Bow Hunting

One of the most challenging sporting pastimes in Australia is bow hunting. Hunting in the bush is unlike anything you may have ever experienced. Not only is the environment tough, but the absolute array of species that are available to hunt is phenomenal. Aussie bow hunting ranges from, the taking of scaled fishes to wild boar and goat, to the elusive Chital deer.

Like any sport, bow hunting requires the right equipment. From bows to archery sights, you absolutely need the right stuff first. So let's take a look at some of this equipment.

Several types of bows are available for your hunting pleasure. The oldest is the longbow, which is one piece bow with simple straight limbs. The longbow is around six feet in length. The longbow is very popular with traditional bowhunters as the simplicity of the gear holds up well for bowhunting.

A variation of the long bow is the recurve bow. This one resembles a longbow except the ends of the limb are curved outward away from the bowstring. This makes for a stronger draw and a more powerful arrow strike at the target. Both long and recurve bows can be fired quickly and without a sight, which is good for reactive bow hunting.

Most recurve bows can also be fitted with accessories like archery sights and stabilizers. The recurve bow is the only bow allowed in Olympic archery.

The recurve bpw can be made in one piece design or take-down style. With the riser and limbs being made from a combination of materials like wood, fibreglass, carbon and alloy.

Last, we have the compound bow which is a bow that has the bowstring run through a series of pulleys and mechanisms. The advantage is that when at full draw, the shooter does not need to hold that full tension. The pulley system picks it up, so the shooter has the ability to take careful aim and make sure the shot is good before release. Modern compound bows combined with sights are very fast and accurate hunting bows.

The types of arrows that can be fired from a bow are many and extremely varied. Differences in shaft weight, materials, nock depths and fletching simply depends on the shooter's personal preference. Only practice and experience will help you determine what you shoot well, but remember to match the arrow shaft's spine weight to your bows poundage, for the most accurate flight.

An important part of the arrow is the arrowhead or broadhead. Again there are many types to choose from. The idea is to use an arrowhead that creates a damage path that will take down the species you are hunting. Broadheads are available in different weights and may be two or three blades or more. No matter what broadhead you use for bow hunting, make sure that it is razor sharp.

The Australian bush offers up a wide variety of game that can be hunted. Bow fishing is permitted for certain species of scaled fishes, but the rules and regulations vary from state to state. If saltwater is more to your liking, try arrowing a stingray or even a shark!

But the bulk of bow hunting sport exist on land. Several species of deer such as the Chital deer, Hog deer, Red deer, Samabar and Fallow deer present a challenge to the most experienced bow hunter. Deer hunting is in Australia can be very hard with limited numbers and places for deer, but other challenging animals like wild goats, foxes, buffalo, feral pigs and the common bunny rabbit can be pursued.

So if you are looking for a hunting adventure that is once in a lifetime, bring your bow along bow and try bow hunting!