AT HOME ON THE (ARCHERY) RANGE

(Page 5 of 5)

January/February 1982
By Gary Kent 
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GAMES ARCHERS PLAY

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One of the things I like best about archery is its versatility. Our family is constantly coming up with different activities to try with our bows.

Among the first challenges you'll probably want to tackle is attempting to shoot balloons pinned to the backstop. It's surprisingly satisfying to get to the point where you can consistently pop the one you're aiming for! If there's a breeze blowing, tie a balloon to the target with a 3" piece of string. The dancing party favor will be a real challenge to hit!

Probably the game we find the most fun is roving ... often called "stump shooting". We switch from target points to blunt-tipped arrows and simply walk through the fields and woods shooting at dirt clumps, tufts of grass, sticks, and any other safe target we see. This is about the best practice in judging distance that I can imagine. I do not, however, recommend actually shooting at stumps. Even a blunt tip could stick into a soft one, forcing you to unscrew your arrow and leave the point in the wood.

I also hunt with my bow. Most of the time I stalk deer, squirrels, and rabbits (within the legal seasons, of course), but groundhogs can provide good year-round targets. You can't even come close to keeping a 'hog population under control with a bow, but you can at least reduce the damage such critters do to your garden . . . and they're quite good to eat. (Parboil the meat for ten minutes, then barbecue it as you would chicken.)

As long as you respect the power and capability of your equipment, you'll find that archery is a great way to keep your family active, outdoors, and together . . . and you'll have taken up a sport that you can enjoy for the rest of your life.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Want to know more? Check out G. Howard Gillelan's Complete Book of the Bow & Arrow , which is available in many bookstores and libraries . . . or—for $9.95 plus 95¢ shipping and handling—from Mother's Bookshelf, P.O. Box 70, Hendersonville, North Carolina 28791. The text gives a complete history of archery . . . more information about gear, rules, and skill . . . and an all-inclusive reference for hunting, fishing, field, and target archery.

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