chiefly US
: hunting especially of large game animals (such as deer) done with bow and arrow
When Prenzlow questioned the hunter, he admitted that he had just killed an elk—but legally, by bowhunting.—
Fred Quartarone, Colorado Outdoors, January 1992
bowhunt
verb, transitive + intransitive
bowhunted; bowhunting; bowhunts
He's bowhunted whitetails, elk, and bears across the country.
—Bill Winke, Field & Stream, September 2007
… was just returning from a hunting trip in Arizona, where he had bowhunted for black bear.
—Carl Sampson, Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), 1 June 2011
bowhunter
noun
plural bowhunters
The public image of a bowhunter involves great strength with which to draw his bow.
—Doug Kittredge, Bow & Arrow, September 1967
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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