Bowhunting Superstitions

There are specific archery superstitions that are often associated with bowhunting, as it is a distinct form of archery with its own unique challenges and traditions. 

See also: Archery Superstitions

Here are some common bowhunting superstitions:

1. "Whistling in the woods": Many bowhunters believe that whistling while in the hunting area can scare away the game or bring bad luck. Making unnecessary noise is generally discouraged to maintain a quiet and stealthy approach.

2. "Respecting the animal's spirit": Some bowhunters have traditions or rituals aimed at honoring the spirit of the animal they're hunting. This can include saying a silent prayer or expressing gratitude after a successful hunt.

3. "Respecting the bow and arrow": Bowhunters may have specific rituals or actions they perform to show respect for their equipment, such as not letting the bow touch the ground or treating arrows with care.

4. "Blessing the broadhead": Before using a broadhead (the hunting arrowhead), some bowhunters may perform a ritual or say a few words as a way to bless the arrow and ensure a successful and ethical hunt.

5. "Wearing lucky clothing": Bowhunters may have specific clothing they consider lucky for hunting. This could be something passed down from older generations or clothing associated with a past successful hunt.

6. "Avoiding certain behaviors": Bowhunters might avoid certain behaviors or actions they believe can jinx their hunt. For example, talking about success before it happens or celebrating prematurely.

7. "Tracking rituals": After a successful shot, some bowhunters may have particular rituals or traditions they follow while tracking the animal, such as following a specific path or leaving markers along the way.

8. "Moon and weather signs": Bowhunters may pay attention to moon phases, weather conditions, or other natural signs they believe can influence hunting success or luck.

9. "Offering a piece of equipment": In some cultures or traditions, bowhunters may leave a small offering or token at the site of a successful hunt as a way to show respect and gratitude to the animal.

As with any superstitions, not all bowhunters believe in or adhere to these practices. Superstitions often reflect a mix of cultural beliefs, personal experiences, and the desire for a successful and ethical hunting experience.

Bowhunting Popularity Growing, but only Regionally

As hunter numbers continue to decline overall in the USA and Canada, one bright spot worth noting has been the growth in bowhunting’s popularity in recent years, but only in certain regions. Not every region is experiencing an uptick in bowhunting's popularity.

In Pennsylvania for example there are now well over 300,000 bowhunters who annually take to forest and field, with the vast majority of them purchasing archery licenses primarily to pursue white-tailed deer.

Over the past decade, the number of bowhunters in Pennsylvania has risen steadily, increasing each year from 2007-2008, when 266,841 archery licenses were sold, to 2016-2017, when 341,637 were purchased. In fact, according to Petersen’s Bowhunting, no state in the nation sold more archery hunting licenses in 2016-2017 than Pennsylvania State. The total number of archery participants may actually be even higher since bowhunting privileges are included in the state’s lifetime combination and junior combination licenses, two categories that are not included in overall bow license sales.

Christian Berg, former Hellertown resident and outdoors editor at The Morning Call who’s now the editor of Petersen’s Bowhunting, said the increased interest in bowhunting in Pennsylvania is likely due to a combination of factors. Among these are the state’s relatively short firearms season when compared to many other states coupled with the fact that the archery season is fairly long, the opportunity for archers to hunt during the rut, the relatively mild weather that accompanies the fall portion of bow season and the fact that both crossbows and vertical bows can be used.

“For serious deer hunters, I believe Pennsylvania’s archery season is extremely attractive from both an opportunity and weather-related standpoint,” Berg said. “Add in the fact that PA archery hunters can use crossbows and you have an easy crossover tool available for longtime rifle hunters who want to take advantage of the archery season.

“I think much of the growth Pennsylvania has seen in archery hunting is not necessarily a dramatic influx of new hunters, but rather a shift in hunting activity generally toward more archery hunting and perhaps a bit less effort during the firearms season.”

In regard to bowhunting opportunities, the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania offers a rather liberal season. In Wildlife Management Units 5D and 5C, the latter of which includes much of the Lehigh Valley, there are more than 14 weeks of bowhunting from Sept. 15-Nov. 24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 26. The rest of the state also enjoys more than eight weeks of bowhunting, with the fall segment taking place Sept. 29-Nov. 12 and the winter session running Dec. 26-Jan. 12.

As for the legalization of crossbow hunting, there’s little doubt allowing horizontal bows has had a huge impact on archery hunter participation and deer harvest, with crossbow usage rising steadily since they were legalized for bowhunting statewide in 2009.

According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) 2017 Deer Hunter Participation Survey, a survey sent to more than 6,000 sportsmen who bought hunting licenses for the 2016-17 season, 61 percent of respondents noted they hunted with a crossbow, while 54 percent said they used a vertical bow.

PGC spokesman Travis Lau said that in 2017-’18, crossbows accounted for 61 percent of the overall archery deer harvest, while in 2014-15 they were responsible for only 54 percent of the take. In contrast, annual overall archery harvests in recent years haven’t changed all that much. For example, in the 2017-18 and 2016-17 seasons, the archery harvest accounted for 34 percent of the overall statewide deer harvest, while in 2014-15, that number was 32 percent.

“I don’t think there is any question the legalization of crossbows for all archery hunters has played the biggest role in increased archery license sales,” Lau said. “Crossbows are taking more of the archery harvest, but the archery harvest [overall] has been more or less consistent.”

When it comes to bowhunting in the Lehigh Valley, where the human population continues to grow and the vast majority of land is privately owned, bowhunting is becoming an increasingly popular tool for helping to manage deer herds.

“I think [the growth in archery hunting’s popularity] has to do with the urban sprawl,” said Joe Filaseta, Bethlehem resident and regional director for the United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania.

According to Filaseta, the region’s abundant deer population, coupled with the fact that the safety zone for bowhunting is 50 yards compared to 150 yards for firearms hunting, makes it easier for bowhunters to access properties in the region.

Berg agreed, noting that for many deer hunters, gaining access to hunt with a bow has proven much more realistic than gaining access to hunt with a rifle, particularly in areas where property sizes tend to be relatively small and deer habitat is fragmented.

“I know from experience that some of the best hunting in the state exists in places such as South Mountain and the suburban woodlots around Bethlehem, and accessing such places with firearms only becomes more difficult as the years go by,” he said. “A similar situation exists around Pittsburgh, where suburban bowhunters have entered numerous bucks into the state record book in recent years.

“Considering that a large percentage of hunters will come from the areas where a large percentage of our state population resides, I would anticipate that archery hunting will continue to be an ever more attractive option for serious deer hunters who want to access some of the best opportunities our state has to offer.”

While bowhunting’s popularity continues to climb in Pennsylvania, that upward trend isn’t always reflected across the nation. According to data from the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service report issued every five years, the overall number of hunters declined 16 percent between 2016 and 2011, from 13.7 million to 11.5 million. During that same period, the total number of bowhunters dropped 19 percent, from 4.47 million to 3.63 million.

Berg noted changing demographics are presenting a big challenge to the future of hunting right now.

“As the Baby Boomer generation ages out of hunting, we are simply not recruiting nearly enough new, younger hunters to replace the older hunters who are no longer physically able to get into the field,” he said. “This is a particular issue for archery hunting, in my opinion, because many older hunters are likely able to hunt a number of additional seasons with a firearm beyond the point where they are no longer physically able to handle the challenges/mechanics of archery tackle.

“If archery hunting is to remain strong going forward, we - the archery industry, conservation groups and archery hunting community - need to do a better job collectively of recruiting new bowhunters and retaining them as part of our community.”

Texas Veterinarian kills Cat with Arrow

There is a difference between bowhunting and animal cruelty. The veterinarian in the photo to the right apparently doesn't know the difference. Kristen Lindsey was practicing archery in her backyard, saw a stray cat (someone's lost pet) and decided to shoot it with an arrow.

First off, that is not hunting. That is randomly killing animals for the sheer pleasure of it, which qualifies as animal cruelty.

It is also not hunting because she had no plans to eat the cat, and the cat was not a predator killing her livestock (as is sometimes the case with wolves or similar predators killing a farmer's livestock).

She then took it a step further by having her friends take photos of her and then post it on Facebook, to show off to her friends that she had been "hunting".

But as stated before, she was obviously not hunting for food and she was not hunting dangerous predators - which means she was just randomly killing a stray cat.

Kristen Lindsey claims the cat was feral, but that is still no reason to randomly kill a stray cat. She did it for her own personal pleasure of killing animals - which is an odd thing for a veterinarian to be doing. She must really hate cats for some reason.

"The only good feral tomcat is one with an arrow through it's head!"

Yup, really hates tomcats apparently.

Since then another video has surfaced from Texas showing the same cat (whose name is Tiger) in question riding on the front hood of a John Deere Gator farm utility vehicle (it is basically a golf cart painted green, repurposed for farm use).

So evidently what happened was one of Kristen Lindsey's neighbour's cats went for a stroll one day, wandered off her owner's property and was passing through Kristen Lindsey's backyard. Kristen Lindsey saw the cat, and thought it would be funny to shoot it.

Since then Kristen has been fired from her veterinarian job, there is an online petition to have her veterinarian's licence revoked, and police have been pondering charges of animal cruelty.

Her former employers posted this on their website:

"We are absolutely appalled, shocked, upset, and disgusted by the conduct. We do not allow such conduct and we condemn it in the strongest possible manner… Please know that when informed of this we responded swiftly and appropriately and please do not impute this awful conduct to the Washington Animal Clinic or any of its personnel."

The Texas Veterinary Medical Association and Colorado State University, where Lindsey earned her doctorate, have also condemned the act of animal cruelty.

"If this did occur, it's a criminal act," says Austin County Sheriff Jack Brandes, noting that a charge of cruelty to a non-livestock animal is a class A misdemeanour under the Texas penal code. Three investigators were assigned to the case. "It's disgusting and very alarming," he continued. "Yet our job is to investigate, then present a case to the district attorney. People are concerned, but we can't convict someone of a crime based on a picture on Facebook."

Since then no charges have been laid, which is unfortunately the status quo with animal cruelty cases. Most times charges don't even get made and the person committing the act gets away with it.

While we can take solace that Kristen Lindsey was fired from her job - and likely will never work again as a vet because who would take their pets to someone who enjoys shooting pets for fun? - it does show the sad state of affairs in which animal cruelty felons gets a free ride often because the police cannot find enough evidence that the act took place.

See the following Huffington Post article if you want to read more about animal cruelty and how the felons often get away with it.

Cat Cruelty Goes Viral Online and Nowhere in the Courts

Please don't shoot at animals

We know some people out there think it is funny to shoot at animals, but seriously, that stuff is not funny.

Even just jokingly shooting at a pet could cause serious harm to the animal.

"Oh, I just wanted to scare him a little!"

Seriously. Not funny.

Assuming the pet doesn't get killed, it is still going to be a nasty visit to the vet.

And either way, if you get caught shooting at animals you will be charged with cruelty to animals.

If you want to hunt, go get a hunting license and learn to shoot at animals you will actually eat like deer, elk, moose, geese, ducks, etc. Get your hunting license, hunt during hunting season only, and do it properly.

Shooting at pets only gives archers a bad rep and makes the rest of us look bad because of your idiocy.

Toronto Laws governing Archery within City Limits

There are a number of different laws governing the use of archery equipment within the Toronto city limits.

TORONTO MUNICIPAL CODE
CHAPTER 608, PARKS

608-4. Firearms and offensive weapons [Updated January 23, 2014]

A. While in a park, no person shall be in possession of or use a firearm, air gun, cross bow, bow
and arrow, axe, paint guns or offensive weapon of any kind unless authorized by permit.

B. Despite Subsection A, bows and arrows may be used in designated areas in accordance with
posted conditions. [eg. The Toronto Public Archery Range is a designated area.]

Plus there is also the potential for a person to be charged with say:

The Toronto Firearms Discharge By-Law - which prohibits discharging a weapon (including bows and crossbows) in any public location where other people might be injured, with the exception of designated archery ranges.

Reckless Endangerment - which ranges from a $400 fine plus possible jail time.

Mischief / Damage to Property - Fines of up to $2,000 plus possible jail time.

Mischief / Endangering Life - Possible life imprisonment even if nobody dies or is injured.

Animal Cruelty - In the event someone shoots an animal (non hunting), this would also be a charge that could be leveled.

Hunting in a Prohibited Area - No hunting within city limits. All hunting within Toronto is prohibited.

If you have questions about bows, crossbows and firearms you can contact the Chief Firearms Officer of Ontario (via the OPP).

Archery Teaches Self Control and Discipline

With box office influences such as the "Hunger Games", Disney’s "Brave", Hawkeye from the "Avengers" and the newest Hobbit movie "The Desolation of Smaug" it is no wonder why so many youth are drawn to archery.

Since archery isn't a team sport it also forces children to become more self reliant - if they make a mistake, they recognize it is their own fault and they have to learn from their mistakes. This means learning a degree of humility, self control and also self discipline.

Children with ambitions to become truly great in the sport of archery often take part in local archery competitions, with aspirations of proving their greatness. But before they can even have a chance at winning they would need to practice, practice hard, and learn to discipline both their bodies physically and their minds emotionally.

Archery lessons, school archery clubs, after school archery programs, Boy Scouts / Girl Guides - these are all beneficial ways for children and teens to build their archery skills and learn such discipline - but it is often just practicing on their own, often with only a coach present, that allows young archers to truly grow in this perfectionist of sports.

Archery classes begin with an introduction to the basics of archery, with a focus on equipment, equipment maintenance, safety fundamentals and information to help them be successful.

The really nitty gritty archery tips - things like learning to control your breathing, breathing into your stomach, how to hold your shot steady, how to follow through on a shot... These all take a lot of time and require the young archer to keep striving harder, concentrating harder and learning everything one lesson at a time.

What happens often is people begin archery with an expectation that they will get really good in a hurry. Which is partially true, a young archer can become "proficient" within the first couple of months of regular practice, but it takes years to become a skilled archer - and decades to become a master at the sport.

Archery is a fairly inexpensive and highly rewarding sport, offering many benefits to participants. Increased strength, increased concentration, there is even reports of archers developing better visual acuity / observation skills.

According to a study at the University of Pennsylvania, youths who are involved in archery tend to be better students in school, due to the patience, focus and discipline required for the sport.

"Archers have to learn to take their time, go through the safety and fundamental archery steps and make sure every aspect of the shot is perfect and safe," says Grant Caraway, the recreation assistant for Outdoor Adventures. "Good archers are patient and methodical, allowing them to put a good shot down range."

Since archery is an individual sport it allows athletes to progress as fast as they desire - practice very little, they will progress slowly, but practice daily and they will improve in their skills in a hurry. Archery skills are commensurate with drive and dedication, the number of hours put in to improving themselves both on the physical level and mental preparation.

On the physical level some people are very serious about. Charles Moffat, a personal trainer in Toronto, uses personal training techniques to forge his body into a more efficient archer - so that he is physically stronger, has better balance (so you can maintain stillness while aiming) and even yogic breathing exercises so he can better control his breathing during a shot.

Moffat is also a zen archery enthusiast, following in the footsteps of Japanese zen archer Awa Kenzo, and also zen monk Takuan Soho, and believes strongly in the power of the archer's mind.

"You can't shoot for perfection if you are too busy being distracted by feelings of hate, hunger, greed and ego. Humility is an archer's best friend and those archers who are too full of ego have good days and bad days. A humble archer who has control of his mind can control his feelings and shoot well every day." - Charles Moffat.

But not everyone can afford such a thoughtful archery instructor with so much self control, so they send their kids to summer camps - summer camps where the focus is on fun and the archery instructors barely know how to shoot themselves.

Students attending such summer camps are no doubt hoping to learn a new skill and have some fun in the process - but if they are serious about becoming good at archery then the shoddy equipment and shoddy instructors at summer camps just isn't going to satisfy them.

"I am excited about shooting the bows, it looks fun and it will be my first time shooting," said 8-year-old Michael Wells, a participant in the USA's After School Archery Program.

The program takes the young archers through the appropriate range safety commands and signals necessary to use archery ranges. During each class, students learn how to safely and correctly use a recurve and/or compound bow. Students are instructed on what each safety signal (eg. "clear" and "live") means and what is appropriate behavior for the archery range.

So that is a good way to learn the basics of archery and safety procedures, but if they don't have an archery coach they will be learning how to aim, proper form through trial and error.

Archery Injuries

Muscle groups that make up the back, shoulders and arms are used repeatedly while archers draw back their bows. The weight archers pull back varies depending on the bow and their abilities, making correct form a necessity for injury prevention.

Many people overemphasize the use of back muscles - which is used a lot in archery, but often results in overdeveloped back muscles and can result in injuries if people rely too heavily on one set of muscles.

Another common archery injury is "archer's elbow", commonly known as tennis elbow. This is due to overuse of one's elbow during the practice of archery.

Thus it becomes important to hone other parts of the body physically so a person does not become so reliant on their upper back muscles and elbow muscles. Practicing proper archery form is important but can be difficult to maintain if a person doesn't also build up their physical strength too, thus doing so is a great way to prevent such archery injuries to the back and elbows.

Archery gives everyone an opportunity to release stress and have fun. Whether you want to take up bowhunting, go to archery competitions or just practice for fun, people from all backgrounds can enjoy the sport.

Archery is found every culture around the globe, dating back to the stone age. No one group can claim ownership to the sport - and thus archery is for everyone. Not just Katniss fans, although they are certainly welcome too.

Archery and Ethical Hunting

Bowhunting is becoming popular again.

After decades of decline in hunting, bowhunting has seen a resurgence in recent years - most markedly by urbanites seeking a more authentic way of getting their meat on the table.

Part of it is society's new obsession with grass-fed, humanely killed, hormone-free food. Organic and non-genetically modified. (99% of organic food is GM.)

The decline of hunting can easily be seen in British Columbia, where resident hunting licences peaked at 174,000 in 1981, and dropped to 85,000 in 2005 but have since rebounded to 94,000 in 2012.

That rebound is largely due to bowhunters and crossbow hunters - both men and women - and their numbers are being swelled by urbanites / city dwellers who want to hunt for their own food.

For some of those people they are worried about food safety, eating locally and being connected to the food we eat. Others just feel that hunting is a more interesting way to get their meat in their freezers and love the taste of venison.

The government in British Columbia is making it easier to become a hunter too, eliminating hunter-safety program requirements and have set a goal of at least 100,000 licensed hunters by 2014-15. And because it is faster / easier to get your hunting license if you are a bowhunter, this means bowhunting is an easier option for people who want to get into hunting.

Hunting also brings in extra tourism dollars from within Canada and from foreign hunters. So it is a win-win for the province of B.C. to keep down the populations of deer, elk, moose, goat, sheep and caribou. The province is spending $2 million this year improving the habitats of animal populations.

Even youth hunters (10 to 17) are getting involved.

“These changes will give youth and other new hunters an opportunity to find out if they enjoy hunting,” reads the government synopsis, “before requiring them to go through the time and monetary commitment of taking hunter safety training.”

Back to the topic of urbanite hunters, Kai Nagata, a 27-year-old communications consultant, has taken up bowhunting in his quest for ethical hunting.

“Those of us who grew up in the city are disconnected from the food we eat,” said Nagata. “It starts out as a philosophy, but it gets hands-on very quickly.

And what is more is that the vast majority of hunters make a strict distinction between hunting for food and trophy hunting - and oppose trophy hunting as a crime against nature. They're not alone either. A recent survey found British Columbians support food hunting, but a large majority oppose trophy hunting.

The Best Bowhunting Gear 2010

Best Value Compound Bows

Pantera from Martin Archery

While continuing Martin Archery’s tradition of value, the Pantera is loaded with proprietary features, such as the pivoting ROTO Cup limb system, Thermal V grip, Shock Terminator Suppressor and Cable Containment System. As well, a sleek new riser helps keep the bow light and easy to balance. With a 7¼-inch brace height, and measuring 32¼ inches between axles, the Pantera weighs just 3½ pounds and sports an 80 per cent let off.

Available in draw weights of 60 or 70 pounds, with draw lengths of 26 to 31 inches, this compound has an IBO rating of 320 fps.

Carbon Matrix from Precision Shooting Equipment

New to PSE’s X-Force line, the AXE 7 has an Inner Cam system that provides a smoother draw and an incredible six inches of draw-length adjustment, without compromising speed.

With a forgiving seven-inch brace height and an IBO rating of 335 fps, this bow also features America’s Best Bowstrings, Vibracheck Backstop, B.E.S.T. grip and preloaded past-parallel limbs. Weighing just four pounds, it measures 32½ inches axle to axle and has a 75 per cent let off.

Destroyer 350 from BowTech

Quiet, accurate, forgiving and easy to draw, the Destroyer 350 features an adjustable, geared OverDrive Binary cam system that all but eliminates slippage and timing problems. As well, the new FLX-Guard cable containment system flexes inward as the bow is drawn to prevent unwanted torque on the riser.

Measuring 323/8 inches between axles, the 4.1-pound bow has a six-inch brace height, draw lengths of 25 to 30 inches and 80 per cent let off. And with draw weights of 50 to 70 pounds, it has an IBO rating of 350 fps.

Best Mechanical Arrowheads

T3 Broadhead from G5 Outdoors

This three-blade expandable broadhead features the unique Spider Clip system for blade retention, allowing shooters to tune their blades without the need for rubber bands and O-rings. The 100-grain head has a 1½-inch cutting diameter and deploys easily, even with lower-poundage bows.

Constructed of stainless steel for maximum strength, the T3 has a field-tip profile when closed. It’s ideal for high-speed bows or crossbows, and for providing pass-through shots.
Best release aid

RIPshot from RIP Archery Corporation

This new device is designed to rest your trigger hand, giving you the stability to consistently shoot smaller groups. The RIPshot attaches to your elbow, and allows you to fasten your trigger release to perfect draw length. Drawing your bow from the elbow also takes advantage of your larger back muscles, giving you the stability to stay at full draw longer.

The RIPshot is ideal for small-framed shooters who have trouble drawing enough weight for hunting situations.

Best Arrowrest

Opposition Rest from Schaffer Performance Archery

Providing total arrow containment and clearance, the Opposition Rest holds the arrow in place between the pylons until you draw, at which point the arrow is automatically raised and rested in the firing position.

The rest can also be locked in the up position and used as a normal rest for treestand hunting or stalking. It comes with a universal mount, as well as custom-fit mounts for Mathews, Hoyt and PSE bows.