The Ultimate Bow Hunting Quiz

Today's arrows fly further and penetrate deeper than they used to. However, bow hunters must still be able to get much closer to their prey for a quick and clean kill.

A skilled rifle hunter may shoot effectively from ranges that exceed 600 yards (550 m). A bow hunter would not even consider attempting a shot from even half that distance.

Archers must usually restrict shots to distances of about 42 yards (38 m) depending upon individual ability and many other variables. This fact makes bow hunting attractive to a smaller number of hunters, who have to develop hunting skills beyond what a rifle hunter requires.

Bow hunters must consider the target animal, bow strength, arrow type and tip, terrain, and even the weather. A bow hunter can take years to develop the ability and skill required to move quickly and quietly across any terrain.

Because they have to get so close for a shot bow hunters must foil an animal's sense of smell. They also must be able to move slowly and quietly enough to fool an animal's senses of sight and hearing.

Legend has it that William Tell refused to bow to the hat of an evil bailiff in Switzerland and was forced to shoot an apple off his son's head with his own crossbow to escape punishment.

According to legend, Tell successfully shot the apple from his son's head in 1307.

The oldest known arrows were dated to the upper Paleolithic period, also referred to as the Late Stone Age. Experts believe that the arrows are up to 40,000 years old.

The oldest arrows were located in what is now Africa. Between 25,000 BCE and 18,000 BCE, humans first used wooden arrowheads and eventually progressed to fire-hardened stone with feathers on the shafts.

According to strictlybowhunting.com, researchers’ uncovered human remains on the Italy/Austria border dating from about 3,300 B.C. This person was carrying advanced tools such as a framed backpack, utility belt, a copper axe, and quivers with 14 wooden arrows that had flint arrowheads and feathers.

Archeologists discovered detailed drawings that date from 7500 to 5000 BCE.

Egyptians were the first peoples to make composite bows that gave superior performance to wooden bows in about 2800 BCE. Their composite bows were manufactured from wood, animal horn, animal sinew, and catgut.

China claims the first crossbows were invented in their country between 1500 and 1027 BCE.

Genghis Khan is credited with the first use of a composite bow in 1208. Many believe that Genghis Khan was the greatest conqueror of all time, as his empire was four times larger than that of Alexander the Great.

The National Archery Association (NAA) was founded in Indiana in 1879. The NAA later became the U.S. Archery Association (USAA).

Archery was introduced into the Olympic Games in 1900, but was dropped from 1920 to 1972 due to the lack of universal rules. It was reintroduced at the 1972 games as an individual event.

Pope co-authored a book titled “Hunting with the Bow and Arrow” along with colleague Arthur Young. The pair is given credit for popularizing modern bow hunting in America.

Pope and Young learned about bow hunting from a Yana tribesman named Ishi, the last member of his California tribe, who shared his bow hunting secrets with the two men.

To be successful at bow hunting, you need to follow several basic steps. The first step is called nocking, which is positioning the arrow in the bow.

There are three basic methods of bow hunting: the still method, the stalking method, and the glass method.