Hunting a stag with a bow and arrow. The bow and arrow came into use in the latter part of the Neolithic Era (circa 7000-3000 BC). The bows were commonly made of elm or yew with bowstrings of flax or sinew.The arrows were of hazel with flint arrowheads.The bow and arrow gave hunters a huge advantage. Large animals and other predators could be killed from a distance thus decreasing the danger to the hunter and increasing the success rate. It also became possible to shoot down birds and other small mammals.Surplus food gave neolithic people enough leisure and security to change their way of life. They moved out of caves into shelters which they constructed. They started to domesticate animals and experiment with agriculture and make pottery and clothes. It became possible to ambush human enemies and kill them from a distance rather than in hand to hand combat.