Development of Bowhunting Equipment

In the 1940s, Doug Easton started producing quality aluminum arrows. In the 1950s, showman and master archer Howard Hill popularized bowhunting with demonstrations, movie appearances, and a trip to Africa, where he hunted and shot many species of animals. Hill developed his archery skills and shot powerful longbows using 100-pound-plus draw weights. He delighted crowds with trick shots at long distances and unusual angles.

From the late 1950s through the 1970s, Fred Bear, Ben Pearson, and Earl Hoyt furthered the development of bowhunting equipment. Educational programs based on their techniques, including exciting films of some hunts in the early 1970s, did much to popularize the sport of bowhunting. More importantly, these men manufactured and sold bowhunting equipment at affordable prices.

An important technological development during this period was the invention of the compound bow. Holless Wilbur Allen applied for a patent on the compound bow in June 1966. The patent application was entitled “Archery Bow with Draw Force Multiplying Attachments.” Allen sent an early prototype of his compound bow to Tom Jennings, a California bowmaker, who, with Allen, became the first manufacturer of compound bows. Not long afterward, Olympus and Carroll and many other archery companies began production.