I am not sure if this is a bug or just bethesda screwing up but every time I get a mage to come with me he or she will always pull out a bow and never use magic it is seriously annoying and I'm wondering if any one else has had this happen to them and if so put it on here so we can get bethesda to make them use magic like they should.

This is not a full answer to your question -- but if you remove Bows (and arrows) from your Mage's inventory, and supply them with Staffs -- they will have no option but to use Magic, seems to me.

I have had Followers who used both Bows and Staffs -- but currently Aranea (strengthened with Dragonscale armor) is my Follower and she never uses anything but Magic. She is so good with
Magic that she takes care of Forsworn Briarhearts all by herself.

The thing is they dont have any bow or arrows in their inventory they just pull it out and never use magic.

Don't give them any two-handed weapons like bows, and maybe they'll start using their magic.

Which Follower are you having this problem with?

yes iv had mages pull bows/arrows out of their asses and start using those instead of magic, thankfully it only happend once (but they still keep a bow/arrows out when we are walking )

J'zargo the dark elf chick at azuras shrine and the other dark elf from winterhold and every other mage follower.

I have the same problem with Lydia, go figure. And no, she has no bow, just armor and the axe of whiterun I gave her.

all followers have a bow that can only be gained once that said follower has died

So then the only way to stop that crap is for bethesda to remove the bow from the mage or me getting the pc version of this game.

indeed it is unless bethseda want to patch it, which is unlikely, sadly its a sad day for mage friends

Eola has blasted me in the back plenty of times, and she likes to summon\raise dead. Her Fire Antroch has blasted me pleny in the back also.

But she does use a bow.