Discover the Magic of Bowhunting in Western Europe

May 9, 2023

Bowhunting in Western Europe
As civilization develops, people increasingly look back: someone remembers traditional crafts - pottery, weaving, blacksmithing, and someone chooses martial arts as a hobby, such as archery. The activities that our ancestors needed to survive today bring new emotions and indescribable sensations into our lives - adrenaline and a sense of fullness of life. Traditional bowhunting attracts more and more followers because it is a unique sport: beautiful and noble, requiring skill and total dedication. We learn a few historical facts for a fascinating study of this topic. In Europe, simple bows were most widely used by the British, who made them mainly from yew. However, other trees were also used to make these weapons: ash, elm, maple, and apple. A simple bow had good range: practical shooting was carried out at a distance of up to 130 steps. Hunting with the use of cold throwing weapons - a bow - is practiced in more than 130 countries, such as Canada, the USA, and, of course, in the leading countries of Europe, mainly in its Western part. At the same time, the legislation of these countries, as a rule, stipulates the permitted hunting seasons, the power of the weapon used, the type of bows, the types of animals that are hunted, as well as specific requirements for obtaining licenses. The bow is one of those ingenious inventions that accelerated the development of civilization. The idea of a bow is straightforward, but its embodiment - in the form of an arc with a bowstring - significantly increased a person's capabilities. A bow is a relatively perfect, accurate, long-range, rapid-fire, and, at the same time, silent weapon. For five centuries (XI-XVI centuries), a wooden bow in Europe successfully resisted a steel crossbow, steel could not defeat a tree, and the bow lost its primacy only to gunpowder, and even then, not immediately.

Bowhunting in Western Europe.
In Europe, there is a whole system of training hunter-archers, or as they are called, "bowhunters." The archer is required to take unique courses, the main task of which is to instill shooting skills and develop general skills - tracking, approaching prey, choosing the right clothes for hunting, etc. After studying the whole complex and passing a particular exam, the bowhunter receives a certificate by which he can hunt. Archery hunting is in no way comparable to hunting with a gun. Holding a bow in his hands, the hunter becomes one with him while feeling unity with nature. This is a powerful impression, even though hunting with a bow is tough. A bowhunter has no room for error. If you didn’t hit the game the firs, there wouldn’t be enough time for the second attempt. Taking an arrow out of the quiver, putting it on the string, pulling the string, aiming, and shooting - all this is not commensurate with a simple pull on the trigger of a gun. Hunting with a bow in Western Europe (especially for a big game) requires solemn preparation and courage, a thorough mastery of many subtleties in hunting behavior, the specifics of camouflage, and tracking down and defeating prey. A bow that consists of one single piece of wood is called a simple bow. This is the most ancient version of the bow. For it to be long-range enough, it had to be made up to 2 m long. In Europe, simple bows were most widely used by hunters from the United Kingdom of Great Britain. A simple bow had good range: practical shooting was carried out at a distance of up to 130 steps.
Skilled shooters achieved better results. King Henry VIII of England, an excellent marksman, forbade shooting closer than 286 steps (220 yards) for a feathered arrow in competition. It is known that the king himself hit the target apple from 312 degrees. However, the bow did not remain the same as it was invented millennia ago. Back in the 1st millennium BC. e. a new type of bow spread throughout Europe - a composite or complex. The lethal force of bubbles was very high.

Where to hunt with a bow in Western Europe?
Countries including Denmark, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Finland, Bulgaria, and Slovenia use bow hunting as a hunting tool in modern game management. Some European countries, including the UK, ban bow hunting. Archery, like archery, was revived in the UK during the Victorian era but has been banned since 1965. Recently, a law was passed in Estonia allowing archery for small games. That is, in general, in most countries of Western Europe, hunting with bows and crossbows is permitted.
Moreover, it thrives there. So, unlike weapon hunters, throwing weapon hunters are a highly specialized caste, which is quite challenging. Hunters (as well as the throwing weapons they use) are divided into peculiar classes according to the degree of access to hunting various types of animals. Beginners with light weapons are only allowed to hunt birds. "Middle class" is permitted to hunt medium-sized animals (black-tailed deer, peccaries, etc.). The "highest class" are hunters allowed to hunt large animals (moose). According to some reports, every second "gun" is not averse to trying to hunt with a bow at least once. Therefore, in countries open to bowhunters, hunters go, as they say, in joint. And this is a significant source of income for the economy: here you have the proceeds from the organization of the hunt itself and a good business on its components - the sale of bows, unique clothing, devices for facilitating shooting, decoys, stuffed animals, odorous baits, camouflage colors. What do you need to know to hunt in Western European countries such as Germany and France? Let's talk about Germany. There is no special law on hunting with a bow and crossbow in the country, and the national law only states that this type of hunting is prohibited for ungulates and seals. At the same time, the Union of hunters-archers operates at the federal level. Its website indicates that hunting with a bow and crossbow is possible, provided special arrows with sharp tips are used, leading to the animal's instant death. And in France, to hunt with a bow, the French need to undergo special training and obtain a permanent hunting license and a hunting permit for the current year. For hunting large animals, tips with at least two blades must be used, in which the width of the cutting edge must be at least 25 mm and the blade length must be at least 40 mm.
Conclusion
In the countries of Western Europe, as well as in the world as a whole, the rules for hunting with a bow are the same. If you want to wield a bow confidently, you must constantly train and strengthen the arms and shoulder girdle muscles. For accuracy training, shooting at flat targets is not enough. It is best to shoot at 3D models of animals - this way, you will learn how to choose the right aiming point according to the most effective zones of destruction so that you can confidently hit the animal from any distance during an actual hunt. Everyone determines the optimal length for himself, but it is important not to overestimate your capabilities. Only after mastering the fundamental theoretical part and having prepared well can you try to engage in this complex and risky type of hunting.