How to Carry a Bow on Your Back – Success in 5 steps!

We hope you love the products we recommend and just so you know that as an Amazon Associate CoyoteHunting.org may earn from qualifying purchases.

Mastering “how to carry a bow on your back,” especially a recurve bow, is a fundamental skill, especially when you’re venturing out into the wilderness, wielding this common weapon. Given the unique challenges of managing both a strung and unstrung bow, this skill requires a careful understanding of the tool and the right sling to support it.

With an average draw weight of around 45 lbf, it’s vital to grasp the proper method of sling positioning and handling.

In this guide, we will unravel the steps of safely securing your recurve bow onto your back, a technique often seen as complex. Our aim is to transform this potentially daunting task into a more approachable endeavor.

By following these steps, you’ll be better equipped to handle your weapon, whether it’s strung or unstrung, and carry it with ease.

The procedure below to carry a bow on your back is detailed below:

  1. Use a cotton towel or something similar to wrap it around the bowstring. Doing so ensures that it will not cause an injury with the bowstring coming in contact with your body. It will not be that sharp either.
  2. Once you cover the bowstring with the towel, you have to wear it like a sling. So that it will not fall away from your body. The best way to cover the bowstring is to use a large enough towel. You can wrap it around twice as well.
  3. When making a sling out of the cotton towel, you have to ensure that you tighten it to get a snug fit. In that case, it will not slip away. Consequently, it will remain in place.
  4. When using this technique to carry a bow on your back, it is essential to practice before going in the wilderness. Only when you can move briskly and without noise using the scanning mechanism should you go ahead with it.
  5. To remove the bow, you have to hold it at the bottom. After that, you have to slip it over your head as well as arm. Doing so ensures that you can remove it quickly. When trying to focus on a prey, you need to remove the bow quickly. The technique for removal that we have highlighted above can certainly help you do so.

Now that you are aware of the method to carry a bow let us look at the precautions which you need to take.

You could also look at purchasing a blow sling. Watch the video below to find out to use one.

Primos bow sling, hunting bow shoulder strap, how to use a bow sling.

Here are some precautions you need to take while carrying a Bow:

1 – Insulate the string:

If the string is in touch with your body, it can cause a scratch. Especially, when it is in contact with your skin, it can result in an injury. Therefore, before using the string, you have to make sure that the entire bowstring is covered very well. Only then, it is a safe mechanism to carry your bow.

2 – Put it across:

When you’re wearing it like a sling, you have to put it across your body. If you’re just using one side of your body to carry it around, there is a risk that it might fall off.

When you’re putting it across, one part of the bowstring should be above your shoulder. The other part of the bowstring should be beneath your arm. In that case, it will not fall off or cause injury.

When you’re moving briskly or trying to tease a prey, then too, the bow will not fall off. Putting it across certainly means that you need not worry about it falling off and hurting you in any way.

3 – Take the size into account:

The bow can be of various sizes. You have to first consider the size of your torso and then think about using this technique. If the bow is too small, it can be problematic for you to carry it like a sling. Consequently, you have to look at the size of the torso and the length of the bowstring. Once you do so, it becomes easy to understand whether you can use this technique or not.

These are the three precautions which you should keep in mind while carrying a bow on your back.

Carrying a bow on your back is not a difficult task. You have to carry it like a sling. Once you do so, you can move around swiftly. Moreover, you will not have to worry about the wear and tear of the bow either. Moreover, the following the above technique ensures that there is no injury or any other problem as well. In a nutshell, you will not face any problem when using the above steps to carry bow.

Coyote Hunting

Why Trust Our Coyote Hunting Expertise?

Since 2013, CoyoteHunting.org has been a trusted resource in coyote hunting, guided by experienced hunters and wilderness experts.


Our insights, from gear reviews to hunting tactics, are grounded in thorough field tests and research.


We're committed to educating hunters at all levels, advocating for safe and ethical practices.


Explore our expertly curated content and deepen your hunting knowledge at CoyoteHunting.org.

Tim is a seasoned hunter and the founder of this site, dedicated to providing data-driven, honest reviews and valuable insights into the art and science of coyote and general hunting. Committed to integrity, he rigorously analyzes hunting products to offer recommendations that are unaffected by affiliate commissions.

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply