The Comanches, Their bow

The Comanches used a short, recurved bow made from the prized bois d’arc tree (Maclura pomifera). Some of these bows were able to draw seventy pounds and were sometimes sinew-backed or even reinforced with strips of horn, capable of shooting an arrow completely through a buffalo or a man – as a Paluxy Creek settler discovered in 1871. The bowstrings were made of bison or deer sinew that had been separated into dental-floss-like strains that were twisted and glued. There are reports that thin strips of squirrel hides were used for bowstrings. The toughest arrows were made from shock-resistant dogwood (Cornus drummondii) and tipped with metal trade points. Arrows were coded with the hunter’s identity so he could get the credit for allocating meat to families without hunters. Firearms could not be reloaded on a running horse and were rarely used. Dan Young, Unpublished Manuscript, 2022.