One of the first things you're going to want to do in Far Cry 5 is get yourself a compound bow. Why? Because it's one of the best weapons in the game - great range, incredibly powerful and absolutely silent. You can also retrieve your arrows, meaning a well organized player need never run out of ammo. When you're taking down outposts full of crazy cultists, all of these benefits make life a whole lot simpler. Thankfully, you can find one of these bad boys pretty early in the game, and here's how...
You're looking for the Silver Lake Boathouse on Dutch's Island, not far from where you begin the game. This is a "Prepper Stash", one of many caches of useful weapons and gears left hidden across Hope County by your survivalist pal, Dutch. Getting inside, of course, isn't quite so simple.
First you need to trigger the quest associated with this location, known as the Sunken Funds Prepper Stash. To do this, head to the shed located slightly inland from the boathouse. Read the note outside, then return to the boathouse and jump in the water. You'll need to swim underwater to locate the entrance and climb inside. There you'll find the boathouse key and a power breaker, so restore the power then use the key to open the door and return to the shed.
There's a pump wheel to the left of the shed that you must use to drain the water, after which you're able to open the hatch and get into the stash itself. Look out for a boarded-up area in front of you, and smash your way through. There, hanging on the wall, is your compound bow.
There is one drawback: at this stage in the game, you can only carry one larger weapon at a time, so using the bow means ditching your rifle. If you're committed to the stealthy approach, however, it's an easy choice.
Happy hunting!
