The Third Era, The Middle Ages

Perhaps one of most interesting times in history of hunting, is middle ages. This is period in time where hunting for food was a vital part of life for many, though restricted. Rules on hunting, such as no hunting in King's Forest, was first real restrictions on hunting present in world. Only rich prospered, and surf classes hunted whatever they could, when they could for survival. Hunting, from boar to deer to fox hunting, became primary sports for nobility of time frame. This started trend of organized hunts for sport.

Colonists to New World required as much hunting skills as possible, during this period of time, although they progressed quickly from relying on scavenging and hunting to creating farms and plantations. Popular weapons for use in hunting during this time period was forms of archery, slings and throwing spears. The gun was also used, although it had not quite yet reached full levels of popularity.

The Forth Era, The Industrial Period

On heels of Middle Ages was Industrial period. This era stretched from beyond 1700s until just after start of 1900s. The evolution of machines brought about great changes in hunting. Large farms became very popular, where livestock was raised instead of practice of hunting wild animals, downgrading hunting to only become a past time. Guns, ranging from muskets to rifles, were being to be used extensively. Archery was downgraded to sport use only, though it was very popular for tests of skill.

Present Day

Through these stages of history of hunting, humans have perfected this activity, with a wide range of weapons. Archers, for example, have many types of bows to choose from. Arrows are just as plentiful as bows, from metal to wood, with many different types of tips. Guns have evolved same way, with many types of bullets and guns for different types of hunting. Special guns and equipment designed for moose hunting, for example, wouldn't be same as deer hunting supplies.

Competitive hunting, such as fox hunting, is still greatly enjoyed by many people who prefer a little more action to their hunting. In modern world, safety and skill are requirements for hunting, and it is open for anyone who is willing to learn proper weapon handling and obtain all of documents necessary to hunt. Regulations on guns and hunting have been developed to prevent species from going extinct. While hunting is still very popular, modern day has a lot more restrictions that in any other era in history of hunting.

Each of these eras of history of hunting have done a lot for sport and trade, giving it a rich heritage that shouldn't be forgotten.

Another aspect of bow safety that you need to keep in mind is making certain that you have a bow that fits your strength. While being able to pull a heavier bow is considered a badge of honor among many hunters, pulling a bow that is too heavy for you can cause painful injuries that can take a lot of time to heal. If you insist on pulling a heavier bow so you can kill larger prey such as deer, you should take time and care to work up slowly to heavier bow. This can help prevent strained or torn muscles in future.

Hunting Safety Courses

Before you go out hunting, especially if you have not been hunting in a while, you should make certain you participate in a hunting safety course in your area. Safety courses go over gun safety and handling, as well as teach or remind you basics to care and precautions that should be taken. Many of these courses cover hunting laws in your area, which you should be familiar with before you go hunting. Hunting safety courses are also good for those individuals that do not hunt, but live in an area where a lot of hunting takes place.

Seasonal Hunting Safety

In some areas, especially heavily forested areas, seasonal hunting safety is something that you should always keep in mind. As many hunters are out in force during specific hunting seasons, you should always make certain that you are wearing bright, easily seen clothing so that hunters can easily identify that you are not a deer or another type of animal that they are hunting for. This applies whether or not you are a hunter, and especially if you are not on your own property. When hunting, you should always have permission from land owners to hunt on their property, so that you will not be in an area where there are likely to be children or individuals that could be accidentally shot by either gun or arrow.

If you keep all of these things in mind, you should be able to go hunting without putting yourself or others at risk of injury or death. If you live in an area where hunting is popular, knowing hunting safety rules can protect you as well, as knowledge is protection when it comes to weapons of any kind.