Aragorn the Ranger

[Gwathagor]

Aragorn might have had a bow with him prior to the Ring Goes South, before the Nine Walkers leave Rivendell. Thereafter, it would have been an unnecessary encumbrance. Bow-hunting would have taken time which the Company did not have.

Regardless, I am inclined to think that Aragorn could have gotten along just fine without a bow. Foraging, and perhaps laying the occasional trap, would have been more practical for a wandering Ranger who was constantly on the move. Also, it is part of his nature as a heroic character to carry and wield no other weapon but his ancestral blade.

However, I think Gandalf does describe Aragorn as not only a great traveler, but a great hunter as well. This could mean either that he was good at killing wild animals, or that he was simply good at tracking. The latter makes sense, as Gandalf relies heavily on Aragorn in the tracking and eventual capture of Gollum. I'm sure that Aragorn would have been a good wild-animal-killler in any case, but if Gandalf was choosing to specifically describe him as such, then Aragorn almost certainly carried a bow.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

My conclusion is that Aragorn usually carried and used a bow. However, with the Fellowship he did not bear it, and in my personal opinion (as explained above) before in Bree, for reasons unknown, he also did not have it with him.