I recently started having Aela as a companion & gave her ebony arrows & bow but she isn't useing the bow, just the arrows. Most of the time she's using her default bow & at other times she doesn't seem to use a bow, she still does the animations & arrows still get fired & everything but her hands are empty. any fixes?

I am afraid that they will only use their default "hunting bow". That is without using mods.

Yeah, I noticed this issue as well. However, I did also notice, that you only need to give 1 of whatever type of arrow to the follower. This seems to work on everyone but Erik for some reason. My follower has one daedric arrow and I'll hang back a few seconds before engaging to ensure he fires a few of them that can then be collected on the ground. So, on one hand, bad for not using the bow I gave them, good for firing repeated arrows that go into my quiver

There is a slight workaround. Cant remember the exact command, someone will no doubt correct me soon. Target her, in console use player.showinventory I think. Take everything from her, give back armour and dagger then give her a bow. She will use Ebony for a while, but will replace it with hunting bow randomly making you repeat this.

She will however stick to anything up to Elven. Also if an enchant is strong, she may also ditch that bow for one that has no enchant. Currently for me she is using and hasnt put down in hours an Orc bow with shock damage.

That was corrected in a patch. They will use the arrows in their inventory. When that is depleted, they will revert to their unlimited supply of iron arrows. Even then I find it hard to get them to use their bow. Without putting more in their inventory.

Ahh yeah I left out the arrow part. Not sure how it works fully as it has never effected me up to Elven bows. But since I did my work around, shes never defaulted back to the hunting bow. I did remove all her arrows and put some in myself.

I use mods like UFO to handle their inventory, AI, leveling and what have you. I used a temp fix like that on the Xbox, by getting the Master Pickpocket Perk, and removing all of their gear, but they always reset when we changed cells. The UFO mod is just a great way to handle followers.

Removeallitems. Then give the follower gear you want them to use. The problem with this is that they revert every single time you enter a new cell.

Take all other weapons away from her and shewill be forced to use the ebony ones/

This always confuses me. Lydia's my usual follower, and now that with a combination of us being married and me having Perfect Touch on Pickpocketing I've been able to remove all her default items, so as to equip her with better stuff :- Full Dragon Plate, Ebony Bow and Deadric Arrows, Ebony Mace. Sometimes she'll equip the Ebony Bow, but there are still times when her Hunting Bow comes out to play, and it's damn annoying. This, (along with the thing where Followers get weaker and weaker...Lydia's so weak now that even when she's got absolutely nothing, I can't even give her something weighing 0.5!), is something I really wish Bethesda would find a fix for.

Well then, I shall be quiet lest the fairies come and take away my arrow generator! But, it still works for me.

are you playing on PC? if so, I recommend the UFO mod. really fixes the (otherwise) basic follower system in Skyrim.

Correction * any follower will not use the bow I gave them *
This is the most annoying thing in the game so far as almost ALL followers will randomly switch to hunting bows regardless of if they have ebony bows glass greatswords or dwarven daggers ... but we get mounted combat instead :/

really, I'd go as far as to say at this point that if it isn't viable for you to get Skyrim on PC, then just don't purchase the game.

there's simply too many things you'll be desiring through PC mods that will make you undoubtedly resentful of the entire product.

I don't think this has changed. I can still farm Deadric arrows from the guard in Solitude.

Hmm, My last 3 characters have used Fendal, Ferral, Flapper, Flounder...what ever his name is...and he will not continue to shoot arrows that are left in his inventory. When they are gone...that's it. I read last week , how this was a result of a previous patch. I just looked over the fixes and it is NOT listed in them. Maybe it is just something that is advertently effected from the patch that fixed a lot of stuff with followers and arrow clean up.

EDIT : Thread from Steam - Not a solid ref, but it notes that others have this issue.

Kharjo uses the Daedric Bow that I gave him, and he also uses the glass arrows I supply him with. I don't know why OP's problem exists, but my followers use the stuff I give them just fine.

As far as Aela is concerned, OP... Pimp smack her. Let her know who's in charge!

You mean...J'Zargo? If so, he doesn't have a bow in his default inventory. Thus he will use any thing you give him.

No... Kharjo. From the Caravan that stops in Dawnstar. You go fetch his Moon Amulet from Bandits?

Ah...I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him. I didn't know he existed.

If you get him as a Follower, you'll like him. He's a beat-stick.

I'm pretty sure Kharjo doesn't have a bow as part of his default inventory... I use UFO, and one of the things it does is let you access the default inventory when you take someone as a follower and do with it what you will. I had to find and give him a bow to use because it didn't "come standard" with his character.

Since he doesn't carry one to begin with, he'll just use whatever you give him.

Followers like the housecarls and some others all come with bows as part of their default inventory and will revert to them even if you give them far better stuff.

Give her the bow and no arrows, she (and other followers) will use the bow you give them and their default iron arrows.