies. The obvious choice would be the NV device, those modifications that can be mounted on a bow or observation devices. But, the problem is that such devices require at least minimal light. Since they form an image, amplifying the light signal. Accordingly, if there is no such light, then you should use artificial light. For example, IR light. But, he can unmask you, and it will be very disappointing to spend hours waiting for prey and not even have time to take a shot.

The second option is thermal vision optics. Thanks to a fundamentally different technology that records the thermal signatures of objects and the environment, the thermal bow scope does not require even the weakest light sources. In addition, such equipment works equally well in all weather conditions, unlike night vision devices.

The obvious solution is to think carefully about your equipment and choose two or more devices with both technologies. Modern night vision manufacturers and thermal imaging producers offer a wide variety of techniques to suit any budget.

Bow hunting is an exotic, even elite hobby. It is objectively complex and requires several skills, substantial experience, and even a special state of mind. Therefore, you should not complicate your life, but rather, get ready for everything.

You can find more about hunting with night vision devices here:
Tips on Daytime vs. Nighttime Coyote Hunting
Hunting with Night Vision. Is it Legal?
Tips For Night Hunting Effectively
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