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NATCHEZ — The opening day of bow season is months away, but right now is the best time for hunters to break out their bows, Hewitt Archery owner Homer Hewitt said.

He said hunters should inspect their recurve bow, compound bow, or crossbow for safety purposes. Faulty equipment can lead to injury in the arms or face, he said.

“Every two years on a vertical bow or a crossbow, hunters need to change their strings out,” Hewitt said. “If you don’t change them out it can hurt you. You need to inspect your (bow’s) limbs and make sure they don’t have any cracks.”

He said another safety measure a person can take is to take your arrows and roll them to see if they are not cracked. You do this by flexing the arrow a little bit and rolling the arrow. He said manufacturers recommend you roll your arrow every time you shoot and to check the fletchings for cracks.

Hairline fractures can develop in arrows, Hewitt said. An arrow hitting another arrow already in the target causes this. If an arrow does have a crack, it can break upon release and injure the shooter’s arm.

He said if you have never owned a bow, but you want to try bow hunting, right now is the time to start looking for a bow.

Bowie Outfitters, Sports Center and Hewitt Archery sell everything a beginner or experienced bow hunter would need. They each offer a variety of rests, sights, stabilizers, arrowheads, arrows and targets.

Sports Center Manager Tim Mize said people should get their bow fitted. A bow is a very personal item because each person is different, he said. People have different draw lengths and draw weights.

He said one way you can determine your draw length is by placing the palm of your hand flat against a wall. You measure the length from the hand to the nose for the draw length. Sports Center Bow Technician Eric Perry said the average draw length for men is 28 inches.

“If you have a draw length of 28 inches, it allows for you to shoot most arrows without getting them cut,” Perry said. ““Each person has different strengths, and it takes some trial and error to determine what draw weight to set a bow on. When you draw the bow to the slip point, close to 80 percent of the weight is relieved.”