Thespian*: Wow. Hope you have good aim if the intruder is far away or accompanied. As far as I know, in the Middle Ages it was way easier to hit with a crossbow than a bow. Although I guess with all the technological advances that advantage may have been reduced enough...
Tarnicus: A compound bow(like mine) is slower to draw but easier to hold due to the pulley system. I wanted to get a recurve but my local supplier didn't have any left-handed ones. Hopefully the opportunity to use it on another being never arises. It's fun for target practise :)
Edit: the advantage of bow vs gun is silence. A gun lets everyone in the area, human or animal, know you are there. Knowing one's area well and being able to move quietly makes for stealthy retreats or attacks if need be. Fortunately where I live in the mountains, I generally have more to fear from venomous snakes and spiders, and they are pretty harmless if you respect their environments and know what to look out for :)
Thanks for the kind explanation. :)