When did they first appear?
Probably in neolithic times... some mad bowyer probably made one just to amaze his mates!
I can imagine a nice chunk of bone as a grip/socket. Two bits of boo bound together must count as a take down too? I'm not sure we can teach neolithic man all that much about making bows, I'm sure there were plenty of crude bows, but with the time they spent on their artwork, craft and social skills I bet there was some spectacular stuff make to get on the right side of the chief (or the deities) or to impress the ladies*
After all they didn't have the distraction of computers, video games, smart phones, TV etc
Del
* hasn't worked for me