Many Pennsylvania hunters are eagerly awaiting the opening day of archery deer season. The six-week fall hunting season starts Oct. 4 and runs until Nov. 15.

Many hunters will carry a well-engineered compound bow with all the accessories. Some traditionalists will carry a long bow or a recurve bow, while some will use a crossbow — with the proper permit, of course.

The history of archery, the use of a bow and arrows for hunting and warfare, dates back thousands of years. Some evidence points to flint arrowheads that could be 50,000 years old.

Evidence points to bows being used in Egypt for hunting and wars with the Persians as early as 5,000 B.C.

The Egyptians also were given credit for the development of the first composite bow made of yew and animal horn in 2,800 B.C. The advancement of the bow gave Egypt a significant advantage in warfare.

Not to be outdone, the Chinese developed the first documented crossbow in 1,027 B.C. The crossbow proved to be a formidable weapon in the hands of less-skilled armies in close combat.

Bows didn't change much over the next 500 years, but arrows did with the use of different heads.

The use of bronze and other metals assisted armies in defeating armored soldiers. In important battles waged in 490 B.C., the Athenians defeated the Persian army with the use of archers in the Battle of Marathon. A runner sent to Athens 25 miles away to announce the victory paved the way for the modern day marathon run.

In the next 2,000 years, history shows that the bow played a great role in the politics and warfare of the world.

Bows played large parts in history with Attila the Hun, who favored the composite recurve bows; King Richard the Lionheart, who favored crossbows during the Crusades; and Genghis Khan, who shot a composite bow nearly 600 yards.

England thought so much of the long bow, it became mandatory for every man between 15 and 60 to have one and to practice with it daily for the defense of the nation.

In 1595 A.D., muskets were replacing bows in military use. The use of the bow came on hard times for everything but hunting as a traditional sport.

The English started an archery tournament in Yorkshire in 1673. The Ancient Scorton Arrow tournament is still held today, 335 years later.

Here are some archery firsts:

• The Sultan of Selim shot an arrow 972 yards in 1798, a record that lasted for 200 years.

• In 1896, the first Olympic Games of the modern era started and featured archery in 1900.

• Archery didn't become a recourring event until 1972 at the Munich Games.

• In 1934, Wisconsin had the first deer archery season in the United States.

• Ben Pearson is credited with the mass production of archery equipment in 1938.

• In 1939, James Easton developed the aluminum arrow.

• Fred Bear comes up with his first working recurve bow in 1953.

• The Horton crossbow was introduced to the United States by Bernard Horton of Scotland in 1963.

As you can see, we have come a long way to the present archery hunting equipment. As you use you skills in the deer woods, remember to be safe and that you have St. Sebastian, the patron saint of archers, looking out for you.