Clay Hayes
Archery Expert
Education
- MSc, Wildlife Ecology, Mississippi State University
- BS, Natural Resource Conservation, University of Florida
Professional Achievements
- Authored three books and produced hundreds of videos focused on wilderness skills, traditional archery, bow building, and bow hunting
- Has gained a following of over 444K people on his YouTube channel
- Built an online community with his website, Twisted Stave, where he blogs, sells books and merchandise, and shares gear recommendations and other outdoor knowledge
Favorite Piece of Advice
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Co-authored Articles (19)
How to
String a Recurve Bow
Stringing your bow is not difficult with the proper equipment. It still requires attention and caution, however, to avoid whacking yourself with a bow limb under stress. You can start shooting as soon as you've strung th...
How to
Adjust a Compound Bow
Archery is a unique activity that has been practiced as both a sport and skill of hunting and warfare for thousands of years. Advances in technology in recent years have led to the design and creation of bows that can sh...
How to
Shoot an Arrow
Archery has been around for thousands of years and remains a fun, challenging activity to this day. Whether you’re doing it for sport, competition, or food, knowing how to properly load, aim, and fire your bow will mak...
How to
Aim a Compound Bow
A compound bow uses a set of pulleys to propel an arrow toward a target at faster speeds than a conventional bow. The key to successfully using a compound bow is aiming it correctly. Fortunately, a compound bow is equip...
How to
Hold an Archery Bow
Are you hoping to hone your archery talents but aren't sure of the right way to hold your bow? You're not alone. There are many misconceptions about bow grip, and we're here to clear them up. Developing a proper archery ...
How to
Set Up a Recurve Bow
You've bought a recurve bow, but you have no idea how to set it up. There are many complicated accessories, some necessary and some not, that you can attach to your bow. They will help your shots to get more and more acc...
How to Make an Arrow Yourself
Learn to create a DIY arrow with our simple stepsWhether you're working with the same basic materials our human ancestors used upwards of 10,000 years ago, or you've just made a trip to the local hardware store to gather...
How to
Shoot a Recurve Bow
Archery has become a popular sport recently. The recurve bow’s popularity is in part due to it being the weapon of choice for Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist of The Hunger Games. By choosing the right bow and arrows ...
How to
Build a Longbow
Building a longbow from scratch isn’t quite so simple as finding a long piece of wood and attaching a string to it. That said, it isn’t beyond the skills of the average DIYer, and it can be a very rewarding project. ...
How to
Survive Being Lost in the Forest
If you find yourself lost in the forest, stay calm and do your best to retrace your steps and find your way out. To survive in the forest, you will need shelter, fire, food, and water. The forest will provide materials t...
How to
Install a Peep Sight
In archery, a peep sight (often just called a “peep”) is an aiming aid that’s attached directly to the bowstring of a compound or recurve bow.. 04 January 2024. “Peeping” through the sight while the bow is draw...
How to
Make a Recurve Bow
A recurve bow gives a traditional bow the ability to propel arrows further and with more power than a traditional bow. While it takes skill and years practice to make a perfect recurve bow, these steps will help get you...
How to
Test Bow Poundage
Bow poundage, usually called draw weight, is the amount of force required to draw the bowstring back to a normal shooting position.. 04 January 2024. Poundage means that this weight is measured in pounds, but you could a...
How to
Catch a Deer
Wildlife organizations and other research institutes have reason to catch deer using humane practices. These practices minimize the risk of harm to both the deer and handlers while studying and/or tagging the animals. Re...
How to
Start Archery
Archery has been around, both for sport and hunting, for centuries, and it remains popular today. While it is not too hard to get involved in, it requires more than sports like soccer or basketball to get started. You sh...
How to
Go Deer Hunting
Venison is one of the healthiest sources of animal protein for human consumption. Hunting deer is almost always a unique experience. Of course, your goal should always be to an on target, quick and humane kill, but some...
How to
Shoot a Compound Bow
Archery is a practice that has been around for thousands of years, and humans have been trying to master the weapon for equally as long. These days, archery is much easier thanks to new equipment on the market, including...
How to
Choose a Draw Weight for Your Recurve Bow
A recurve bow's draw weight is a measurement of how hard it is to pull back the string. Unfortunately, many archers choose a bow with a draw weight that is too high, both when starting out and when upgrading their bow. T...
How to
Choose an Archery Bow
Archery is a broad activity, as you'd expect from something humans have been doing since before recorded history. Hunters, competitive target archers, and families shooting for fun all meet on the same range. The option...
