Since there have been animals and man coexisting in the same area there has been hunting. Primitive man hunted to feed the family and down through the years this purpose mixed with the need to protect family, crops and even livestock from certain predators. As people have grown in number, the competition for resources has grown as well. Today in many areas of the country, people hunt deer, bear, alligator, birds and all manner of fur bearing creatures. While most today use high powered rifles and shotguns there are those who prefer the sport offered by bow hunting.
Stone points identified as arrowhead remnants have been found and dated back over 60,000 years. The bow and arrows of today are more refined than those that were used to fire ancient arrows tipped in stone; however, the concept is still the same. These bows are not affected much by temperature change or humidity and offer the sportsman more distance, accuracy and velocity than other bows do.
The compound bow is the most popular piece of archery equipment on the market today, followed closely by the crossbow. Compound bows are used all over the world for hunting and competition. A compound bow uses an advanced system of pulleys, an advantage to store the maximum amount of energy in the limbs. A compound bow has very stiff limbs, which allows them to store quite more energy than other types of bows; however, this also makes them impossible to pull back, hence the pulleys and cams.
When an archer pulls back one of these compound bows, he or she is pulling the string attached to the pulleys, which rotate and in turn pull the cables that are attached to the opposite limb. As the bow is drawn the weight increases, peaks and then reaches let off. This let off is where the cam has rolled completely over and the archer is holding considerably less weight, the amount of let off will vary from one bow to the next but there is a company that boasts a 99% let off.
Accessories
Just because archery equipment typically is thought of as a man’s play toy does not mean there is no accessorizing! Along with the carbon or aluminum alloy arrow shafts are a myriad of broad heads, arm guards, sights, mechanical releases, carrying cases and more. Archers are very proud and protective over their archery equipment you can rest assured, and each will tell you that certain brands of bows and types of broad heads are the best! Truthfully it probably comes down to what suits you the best, however the Rage-2 expandable broad heads are rated very highly for maximum entrance and exit wounds which means an awesome blood trail.
Conclusion
Each area of the country will have their own specific rules and regulations on when you can hunt which species and even which sex is allowable during bow season as well as gun. Just about any animal you can hunt with a rifle can also be hunted with compound bows or other archery equipment, there are even those who travel to Canada to bear hunt with their bows! These are the diehard hunters, anyone who will hunt an animal that can return the favor with archery equipment is the true great hunter, (or crazy)! 
Compound Bow
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