How to Make a Stick Bow and Arrow

by nimrod243
Not an entry for Burton Treble Yell Pack.  Don't see contest details.

Today we are here to discuss a very serious topic- that of providing sustenance for one's family by crafting a homemade bow and arrow to hunt the animals of the fields and forests.

Please keep in mind that safety should always be considered first.  Children must be under immediate supervision all times when hunting with a homemade bow and arrow.  I am dead serious.

Tools and materials required:

Your brain - you may want to find this and have it all tuned up and ready to go before you get started.

Knife - I am using one that my dad made about 15 years ago.

Tote'n Chip Card or Badge - Boy Scout card or badge that shows you have been trained to safely use a sharp blade.  Never cut towards yourself.  Common sense will serve as an acceptable substitute for this requirement if you happen to have any handy.

String or rope - I found a little section of a rope that was originally used for a crab trap.  Bro, I probably should have given that back to you a long time ago, but I was embarrassed by the fact that I had cut it up into short pieces and got a little bit of deer blood on it.

Stick for bow -  may be straight or have a natural curve, whatever helps you better foresee the final product.  My son chose a naturally curved one for his first homemade bow (pictured below).

Stick for arrow - long straight ones render the best terminal effects.

Animals to shoot - I prefer live ones that are good eatin'.  You make the call on this one.  Animals over 3.5 lbs are not well suited for this weapon.  Bigger animals will probably not be concerned for their welfare and may actually snicker under their breath when they see you.  This does not promote a fair and ethical hunting scenario.

Step 1.  Begin by making a notch for your bowstring on each extremity of the stick.  Note: Your blatant laziness may result in string slippage.



Step 2.  If you are using a thick rope you will need to separate a single core fiber strand to use as your arrow string.  This step also makes tying the necessary knots much easier.


Step 3.  Tie a loop in one end of the string.



Step 4.  Put the free end through the loop.  When you do this you can make another loop that can be cinched down. Tighten the loop down on one end of the stick in the place you whittled your notch in Step 1.



Step 5.  Pull the free end of the string to the opposite end of the stick and wrap it around the other notch.  Tighten up the string until you have made a nice bend in the stick.  That will provide enough force to push the arrow into the air at over 5 feet per second (fps).




Step 6.  While maintaining tension on the string and the desired bend in the stick (by holding the string tight to the stick with your thumb and forefinger), wrap the loose end around and over the string and the stick several times to hold it into place.



Step 7.  Tie 4-6 half hitch knots to secure the wrappings. Clip the tag end off the string or leave it hanging there for decoration like I did.



Step 8.  Nock your stick arrow on the string and practice shooting in your back yard or some other safe location.



Step 9.  Go hunting for your pre-selected animal species.

Step 10. (optional) Instead of making your own bow, you could always purchase one of these from Amazon.com

Happy Hunting!
~nimrod243

4 comments:

  1. Good humor. Personally I prefer the ones bought in the store. I've had a bow & arrow since I was 10 and found the performance of the store bought ones to be much better than one I would have made myself. But hey, if it's a survival thing, you have to do what you have to do.

    Mark

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  2. Doing things with your child is priceless and teaching basic fundamentals of things are building blocks for future learning and interest.
    We need to remember that our level of interest in simple things pales in comparison to the genuine interest of a child. All of these concepts are totally new to them. Keep up the good work!

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  3. This is how we made our bow and arrow, these tips helped us a lot http://howtofixstuff.blogspot.ca/2012/04/how-to-make-bow-and-arrow.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. I made my own bows and arrows when I was little. I never had to use them to hunt anything for food. However, it helps to know how to live off the land if the need arises. I think learning survival skills carries over into how capable you think you are too.

    ReplyDelete

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