Now that the dreary days of winter have come and gone and spring is well underway it’s time to get outdoors with your bow! The temps are going up, the sun is out more often, and the days are feeling longer which should give everyone a tremendous positive mood boost. And one way to further improve upon that mood boost is taking your bow outdoors and sending some arrows into the foam target of your choosing.
If you haven’t shot your bow since the end of your hunting or competitive season, it’s always a best practice to do a thorough inspection of your bow, whether done by a trusted pro shop technician or yourself. This is also a great opportunity to find out if you are in need of a new set of custom bowstrings! Once you verify that your bow is ready to go it’s time to grab a batch of arrows and head to the backyard or your local 3D archery range. To those that are unfamiliar with the term, 3D archery is when you are shooting at a 3 dimensional target typically of various game species such as deer, elk, sheep as well as big foot and dinosaurs! 3D Targets will also have several distinct rings in the vital areas which represent your scoring system. Scoring can be broken down by IBO (International Bowhunting Organization) or ASA (Archery Shooter’s Association) methods. While you don’t to score it allows you the opportunity to test your skills or find ways to improve.
One of the many great things about 3D Archery is that these targets are set up at various distances and angles to help simulate realistic hunting scenarios. It is a perfect way for archers and bowhunters of all of all ages and skill levels to prepare for upcoming competitions and hunting seasons. In most cases 3D archery events are held outdoors which also gives you great exercise to walk and hike the target trails and mountains. One of the biggest 3D archery events that come to mind is the highly popular Total Archery Challenge. I myself have shot twice at the Total Archery Challenge in Seven Springs, PA and can honestly say that it is an amazing event that helped me get much needed challenging practice with my Launch Series bowstrings that can’t be replicated in my small backyard. And these TAC events are fun for everyone, they provide tournament archers the chance to brush up with some mid season practice or it gives the weekend hunting warrior (such as myself) the opportunity to stretch arrows out of your comfort zone, get some great exercise, and enjoy the sport of archery with an exponential amount of other archers and bowhunters who attend. Along with the Total Archery Challenge there are so many more events to attend that may be coming to a town near you such as the Rinehart R100, Mountain Archery Fest, and of course your local archery club shoots and benefits.
Of course while 3D Archery can be fun it can also be a way to get into competition with some of the best archers in the world! This is where you look at shooting in the IBO or ASA tournaments held annually among the spring to later summer months. With many different shooting/competing classes available anyone is able to start their journey into the competitive 3D archery world easily. With enough practice and skill you could end up one day going from the backyard to the top podium position in either of these organizations championships.
While there are all these different ways to check out 3D archery, my closing statement to those of you reading this blog is just go have fun! We are blessed to be able to go out and enjoy the great outdoors and this incredible discipline known as archery. And best of all is almost everyone can enjoy it, introduce a young kid you know or a close friend to archery. As you know once you pick up a bow and send that first arrow to the target the bug has bit, how cool would it be to introduce someone to that very feeling you first had!
