How to Make a Bow for in the Woods

When venturing in the wilderness, it is necessary to have some basic outdoorsman skills. Primary among survival skills are the ability to make fire, construct shelter, find water and obtain food. In a wilderness survival situation, these are the key priorities. Once you have secured a camp and a source of water, you will need to turn your attentions to procuring food. Depending on your location, it may be possible to hunt small game with an improvised weapon. With a bit of practice and improvisational skill, as well as a couple of basic survival tools, it is possible to construct an effective and useful bow.

Things You'll Need

  • Survival multi-tool, axe, saw or knife
  • String, cord, cable, or bowstring
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select your tools and materials. If you are not in a survival situation, you will have the luxury of choosing from a range of tools which will suit the purpose at hand -- for example, if you are just making a bow and arrow at your house, you may choose to use a hacksaw or hatchet, and you may have access to a bowstring, tension cable, or paracord. However, if you are lost in the wilderness, you will have to rely on materials from your survival kit. If you plan on making a bow and arrow in a situation such as this, you should think ahead by packing a multi-tool with a saw attachment, as well as a length of survival string -- a 550-lb paracord is recommended.

    • 2

      Select a suitable piece of wood for the bow. If you explore the area surrounding your camp, you may find a tall tree stump that has shattered into long narrow wooden strips as a result of the top of the tree falling over. These pieces of wood are often ideal for creating a bow. Another option is to choose a hardwood stick that is free of knots or limbs. One other common bow-making technique is creating a bundle bow, which consists of three straight sticks of similar length and width bound tightly together with two of the sticks offset so that the bow is thickest at the middle and gets more narrow at the ends. Whatever wood source you choose, be sure that your bow is constructed from dried hardwood, and is about 1 meter from end to end. Use a saw or multi-tool to cut a notch in each end for the bowstring.

    • 3

      String the bow. This is done by first tying loops in the ends of your chosen bowstring, fitting one loop into one of the notches at the end of your bow, and then placing the strung end on the ground. This allows you to bend the bow and slip the second loop into the notch at the top of the bow. Use caution during this step, as the bow may break or slip from your hand. The bowstring's length after the loops are tied should be about three inches shorter than the bow itself; any shorter and the bow will likely snap during use.

    • 4

      Use your bow. You will first need to find or make some arrows, which should be made of the straightest wood available. Each arrow should be about half the length of the bow. If you are creating your own arrows, you will need to make fletching by tying or adhering fins to the arrow. These can be made of feathers, paper, stiff leaves, or bits of bark. You will also need to sharpen the arrow's tip and cut a nock in the back of the arrow. To ready the bow, hold it in the left hand, carefully nock an arrow onto the bowstring, and raise the bow while stabilizing the arrow with your left thumb. To fire, carefully draw the string back with the index and middle fingers of the right hand, take aim, and release the string without jerking the bow.