Hosting a Hunting- Based Outdoor Skills Event in Your Community

Learning to Hunt Hosting a hunting- based outdoor skills event in your community

Mary Kay Salwey, Ph.D. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 2004 Station Learning to HuntCredits

15Project Director With Stick and StringMary Kay Salwey, Ph.D. Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Wildlife Management Box 7921 Madison, WI 53707-7921

Editorial Assistance Nancy Williams Carrie L. Armus

Artwork Eric DeBoer Mary Kay Salwey Dynamic Graphics Cindie Brunner

Photos Robert Queen Mary Kay Salwey Mike Roach

Design Concept Blue Raven Graphics

Electronic Layout Mary Kay Salwey, Wisconsin DNR

Published by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

All original illustrations copyrighted.

This book is educational in nature and not-for-profit. It is intended to inspire organizations to pass the tradition of hunting down to younger generations. However, all rights are reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or any part thereof in any form except brief quotations for reviews, without the written permission of the publisher.

184 Station Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community 15 With Stick & With Stick and String

String Participants learn the basic Bowhunting basics parts of bows and arrows. They try their hand at shooting a recurve or compound bow and learn some techniques for hunting deer.

185 Station Learning to Hunt 15 Objectives Equipment With Stick and String Participants shall: Bows– recurve, longbow, compound, in various describe the difference weights between a recurve bow, Arrows of various types longbow and compound bow. Arm guards, finger tabs or finger gloves, quivers demonstrate the safe and Hunting arrowheads – blunt, accurate use of a recurve or target, broadhead, fixed and compound bow. replaceable Sharpening tools – small mill recite five of the bowhunting file, razor strop, stiff strip safety rules for target practice. of leather, flat piece of wood, rubber bands demonstrate how to maintain Examples of camouflage broadhead arrow tips. clothing – leaf and bark patterns describe the importance of Camouflage materials for bows shot placement and shooting and arrows – camouflage skills. gun sock, dull primer, crayons describe how to track a deer Game recovery aids— that’s been hit with an arrow. engineer’s tape, strips of toilet paper or facial tissue explain the steps in preparing Portable tree stands with archery equipment for field safety harnesses hunting. 8 or more 3-D white-tailed deer targets Backstop net, if available Ball of string or twine and several wooden stakes or laths Large table (picnic table) International Bowhunter Education Manual (contact: National Bowhunter Education Foundation, Route 6, Box 199 Murray, KY 42071)

186 Station Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community Station Setup Background 15 Information Set up a large table with bows, With Stick and String arrows, arrowheads and Bow hunting is becoming sharpening tools for display and increasingly popular in the United demonstration. Erect tree stands States, with over 2 million avid safely. bow hunters currently pursuing their sport. Most states have Set up an archery shooting range. special bow hunting seasons. Of Be sure the sun is not in the all the hunting sports, bow bowhunter’s eyes (face range Long Bow hunting is the one that most north, if possible). Use a string or requires special shooting skills and twine to mark off a shooting line. strengths, as well as the ability to Place the string two to three get really close to game. inches above the ground, tied to stakes. Set up five or more Instructors should brush up on shooting stations with deer targets some basic information by set out at 10 yards from the reviewing the International shooting line. Set up one shooting Bowhunter Education Manual. station with the target at 20 Also, review the basic terms below yards, another station with the related to archery and target at 30 yards and a final bowhunting. station with the target set at 40 Recurve Bow yards. Use a ratio of one target Bow Designs for every four participants. Clear Three basic types of bows are used the area between the bowhunters in hunting—the compound, and the targets. Check to ensure recurve and long bow. Depending that the area 30 yards beyond the on the type, a typical bow will have targets and to the side of the a pair of limbs, a handle section, targets is clear so that no one can strings or cables and may include a wander into the area without site and arrow rest. While the being seen. Block off any entries makes, models and materials may into the shooting zone. A backstop vary, all bows work on the net is useful because it stops principal of storing energy in the arrows that miss the target and Compound Bow limbs and transferring that energy reduces arrow breakage. A dirt to an arrow when the string or bank makes a good backstop but it cable is released. A compound must be high enough that arrows bow is the most advanced design. don’t fly over the bank. It has a system of pulleys that help minimize finger strain and muscle fatigue when a bowhunter fully draws the bow back. A compound

187 Station Learning to Hunt bow shoots faster than a recurve shoot comfortably. The heavier 15 or long bow, which keeps the the draw weight, the heavier the arrow traveling in a flatter arrow that can be shot. This in With Stick and String trajectory. turn provides better penetration of the animal being hunted. Also, a Draw Weight faster arrow means less chance the The draw weight of a recurve bow animal can jump or dodge the is the number of pounds of force it arrow. For deer hunting, the takes to draw the bow string back minimum recommended draw to full draw, or 28 inches. For weight for a compound bow is 50- each inch of draw above or below 55 pounds. 28 inches, add or subtract two pounds of bow weight to Draw Length determine the approximate weight The draw length of a bow is the of the bowhunter’s personal draw. distance a bowhunter has to draw For compound bows, draw weight his or her arrow back before is the same as peak weight – the shooting. This length is measured amount of weight the bowhunter from the bottom of the string pulls through before the bow “lets groove in the nock of the arrow to off” in weight at full draw. the front or far side of the bow, Hunters should use a bow with as when the bow is pulled back at full much draw weight as they can draw. This length depends upon the length of the bowhunter’s arms, the anchor point where the bowhunter rests the nock of the arrow when at full draw, and the hunter’s own style of shooting.

Arrow Shafts Arrow shafts are made from various materials: wood, aluminum and fiberglass being very common types. Wood shafts, of course, are the most traditional. They are not as heavy and they cost less than other materials. Their light weight gives them a flat trajectory. The draw length depends on Aluminum arrows are lighter than the length of the fiberglass also giving them a flat bowhunter’s arms, and trajectory. They are completely anchor point at full draw and the hunter’s own style of waterproof. Their wide range of shooting. weights and stiffness provides

188 Station Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community bowhunters with great versatility. Arrowheads Fiberglass arrows have the Arrows are tipped with heads…the 15 advantage that they do not warp in part that enters the target or With Stick and String wet weather and very seldom animal. Field points are simple, break or shatter unless they hit a rugged steel points used for target rock. They are heavier than practice or shooting squirrels or aluminum or wood, resulting in an small gamebirds. Broadheads are arching trajectory. Their added razor sharp tips with two to six weight, however, makes them cutting edges used to hunt big penetrate an animal better. game, small game and turkeys. Most bowhunters prefer three Fletching blades to ensure quick, humane The fletching of an arrow refers to kills. Blunt tips are flat-nosed the feathers or plastic vanes on the arrowheads made of steel or back end of the arrow shaft. The rubber. They are used to “stump- standard arrow comes with three shoot” and hunt squirrels, rabbits feathers or vanes about five inches and smaller gamebirds. Blunts long. These vanes serve to work well for field practice stabilize the arrow as it flies because they either bounce off or through the air. The smaller the shallowly penetrate wood, and fletching, the faster it flies, though never get wedged into wood it becomes less stabilized. Flu-flu tightly like field points and fletching has longer feathers broadheads sometimes do. (about one inch high) that slow the arrow down quite fast. These are Arrowheads are either glued onto used for squirrel or bird hunting. the arrow shaft with hotmelt Arrows, arrowheads and fletching They don’t get lost as easily and ferrule cement or screwed in with come in all different shapes, sizes are safer because they don’t fly as a special point adapter and styles. far as standard arrows. system that lets Advantages of feather fletching the bowhunter include that they are more conveniently forgiving of release errors, have exchange greater stabilizing influence, and arrowheads in are adaptable to all types of bows. seconds. Disadvantages of feathers are greater drag, reduced arrow speed, more noise in flight, and susceptibility to weather. Synthetic vanes offer more speed, are more sensitive to release, are quieter in flight and require an arrow rest.

189 Station Learning to Hunt Quivers quite close before releasing the 15 Quivers are the containers that bow. Camouflage clothing helps hold arrows. Quivers designed to bowhunters hide from game With Stick and String hold broadheads come with a because the cloth coloring helps protective cover to prevent the them blend in with their bowhunter from getting seriously surroundings. Leaf and bark cut on the sharp blades. Quivers camouflage patterns are good come in a variety of styles: back choices for hunting in woods, quivers, hip quivers and bow depending on whether there are quivers. Most bowhunters prefer leaves on the trees. Surprisingly, bow quivers that clip directly to a contrasting colored plaids like a bow. This provides easy, quick and black-and-red plaid shirt blend in noiseless access to the arrows. well too. A bare, shiny face is quite They are easy to carry through noticeable against a dark outdoor brushy areas and have excellent background. Hunters should use a maneuverability. camouflage head net or Some quivers attach camouflage face paint to prevent to your belt, like Clothing this contrast. this model. Bowhunters need to hide from the game they hunt, because they Whatever the color pattern, the must wait until the animals are field clothing must be soft and quiet to avoid alerting animals to the bowhunter’s presence. Wool and soft cotton are extremely quiet fabrics. Boots should be soft-soled for silence and dull-colored for camouflage. Bowhunters should match their clothes to the weather. Waterproof rain gear or woolen garments work well in rainy weather. When the weather is cool in the morning but warms by mid- day, layered clothing is best. Clothing must not interfere with the bow while shooting. A baggy sleeve will catch a bowstring and ruin shooting accuracy. Hats should not interfere when the bow is pulled back to full draw.

Choose your clothing well. Make sure it is made from soft, quiet fabric and that the camo pattern matches your surroundings.

190 Station Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community Preparing Your Equipment for the Field Bows that are noisy or flashy colored will attract a 15 deer’s attention. Camouflage paint or a camouflage With Stick and String sock can be used to dull down the bow and quiver. Dull lacquer or primer will prevent arrow shafts from reflecting light. Light-colored bowstrings can be darkened with green or brown crayons. Movable metal parts should be lubricated with WD-40 or other lubricating oil.

191 Station Learning to Hunt 15 Bowhunting Safety Rules With Stick and String for the Target Range

1. Shoot only at your target. 2. Never draw or shoot your bow when anyone is between you and your target. 3. Always be sure the area behind your target is clear, or has an adequate backstop. 4. When you are done shooting your arrows, put your bow down on the ground and wait for others on the range to finish shooting their arrows. When everyone’s bow is on the ground, all archers may proceed out onto the range to retrieve their arrows. 5. Never shoot up into the air or in any direction where you might destroy property or endanger life. 6. Never draw and release your bowstring without an arrow in it. This is called dry firing, and can damage your bow or ruin it completely, and might hurt you, too. 7. Be sure your bow and arrows are properly matched to each other. Mismatched arrows can damage your bows and will result in erratic and inconsistent performance. 8. Your bow’s draw weight and draw length should be matched to your physical abilities. 9. Be sure your arrows are of the correct length and stiffness for your bow. 10. Be sure to account for all your arrows when target practicing or hunting. Razor sharp arrows are dangerous if encountered unexpectedly. 11. Always cover sharp edges of hunting arrows with a protective hood to safeguard both your equipment and you.

192 Station Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community Bow and Arrow Basics 15 With Stick and String Procedure

Display and discuss the various and disadvantages associated with types of bowhunting equipment: each type of bow. This will help recurve bows, compound bows, show that selecting a bow is a longbows, arrows, types of personal choice with many Activity arrowheads, quivers, arm guards, different factors to be considered. finger tabs, finger gloves, and Stress that the over-riding factor A camouflaged clothing. Point out involves the ethical requirement the various parts of each piece of that the equipment has to be equipment. Discuss some of the adequate to bring about a quick, pros and cons of each type of clean kill of the animal being equipment or piece of apparel. hunted.

Using the accompanying Discuss how the compound bow illustrations as a guide, point out has a system of pulleys that help the various parts of each piece of minimize finger strain and muscle equipment. Or you can enlarge fatigue when a bowhunter draws these illustrations on a copy the bow back. A compound bow machine and hand the copies out shoots faster than a recurve, which for discussion. keeps the arrow traveling in a flatter trajectory. If the poundage Hand out bows and quivers of rating of the compound bows is arrows. Have participants put the too high, younger participants may quivers in a safe spot. not be able to pull the string back. Demonstrate how to draw back You will then have to demonstrate and let down a bow without using how to use the bow. an arrow (see steps below). Explain what dry firing is and Discuss the different types of warn your participants to be arrow shafts, their advantages and careful not to dry fire. Next, allow disadvantages. participants to draw back the bowstring and then carefully let Display some standard down the string on several types fletching patterns, of bows. Continue to remind including three and four them not to dry fire their bows. vane styles in straight, This will damage the bow! Ask offset and helical them to discuss the advantages patterns as well as one

193 Station Learning to Hunt or more flu-flu designs. Discuss Next, have participants brainstorm 15 the different types of fletching and the functions of bowhunting quivers. Stress protection of the With Stick and String the reasons for using the various types, including personal broadhead and the shooter, preference. Compare the offset minimizing noise and convenience. and helical fletching patterns to Display a variety of quivers, rifling in a rifle barrel and the commenting on advantages and stabilizing effect of spinning the disadvantages of each. projectile in flight. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Show game recovery aids, like feathers versus synthetic vanes. engineer’s tape, toilet paper or Compare the fletching surfaces on facial tissue. Discuss their use and target and hunting arrows. Ask removal. the participants to speculate about the differences in fletching. Be Display and discuss several types of sure to discuss the mass of the camouflage patterns useful in your hunting head and slight variations area. Consider doing a camouflage in shooting form or style. game with the group. Stress the significance of covering the face Pass around examples of various and hands. Comment on the value types of hunting and practice of the shadow created by the hat arrowheads. Be sure to include brim in hiding the eyes and face. both small game and big game arrowheads. Warn participants Use a fully equipped bow hunter to that broadhead points are razor demonstrate the need for adequate sharp. They must handle them cargo space and storage space for with extreme caution. Point out bow hunting gear. the use of steel or rubber blunt heads in both target practice and small game hunting. Comment on the convenience of screw-in points and stress the importance of lubricating the threads to prevent them from corroding. Stress the importance of setting up the bow for broadhead performance, then selecting other points to match the behavior of the hunting shafts.

194 Station Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community Broadhead 15 Maintenance With Stick and String

Procedure Point out that broadhead arrow Activity tips must be razor sharp. This Another test for the sharpness of a cannot be stressed enough. A broadhead blade is to lightly drag it broadhead must sharply, cleanly across a taught rubber band. B and quickly slice tough hide, muscle and blood vessels to ❏ Place a medium-sized rubber promote hemorrhage for quick, band between the thumb and humane kills. Many broadhead index finger of your left hand, designs need to be sharpened stretching it slightly. Hold the before the hunt. There are a shaft of the arrow loosely in number of methods for testing the your right hand. Exerting no sharpness of hand-sharpened and pressure from your arrow pre-sharpened broadheads. hand, slide the broadhead edge Illustrate the action of dull and across the rubber band. If the edge slices all the way through sharp❏ broadheads using the following methods: the rubber band, it is sharp enough to hunt with. Drag each edge carefully across Carefully attempt to shave a your thumbnail. If all edges few hairs from your arm with “bite” or “grab” your nail, each edge. If an edge shaves, instead of sliding smoothly it’s ready to use on game. This over it, the broadhead is sharp is one of the oldest and most enough. widely used sharpness tests.

Demonstrate proper broadhead sharpening technique on a simple two or three blade design and allow participants to practice in small groups. Emphasize the need for and importance of a razor edge without notches, teeth or other jagged edges and discuss the Test sharpness of broadhead by merits of fixed and replaceable carefully sliding the edge over your blades. Demonstrate the steps in thumbnail. sharpening a broadhead:

195 Station Learning to Hunt ❏ Attach a broadhead to each ❏ Strop the blades to remove any 15 arrow shaft. small honing burrs on the edges. Do this by briskly With Stick and String ❏ Using the arrow shaft as a stroking each edge taper handle, file a 15-degree taper several times backwards along on each side of each broadhead a razor strop, stiff strip of blade with a small mill file. leather, or flat piece of wood. Use the ferrule of the Don’t push the blades forward broadhead or a clamp-on into the stropping surface. sharpening guide to achieve This will cut the stropping this correct taper angle. material and may dull the Bring each blade to a fairly broadhead. sharp edge with the file, then run the file backwards along each edge taper to remove any large steel burrs.

File broadhead at a ❏ 15-degree taper. Using a knife- sharpening stone, carefully hone both sides of each edge, retaining the original edge taper. The stone should be placed on a Remove burrs by stroking solid surface like a blade on a leather strop. tabletop, and the broadhead edge repeatedly stroked Tell your participants that away from you with sharpening broadheads takes time firm, even pressure. and skill. An expert sharpener will spend at least 15 minutes on a four-blade broadhead before the head is keen enough to hunt with.

Hone broadhead on a knife- sharpening Arkansas stone.

196 Station Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community with bow sights. Shooting Bowhunting instinctively comes with practice. 15 The appropriate elevation to put With Stick and String the arrow in the target is sensed Practice subconsciously rather than determined through conscious Procedure effort. Plenty of practice gives the right “feel” for accurate aiming. An alternative to shooting Place groups of four participants instinctively is to use bow sights. at the shooting line behind each Activity These are movable sight pins assigned target. Have them sit placed at different locations on the down behind the shooting line. bow to correspond to different C shooting distances. The first, and Review the safety rules listed in highest, pin might be set for the background section. shooting at 20 yards, the second one for 30, the third for 40 Demonstrate the use of armguards and so on. and finger gloves or finger tabs. Demonstrate proper grip of the bow. Explain that the arm guard protects your forearm from the

To shoot at odd sting of a bowstring and also distances, keeps your shirt or jacket sleeve bowhunters away from the bowstring to must aim ensure accuracy and prevent noisy high on string slap. Finger tabs and gloves one pin protect fingers from blistering as and low on well as ensure a smooth, accurate another, or put the string release. target image between two pins. Of course, Explain that bowhunters may using sight pins means shoot either by basic instinct or bowhunters must know

197 Station Learning to Hunt how to estimate range, or they will Extend: Fully extend your 15 need to purchase and use a bow arm at shoulder level commercial range finder. With Stick and String toward the target. Allow the bowstring to roll slightly in Now, demonstrate the following your string fingers to keep the steps of shooting, with all arrow on the arrow rest. Your participants in the safety area elbow joint should be turned behind the line. outward away from the path of the bowstring. Your Stance: Stand with your feet shoulders should be level. about 90 degrees to the Center the pressure on the target. Your toes should touch bow at the “Y” formed by the an imaginary line drawn thumb and index finger of the between you and the target. bow hand. Spread your feet comfortably, about a shoulder width apart. Draw: With your left (bow) Shift your weight evenly shoulder pushing and the right between the balls of your feet. (arrow/string) shoulder Stand with your knees relaxed pulling, move your right elbow and not locked. Relax and straight back until the string keep very still as you prepare touches your anchor point. to shoot. Your bow should be kept vertical and your bow arm A proper stance is Nocking: Turn the bow to straight. Your string arm relaxed, with feet one side. Lay the arrow on the should have its elbow raised about 90 degrees arrow rest. Place the string in and held out about 90 degrees to the target. the arrow’s nock groove under from the vertical axis of your the nocking point on the body. string. The index feather (the one colored differently than the other feathers) should be pointing away (up) from the bow. Grasp the string in the first joint of the fingers, with Nock the arrow, index finger above the arrow with the colored and the second and third finger index feather below the arrow. Your fingers pointing up. should be curled well around the string but the back of your hand should be flat from the first knuckle to the wrist.

198 Station Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community Anchor: Anchoring means however, opt to bring the placing your bowstring hand index finger of the string hand 15 firmly against your face so back into the corner of your With Stick and String your head is in the same place mouth. in relation to the bow and arrow on every shot. There are Hold, two ways of anchoring the Tighten and bowstring. In the first method Aim: Hold you bring the bowstring to the the bow center of the nose and chin firmly but with your index finger don’t touching under the center of squeeze it your chin. Most bowhunters, too hard. If you grasp the bow too loosely, it may fly out of your hand when you shoot. If you grip it too tightly you’ll probably “throw” your For best target accuracy, bow arm to the side when you anchor the arrow, each release the string, resulting time, firmly to the same in a wild shot. Now shift place on your check, chin or lips. your concentration to the bow sight and your target. You should feel the muscles between your shoulder blades tighten. Both arms should be parallel to the ground. Superimpose the sight over the center of the target. Keep both eyes open.

Release: Keeping your back muscles tightened, relax your draw hand completely until the string escapes from the hand. Tension in your back muscles pulls the draw hand straight back along the neck. The arrow is launched. A

199 Station 15 Learning to Hunt With Stick and String

When aiming at your target, hold yourself as still and steady as possible.

again mimic the steps of shooting, smooth, relaxed release is one without release of the arrow. key to good shooting. Have one member of each team nock an arrow at the shooting line. Follow Through: With the Talk them slowly through the steps arrow now in flight, hold your of shooting. Emphasize that if stance in precisely the same they omit any step, problems will position as it was before the result. Emphasize the danger of release until the arrow hits the an arrow prematurely leaving the target. Keep your eye on the rest. Ask their partners to check target. The bow will recoil to to make sure the string will clear the side, but not until the the shooter’s elbow. Tell those arrow is out of the bow and on participants who have a hard time its way. keeping an arrow on the arrow rest to let down the draw and At this stage, have one participant start the draw over again. Make from each team step up to the sure they all have a good anchor. stations at the shooting line where When they are ready, they may each target has been placed at 10 release their arrow toward the yards. Ask your participants to target. mimic each step of shooting as outlined above, without using any Talk the bowhunters through four equipment. Now have them pick more arrows. After all arrows up their bow and arrow and once have been shot, ask the shooters

200 Station Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community to put their bows down, step back Retrieving Wounded Deer from the line. Discuss the proper After participants have had an 15 way to go to the target. Give opportunity to shoot at deer With Stick and String them the signal to retrieve (two targets, explain the procedures whistles or the word “retrieve”). involved in real world hunting Have everyone gather at one when a wounded deer must be target. Demonstrate the proper trailed and retrieved. way to retrieve arrows from the target. Tell your participants that a bow and arrow is a humane method of Allow time for participants to hunting that has been used for practice using recurve or thousands of years to take game. compound bows to shoot at white- A sharp broadhead kills quickly, tailed deer targets. Keep but doesn’t usually knock an reinforcing the target range safety animal down on the spot. If you rules. score a hit and your animal races out of sight, it’s wise to wait a few After participants have had an minutes before following the trail. opportunity to shoot at the deer Many hunters – both gun hunters targets at 10 yards, they can and bow hunters – automatically proceed to test their skills at wait 30 minutes before following stations 6, 7 and 8. Here they can an animal that aim at the deer targets placed at doesn’t drop in its 20, 30 and 40 yards, respectively. tracks. After this They will discover that it is much short wait, more difficult to shoot a deer at carefully track your these distances. animal down, following these Also, for more practice, have helpful trailing participants climb the tree stands tips: and shoot the targets while strapped into the tree stand.

201 Station Learning to Hunt ❏ Mark blood spots with ❏ Be persistent. Never leave the 15 engineering tape, toilet paper scene of a possible hit until or facial tissue so the spots are you are certain that the game With Stick and String easy to find if you lose the is unharmed or has survived a trail. Be a responsible hunter non-fatal hit. and pick these up after you’ve found and tagged your deer.

❏ Always move slowly and stay to one side of the trail; otherwise you’ll miss signs and possibly destroy them as you hurry along. Sometimes animals bleed internally, so following tracks even if there’s no sign of a hit can lead you to your animal.

202 Station Hosting an Outdoor Skills Clinic in Your Community References 15 International Bowhunter Education Manual, National Bowhunter With Stick and String Education Foundation, Route 6, Box 199 Murray, KY 42071. (training manual). ABC’s of Bowhunting: The Ultimate Hunting Challenge, Chuck Adams, American Archery Council, Park Rapids, MN 56470 (booklet). The ABC’s of Archery, Archery Manufacturers & Merchants Organization (booklet). Bowhunting Equipment & Skills, M.R. James, G. Fred Asbell, Dave Holt, Dwight Schuh, Creative Publishing, International, Minnetonka, MN, 1997.

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