Posts Tagged ‘compound hunting bows’
Compound Bows – Safety First
I’ve been hunting with a Mathews Switchback compound bow for some years now and thankfully I’ve never had an accident. I attribute this to some very important safety tips I was given when I first started out hunting a lot of years ago. The two main pieces of advice I was given centered around where to shoot my bow, and how to keep myself safe while I’m out hunting.
Without doubt you are safer shooting compound hunting bows within the confines of an archery range than anywhere else. Having said that, not every town has one, so your next best step is to find a gun range that will let you practice there. Some are OK with this, others are not – if you’re lucky, you will live near one of the gun ranges that have an area set aside for archers.
If you are new to this sport you will benefit greatly from taking a few lessons with a qualified instructor. Your instructor will show you how to shoot your bow safely and cover all the safety techniques you need to know. I would advise you to take full advantage of these sessions with your instructor, because if you learn to shoot safely at the start, the procedures will stay with you forever.
Learning to shoot safely will keep you and others safe from the arrows, but what about the bow itself? You might not have thought about that, but the bow can inflict some quite painful injuries if you are not careful.
The first thing you must do is always wear long sleeves when you shoot. If you release the string too close to your arm, it can rip at your skin. If you don’t want to wear long sleeves for some reason, invest in an arm guard that will do the same job.
Long hair is another area that people often overlook. If your hair is long enough to get in your eyes, it’s a good idea to tie it back. You can imagine how dangerous it would be if your sight was obstructed as you were about to take a shot and your arrow veered off target. Long hair is also highly likely to get caught in the pulleys as well.
Learning safe procedures when you first start to hunt is essential to keep you and your hunting partners safe. Good practice learned now will serve you well for many years to come.
