Picture 1a (top) and b – Shooting at a roling ball or disc.

Picture 2 – The moving pig, one of the more challenging 3D targets.

Picture 3 – Shooting at an aeriel target.

Picture 4 – Henk du Plessis hits clay pigeons regularly.

Picture 5 – Archery duel.

Picture 6 – The archer who pops the balloon first wins.

By Rean Steenkamp

We are approaching the festive season, schools will be closing soon and many people will be going on vacation. This means there will be lots of free time available, time that can be well-spent enjoying archery.
Standing in front of a butt shooting one arrow after another can become pretty boring after a while. Fortunately, there are more interesting ways to spend time with your bow.

Walking in the woods doing stump shooting is very relaxing and challenging at the same time. Not only are you spending time in nature, but shooting targets at various distances trains your subconscious to judge distance better.

Just take your bow and a few old arrows tipped with blunts or Judos and off you go. When in the bush, your target can be anything from an old rotten tree trunk to an anthill. You can shoot at leaves, little bushes or an old rusted tin can. This is certainly a very relaxing and enjoyable way to spend your time.

There are also many interesting games to play. One of these is the water shoot, where two archers shoot at two water holders hanging on a string, as shown in Illustration 1. The first archer to hit the water holder causes the water to run out, which tips the “scale” to the loser’s side.

The archers usually try to hit the holders as low as possible so that the water runs out quickly, as a high hit might cause only a little water to run out. If the water does not run out quickly enough, it gives the opponent a chance to hit his holder at the bottom, causing the “scale” to tip in his favour.

It is also great fun shooting at a rolling ball, but remember to tip your arrows with rubber blunts. The archers stand in a line while another person, standing on the side about 15 yards in front, rolls the ball from one side to the other in front of the archers (see Picture 1a). The first archer to hit the ball usually hits it out of the way of the other archers’ arrows.

A disk made from hard foam or laminated boxing material can also be used, in which case the archer can shoot with normal field points (see Picture 1b).
It is also great fun shooting at a 3D target that runs on rollers on a wire (see Picture 2). As the 3D animal glides past on the wire, the archer tries to hit the kill area. Archers can take turns letting the 3D animal go.

Shooting at aerial targets is another fun activity. You can either shoot at a tin can thrown in the air or at a rubber disc (see Picture 3). Just make sure that you have a big open area behind your target and that you let go of your arrow when the target is far from the person throwing the disc. It is best to use arrows fletched with floo-floos, which inhibits the distance the arrows fly.

Archers can also shoot at clay pigeons if a launcher is available. I have watched Henk du Plessis hit clay pigeons regularly (see Picture 4) when visiting him on his farm in the Sterkrivier area. This is excellent training if you are interested in wingshooting fowl with bow and arrow.

Why not challenge your fellow archer to a duel? Stick a balloon to the middle of a butt. Both archers stand 15 to 20 yards from the butt, arrows in their quivers and bows in their hands. On the count of three both archers have to go for their arrows, nock them and shoot (see Picture 5a and b). The archer whose arrow pops the balloon wins (Picture 6).

You can also do speed shooting. The principle is more or less the same as with the duel, only you have to shoot five arrows in the butt and then pop a balloon stuck to the upper part of the butt with the sixth arrow. With the first five arrows it is all about speed – you can hit anywhere on the butt, except hit the balloon. With the sixth arrow you have to be more careful as you have to pop the balloon. The archer who pops the balloon first wins.

When it comes to having fun with you traditional bow, the only limitation is you imagination. That is what is so enticing about the simple stick and string.

Illustration 1 – The water shoot.

Updated: Friday, January 25, 2008 9:49 AM