This article is intended for anyone interested in bow hunting. I try to explain here in concrete terms how you can get started with this fantastic experience and way of life. I do this based on my own trajectory: from archer to bow hunter. Both the training process with the necessary administration as the material and the preparation are discussed. Finally, a brief report on my first bow hunt.

Training to become an bow hunter

Many hunters come from families of hunters. They learn about the passion for hunting and nature from an early age, and are given the knowledge of hunting as part of their upbringing.
For someone like me, who starts hunting later in life, it all turns out to be not so obvious. The skill of archery still seems the easiest to master. The challenge lies in finding the right guidance. In Belgium there is no better start than to join the Flemish Bowhunting Association (FBA). Through their website, I came to know about the International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) training. This is a globally recognized bowhunting education program that aims to teach aspiring bowhunters the proper knowledge about bowhunting including safety, responsibility, choice of equipment, knowledge of game anatomy, game management, etc.

IBEP

Even before I knew about the existence of a hunting permit, I followed the IBEP training and successfully passed the theoretical and practical test with a traditional hunting bow. I got to know (bow) hunters who could answer a lot of questions. It brought me into contact with the right guidance which I still use a lot today. It was there that the further course became clear: to be able to hunt, you need a hunting permit. In order to hunt with a bow in France, you need to obtain a JFO (Journée de Formation Obligatoire) certificate in addition to a hunting permit validated for France. So passing the hunting exam and obtaining the JFO attestation were my next steps. Although I am primarily a traditional archer, it was there that I became convinced of the use of a modern compound bow for big game hunting. Especially in the first years of bow hunting. More info about the IBEP can be found here.

Hunting exam

Because it was my intention to hunt with the bow in France, I also obtained my hunting permit there. You are well guided, you receive a book with all 400 exam questions in it and the safe handling of fire arms is well explained. The course consists of one day of training (theoretical and practical) and a half-day exam. There is a practical and a theoretical exam, where the main focus is safety. Since the questions are delivered in advance, along with a DVD explaining the practical test, the chances of passing are very high.
Although I learned a lot during the French hunting training, I know that there is still a lot to learn about wild game and their behaviors. I learned that the training here in Flanders at the Institute for Hunting education (IJO) is of a higher level and comparable with the French follow-up course: "Le Brevet Grand Gibier" of the French big game association ANCGG. I hope to be able to follow the hunting training at the IJO here in Flanders in the near future.

International JFO

The Journée de Formation Obligatoire (JFO) is given once a year in Dutch or English in a collaboration between the French bowhunters of the department of Aisne/FFCA and the FBA. It takes one day, including half a day of theory and half a day of practice, with a focus on traditional archery. There is continuous evaluation by the instructors. Attention is paid to whether you are attentive, cooperative and do your best to learn the information and knowledge offered and behave well in group. There is no formal practical or theoretical test. This JFO certificate is required to hunt with the bow in France and you must carry it with you at all times during bow hunting. More information about the JFO can be found here.  
On this day you will also make yourself a member of the ACAA02 (Association des Chasseurs à l'Arc de l'Aisne) and thus by extension become member of the FFCA. Besides a fantastic quarterly magazine, you also receive invitations to big and small game hunts in their picturesque surroundings. Through this channel, I recently spent a day hunting partridge and pheasant with the traditional bow with very nice people in a beautiful location.

Many hunters come from families of hunters. They learn about the passion for hunting and nature from an early age, and are given the knowledge of hunting as part of their upbringing.

Preparing for the first bow hunt

A first time bow hunt involves a lot of preparation. You have, on the one hand, the purchase and collection of the necessary equipment, and on the other hand, the training and practice to use this equipment. It's not just the bow, but also the radio, the treestand, the rangefinder, the clothing, etc. Here too I have very often used the expertise of the FBA. No question went unanswered, for which I am still very grateful.
Pricey it is, although for most things it remains a one-time cost. An overview of the material purchased.

Then I joined an archery club (https://www.lafidelite-constantia.be/). They offer a lot of support for traditional and compound archers, including bow hunting. Every Sunday they set up a 3D course in a nice part of the woods. It gives the opportunity to shoot from different positions at something other than a blazon. It also gives more insight into the anatomy of an animal and helps take into account obstacles such as bushes or bad weather.

My first bow hunt

Luc is invited to a hunt on the domain of the Marquis Philippe de Rouälle in Moulins-Engilbert and he asked me if I wanted to join. I didn't have to think a second about it. Of course I join! For that hunt, fawn, roe and wild boar can be harvested. A great opportunity for a first bow hunt, on a domain with lots of game. It is two hunting days with three silent pressure (drücken) hunts.
We leave the day before in the morning. It's about a seven-hour drive and we want to be fresh on the first day of hunting. The weather, the traffic, everything is perfect. In the evening, a delicious dinner in a hotel a few kilometers from the domain, and before going to sleep a final check of all the equipment. The arrows were checked one by one, given a sharp hunting point and marked with the number of our hunting permit, as this is a legal requirement in France. Time to go to bed.

The first round. The rifle hunters draw their lots, it is again made clear that only fawn and deer may be shot! The radios are tuned. Luc and I are the only bow hunters. At our first site, I climb smoothly into the tree. At 4 meters high, I encounter a branch that is too big to remove with my saw, so I decide to stay at this height. As I reel in my bow, I hear noises close to me. There stands a roebuck, quietly observing me. He has only one antler left; the other has already been shed or lost in battle. There's no point in putting an arrow on my bow as he's looking straight at me. So I enjoy the proximity of the roedeer, and a moment later he calmly continues his journey.

That's the only game I get to see during that track. But not for my neighbor, who, about 50 yards from my post, has seen a large wolf passing by. Later we take pictures of its impressive tracks. Probably that was also the reason why the game did not show itself. The 'tableau' remains empty.

There stands a roebuck, quietly looking at me. He has only one antler left; the other one has already been shed or lost in a battle.

French lunch is served in the hunting lodge. Cheese, meat, wine and lots of fun. Everyone is very interested in bow hunting.

The second track is on a hunting chancel (a raised platform). A treestand does not make much sense here. Meanwhile, they have also given permission to shoot a 'daguet' (spike buck). This is a male deer with antlers without branches. I see a doe with her fawns passing by at 50 yards. The rifle hunters get opportunities, and the shots echo, confirmations on the radio. The daguet is shot, as well as some fawns and some roe deer.

A delicious supper provided by a local caterer, accompanied by good French wine, makes for a relaxed and social evening where numerous hunting experiences are shared.

The second and final day, the last hunt. We are posted as bow hunters in a section where firearms are difficult to use. The bow hunters take the posts. I am assigned a beautiful spot and quickly and easily reach five meters high. A wonderful view over the forest. From my treestand I have almost no obstacles, and can visualize my perimeter of 25 meters nicely. From then on, it's a wonderful sight. I see roe deer playing at 100 yards, a rabbit hopping past my tree, even before the drivers begin their silent pressure hunt.

The drivers/beaters keep the dog on a leash and walk quietly through the woods with the goal of gently convincing the game to move quietly. They walk through the forest without calling or shouting. Immediately as they leave, some roe deer are already running underneath my treestand. They are going way too fast. I try to whistle them to a halt, but I know they are going too fast. I don't even draw my bow. Then the drivers pass, and I think the hunt is done. Luc explains me over the radio that things could just become interesting now, because the animals that have been hiding are now running away from the drivers. Straight to us. And that is exactly what happens a little later. A stag, a doe and two fawn come trotting straight my way. I arm my bow when the buck is behind the tree, but the doe has noticed something. She slows down. Stops. The fawns are about ten yards from my tree. I put my pin on one of them, aiming for the rear front leg in such a way as to pierce both lungs. It stands slightly turned away from me. The world seems to stand still for a second. I shoot.

Luc explains me over the radio that things could just get interesting now, because the animals that have been hiding are now walking away from the beaters. Straight at us. And that is exactly what occurs a little later.

The deer are startled. They run back to where they came from. At 40 meters from me, I see something fall behind the trees. Luc confirms over the radio that he has seen the fawn fall and congratulates me. Only now does the reaction of my body comes and the adrenaline starts to race through my body.

And then it's waiting for the track to be done. No game in sight, but I'm not going to put an arrow up anyway, my hands are shaking too much.

Quietly I climb down. I wait for Luc. Together we look for the first blood and follow the trail step by step, although we know the fawn is lying there. It's a good lesson, not least in how to deal with impatience. Meter by meter we get to the fawn.

It is a perfect shot. This was confirmed by both Luc and the gamekeeper, as the latter had come by shortly after my shot and had already inspected the fawn and sent me congratulations. The arrow perforated both lungs and stranded right behind the ribs on the left foreleg. Not much time for reflection and photos. The final hunt is done, and the tableau must be prepared.

Many congratulations and a small ceremony later, we leave for Antwerp with a deer fawn in the trunk. This time we drive 8 hours, Sunday night around Brussels is a nightmare. We drive to Kapellen, where our good friend Jasper has temporarily transformed his studio into a butcher's shop. Together with Simon, another good friend with knowledge of meat processing, we skin the deer and cut out the fillets. We cut the meat between the ribs into stew and keep the legs for processing the next day. By now it is well past midnight.

This bow hunt felt like the end of an intense trip, a culmination of many months of effort, training. Between the IBEP and the first hunt over 16 months passed. A very intense, educational and fun experience. During that time I also met new friends. I enjoyed the luxury of finding an experienced mentor, who continues to guide me. A method I can recommend to everyone.

On the other hand, this trip is also the beginning of a new story. The agenda gets well filled with new hunting days and new plans are forged for the next few years. This story has only just begun.

New to bow hunting ? My advice: surround yourself with the right people, and be open to learning as much as you can from them. And as my mentor can't repeat often enough, "enjoy!"