Feb/March 08

Archery Magazine 31407 Outer I-10 Redlands, CA 92373

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID RAVENNA MI PERMIT NO. 320

&ARTICLES

FEATURES February / March 2008

FUN WELL DONE IN THE SUN The Everglades Open 2007

by Tim Austin ............................................4 SPOT AND STALK BEAR HUNTING

by John Dudley .........................................7 FROM THE PRESIDENTS DESK

by Bruce Cull ...........................................10 THE BIG SKY OPEN—MESQUITE

by Tootie Brabec .....................................14

ON OUR COVER:

PERFECT PRACTICE, PART 1 The Do’s and Don’ts of An Accelerated Learning Curve

by Bernie Pellerite ...................................20

Vol. 28 • No. 1 © 2008 NFAA®

BACK STRAP TARGET

by John Dudley .......................................40 AVOID TARGET PANIC

by Terry Wunderle ...................................46

NFAA CALENDAR OF EVENTS ...............23 SECTIONAL NEWS ..................................25

“ASAP” After School Archery Program ................42

WAY BACK WHEN Whatever Happened to the Polar Bear Open?

by Paul Davison .......................................38

AND MUCH MORE!

Artist rendering of the new 20,000 sq. ft. NFAA® National Headquarters facility under construction in Yankton, SD.

EDITORIAL POLICIES Archery is the official publication of National Field Archery Association and is published bi-monthly.

Editorial deadlines are as follows: ISSUE Feb/March April/May June/July

DEADLINE December 15 February 15 April 15

All material should be sent by mail or e-mail. Mailed contributions should be submitted on diskette and typewritten. Microsoft Word is preferred. DO NOT include digital photos in your word document. No material will be returned. Submissions should be no more than 2,000 words. Previously published material will not be considered unless accompanied by a release or permission from the first publisher. Material appearing in this magazine does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the NFAA or its Board of Directors.

The NFAA can not reimburse for cost incurred in the preparation of material submitted, nor compensate contributors for items which are published.

All material will be published at the discretion of the editorial board. Photos of animals harvested should be in good taste. Only animals taken under

ISSUE Aug/Sep Oct/Nov Dec/Jan

DEADLINE June 15 August 15 October 15

the rules of fair chase will be considered.

Correspondence concerning the NFAA’s policies and operations should be directed to the NFAA Headquarters, 31407 Outer I-10, Redlands, CA 92373. Contributions and correspondence pertaining to this magazine should be directed to: Marihelen Rogers, Editor, 31407 Outer I-10, Redlands, CA 92373 (909) 794-2133 • (909) 794-8512 FAX E-mail: nfaarchery@aol.com NFAA Section and State Association News should be directed to: Paul Davison, Section and State News Editor 2787 Winston Way, Duluth, GA 30096 Fax (770) 476-7488 E-mail (preferred): stringwalker@att.net

Archery is published bimonthly by the National Field Archery Association, 31407 Outer I-10, Redlands, CA 92373, 909/794-2133. Advertising rate cards available for display and classified advertising. All feature and editorial requests should be made in writing to NFAA® at the address above. Editorial contributions must be submitted with self-addressed envelopes with sufficient return postage. All materials considered, but the publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Deadline for copy is eight weeks prior to the month of publication. All statements are those of the writers and do not necessarily conform to the magazine’s editorial policies. Copyright 1984 by the National Field Archery Association®. All rights reserved. Change of address – allow eight weeks for change to become effective. Contact NFAA® headquarters.

2 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 3

Sebastian Rendon, Gino Graziose, Larry Sites and Rick Dorey shoot at 50 yards over the lake.

by Tim Austin

photos by Paul Davison Club mascot “Daddy” Iguana doesn’t like his handsome face photographed.

4 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

Target number 19

at Homestead’s Everglades Archery Club slopes gently downward from a sheltered shooting position 60 yards away. The target butt rests in the middle of a small lake on a spit of land that’s accessible by a foot bridge. The lake is surrounded by several large tropical trees, the largest of which is the favorite hangout of “Daddy” Iguana — 4-1/2 feet from his nose to the tip of his long tail, and a mottled mixture of orange, gray and green. He’s the fellow pictured at the top of the Everglades Open registration form, and his latest portrait is shown below. He’s most often visible from the number 19 target butt, but most shooters go on to number 20 without knowing he’s there.

Everglades Archers did it again by providing us with a marvelous venue and excellent food on a warm, sunny weekend in South Florida. The temperature got up to 84 degrees on Saturday, and the range is set up for shooting four across (especially since Katrina), so the competition flowed smoothly through the 28-target course.

Plenty of cold water around the range kept us all hydrated, and no one mistakenly shot the reflected image of the target at 80 yards and at 50 yards over the lake. A nice Florida touch was two McKenzie alligators sunning themselves on the banks between the archers and the targets. Top score for the tournament was NFAA Pro Chris Deston’s 554 Hunter Round.

The 14-target Animal Round top score was posted by Gilberto Ruiz from the host club with a 289.

Good eats both days — I especially liked the venison burger that greeted me when I finished shooting on Sunday. We started soon after dawn, because

Left: Henry Shaw, Eric Helfritz and Bill Coulter score their arrows on Target 19. Right: Sandy Carr watches for gators, while husband Wayne watches his step.

it’s winter and the days are short. Besides, it’s more comfortable shooting in the morning. In previous years’ NAFAC tournaments, the early start allowed an over-full range to complete about an hour before dusk. With lighter registration

this year, and a shorter Animal Round, we were off the range by mid-afternoon on Saturday, and by lunch time on Sunday.

Shelly Mascaro, Everglades Secretary/Treasurer, had made special primitive arrows with gold, silver, and bronze cresting

and burned in “2007 Everglades Open” for a special, different type of award.

This tournament will return as IFAA’s North American Field Archery Championship (NAFAC) in 2008. Y’all come, y’hear!

2007 EVERGLADES OPEN RESULTS PL SHOOTER

ST

Pro Female Freestyle 1 Diane Watson FL Pro Male Freestyle 1 Chris Deston CT 2 Troy Rodenbo FL Adult Female Freestyle 1 Darlene Marrier VT Adult Male Freestyle 1 Jay Bradway NJ 2 Philip Russell VT 3 Gary Marrier VT David DiMascio FL Eric Helfritz FL Harley Napier FL Adult Male Freestyle - Class A 1 John Laudicina FL 2 Don Kitchen FL 3 Jose Alers FL John LaManna FL Adult Male Freestyle - Class B 1 Oliver Austin FL Senior Male Freestyle 1 David Townsend NY

FLD ANL HTR

TOT

PRO

528

279

521

1328

$100

549 533

287 285

554 534

1390 1352

$300

518

283

517

1318

547 538 538 534 529 495

283 286 285 287 284 232

546 539 534 531 519 529

1376 1363 1357 1352 1332 1306

506 501 494 448

283 276 276 273

489 499 493 429

1278 1276 1263 1150

399

268

409

1076

530

288

538

1356

PL SHOOTER 2 3

ST

FLD ANL HTR

Doug Grade WI 522 286 Ralph Peck FL 492 277 Bob Deston CT 494 278 James Yahn OH 475 270 Danny Lantz FL 477 279 Julius Wiggins FL 478 275 Master Senior Female Freestyle 1 Sandy Carr FL 491 280 Master Senior Male Freestyle 1 Joe Bauernfeind NY 535 284 2 Hank Farro FL 523 283 3 Wayne Carr FL 510 283 Fred Stahl FL 475 286 Ed Kaliner FL 484 282 Ralph Galatz FL 499 272 Tim Austin FL 480 268 Gino Graziose FL 439 247 Ty Larson FL 339 223 Youth Male Bowhunter Freestyle 1 Sebastian Rendon FL 483 278 Young Adult Female Bowhunter Freestyle 1 Aja Jacobson FL 455 253 Young Adult Male Bowhunter Freestyle

TOT

523 495 489 506 483 482

1331 1264 1261 1251 1239 1235

495

1266

536 511 509 505 499 482 475 439 318

1355 1317 1302 1266 1265 1253 1223 1125 880

488

1249

438

1146

PRO

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 5

PL SHOOTER

ST

FLD ANL HTR

1 Billy Coulter FL 494 275 Adult Female Bowhunter Freestyle 1 Sarah Gilliard FL 498 265 2 Geanine Shaw FL 368 258 Adult Male Bowhunter Freestyle 1 Rick Dorey FL 518 284 2 Gilbert Ruiz FL 520 289 3 Brad Taylor FL 521 282 Scott Allen FL 478 279 Henry Shaw FL 465 268 David Bonner FL 465 271 Senior Male Bowhunter Freestyle 1 LeRoy Peters FL 482 268 2 Stanley Hahn MN 487 256 3 Bill Coulter FL 480 266 Art Johnson MN 422 261 Senior Male Freestyle Limited 1 Jim Greager PA 475 263 Senior Male Freestyle Limited Recurve/Longbow 1 Mark Beggs FL 450 276 2 David Brandfass FL 458 275 3 Steve Robinson OH 402 245 Larry Michael FL 363 235 Cub Male Barebow 1 Nick Spiller FL 224 162 Adult Male Barebow 1 Tim Gross FL 351 238 Senior Male Barebow 1 John Lackey FL 462 248 Master Senior Male Barebow 1 George Denilen FL 351 228 2 Ben Brown FL 320 204 3 Jerry Barr KY 194 169 Adult Male Traditional 1 Ed DeMateo FL 313 205 Senior Male Traditional 1 Jerry Grabman IN 297 244

TOT

486

1255

484 350

1247 976

531 524 506 497 466 453

1333 1333 1309 1254 1199 1189

488 485 459 446

1238 1228 1205 1129

439

1177

477 460 455 457

1203 1193 1102 1055

302

688

399

988

450

1160

360 311 244

939 835 607

335

853

305

846

PRO

PL SHOOTER 2 Carlos Martinez Adult Male Longbow 1 Dana Chatoo 2 Chris Aemisegger Senior Male Longbow 1 Tim Van Voorhis 2 Don Sweeney

ST

FLD ANL HTR

TOT

FL

286

184

248

718

FL FL

321 224

167 144

321 173

809 541

FL WA

257 192

144 174

342 198

743 564

PRO

Scott Allen, Jose Alers and David Bonner have just scored Target 21, a 15 yarder.

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6 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

by John Dudley

T

here is no doubt that after a long hunting season, it is always fun to get back into target shooting again.

It seems like the Vegas shoot comes around faster and faster each year. Then the Indoor Nationals, the Stan Open and Redding Trail shoot. Usually it is about that time that I start to get anxious to be hunting again. Several years ago a friend of mine asked me to go on a bear hunt with him. My first reply to him was no thanks because I assumed it was a standard bear hunt over bait. I had never gone on a bear hunt before because it just never interesting me to hunt bears over bait. I know many people do it and love it, but it just wasn’t my thing. Then my buddy told me that baiting wasn’t allowed at this place and it was only spot and stalk. Whoa, spot and stalk for bears now that sounded exciting!

Since that first hunt I have been hooked on going spot and stalk bear hunting in the late spring. It is during the perfect time of year when I need a brief break from target shooting and need a good hunt to hold me over until September roles around. The place I go to is up in British Columbia where you will find some of the most breath taking scenery and all kinds of game animals. I have come across moose, elk, caribou, wolves, mule deer, whitetails, and plenty of black bears. At first I was skeptical of how productive spot and stalk would be for bears.

I now know it is very productive with a bow and I have shot all sizes and color bears with my bow at less than 20 yards.

TAKING WHAT WE KNOW AND APPLYING IT Bears have a keen sense of smell. They are closely related to wolves, fox and coyotes. They use their noses mainly to find food, avoid humans and other bears. It is known that bears can smell food that is more than a mile away! This should be of no surprise to us as hunters and applying scent control into a spot and stalk situation will only benefit you.

I take precautions and wear my usual scent elimination layers as I would when deer hunting.

It is also critical to have a method of checking the wind while you are on your stalk. Wind directions can change at any time and you need to constantly know the wind direction. When stalking bears you will need to first locate the bear and then determine the wind direction before making the attempt to stalk. I personally use the floating seeds found from a milk weed pod but you can also use the common wind check products sold over the counter.

The eyesight of a bear is very similar to us as humans. Despite most people’s belief, bears can see in color. A test was conducted at the University of Tennessee using different colored barrels containing food. Bears learned to associate certain colors with food. The test continued by testing different shades of the same colors and it was declared that bears do see in colors as well as shades. The bears knew what colors had food based off sight and not off smell.

This is an important fact to know because the camo continued on pg. 8 Archery Magazine February / March 2008 7

you chose can have a big affect on your success. I started using rancho safari shaggy suits and leafy suits after my first trip bear hunting. It has played a huge part in becoming invisible to the bears eyes.

After filling my tag I normally loan out my leafy to newbie hunters in camp that haven’t tagged out. Everyone notices an immediate difference in what the bears see and don’t see. I have had good luck with several of the lighter colored Realtree patterns to date Max 1 is my preferred pattern. Bears see movement more than anything, so don’t move when they are capable of seeing you. Move when they aren’t looking and let the leafy suit do its job when they are!

A bear’s hearing is better than ours so they hear foreign sounds at longer distances and much more clearly. Aside from the leafy suit the next thing I have found to be a huge asset is a pair of sneaky feet.

They are fleece or thick felt covered booties that either slip over your feet or boots thus muffling the sounds of walking. If they are directly over your feet they are the quietest, but depending on the situation you may need to still have boots on. I don’t know exactly, but I recon that sneaky feet cut the walking noises in half. Like I mentioned earlier all my shots in BC have been less than 20 yards on these bears. Being ultra quiet makes that possible.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN HUNTING SPRING BEARS Bears hibernate in the winter because in northern areas food becomes scarce in the winter. They spend most of the fall eating and getting fat for the long hibernation. In BC the bear hunts normally start the first part of May and go on through June. During the 8 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

first several weeks of the season it is ideal for bowhunters. That time of year the bears are just coming out of hibernation and they are looking for the first green food to eat. Fortunately for us bowhunters the first green vegetation is along the sides of the logging roads.

High numbers of bears spend time feeding on this fresh green and not only does it make them visible to the hunters but it also makes them predictable and very stalkable. During this time the bear’s stomachs are pretty small and their eating schedules are brief but often. If a bear is spotted eating in a certain area and then leaves before you are able to get close enough then be patient because it is only a matter of time. Once they are on some green, they stay there.

The logging roads make it easy to navigate and debris along the roads are great for cover. The general plan of battle is to find a bear feeding and let the guide determine if the bear is big enough to harvest.

Then determine the wind direction and how it affects your present location. If then wind isn’t right then wait until the bear stops feeding and exits, then get to the downwind side of the bear and wait for him to move back out into the opening and start the stalk.

Once the bear is back out and the wind is correct then it is a matter of moving cautiously and quietly along the clearings. Use any object you can between you and the bear as a shield to help block his vision.

The bears are normally really hungry and are eating like a rabbit at a Ruby Tuesday salad bar. Every so often the bear will lift his head to scan the area and look for predators. Be still and let your Realtree work with the background behind you.

Continue to stalk in as the bear feeds and before you know it the only thing you can hear is your heart

trying to beat out of your chest. Don’t worry; the bear can’t hear it beating that hard even though you may think so. Eventually the moment of truth will present itself and you will have your sight pins bearing down on 7 linear feet of fur. Next thing you know that feeling that makes us all addicted to hunting is rushing through the veins and another trophy is on the ground.

LOOKING BACK I have been a die hard archer since I was ten. The late spring is always the time of year when I really get that itch to hunt something again. I will never forget my first bear hunt in BC. My guide Bert spotted this large chocolate colored bear walking along a clear cutting of timber. We checked the wind and headed out on the stalk. By the time we reached the timber edge there was no sighting of the bear. All of a sudden Bert spotted this bruin sleeping under a tree in the sun.

I felt like a native Indian as I crawled through the grasses on my knees and belly.

The whole experience just seemed surreal to me.

One on one with a black bear and a bow! The only thing I could hear was my heartbeat. The only thing I could see was Bert giving me the thumbs up assuring me the bear was still in position. I finally made it to my landmark, came to my knees and pulled my bow.

As I rose up I soon settled my pins on this beast that was in a cold nap not much more the 12 yards away. As my release fired and those green Easton vanes disappeared into the vitals of the bear my adrenalin spiked through the roof! It took less than 10 seconds to hear the crashing confirmation that

I had successfully made my first spot and stalk bear hunt with a bow. The canyons echoed as I yelled back to Bert, “That was AWESOME!” If you fancy a real adventure in hunting then consider a spot and stalk bear hunt during the spring.

There are lots of good options for a hunt like this if you check the web. I know several people that have done different spot and stalk hunts in British Columbia and had a great time. I have hunted with Lobo Peak Outfitters every year that I have gone and see dozens and dozens of bears each trip. Hunters can get up to two tags per year and multiple opportunities are not uncommon. If you are like me and face that mid season blues every year then consider spot and stalk for bears.

Wishing you the best of seasons, John Dudley

For more information on hunting with Lobo Peak www.lobopeak.com Archery Magazine February / March 2008 9

Artist rendering of the new 20,000 sq. ft. NFAA® National Headquarters facility under construction in Yankton, SD

Greetings fellow archers: I am sure you have all seen the cover of this issue and have noticed that the new National Headquarters has increased in size! As I reported in the last issue of Archery, we are building a new National Headquarters in Yankton, South Dakota. Our original plan included an office space and a small area to possibly start a museum.

The city of Yankton has donated 40 acres of ground and several other incentives in return for our building a 4,800 sq. ft. headquarters. I also mentioned that I hopefully would have much more to report in this issue—and I do!

The NFAA Foundation has applied for and received a grant from the Easton Sports Development Foundation!

This grant is for an additional Indoor Range and Outdoor Olympic Range to be incorporated into our National Headquarters. This project has gone from a 4,800 sq. ft. facility to over 20,000 sq. ft., and at the time of this writing has the potential to become even larger. A ground breaking is planned in February to allow for the foundation and other ground work and we are planning for a dedication during the Outdoor Nationals in July! There will be much much more to report in the future and I will report updates as they occur. Please read the following press release with quotes from the Governor of South Dakota, Mayor of Yankton, ESDF and the NFAA. Bruce Cull National Field Archery Association & Easton Sports Development Foundation Announce a Regional Center of Archery Excellence in Yankton, South Dakota The National Field Archery Association (NFAA) and Easton Sports Development Foundation (ESDF) have teamed up with the City & County of Yankton to create a Regional Archery Center of Excellence in Yankton, South Dakota. The Center will be built on 40 acres of land donated to the NFAA by the City & County of Yankton, and include a 13,000 square foot building to house the NFAA national office, a museum and an indoor archery range. The Center and surrounding City property will include five permanent outdoor field or 3-D archery ranges, youth shooting and bow hunting practice areas, plus an Olympic archery training and competition field.

Bruce Cull, President of the National Field Archery Association, said, “The incredible land donation and financial incentives we received from the City and County of Yankton, plus additional support from the Governor’s Office made it a very easy decision for the NFAA to move our National Headquarters to South Dakota. Their support plus major funding from the Easton Sports Development Foundation allows us to expand from our preliminary relocation plan, and become an ESDF Regional Archery Center. We are very excited with the opportunity to create a World Class Archery facility to support youth programs, Field, 3-D, Target, Bow hunting and Olympic style archery training and events.”

10 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

Erik Watts, CEO of Easton-Hoyt stated, “The Easton Sports Development Foundation, has been funded for the past 25 years by Easton, and has donated over three million dollars to support youth archery programs. We were very impressed by the joint effort and outstanding cooperation between the NFAA and the City of Yankton, and pleased that our contribution to the NFAA Foundation allowed them to include an Olympic style archery focus and become a Regional Archery Center of Excellence.

The primary purpose of the ESDF is to develop a competitive Olympic archery program that helps young archers improve their skills as they progress through NASP, JOAD, middle school, high school and college archery programs and on to National Olympic team training.”

Curt Bernard, Yankton City Mayor said, “This is a great opportunity to bring Archery, related businesses, athletes, visitors and positive National attention to our community. It will be a real asset to the University of South Dakota, Mount Marty College and many local and regional schools. Clearly the investment by the Easton Foundation is a huge step forward in creating World Class Olympic Archers through a state of the art training facility. Many thanks to the Easton Foundation Board for their vision and assistance with this Project. NFAA President Bruce Cull and the NFAA Board have been a key driving force in this Project. Through their knowledge, pro-active thinking and industry relations, this Project has become a reality. It is a great example of a strong public-private partnership. Support from the City, County, Yankton Area Progressive Growth, Economic Development, Chamber of Commerce and the Governors Office of Economic Development has been outstanding and thanks to all of them.

The citizens of Yankton welcome and thank the NFAA, the Easton Foundation and all who are helping with this exemplary Project.”

“This is great news for Yankton and for all of South Dakota,” said Governor Mike Rounds. “Hosting world-class events in Yankton will have a significant impact not only on the economy, but on our ability to promote our state. The establishment of the Archery Center of Excellence will give us national exposure both for outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as help us attract businesses that support the industry.”

The Archery Center will focus on supporting community, interscholastic and college archery programs, South Dakota Game, Fish, & Parks, Nebraska Game & Parks bow hunter & hunter education, Scout camp support and to provide a central location for regional collegiate and target archery competition.

Yankton hosted the NFAA National Field and 3-D Championships in the past, and the Center will serve as an ideal facility for future local, state, regional, national and international competitions. Strong community support, outstanding facilities and convenient competitor access from all over the country, makes Yankton the ideal location to host other organizations’ archery competitions in the future.

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 11

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Experience sensational shots with the new Sen-

EDITORIAL BOARD Bruce Cull Brian Sheffler Paul Davison Douglas Joyce EDITOR Marihelen Rogers NFAA Executive Secretary PUBLISHER Rogers Printing Inc. 3350 Main St. PO Box 215 Ravenna MI 49451-0215 LAYOUT P. A. Rogers SALES MANAGER Jim Stewart

Great Lakes Robert McCutcheon 23358 Virden Rd. Virden, IL 62690 217/965-5290 prairie1@royell.net Mid-Atlantic Mike LePera 34 Kentwood Road Succasunna, NJ 07876 973/584-0637 brtesite@optonline.net

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Scott Robbins

ADVERTISING SALES

Midwest Ray Jones 704 West South Winterset, IA 50273 515/462-6788 IowaArchery@hotmail.com

Martin J. Rogers NFAA Headquarters 31407 Outer I-10, Redlands, CA 92373 (909) 794-2133 (909) 794-8512 FAX E-mail: nfaarchery@aol.com

New England Kenneth Moore 730 Newman Avenue Seekonk, MA 02771 508/761-5415 kmoore15@comcast.net

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Vice President—Brian Sheffler 7006 Beargrass Ct. Indianapolis, IN 46241 317/244-7585 lbs@indy.net NFAA® Office 31407 Outer I-10 Redlands, CA 92373 909/794-2133 800/811-2331 NFAArchery@aol.com

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Northwest Dennis Lundine 19605 Pribilof Loop Eagle River, AK 99577 907/696-1910 lundine5@aol.com Southeast Tim Austin 1710 SW 76th Terrace Gainesville, FL 32607 352/332-1969 Flarchery@bellsouth.net Southern Lee Gregory 112 Ridge Oak Drive Georgetown, TX 78628-7613 512/863-8296 lee@dlprint.com Southwest Becky Pearson P.O. Box 308 St. David, AZ 85630 520/720-9532 beckysayre@hughes.net

NFAA® Board of Directors GREAT LAKES Judy McCutcheon Director - IL 23358 Virden Rd. Virden, IL 62690 217/652-5836 jlynnmac@royell.org Rocky Kline Director - IN 1108 N. Korby St. Kokomo, IN 46901 765/457-7086 rlkline@insightbb.com Bill Jones Director - MI 2049 Lake St. National City, MI 48748 989/469-3939

Earl Foster Director - MO 8709 Booth Kansas City, MO 64138 816/763-2699 Ed Christman Director - NE 3818 34th St. Columbus, NE 69601 402/563-3504 eChristman@neb.rr.com Marc Tebelius Director - ND 5292 8th Ave. North Grand Forks, ND 58203 701/792-3582 (home) 218/230-3258 (cell) tebelius@gra.midco.net

Dave Thewlis Director - OH 16423 Chamberlain Rd Grafton, OH 44044 440/926-2464 DThew69613@aol.com

Ron Lewon Director - SD 11 Front St. Bronson, IA 51007 lewon@netins.net

Joe Barbieur Director - WI 5238 Valley View Dr. Janesville, WI 53546 608/756-1473 caal@charter.net

NEW ENGLAND Volker Pense Director - AAE Carl-Ulrich-Strasse 2B 64297 Darmstadt, Germany 0615-653085 nfaadirector@aae-archery.org

MID ATLANTIC Ron West Director - MD 802 Painter Pl. Capitol Hts., MD 20743 202/584-8015 WestArrowsWest@aol.com

Gary Marrier Director - VT 1525 Gibou Rd. Montgomery Ctr., VT 05471 802/326-4797 bowdoctor@pivot.net

John Pawlowski Director - PA 360 Madison St. Coatesville, PA 19320 610/384-5483 bpjp@ccis.net Douglas Joyce Director - NJ 30 Willow Ave. Somerset, NJ 08873 732/247-3892 jdjarcher@aol.com Dave Hryn Director - NY PO Box 341 West Seneca, NY 14224 716/481-4699 Archery1@localnet.com Jim Quarles Director - VA 7911 Cherokee Rd Richmond, VA 23225 804/272-6512 jim.quarles@vfaa.org Ron Lauhon Director - WV P.O. Box 9331 Huntington, WV 25704 304/529-3509 R_lauhon@comcast.net MIDWEST Dean Conrad Director - IA 200 Mulberry St. Sumner, IA 50674 563/578-8534 abe_archery@yahoo.com John Doub Director - KS 1125 E. 59th St. Wichita, KS 67216 316/524-0963 archnutz@cox.net Bill Hakl Director - MN 5656 317th St. Stacy, MN 55079 651/462-1916 wehjkh@frontier.net

Jim Lamoin Director - CT 138 Albrecht Rd. Torrington, CT 06790 860/489-9452 Dave Cousins Director - ME 354 River Rd. Standish, ME 04084 207/642-4530 Alvie Carpenter Director - MA 7 Central Peterborough, NH 03458 603/924-3941 alviec@earthlink.net Michael Wright Director - NH PO box 237 Marlboro, NH 03455 603/876-4249 barebownh@aol.com Bruce Mulneix Director - RI 6101 Post Rd. Trlr 73, N. Kingstown, RI 02852 401-885-5684 NORTHWEST Hubert Sims Director - ID PO Box 1713 Orofino, ID 83544 208/476-5377 hmsarchery@email.com Doug Tate Director - MT 3499 Blacktail Loop Rd. Butte, MT 5970d1 406/494-4393 DOUG.TATE@northwestern.com Scott Roadarmel Director - AK 4106 Harrison St. Anchorage, AK 99503 907/727-0483 sroadarmel@gci.net

LeRoy Dukes Director - OR P.O. Box 422 Fairview, OR 97024 503/201-4961 T.C. Parker Director - WA P.O. Box 613 Hoquiam, WA 98550 360/533-4698 wa_nfaa@olynet.com Dan Kolb Director - WY 3571 Teton St. Casper, WY 82609 307/265-4418 bhfsldlk@hotmail.com SOUTHEAST Howard Beeson Director - AL 111 Eagle Circle Enterprise, AL 30824 334/347-4990 Oliver Austin Director - FL 1620 Yearling Trail Tallahassee, FL 32317 850/309-1918 oaustin@admin.fsu.edu Tom Boots Director - GA 6530 Robert Dr. Harlem, GA 30814-5360 706/556-3240 boots6530@charter.net Jerry Barr Director - KY 919 Manor Dr. Henderson, KY 42420 270/827-4570 barebow@henderson.net Mike Hindmarsh Director - NC 1687 Kildee Church Rd. Ramseur, NC 27316 919/742-5017 bowtie01@centernet.net S. Dale Smith Director - SC 149 Low Road Six Mile, SC 29682 864/868-9422 sdalesmith@yahoo.com Clinton A. Berry, III Director - TN 1802 Porter Road Nashville, TN 37206 615/227-4211 caberry3@earthlink.net SOUTHERN Wayne King Director - MS 107 Dana St. Brandon, MS 39042 601/825-9278 Dick Andrews Director - AR 11 Tuxford Circle Bellavista, AR 72714 479/855-6066 andr-ds@cox.net Scott Bradford Director - LA 40340 Old Hickory Ave. Gonzales, LA 70737-6756 225/622-0838 NFAALADirector@aol.com Robert Wood Director - OK 75377 S. 280 Rd Wagoner, OK 74467 918/485-6552 robertw@osaa.us Monty Heishmann Director - TX 10149 Heritage Pkwy.

West, TX 76691 254-826-5788 barebow@att.net

SOUTHWEST Frank Pearson Director - AZ P.O. Box 308.

St. David, AZ 85630 520/647-7847 frank@frankpearson.com Tom Daley Director - CA 11271 Lakeshore South Auburn, CA 95602 650/722-2713 nfaadir@cbhsaa@org

Committee Chairmen Pro Chairperson Diane Watson 11815 Lakewood Drive Hudson, FL 34669 (727) 856-6841 DianeN2Archery@aol.com Celebrity Chairman Ted Nugent Promotion Chairman Fred Eichler

Kenneth Buck Director - CO 1923 Shoshone Dr. Canon City, CO 81212 719/783-0767 KandSBuck@earthlink.net George Kong, Jr. Director - HI 1255 14th Ave. Honolulu, HI 96816-3838 808/734-5402 Robert Borges Director - NM 5332 River Ridge Ave NW Albuquerque, NM 87114 505/890-4665 Archermn@netscape.com John Thayer Director - NV 7215 W. Tara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89117 702/222-9878 mdthayer@cox.net Judd Wathen Director - UT 675 N. 460 E Ephraim, UT 84627 435/283-3129 Wathen_1@msn.com

Professional Representatives Great Lakes Jeff Button 2889 Busston Rd. Cottage Grove, WI 53527 (608) 839-5137 Midwest Sharon Henneman 9 Aspen Belton, MO 64012 (816) 679-3250 Midatlantic Tom Coblentz 1 Ash Drive Knoxville, MD 21758 301/834-7154 Northwest Carolyn Elder 2319 Pe Ell McDonald Rd. Chehalis, WA 98532 (360) 245-3261 Southern Troy Wesley 2306 57th St. Lubbock, TX 79412 (806) 797-0546 Southeast Diane Watson 11815 Lakewood Drive Hudson, FL 34669 (727) 856-6841 DianeN2Archery@aol.com Southwest Jonathan Pemberton 1652 N. 2100 W. Provo, UT 85604 (801) 323-3704

THE NFAA® HAS 50 CHARTERED STATE ASSOCIATIONS AND OVER 1,000 AFFILIATED CLUBS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. THE SPORT OF ARCHERY IS A HEALTHY AND EXCITING SPORT PROVIDING AN ACTIVITY IN WHICH THE ENTIRE FAMILY CAN PARTICIPATE.

WRITE US ON HOW TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT VARIOUS PROGRAMS OFFERED

BY NFAA®. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS, SECTIONAL/STATE TOURNAMENTS, INDOOR/OUTDOOR LEAGUES, JUNIOR BOWHUNTER PROGRAMS, WHICH INCLUDE THE ART YOUNG SMALL / BIG GAME AWARDS, AND THE BOWFISHER PROGRAM.

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 13

The Big Sky Open–Mesquite

by Tootie Brabec Big Sky Winners Gary Cowart, Tim Gillingham, Jamie VanNatta, Randy Brabec, William Caires “Salute” with a toast to their win and the Big Sky Open. photo by Trina Holmes

Oh – My – Gosh! Breezy conditions weren’t what everyone expected the second year of the Big Sky Open in Mesquite, Nevada. Last year was so calm all three days it felt like indoor shooting in an outdoor setting. Breezy isn’t the correct word to use either. It was more of a demon monster swirling, whirling wind that started on Friday and continued through Saturday. One side of the course showed the flags flying in a southerly position and on the other side, it was westerly.

The middle of the course didn’t know which way it wanted to go, so it would just swirl – right, left and northerly.

That’s really a good picture to start off with!

The scenario gives the impression that the elements had won again and target archers just don’t have the stamina to beat the odds. Wrong!

When you’re Tim Gillingham, Reo Wilde, Kevin Wilkey, Tom Crowe, Randy Brabec, or Jamie Van Natta and you know how to hold and compensate, the best thing to do is batten down the hatches, figure out which way the wind is blowing, hold out for the best release moment and let 14 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

go. And oh yes, you REALLY need to aim! How far off center, only the best-of-the-best can tell you.

It wasn’t the wind that stopped the archers from signing up and shooting the “GoForIt” clay pigeon team event under the power of the baseball lights. Not even the “entertainment” Mesquite had to offer kept those willing to meet the challenge from participating in the opening event. However, the mini clays were perhaps a bit much for the pro’s to aim and shoot at 65 yards away. So next year it’s back to the larger standards for all. “Fifty’s” are fun, but there were no 50’s recorded either day. The only “perfects” were those who didn’t shoot and the wind. Tom Crowe and Cabe Johnson won the Championship division with a total score of 72; Paul Tedford and Dave Cousins wrapped up the Flight/Championship section; and Drew Hortman and Kendrick Wilson kicked butt in the Flight/Flight’s. (Hortman, now there’s a name from Utah that hasn’t been around for a long time; nephew to Jan & Barry if you remember this great archery couple!)

Sure, the scores were not as great as what everyone would have liked, but there’s always another year. Besides, we all had a “perfectly” great time!

Saturday morning and the wind is still doing it’s thing -- picking up momentum, scattering papers and scorecards, thumping the registration canopies on and off the ground and giving the archers reason to invent new swear words. Truly, it was dead calm last year -- “so please make the wind go away!” Our prayers were not heard on Saturday, the wind drowned them out!

Through it all, Tim Gillingham found he could hit the center of the target by aiming a good six inches off. Right or left, he didn’t say, but you can bet it was a challenge as he managed to keep nine points ahead of Reo and then some over Kevin Wilkey and Dave Cousins. Tom Crowe was ahead of Dee Wilde and Frank Pearson in his respective division; Jamie Van Natta was keeping a super margin ahead of Diane Davis and Becky Pearson; Randy Brabec had only one goal in mind as he pulled ahead of Bob Gentry and Tim Driscoll in the Mens FSL division. Gary Cowart was leading over Bret Moran and Tony Mansfield in the Mens Championship BHFS division.

Then came Sunday. Our prayers were heard after all, it was dead calm and it was catch-up time!

If you want to get a lead over the competition, do so in adverse conditions because when it clears up, the heat is on! Those who were leading knew this and put all their skills to work on Sunday.

“Catch-up ‘cause the heat is on”? As the top Senior Men in the Championship division poured on the points, Dee Wilde and Tom Crowe were trying their best to out-score each other. At the 65 yard target, the very last one of the V-Formation that can make or break the competition, Dee and Tom found themselves tied. However, Tom had six points on Dee from Saturday’s score, so even with the catch-up; Dee didn’t shoot enough to take the lead. That darn wind!

Reo Wilde and Kevin Wilkey loved the calm on Sunday! Was Gillingham so affected by the wind on Saturday that he may not have accepted the calm on Sunday and was still aiming an inch or so off the center? Was Gillingham startled that Reo and Kevin were politely overtaking his score on Sunday? Was Gillingham.........? It doesn’t matter! Reo and Kevin both outshot Tim on the final day, but they couldn’t make up enough to

beat Gillingham. Tim shook his head in relief and disbelief; he had won after all! There can be a lot of “ifs”, “whens” and “maybes”, but emotions and mistakes are not recorded on paper. All that is entered in black and white is the final score!

Reo won the Big Sky Open in Grand Junction in June, placing Tim in second. Mesquite was a close flip-flop for these two. Tim won first, but it was Reo and Kevin who took home contingency money from Hoyt. Thanks so much Hoyt for your investment in great target archers and for supporting the Big Sky Open tournaments. You are appreciated!

Anyone leading in the Championship Divisions on Saturday, walked with awards on Sunday: Tom Crowe, Randy Brabec and Gary Cowart were all 4 – 6 points in front of their respective competitors. The wind didn’t bother Jamie VanNatta in the least, as she was a double digit over Diane Davis, Becky Pearson and Trina Musick. In fact, Jamie shot 10 points better than her score from last year.

Lindsay Christensen turned 19 at the Big Sky and was contemplating moving up to the Womens Championship Division, but at the last minute decided not to. In reality, she came within

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 15

Sr. Men in the Championship division gather for a photo at the last target at the Big Sky Open. photo by Tootie Brabec six points overall of Veteran Pro, Becky Pearson.

The Pro Women are great to shoot with and who knows? Shooting with them may have pushed her to greater heights. Maybe next year, Lindsay – you’re a good archer!

Ed Eliason and Lynn Walter won the Classic Divisions and there was one Barebow Traditional participant from Michigan, Bill Powell.

In all the Flights, whoever was in the lead would remain so the next day for prize money.

Third Flight competitors Adolph Corona, Paul Bambrick and Rod Weaver were all tied for first.

Adolph dug in, kept his head, the lead and won first position. Amber Christensen, in the Womens Flights was doing a good job at sewing-up her score over the ladies.

Terry Howell was leading on Saturday, but he and David Taylor tied for first, so a shoot-off was announced. Sweaty palms and blurred vision, it was the blind leading the blind. Not really!

They both knew what they had to do and the best they could with everyone watching and cheering them on! Terry won and received handshakes and congrat’s all around. A shoot-off at the Big Sky is rare and appreciated.

When Shaun Larsen decides to go for the money, watch out pros! This young amateur from Utah always “cleans up” at any of the Big Sky Open’s he’ s shot in and just keeps getting better. Shaun was once again our youth cham16 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

pion.

“GoForIt” Teams who won first were: GOLD TIP #1 –Benton Christensen & Tim Gillingham in Flight/Chamionship with a score of 91; Crowe & Gillingham in Champ/Champ scoring a total of 87; and “Clay Busters”, Kevin Palmer & Ben Duke in the Flight/Flight teams with a score of 82. Not bad scoring for little clays, a sunny day and wind whipping arrows.

There’s a lot to work on for next year. The clay pigeon team event is a great warm-up for everyone and is unique in its own right for the Big Sky Open. If possible, we will try to find a sponsor for the event as well as some visual awards. The Mesquite Big Sky Open is scheduled for October 31, November 1 & 2, 2008. Halloween in Mesquite? That could be interesting. Maybe costumes and clays for Friday evening under the lights! Just don’t dress up like a deer, it will still be hunting season!

If you want to have a really great archery tournament, INVITE UTAH! Seventeen states were represented at the Big Sky Open in Mesquite, but Utah archers are always unanimous at this event.

Not only do they love archery, they love Nevada and are nearly game for anything! A Utahan won in nearly every division. Thank you Utah, for sending your best, you are appreciated. Thank you ALL, for making the Big Sky Open in its second year, a success. And thank you, Warren

& Helen Buck, for coming down from Canada, a second time. Warren missed winning any money by just three points, but he was on board and ready to try again next year as they are planning their first trip to the Grand Junction Big Sky Open in June 2008.

Thank you to Myron & Ann Peters, our longtime cohorts who take care of the Team Events and make sure they are running smoothly; Jeff & Linda Cell who help with administrative and scoring procedures; Mitch & Trina Holmes for announcing and running targets; Randy Brabec for range set-up and rules, Tony & Cindy Mansfield for transporting targets and range set-up; and to all those who helped in so many ways. The Big Sky Open tournaments belong to the target archers and any and all help is very much appreciated.

Thank you to our sponsors: SPORTSMANS WAREHOUSE (UT/CO) HOYT (UT); MARTIN ARCHERY (WA); ROCKY MTN. BOWSTRINGS (CO); JAKES ARCHERY (UT); GOLD TIP, INC. (UT); SPECIALTY ARCHERY (IA); US ARCHER magazine (AZ).

Thank you to our Bale Advertisers: Sure-Loc Mfg (IN); Carter Enterprises (ID); Saunders Archery (NE); Red Rock Archery (CO); Pick’s Roll-Off (UT); BCY, Inc. (CT); Winners Choice Custom

Bowstrings (OR); and Playoff’s Pizzeria (NV).

Thank you to those who donated door prizes: Doinker, Inc. (CA); Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc. (OR); Gold Tip, Inc. (UT); BCY, Inc. (CT); Plano Molding Co.(IL); Scott Archery Mfg. (KY); Specialty Archery (IA); Outdoor Products (CA); US Archer Magazine (AZ).

Everyone mentioned here, from Sponsors to door prizes -- we want you to know that an archery event of this proportion could not have happened without your help and support. It takes a lot to put on a good tournament for dedicated target archers and we want you to know that we so appreciate each and every one of you.

The archers can’t possibly thank you enough, but can, in turn, support your companies and products as a way of saying “your investment in us will keep target archery alive and we appreciate what you are doing for us!”

The Big Sky Open tournaments can be found on our website: www.bigskyarcheryopen.com or on the NFAA’s website in schedule of events. Our sponsors also have information about the Big Sky Open’s, link onto their websites as well.

Thank you archers, for participating in the Big Sky Open – Mesquite. Hope to see you in Grand Junction, June 13, 14 and 15 – 2008!

Left: Bob Gentry, Tim Driscoll, and Randy Brabec toe the line in effort to be first in the Mens FSL at the Big Sky Open. Right: Top ladies at the Big Sky Open - Jamie VanNatta, Diane Davis, Trina Musick and Becky Pearson. photo by Tootie Brabec

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 17

RESULTS: 2007 Big Sky Open – Mesquite (Nevada) November 2, 3, 4 Sat. Sun. Score Score Total Championship Freestyle Unlimited MEN 1st Tim Gillingham - UT 588 576 1164 $1,700.00 2nd Reo Wilde - ID 579 584 1163 $850.00 + $500 HOYT contingency 3rd Kevin Wilkey - UT 573 586 1159 $675.00 + $250 HOYT contingency 4th Dave Cousins - ME 569 586 1155 $475.00 5th Dave Stepp - AZ 565 585 1150 $400.00 6th Logan Wilde - ID 558 587 1145 $350.00 7th Mike Gerard - UT 568 576 1144 $315.00 8th Roger Hoyle - UT 560 578 1138 9th Chris Deston - CT 559 579 1138 10th Rod Menzer - WI 557 580 1137 11th Cabe Johnson - OR 559 578 1137 12th Allan Ruddock - OR 549 586 1135 13th Martin Lotz - WA 550 581 1131 15th Dwight Snodgrass - NV 561 568 1129 16th Charles Roof - NV 549 573 1122 17th Dan Quintana - CA 546 575 1121 18th David Miller - AZ 548 565 1113 19th Brian Bowers - WY 543 559 1102 20th Al Rafferty - CA 532 558 1090 21st Mel Nichols - AZ 508 537 1045 Championship Freestyle Unlimited WOMEN 1st Jamie Van Natta - OH 569 584 1153 1st $525.00 2nd Diane Davis - UT 525 568 1093 2nd $225.00 3rd Becky Pearson - AZ 526 540 1066 4th Trina Musick - AZ 459 525 984 Championship Freestyle Limited MEN 1st Randy Brabec - CO 539 559 1098 $525.00 2nd Bob Gentry - OR 533 550 1083 3rd Tim Driscoll - CA 462 495 957 Championship Senior Freestyle Unlimited MEN 1st Tom Crowe - OR 574 577 1151 1st $700.00 2nd Dee Wilde - ID 568 577 1145 2nd $378.00 3rd Frank Pearson - AZ 555 565 1120 3rd $302.00 4th Carl Hix - CA 540 561 1101 4th $226.00 5th Carl Speakman - CO 529 571 1100 5th $152.00 6th Warran Buck - AB 528 569 1097 7th Richard Buttner - NV 531 560 1091 8th Timothy Smith - AZ 534 552 1086 9th Bill Rucker - CO 529 553 1082 10th Lou Milanesi - NV 531 544 1075 11th Joseph Stella - NV 512 558 1070 12th Bob Jacobsen - UT 518 543 1061 13th Jim Pickering - UT 519 498 1017 14th Jim Hamilton - AZ 437 491 928 15th Marlow Larson – UT N/S 16th Ben Rogers – CA N/S 17th Don Borg – UT N/S Championship Bowhunter Freestyle Unlimited MEN 1st Gary Cowart - UT 541 541 1082 $500.00 2nd Bret Moran - AZ 537 542 1079 $300.00 3rd Tony Mansfield - CO 531 542 1073 4th Kenny Pollock - UT 456 474 930 Championship Bowhunter Freestyle Limited MEN 1st William Caires - CO 504 508 1012 $98.00 Championship Classic Limited MEN 1st Edwin Eliason - UT 497 510 1007 $98.00 2nd Kris Carlson – UT N/S Championship Traditional BareBow Men 1st Bill Powell - MI 303 345 648 $98.00 Championship Classic Limited WOMEN 1st Lynn Walter - CO 417 421 838 $98.00 Flight 1 WOMEN Amber Christensen - ID 533 550 1083 1st $144.00 Kris Weaver - UT 520 552 1072 2nd $96.00 Lindsay Christensen - ID 519 541 1060 Helen Buck - AB Canada 466 466 932 18 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

Sat. Sun. Score Score Total Flight 1 MEN Terry Howell - UT 562 577 1139 Won by Shootoff David Taylor - NV 561 578 1139 Drew Hortman - UT 568 567 1135 Kevin Palmer - UT 568 566 1134 Paul Tedford - MT 551 578 1129 Maurice Audeh - OR 551 568 1119 Gary Curl - OR 548 559 1107 Ben Duke - UT 551 538 1089 Flight 2 MEN Benton Christensen - ID 539 568 1107 Craig Christiansen - UT 538 558 1096 Bob Looney - OR 532 556 1088 Kevin Adams - UT 537 545 1082 Russ Necaise - UT 524 555 1079 Dustin Robben - CA 528 551 1079 Jim Taylor - NV 523 554 1077 Frank Roof - NV 529 542 1071 Casey Frigetto - CO 521 535 1056 Kenderick Wilson - WY 520 527 1047 Flight 3 MEN Adolph Corona - CO 519 564 1083 Paul Bambrick - UT 519 555 1074 Rod Weaver - UT 519 549 1068 Larry Phillips - CO 517 538 1055 Randall Johnson - UT 508 542 1050 Scott Meineke - CO 513 534 1047 Kevin Lane - CO 512 534 1046 Billy Horton - CA 514 531 1045 Terrance Clougherty - AZ 504 541 1045 Flight 4 MEN Justin Foster - CO 499 533 1032 Brandt Nielson - UT 494 535 1029 LeRoy Dukes - OR 492 535 1027 Jordan Jolley - UT 491 509 1000 Ed Marten - CO 488 509 997 Robert Deston - CT 472 504 976 Gary Ledbetter - CA 499 471 970 Jim Getiler - CA 478 231 709 Flight 5 MEN Robert Hanson - UT 456 541 997 Scott Knarr - NV 463 527 990 Gene Queen - OR 463 502 965 Sherm Griffith - UT 451 507 958 Jerry Brabec - CO 457 497 954 Mitchell Holmes - CO 468 481 949 Robert Arthur - NM 460 474 934 Ruel Christensen - UT 441 485 926 Nielson, Tom – UT N/S Alaimo, Alan – NV N/S Bruce, Nathan – NV N/S Youth Amateur Cadet Freestyle BOY Tristan Stepp - AZ 474 508 982 Ryan Larsen - UT 300 308 608 Youth Amateur Intermediate Freestyle BOY Shaun Larsen - UT 535 561 1096 Kyle Bartels - CO 525 537 1062 Jeffrey Crippen - CO 520 542 1062 Logan Weaver - UT 490 485 975 Youth Amateur Junior Freestyle BOY Dusty Weaver - UT 486 480 966 Brad Carter - ID 422 479 901 Austin Holmes - CO 332 376 708 Youth Amateur Junior Freestyle GIRL Kendra Davis - UT 286 402

$20,000

1st $255.00 2nd $153.00 3rd $102.00

1st $255.00 2nd $153.00 3rd $102.00

8th 9th 10th 1st $255.00 2nd $153.00 3rd $102.00

1st $255.00 2nd $153.00 3rd $102.00

1st $255.00 2nd $153.00 3rd $102.00

1st 1st

1st

688 1st

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 19

Coach’s Corner

PERFECT PRACTICE, PART 1

by Bernie Pellerite ©2008

The Do’s and Don’ts of An Accelerated Learning Curve

D

ue to the length of this subject it has been broken down into 3 parts. The other two parts will appear in future issues.

Consistently hitting what you aim at with a bow and arrow is really hard to do! This “predictable accuracy” that eludes so many of us is an attainable goal, but it’s never really achieved or maintained without endless hours of practice. For those of you who would rather “pray for luck,” here’s an old archery saying . . . “It takes a lot of luck to succeed with a bow and arrow . . . the more you practice, the luckier you seem to get!” It follows that if we’re going to have to practice, we might as well make

20 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

it count. Like most good archers eventually discover . . . practice does not make perfect . . . perfect practice makes perfect!

The best way to do that is to have a qualified coach keep you on track. By the way, besides teaching the shooter’s school, I also do private and group lessons at my home.

The following is an outline of a uniquely productive and accelerated practice regimen. These “super sessions” are for serious bowhunters and target archers only. With the proper dedication, these do’s and don’ts will greatly accelerate your learning curve and your level of understanding and accuracy with a bow and arrow.

• DON’T try to practice while you are worried about a piece of equipment that is about to fail or is not in order . . . you have enough to think about! Fix it first!

• DO make sure your bow is tuned properly (or as good as you think it should be), your arrows are matched to the bow and are identical, and nothing is loose. Silicone, rubber cement, or LocTite™ all nuts, bolts and screws that don’t have to be moved frequently.

• DON’T spend hours timing, tuning, and making adjustments at home, only to have something move or fail at a tournament or in a treestand, and have no idea how to put it back, exactly the way it was before (now, let’s see . . . how far was the peep from my nocking point?).

• DO keep a log book! A small 3” x 5” spiral notebook will do. Record your bow’s poundage, axle to axle length, brace height, tiller mea-

surements, nocking point position on your bow square, distance of the peep sight from the nocking point, arrow speed in feet per second, arrow weight, total and individual pin gap (trace them if possible), and your exact draw length.

Sooner or later a string or cable on your bow will break or stretch, your serving will separate, unwind or break, or your peep, pin sights, or rest will move. When it happens, you can avoid a disaster by referring to your log book. You can repair or reset the affected part back to its original specs without altering performance or wasting hours retuning or sighting in your bow again. This same farsightedness should also be standard for other critical adjustments. For instance, marking the position of things like limb bolts, overdraw, arrow rest, peep site, pin sights, center serving and cam roll-over position with correction fluid (Wite-Out®) can save you, by quickly identifying and correcting one or more items that might move from their original position, for one reason or another.

• DON’T try to pull your bow (especially heavy poundage), when your muscles are cold. Not only will this start the wrong set of muscles into action (usually shoulder, arm and chest muscles), which gets you off track immediately with a shaky sight picture, but you are asking for tendonitis or possibly rotator cuff surgery later. Try using an exercise band to warm up.

• DO stretch and warm up your muscles with a length of rubber tubing or rubber stretch band. This lower stress start-up allows you to

A

B

C

A) LocTite™ all nuts, bolts and screws that don’t have to be moved frequently. B) Record your bow and arrow’s vital statistics because it will save you, if you have to re-cable or replace a string. C) Marking the cam roll-over point can tell you instantly when something moved or stretched.

key on your back muscles (rhomboids), and allows the arms and shoulders to relax, which facilitates a much steadier sight picture, from arrow number one.

• DON’T start shooting a small target at 20 to 40 yards right away. You’re often so intent on hitting the target, your form goes to pieces right from the start. Your “tip off” to this condition is, for example, when you’re hitting in the middle on Monday, Thursday you are shooting to the right and on Saturday you are shooting left.

This, among other things, can be caused by a lack of “muscle memory.” At the beginning and intermediate level, usually the very first arrow we shoot in a practice session sets up our subconscious and short-term muscle memory, for a “first impression” of how the shot should feel, and therefore be executed. Since we’re so preoccupied with “trying to hit the target,” we usually don’t maintain good form, and shoot a “bad first shot.” It can sometimes take hours or dozens of shots to straighten out this bad first impression that we gave our subconscious.

• DO shoot the first few arrows at five or ten yards, so you don’t have to worry about missing. This

enables you to concentrate more on perfect form . . . and perfect feel . . . which sets up the right “first impression” for our subconscious to try and duplicate. (This is like a golfer, tennis or baseball player taking a few practice swings to re-educate their muscle memory about a good swing.) If you can, close your eyes after you come to anchor, and shoot several shots at three to four yards with no tar-

get, or use my bow simulator. This lets your subconscious experience how a good shot should feel. If you are really serious, schedule a whole practice session each week on an empty bale or with the bow simulator. Shoot for half an hour with your eyes closed, and a half an hour with your eyes open. With your ego “unplugged,” scattering your arrows and no target, you can continued on pg. 20

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 21

The Do’s and Don’ts of An Accelerated Learning Curve—continued completely explore, experiment with or absorb whatever part of your form or timing you wish, one at a time . . . without caring where the arrow went. If you can, video yourself shooting the first shot with your eyes closed, and compare it with a 20 yard, eyes open, first shot from another session . . . they should look the same, form-wise.

Most people are surprised at the huge difference. If there are differences, you can then work on getting them to look the same . . . which is the whole key to good form.

In the next issue, we will further discuss more do’s and don’t for a perfect practice regimen. Stay tuned!

Stretch and warm up your muscles with a length of rubber tubing or rubber stretch band.)

NFAA® CALENDAR OF EVENTS TOURNAMENT ...............................DATES............................ VENUE —2008—

Great Lakes Indoor Sectional .............................. February 2-3 .............................. Iron River, MI Midwest Indoor Sectional .................................. February 2-3 ............ Sioux Falls & Kansas City NFAA Board of Directors Meeting .................... February 17-18 ........................... Las Vegas, NV World Archery Festival Vegas Shoot.................. February 22-24 ........................... Las Vegas, NV Mid Atlantic Indoor Sectional............................... March 1-2 ......................... Multiple locations Northwest Indoor Sectional ................................. March 8-9 ......................... Multiple locations Southeast Indoor Sectional .................................. March 7-9 ............................ Three Locations Southern Indoor Sectional ................................... March 8-9 ......................... Multiple locations NFAA Indoor Nationals ...................................... March 15-16 ...............................Louisville, KY New England Indoor Sectional ........................... March 28-30 .......................... Lunenburg, MA International Field Archery Champ 2008 ...............April 7-12 ........................................Namibia Southeast 3-D Sectional .......................................April 12-13 ......................... Myrtle Beach, SC

The School of Advanced Archery and Instructor Certification UPDATE The School of Advanced Archery & Instructor Certification a.k.a. “A Weekend at Bernie’s” is scheduling into 2008. So far, the ever-popular mobile Shooter’s School (formerly the NFAA Shooter’s School) has conducted 32 schools. 395 students have attended with 369 becoming Certified Instructors.

Interested shooters should go after your pro shop owners or club presidents and book a Shooter’s School near you! Remember, the host shop or club receives 10% and the contact person attends for free.

The Shooter’s School is offering NFAA Certification. To date, there are 72 new NFAA members and 103 new NFAA Level III Instructors.

For more information about attending or hosting a school, go to www.robinhoodvideos.com.

2008 SCHEDULE February 15 - 17, 2008

H & H Archery, Bossier City, LA. Contact: Kenneth (Chip) Hemphill 318-415-9419. Email: hharchery@yahoo.com

February 29 - March 2, 2008

Spirit Quest Archery, Kalispell, MT. Contact: Aaron 406-756-5455

Stanislawski Open/World Archery Festival ............April 19-20 ................................ Hartford, CT Great Lakes 3-D Sectional ....................................April 26-27 .................................. Rockton, IL NFAA Marked 3-D Championship .......................... May 2-4 .................................. Redding, CA Southwest Outdoor Sectional .............................. May17-18 ................................. Carefree, AZ Southern 3-D Sectional ........................................ May 24-25 .......................... Baton Rouge, LA Big Sky Open .......................................................June 13-15 ..................... Grand Junction, CO Great Lakes Outdoor Sectional .............................June 14-15 .............................. Eau Claire, WI Southern Outdoor Sectional ................................June 14-15 ............................................. TBD Midwest Outdoor Sectional .................................June 21-22 ..................Missouri & Minnesota New England Outdoor Sectional ..........................June 21-22 ........................... Lunenburg, MA Southeast Outdoor Sectional ...............................June 21-22 ................................ Clemson, SC Mid Atlantic Outdoor Sectional............................June 28-29 .........................Watkins Glen, NY NFAA Unmarked 3D Championship ..................... July 19-20 ..................................Yankton, SD NFAA Outdoor National Championship ............... July 21-25 ..................................Yankton, SD Big Sky Open ......................................................... Nov 1-3 .................................Mesquite, NV

ROBINHOOD VIDEOS • 1600 Reynoldsburg-New Albany Rd. • Blacklick, Ohio 43004 614-322-1038 / fax 614-322-1039 • E-mail: Bernie@robinhoodvideos.com • www.robinhoodvideos.com 22 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

North American Field Archery Championships ..... Dec 13-14 ..............................Homestead, FL Archery Magazine February / March 2008 23

SECTION & STATE ASSOCIATION NEWS Edited by Paul Davison • stringwalker@att.net GREAT LAKES SECTION Bob McCutcheon, Councilman prairie1@royell.net

Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Additional Info:

Sectional Tournament Info 2008 GREAT LAKES OUTDOOR SECTIONAL June 14-15, 2008 Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Late registration: Schedule: Accommodations (all off Exit 65):

Eau Claire Archers 2145 Murphy Lane, Eau Claire, WI 54703 From I-94, Exit 65, go north 0.3 miles to Short St, then left 1 mile to Ferry St, then left 0.2 miles to Crescent Ave. Turn right on go 4.4 miles to Murphy Lane, then left 0.4 miles to range. From I-94, Exit 59, go east on Rt. 312 to Rt. EE, then right (south) for 4 miles to Crescent Ave. Go right to Murphy Lane, then left to range.

Michael Strassman, 2402 W Cameron St, Eau Claire, WI 54703. Tel: 715-834-9975. E-mail: mstrassman9975@charter.net.

At the range Saturday, 9:00 am, 28 Field and 14 Animal. Sunday, 8:00 am, 28 Hunter Holiday Inn, campus area, 715-835-2211. The Plaza, 1800-482-7829. Hampton Inn, 715-839-7100. Quality Inn, 715-834-6611.

MID-ATLANTIC SECTION Mike Le Pera, Councilman brtesite@optonline.net

Sectional Tournament Info 2008 MID-ATLANTIC INDOOR SECTIONAL This is a multiple-site tournament conducted on February 29-March 2, or March 1-2, 2008: Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Accommodations: Host: Location: Registration:

24 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

Wa-Xo-Be Archers Major Road, South Brunswick, NJ Take US 1 south toward Princeton from New Brunswick to Major Rd. Go 1/3 mile. The entrance to the range is on the left.

Douglas Joyce, 30 Willow Ave, Somerset, NJ 08873Tel: 732-247-3892 February 25, 2008 At the range.

Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 am both days. Second line on Sunday at 1:00 pm, if needed.

Red Roof Inn, 208 New Rd. and US 1, South Brunswick, NJ, 732-821-8800.

Wopena Archers 39 Harding Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07011 Rima Campanelli, 3-52 31st Street, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410. Tel: 201-773-3284

Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Miscellaneous Info: Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Accommodations: Miscellaneous Info: Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Accommodations:

February 22, 2008 February 29, 2008.

Friday, 7:30 pm, Saturday, 11:00 am and Sunday, 11:00 am.

Arnie Mazzone, 973-365-2590, Tuesday and Thursday evenings only.

Buckshorn Sportsmen Located off Hell Neck Road, near Salem, NJ. Turn off Rt 49 onto Rt 626 (Jericho Road). Go 5.5 miles top Hell Neck Rd. Turn Right at club sign and go 0.6 miles. Turn left at club sign go 1.1 miles to club Elmer McKishen, 1003 School Village, Seabrook, NJ 08302-4243. Tel: 856-451-6044 February 23, 2008 February 26, Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Club phone, 856-935-0037. Dave Tarry, 856-9351545.

Prince William Archers Izaak Walton Dr., Brentsville, VA From I-95, Exit 152 at State Route 234, north toward Manassas, then left on 619 (Bristow Rd.), then left on Izaak Walton Dr. to club. From I-66, Exit 44 at 234 Bypass, south on State Route 28 past airport, then left on 619 (Bristow Rd.), right on Izaak Walton Dr. to club.

Jim Little, 13705 Santa Rosa Ct., Manassas, VA 20112.

Tel: 703-791-3659. E-mail: jlittlejr@comcast.net February 26, 2008 At clubhouse. up to one hour before shoot time..

Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 am and 1:00 pm both days.

Best Western, 703-368-7070. Holiday Inn, 703-3350000. Days Inn, 703-368-2800. Red Roof Inn, 703335-9333.

Club has 18 lanes, plus separate area for spectators.

Kitchen open both days.

Wythe Bowhunters Clubhouse on Dale Drive, Wytheville, VA From I-81, Exit 70: Turn onto US 52N and go about 7 miles. Turn left at Stoney Fork Tire Center on Dale Drive. Clubhouse is 0.1 mile from US 52. From I-77, Exit 47: Turn left on Rt 717 (Krenning Rd) and go 41⁄2 miles to US 52. Turn left on US 52S. Go one mile, turn right at Stoney Fork Tire Center on Dale Drive. Clubhouse is 0.1 mile from US 52 Stacy Pruitt, 821 Matney Flats Rd, Wytheville, VA 24382. Tel: 276-621-4212. E-Mail: wythebowhunter@yahoo.com.

February 22, 2008 At clubhouse day of shoot.

Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 am, 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm both days.

Comfort Inn, 276-228-4488. Days Inn, 276-228-5500.

Hampton Inn, 276-228-6090. Ramada Inn, 276-2286000

continued on page 24 Archery Magazine February / March 2008 25

Miscellaneous Info:

Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Accommodations: Miscellaneous Info: Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Accommodations: Miscellaneous Info:

Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Late Registration: Schedule: Accommodations: Additional Info: Host: Location: Directions:

Go to www.visitwytheville.org for more accommodations. Wytheville is 7 miles from clubhouse and is loaded with accommodations and restaurants. For out-of-staters, we are 30 minutes from WV, 60 minutes from TN, and 45 minutes from NC. Neil’s Archery 122 W Main St, Endicott, NY 13760 From intersection of I-81 and SR 17, go west on SR 17 toward Elmira. At Exit 67, go north to Endicott. Go 0.5 mile and take SR 17C (Main St) west. Range is about 1.5 miles on left.

Neil Newkirk, Neil’s Archery, 122 W Main St, Endicott, NY 13760. Tel: 607-786-7535 February 25, 2008 At range.

Friday: 6:00 pm. Saturday: 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm.

Sunday: 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Econo Lodge, 607-754-1533. Best Western Johnson City, 607-729-9194. Kings Inn, 607-754-8020.

Restaurants within walking distance. Ample free parking.

Midstate Archers PO Box 511, Sutton, WV 26601 (Rt 15 Airport Road) Off I-79, Exit 67 (Flatwoods, WV). Take Rt 4 south 1 mile, then left on Day Drive 1.2 miles, then left on Rt 15 (Airport Rd) south 0.4 miles. Range is on right. See www.midstatearchers.com for map.

Becky Mayse, PO Box 356, Frametown, WV 26623. Tel: 304-364-4110. E-mail: vbcdmayse@citynet.net.

Received by February 15, 2008 At the door.

Friday: 7:00 pm. Saturday: 8:00 am and 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Sunday: 9:00 am.

Days Inn, 304-765-5055, 1 mile from range.

Food will be available. Seating/bleachers, lounge area with TV, VCR, DVD, entrance area for equipment (bow chase) storage, restrooms, practice range available all weekend available. Opening and closing times will be posted at the door and at club website. For further info, call 304-364-4110.

Charleroi Archery Club 193 Fremont Road, Charleroi, PA 15022 From I-70, take Charleroi exit and make a left. Follow that road to 5th Street and make a left. Follow that road up over the hill past the power station and through the “S” curve. The club is on the left side.

Patrick Sinal, Charleroi Archery, 193 Fremont Road, Charleroi, PA 15022. Tel: 724-366-3596. E-mail: psinal@hotmail.com None At the range.

Saturday: 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Sunday: 9:00 am and 1:00 pm York & Adams Archers 413 Country Club Rd, Abbottstown, PA 17301 From York follow US 30 west to Abbottstown. Turn left onto Country Club Rd on the east side of town. Club is approximately 11⁄2 miles back on left.

Robert Wertz, 336 Third St, Hanover, PA 17331. Tel: 717 451-7408. E-mail: bulldogs4bean@aol.com.

At club Friday: 7:00 pm: Saturday: 9:00 am, 12:30 pm. Sunday: 9:00 am, 12:30 pm.

Hampton Inn, 717-633-1117. Super 8, 717-630-8888.

Holiday Inn Express, 717-637-1228 Scott Kearney, 717-792-2027.

Walton Park Bowhunters A & A Supply, 207 S Main St, Amherst, VA 24521 US 29 Business to town of Amherst. A & A Supply is located at stop light on Main St. Registration: Kendall Woody, 194 Arrowhead Dr, Madison Heights, VA 24572. Tel: 434-929-0223 or 434-238-4519 Deadline: February 23, 2008 Late Registration: A & A Supply Schedule: Saturday: 7:00 am, 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. Sunday: 7:00 am, 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Accommodations: Ramada Inn (20 minutes), 434-847-7500. Holiday 26 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

Miscellaneous Info:

Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Late Registration: Accommodations:

Miscellaneous Info:

Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Accommodations: Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Accommodations: Miscellaneous Info:

Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Schedule:

State News

Inn Select (20 minutes), 434-528-2500. Courtyard by Marriot (20 minutes), 434-846-7900. Thomas Motor Lodge (15 minutes), 434-845-2121 Snacks and drinks will be available at A & A Supply.

Fast food and restaurants are located within 1 mile of A & A Supply. A & A Supply phone number is 434-9467668 Double T Archery Club Doc’s Archery, 908 Niagara Falls Blvd, North Tonawanda, NY 14120 Take the New York State Thruway (I-90) toward Buffalo to the Youngman Expwy (I-290) to Niagara Falls Blvd (US 62) north toward Niagara Falls for 4.7 miles to 908 Niagara Falls Blvd, second floor.

Mark Irlbacher, 611 Walck Rd, N.Tonawanda, NY 14120. Tel: 716-693-2703 or 716-695-6586 E-mail: docsarchery@worldnet.att.net At the range Sleep Inn, 75 Innkeepers Lane, Amherst, NY, 716691-6510. Ellicott Park Court Motel, 2270 Niagara Falls Blvd, Tonawanda, NY, 716-693-6412. Blue Falls Motel, 2142 Niagara Falls Blvd, Tonawanda, NY, 716-695-0433. Hayat Motel, 1182 Niagara Falls Blvd, N.Tonawanda, NY, 716-694-0360. Amton Motel, 1970 Niagara Falls Blvd, Tonawanda, NY, 716-692-7260.

Doc’s Archery is located approximately 8 miles south of the honeymoon capital of the world — Niagara Falls. Lots of sightseeing and shopping nearby, as well as gambling casinos on both sides of the border in Niagara Falls, NY, and Canada Wildwood Sports Center 5740 Fikes Road, Elbridge, NY 13060 Route 5 east from Elbridge, turn left on Fikes Rd, and go approximately 1.5 miles. Wildwood will be on the right. Follow dirt road for 1⁄4 mile to shooting range.

Wildwood Sports Center, PO Box 544, Elbridge, NY 13060. Tel: 315-689-1066. E-mail: bob@wildwoodsc. com None At range Friday: 7:00 pm. Saturday: 9:00 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Sunday: 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Best Western, 315-834-6623. Holiday Inn Auburn, 315253-4531. Days Inn Weedsport, 315-834-6198.

Mayberry Archers 2549 Mayberry Rd, Westminster, MD 21158 Follow MD Rt. #140 west from Westminster approximately 6 miles to Mayberry Rd. Turn right at Mayberry Rd. Go 1.1 miles to clubhouse on right on top of hill.

Sandy Rowe, 817 Otterdale Mill Rd, Taneytown, MD 21787. Tel: 410-775-7013. E-mail: dansanrowe@yahoo.com February 24, 2008 At the range (space permitting) Friday: 7:15 pm. Saturday: 9:00 am, 12:30 pm, and 4:00 pm. Sunday: 9:00 am, 12:30 pm and 4:00 pm, only if needed Days Inn, 410-857-0500. Comfort Inn, 410-857-1900.

Boston Inn, 410-848-9095 Please include phone number in registration in case your shooting time preference is filled. Plenty of food available on Saturday and Sunday. No crossbows are allowed.

Smith Point Sports 215 East Main St, Patchouge, NY 11772 From LIE, Take Exit 64south (Route 112) to Montauk Hwy. Make right turn onto Montauk Hwy and go two blocks. On the right side is a Carvel store. Our entrance is behind the Carvel.

Smith Point Sports, 215 East Main St, Patchouge, NY 11772. Tel: 631-289-3399. E-mail: bowhunt122348@aol.com.

Friday: 7:00 pm. Saturday and Sunday: 1:00 pm.

5/4/08

Shenandoah County Archers P. F/H&3D 8:00 - 1:00 C. M.

5/17/08

Northern Virginia Archers P. F/H 9:00 - 12:00 C.

5/17/08

Walton Park Bowhunters P. H. 9:00 - 10:30

6/8/08

Massanutten Archery P. F/H 8:00 - 1:00 C.

6/8/08

Walton Park Bowhunters P. F. 9:00 - 10:30 C.

2008 Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Sectional

by Dave Hryn

6/8/08

Wythe Bowhunters P. F. 9:00 - 1:00 C.

6/15/08

Prince William Archers P. H. 8:00 - 12:00 C.

On behalf of the membership and the Board of Directors of New York Field Archers & Bowhunters (NYFAB), I would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to competitors and their families to attend the June 28 & 29, 2008, Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Sectional Tournament.

Even though the Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Tournament is over 6 months away, it is not too early to make hotel reservations. Motel rooms in the Watkins Glen area will become scarce during the summer months due to the many nearby tourist attractions; Watkins State Park, Watkins Glen International Race Track, Corning Museum of Glass and numerous wineries.

The “unofficial” tournament headquarters for NFAA National, Sectional & State events is the Seneca Lodge www.senecalodge.com. Be advised that the Seneca Lodge (607-535-2014) is closed for lodging during the winter months but they accept room reservations by mail. Competitors desiring to reserve rooms at the Seneca Lodge should send a letter to: P. O. Box 272, Watkins Glen, N.Y., 14891 with their contact information (name, address, phone &, credit card number) after January 1, 2008. Rooms will be reserved on a “first come, first served” basis, and Seneca Lodge personnel will contact the competitors to confirm their reservation. The 2007 rate for a cabin was $40 a night and for motel rooms $67 a night.

Other nearby accommodations include: Budget Inn (607-535-4800), Glen Motor Inn (607-535-2706), Glen Way Motel (607-535-4258), and the Villager Motel (607-535-7159).

For further information about the Watkins Glen area visit the Schuyler County Chamber of Commerce at www.schuylerny.com or the Schuyler County Lodging & Tourism Association at www.watkinsglenlodging.com.

6/22/08

Cub Run Safari T. A. 9:00 - 1:00 C. M.

6/22/08

Shenandoah County Archers P. F/H&3D 8:00 - 1:00 C. M.

7/13/08

Cub Run Archers P. F/H 9:00 - 1:00 C. M.

7/13/08

Shenandoah County Archers P. F/H&3D 8:00 - 1:00 C. M.

7/20/08

Prince William Archers P. F. 8:00 - 12:00 C.

7/26-27/08

Massanutten Archery Annual T. 8:00 - 2:00 Sat. 8:00 - 12:00 Sun.

7/27/08

Northern Virginia Archers P. F/H&3D 9:00 - 12:00 C.

8/2/08

Triangle Archers P. F/H 10:00

8/2-3/08

Prince William Archers Black Bear Annual T. A. 8:00 - 1:00 C. M.

8/3/08

Massanutten Archery P. F/H 8:00 - 1:00

8/9-10/08

Shenandoah County Archers Annual T. F/H&3D 8:00 - dark Sat. 8:00 - 1:00 Sun C. M.

8/10/08

Walton Park Annual T. 10:00

9/6-7/08

Wythe Bowhunters Sugar Maple Annual T. 9:00 B.D. S. G.

9/7/08

Northern Virginia Archers Deerslayer P. 3D 9:00 - 12:00 C. M.

9/14/08

Cub Run Archers Buckbuster Annual T. 3D C. M.

NEW YORK

Dave Hryn, Director archery1@localnet.com

NEW ENGLAND SECTION Ken Moore, Councilman kmoore15@comcast.net

VIRGINIA

Jim Quarles, Director jim.quarles@vfaa.org

Virginia Field Archery Association - 2008 State Championships 5/31/08-6/1/08

VFAA Animal Target Championship.

4 rounds 28 NFAA Animal Targets

Prince William Archers, Manassas

6/28-29/08

VFAA Animal Target Championship.

Four rounds of 28 NFAA Animal Targets

Prince William Archers, Manassas

8/9-10/08

VFAA State Outdoor Championship. 28 Field + 28 Hunter

Walton Park Bowhunters, Madison Heights

The VFAA State Championships are open to any NFAA or NAA member from anywhere or any state to compete for awards. Non NFAA or NAA members may shoot as guests, but there are no awards. New for 2008 is the triple crown awards that will be presented to archers winning three of the four state championships in the same division and style, including out of state archers. The Animal Target Championship tournament is 112 targets of NFAA Animals with the bonus spot. This is less than a month before the Nationals, and is a good opportunity to practice on animal targets.

Other club tournaments of interest Legend: P = Pin Shoot. T = Trophy Shoot. F = Field Targets. H = Hunter Targets.

F/H = 14 Field + 14 Hunter. A = Paper Animal Targets. 3D = Rubber Deer. C = Casual Registration. M = Multiple Registration. BD = Both Days. SG = Shotgun Start.

3/2/08

Cub Run Winter Classic 3D 9:00 - 1:00 C. M.

4/6/08

Northern Virginia Archers P. F.&3D 9:00 - 12:00 C.

4/6/08

Walton Park Bowhunters P. F. 9:00 - 10:30

4/13/08

Prince William Archers P. F. 8:00 - 12:00 C.

4/26-27/08

Northern Virginia Archers Spring Fling Annual T. F.&3D 9:00 - 12:00 BD C. M.

5/04/08

Prince William Archers P. H. 8:00 - 12:00 C.

Sectional Tournament Info 2008 NEW ENGLAND INDOOR SECTIONAL March 28-30, 2008 Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Accommodations:

Campgrounds:

Lunenburg Sportsman Club Reservoir Rd, Lunenburg, MA From SR 2 in Massachusetts, take Exit 35 to SR 70 heading north (Lunenburg Rd). Then turn right onto Leominster-Shirley Rd, then left onto Reservoir Rd. Follow Reservoir Rd to club on left.

Ruby Shannon, 96 Lakefront, Lunenburg, MA 01462.

Tel: 978-345-0479. Make checks payable to NESFAA, and please include your phone number.

None; however a reservation is suggested to ensure a desired line.

None Friday: 7:00 pm. Saturday: 10:00 am, 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Sunday: 8:30 am and 11:30 am Super 8 Motel, 482 N Main, Leominster, MA, 978-5372800. Sheraton Four Points, 99 Erdman, Leominster, MA, 978-534-9000. Best Western, 150 Royal Plaza Dr, Fitchburg, MA, 978-342-7100 Camping available at club, call Ruby Shannon for confirmation and availability at 978-345-0479

2008 NEW ENGLAND OUTDOOR SECTIONAL June 21-22, 2008 Host: Location: Directions:

Registration:

Lunenburg Sportsman Club Reservoir Rd, Lunenburg, MA From SR 2 in Massachusetts, take Exit 35 to SR 70 heading north (Lunenburg Rd). Then turn right onto Leominster-Shirley Rd, then left onto Reservoir Rd. Follow Reservoir Rd to club on left.

Lori LePage, 5 Sunrise Drive, Bradford, MA 01835. Tel: 978-372-8459. Make Checks Payable to NESFAA

continued on page 26 Archery Magazine February / March 2008 27

Pre-registration deadline: Late registration: Schedule:

Accommodations:

Campgrounds: Miscellaneous Info:

None.

None.

Saturday Schedule: 28 Field and 14 Animal, by assigned course. Start from 8:00 am until noon. Shoot all 28 Field, then shoot 14 Animal beginning on target #1 of same course and with same group. Animal targets are to go up at 2:00 pm. Sunday Schedule: Pick up scorecards at 8:00 am. General assembly at 8:30 am. Then shoot 28 Hunter by assigned target with shotgun start at 9:00 am. Awards 4:00 pm.

Super 8 Motel, 482 N Main, Leominster, MA, 978 5372800. Sheraton Four Points, 99 Erdman, Leominster, MA, 978 534-9000. Best Western, 150 Royal Plaza Drive, Fitchburg, MA, 978 342-7100.

Camping available at club.

Make Checks Payable to NESFAA.

Other Tournaments

2448 or see their website at www.theskagit.com Host: Location: Directions:

Nampa Bow Chiefs 222 W. Railroad St. Caldwell, ID 83607 I-84 to Nampa, ID Exit 35. Turn south on Northside Blvd. Go 0.8 miles to Broadmore and turn right, then an immediate left on Railroad St. NBC Range is 0.2 miles on the right.

Registration: Rob Kite, 14241 Blue Ridge St, Caldwell, ID 83607. Tel: 208-922-8656. E-Mail: voicebugler@gmail.com.

Deadline: February 29, 2008 Late Registration: At tournament site.

Schedule: Saturday: 8:30 am, 12:00 noon and 3:30 pm. Sunday: 8:30 am, 12:00 noon and 3:30 pm, only if needed.

Accommodations: Super 8 Motel, 624 Northside Blvd, Nampa, 208- 4672888. Days Inn, 130 Shannon Dr, Nampa, 208-4420800. Shilo Inns, 617 Northside Blvd, Nampa, 208466-8993 Additional Contact: Range will be open Friday evening from 7:00 to 10:00 pm for practice.

2008 NEW ENGLAND SHOOT August 30-31, 2008 Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule:

Accommodations:

Campgrounds:

Lunenburg Sportsman Club Reservoir Rd, Lunenburg, MA From SR 2 in Massachusetts, take Exit 35 to SR 70 heading north (Lunenburg Rd). Then turn right onto Leominster-Shirley Rd, then left onto Reservoir Rd. Follow Reservoir Rd to club on left.

Lori LePage, 5 Sunrise Dr, Bradford, MA 01835. Tel: 978-372-8459 Make checks payable to NESFAA, and please include your phone number.

None None Saturday: 28 Field and 14 Animal by assigned course.

Start from 8:00 am until noon. Shoot all 28 Field, then shoot 14 Animal beginning on target #1 of same course and with same group. Animal targets are to go up at 2:00 pm. Sunday: Pick up scorecards at 8:00 am, general assembly at 8:30am, and then shoot 28 Hunter by assigned target with shotgun start at 9:00 am. Awards at 4:00 pm.

Super 8 Motel, 482 N Main, Leominster, MA, 978 5372800. Sheraton Four Points, 99 Erdman, Leominster, MA, 978-534-9000. Best Western, 150 Royal Plaza Dr, Fitchburg, MA, 978-342-7100 Camping available at club

NORTHWESTERN SECTION Dennis Lundine, Councilman lundine5@aol.com

State News WASHINGTON

Host: Location: Directions:

Registration:

Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule:

Accommodations:

Wilderness Archery 17697 Colony Road, Bow, WA From I-5, take Exit 236 (Bow Hill Road). Go west to Hobson Road, turn right. Go north on Hobson Road to Colony Road, turn right on Colony Road and watch for sign – range is on left side of road.

Wilderness Archery, 17697 Colony Road, Bow, WA 98232-9599. Roger Seese, Tel: 360-724-3135. E-mail: roger@wildernessarchery.us. Website: www.wildernessarchery.us March 1, 2008 At range by 9:00 am, March 8th Late registration fee of $15 will apply.

Friday: 7:00 pm. Saturday: 10:00 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Sunday: 10:00 am, 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, if necessary. Please list preferred line times on pre-registration form.

Following motel is nearby: Skagit Valley Casino, located just off I-5 at Exit 236. Reservations call 1-877-275-

28 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Host: Location:

T. C. Parker, Director wa_nfaa@olynet.com

Directions: Washington State Archery Association News

by Linda Parker, WSAA President WSAA Officers and Delegates representing the state Clubs and Shops gathered in Yakima during 26-28 October for our Annual Convention and Banquet. Saturday, each of the Officers and the Committee Chairs provided a report on their projects or accomplishments for the year. Then we worked up the WSAA Calendar of Events for 2008. The General Assembly was followed by a Tournament Committee meeting. The evening hours on Saturday were devoted to our Awards Banquet.

Sunday’s main Agenda included awarding the Championship Tournament bids for 2008, approval of an amendment to the WSAA Constitution, and election of Officers for 2008.

For the 2008 Tournament Season, our Indoor Multi-Color Championship will be conducted in January at three sites: Archery World, Silver Arrow Bowmen and AS&J Archery. The Indoor Blueface Championship in March will have two hosts: KBH Archers and AS&J Archery. Washington’s site for the NW Sectional Indoor will be Wilderness Archery. The Target Championship will be in April, hosted by Evergreen Archers. The Safari in May will be at Darrington Archers, and the Field in June at Evergreen Archers. Our WSAA 3-D Championship will be at Silver Arrow Bowmen in July, and the State FITA in August at East County Archers.

The WSAA Constitution was amended to grant a free Life Membership to anyone who has maintained a regular membership for 50 consecutive years.

SOUTHERN SECTION Sectional Tournament Info 2008 NORTHWESTERN INDOOR SECTIONAL This is a multiple-site tournament. Contact your State NFAA Director for sites not listed here.

March 8-9, 2008

Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule:

Lee Gregory, Councilman lee@dlprint.com

Sectional Tournament Info 2008 SOUTHERN INDOOR SECTIONAL This is a multiple-site tournament conducted on March 8-9, 2008: Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule:

Archers’ Den 614 W. Main St. Whitesboro, TX. Hwy. 82 to Hwy. 56 to range Ron Hilliard, 903-564-3260 March 3, 2008 At range Saturday, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Sunday shooting times will be determined at range Saturday

Host: Location: Directions:

Double G Archery 4185 E. Hwy. 29 Georgetown, TX. 78626 From I-35 take Hwy 29 East, 4.5 miles. Shop is on left side just after curve in road.

Paul Godsey Tel: 512 868-5530

Registration:

continued on page 28

Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule:

March 3, 2008 At range Saturday, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Sunday shooting times will be determined at range Saturday Clyde’s Archery 5564 Ayers St., Corpus Christi, Texas 78415 Padre Island Dr. to Ayers St., then turn south for two blocks Clyde Miller, Tel: 361-855-3116 March 3, 2008 At range Saturday, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Sunday shooting times will be determined at range Saturday Arlington Bowhunting World 6700 Poly Webb Rd., Arlington, Texas 76016 Exit 445 I 20 on Green Oaks Blvd and north to Pleasant Ridge. Turn left and go to end of road. Turn right on Poly Webb for three blocks.

Ken Witt, Tel: 817-478-5990 March 3, 2008 At range Saturday, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Sunday shooting times will be determined at range Saturday Wood-n-Feather Archery 20015 Waller Tomball Rd. (FM 2920), Suite #3, Tomball, Texas 77377 100 yards west of the FM2920 and Mueschke Rd. intersection Mike Kneale, Tel: 281-357-5969 March 3, 2008 At range Saturday, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Sunday shooting times will be determined at range Saturday

Host: Location: Directions:

Osage Tulsa Archers Bartlesville, OK 74003 From US 75, take Adams Rd. (US60) west to SR 123, then 1/8 mile on US 60. Range is Armory Building on North side of road.

Registration: Albert Nitz, Tel: 918-336-0898 Deadline: March 3, 2008 Late Registration: At range Schedule: Saturday, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Sunday shooting times will be determined at range Saturday shooting times will be determined at range Saturday Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule: Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule:

Red River Bowmen Ratcliff Road, Shreveport, LA Exit I-20 at Monkhouse Dr. to Jefferson-Paige Rd. Range is located at end of Ratcliff Rd Emma Brown, Tel: 318-949-4200 March 3, 2008 At range Saturday, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Sunday shooting times will be determined at range Saturday Bayou Bowmen Archery 4900 Lewis St., New Iberia, LA From US 90, take Lewis St./Port exit, and go south two miles past boat landing to third building Ricky St. Upery, Tel: 337-364-0561 March 3, 2008 At range Saturday, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Sunday shooting times will be determined at range Saturday

Host: Location: Directions: Contact Info:

Tangi Archery Club Bowie Outfitters Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA Scott Bradford. Tel: 225-715-0708

Host: Location: Directions: Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule:

Waldo’s Sports Center 1145 98 Bypass, Columbia, MS 39429 US 98 in middle of town Donald Rials. Tel: 601-736-9455 March 3, 2008 At range Saturday, 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Sunday shooting times will be determined at range Saturday.

2008 SOUTHERN 3-D SECTIONAL May 24-25, 2008 Host: Location: Schedule:

Tangi Archery Club Wadill Wildlife Refuge, Flannery Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 15 marked and 15 unmarked targets each day, or all 30 targets either day.

Scott Bradford. Tel: 225-715-0708.

Contact Info:

SOUTHEASTERN SECTION Tim Austin, Councilman flarchery@bellsouth.net

Sectional Tournament Info 2008 SOUTHEASTERN INDOOR SECTIONAL This tournament is conducted at three sites on March 7-9 or 8-9, 2008: Host: Location: Directions:

Chickasaw Archery Club Pitts Point Road, Shepherdsville, KT 40165 Exit #117 I-65 (10 miles south of Louisville), then west on SR 44 about 4 miles. Left on Pitts Point Road 0.09 mile to range on left.

Registration: Glen Baxter, 301 Whitley Road, Louisville, KY 40272 Tel: 502-361-9987.

Deadline: February 29, 2008.

Late Registration: At range. Late registration fees of $15 will apply Schedule: Friday: 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Saturday: 9:00 am, 12 noon, 3:00 pm, and 7:00 pm. Sunday: 8:00 am, 11:00 am and 2:00 pm.

Accommodations: Motel 6, 800-486-8356. Days Inn, 800-329-7666.

Super 8, 800-800-8000 Campgrounds: KOA, 800-562-1880. Grandma’s RV Camping, 502543-7023 Miscellaneous Info: Range has 18 lanes (36 shooters per session) Additional Contact: www.chickasawarchery.com. Frank Mosser, cell: 502693-4362 or fmoss3@aol.com. Glen Baxter, cell: 502262-6738. All times are EST. Host: Location:

Registration: Deadline: Schedule: Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Deadline: Late Registration: Schedule:

Tri-State Archers, Tallahassee, FL Venue location not finalized by press time. Please visit www.floridaarchery.org/st2008indoor.htm for current information. For those without internet access, call Oliver Austin 850-309-1918 or Tim Austin at 352-3321969.

Tim Austin, 1710 S W 76th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32607. Tel: 352-332-1969 or 352-332-1914. E-mail: flarchery@bellsouth.net By mail: Must be postmarked by February 28, 2008. By phone through March 7. $2.00 surcharge for advanced phoned-in registrations paid at shoot.

Saturday: 8:00 am, 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. Sunday: 8:00 am and 11:00 am.

Black Rock Archery Club 330 Scotts Creek Rd, Silva, NC We are approximately 40 miles west of Asheville Airport. Take I-40 west to Exit 27,.then take US 19/23/74 to Exit 85. Go approximately 1⁄4 mile, and you will see Harris Regional Hospital on right. Turn right on Hospital Rd. Go to the bottom of the hill which is approximately 1⁄4 mile. You’ll see sign for Jackson County Community Service Building. Take road on left at sign and just before the bridge. Go to far end of the HUGE brick building. Alternatively, take US 441 north to Sylva, NC. Go right onto US19/23/74 to exit 85, and follow directions as above Mark A. Jones, P.O. Box 243, Balsam, NC 28707. Tel: 828-456-3521. E-mail: ncvolhunteredinstrctor@earthlin k.net Postmarked by February 27, 2008 Late fees will be accessed after deadline, and at the range. Friday 4:00-6:00 pm and Saturday 7:00-8:00 am.

Friday: 7:00 pm. Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, both days.

continued on page 28 Archery Magazine February / March 2008 29

Motels/Hotels:

Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee, 828-497-7777.

Best Western River Escape Inn & Suites, Dillsboro, 1800-937-8376. Comfort Inn, Sylva, 1-800-654-3315.

University Inn, Cullowhee, 1-877-293-5442. Economy Inn, Sylva, 1-828-586-2419. Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Dillsboro, 1-800-465-4329. Balsam Mountain Inn, Balsam, 1-800-224-9498. Ramada Limited, Maggie Valley, 1-800-305-6703. Other listings at www. mountainlovers.com.

Campgrounds: Cherokee KOA, 828-497-9711. Moonshine Creek Campground & Cabins, Balsam, 828-586-6666 Miscellaneous Info: Western North Carolina is a great place to visit. Bring the entire family, and enjoy the area. There’re whitewater adventures, Blue Ridge Parkway, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, trout fishing, mountain lakes, Joyce Kilmer National Forrest, horse back riding, Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, and Elk in Cataloochee Park. The archery club is nestled in a large warehouse in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We have 19 lanes, 34 inches wide. Seven lanes are 30 yards, and the other 12 are 20 yards. Also, there is plenty of room for guests to set and enjoy the shoot. The facility has lots of room for parking.

Additional Contacts: Mike Poteet, 828-226-1337, and Roger Ammons, 828586-6937.

Campgrounds:

2008 SOUTHEASTERN 3-D SECTIONAL April 12-13, 2008

Host: Location:

Host: Location: Directions:

Directions:

Registration: Pre-registration deadline: Late registration: Schedule:

Accommodations: Miscellaneous Info:

Sandune Archery Club Socastee Recreation Park, Myrtle Beach, SC Heading toward Myrtle Beach on SC 544 from Conway, exit south onto SC 707 soon after going over bridge.

Turn right onto Enterprise Rd, then go 1.5 miles to Butler Rd and turn left. Go 0.3 miles and turn right into park. Follow signs to range.

Sandune Archery Club, P.O. Box 30715, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588.Tel: 843-340-3025. E-mail: sandunearchery@gmail.com.

April 11, 2008 April 12th at the clubhouse. at the range from 6:00 to 9:00 pm on Friday, June 20th Saturday: 8:40 am assembly. At 9:00 am, shoot 15 targets on course #1. After lunch break, shoot 15 targets on Course #2. Sunday: 8:40 am assembly, then at 9:00 am, shoot 20 targets on course #3. Awards to follow immediately after last shooter finishes.

Your choice of many hotels/motels in Myrtle Beach area.

Visit www.sandunearchery.com for more details.

2008 SOUTHEASTERN OUTDOOR SECTIONAL June 21-22, 2008 Host: Location: Directions:

Registration: Pre-registration deadline: Late registration: Schedule:

Accommodations:

Keowee Bowmen Archery Club, Inc. Clemson, SC State Road 133 and Archery Club Road between Six Mile and Clemson From Clemson on US 123 (Tiger Blvd), turn under the train trestle onto SC 133, beside Sonic Drive In. Go north on SC 133 5.2 miles to Archery Club Road on the left. Large arrow and club sign. Archery Club is approximately 300 yards on your left.

S. Dale Smith, 149 Low Road, Six Mile, SC 29682. Tel: 864-868-9422. E-mail: sdalesmith@yahoo.com

15 Sites at the Clubhouse with 110 volt power hook-up only. Bathrooms and hot showers. Call 864-8689422to reserve a spot, or e-mail sdalesmith@yahoo.com - $10.00 per night.

Miscellaneous Info: Practice Range and Red Range open 9:00 am Friday; June 20th. $5.00 fee covers all day practice. Cub and Youth free. Food will be available both days at the clubhouse and cold water will be on the ranges. Other refreshments will be available for purchase. Out-ofSection NFAA Guests are welcome to participate.

Additional Contacts: Call Perry Burns 864-878-9030, or Emmitt Tyree 864-653-5632, or S. Dale Smith 864-868-9422 sdalesmith@yahoo.com e-mail.

SOUTHWESTERN SECTION Becky Pearson, Councilwoman beckysayre@hughes.net

Sectional Tournament Info 2008 SOUTHWESTERN OUTDOOR SECTIONAL May 17-18, 2008

Registration: Pre-registration deadline: Late registration: Schedule:

Black Canyon Archers Ben Avery Shooting Facility, 4044 W. Black Canyon Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ 85086-7043. Tel: 623-582-8313.

Fax: 623-582-5317 Take I-17 to Carefree Highway, then go west approximately 1⁄2 miles to main entrance. Follow signs to archery range. You may be able to go to Archery Road approximately another 3⁄4 miles west to enter as well.

Wayne Davidson, 7109 W Palo Verde Ave, Peoria, AZ 85345. Tel: 623-694-1228. E-mail: wdavidson2@cox. net.

May 7, 2008 On-site May 17th from 7:00 to 8:oo am Saturday, May 17: Check-in 7:00 to 8:00 am, shooter meeting at 8:30 am, and shotgun start at 9:00 am.

We’ll shoot 28 field and 14 animal. Sunday, May 18: Shotgun start at 8:00 am for 28 hunter.

Accommodations: All major motels maybe found in northwest Phoenix Campgrounds: The facility has a campground for both dry and full service. Check in with the Facility at numbers above or www.azgfd.gov/ctc for space availability Miscellaneous Info: Ben Avery is run by the Arizona Game and Fish and has pistol and rifle ranges, as well as archery. There are field ranges, a 15 to 80 yard practice range, and a FITA practice range. If you come in early to practice, use the main gate, and be sure to stop and pay the range fees. Facility opens at 7:00 am Wednesday through Sunday. For the non shooters or after shooting, there are shopping malls within 5 to 10 miles of the facility.

Lake Pleasant Recreational Area is about 25 miles west on Carefree Highway. There are any number of other options for entertainment in the Phoenix, AZ area. The weather will be warm to hot. We hope to have a great turnout.

Additional Contacts: Becky Pearson, 520-720-9532

June 20, 2008 at clubhouse until 9:00 pm At the clubhouse at the range from 6:00 to 9:00 pm on Friday, June 20th. Late fee will apply on first day of shoot, June 21st.

Assembly at the clubhouse both days at 8:00 am for announcements and shooting assignments. Shooting times approximately 8:30 am both days. 28 Field Saturday morning, then lunch, and 14 Animal in afternoon. 28 Hunter Sunday, with awards following ASAP. Host hotel for Sectional “Best Rate” (due to basketball camp being held at the college) is Comfort Inn, 1305 Tiger Blvd, 864-653-3600. Rate is $68.00 plus tax, for 4 people max to a room. Reservation cut-off date for this rate is June 1, 2008. Mention “Archery Group #3519”. Check in is at 4:00 pm unless approved otherwise when making reservation. If reservations must be canceled, please call the hotel 24 hours in advance.

30 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 31

NEW FROM Master Coach Bernie Pellerite of Robinhood Videos has come out with a patented stabilizer system for balancing a bow. The bow is always level, as soon as you reach full draw.

It not only takes out the vibration and noise of the shot, but also balances the bow at full draw... right, left, forward and back. It’s so good, you can literally balance the bow on the tip of a pencil!

Bernie’s patented Control Freak™ system has internal modules made from a secret, proprietary elastomer called “Jel-lubber™” that is as soft as Jello®. They come with weight balls to insert in each module. These variable weighted “Jel-lubber™” modules are placed inside the stabilizer by the shooter, who can move them around to his preference . . . front to back, back to middle etc., to produce a custom balanced bow.

NEW for this year is an advanced design, one-

piece molded Jel-lubber™ module with 1 to 3 holes running it’s entire length. The shooter can easily insert the furnished 1/3 oz. weight balls into any or all of the holes.

Also NEW to the Control Freak line is a series of Ultra-lite Carbon-Graphite stabilizers, called “Lite-nin Rods”. These 5/8” diameter rods are the lightest in the industry, weighing as little as 2.3 oz. for a 25” stabilizer. The 32” weighs less than 3 oz.! “Lite-nin Rods” are also available with the Ultra-lite V-bar which is shown with two Mini-Silencers on the ends that can be weighted heavy, medium or light, to balance the bow at full draw, side-to-side and front-to-back.

The bow pictured is balanced on a sharpened rod! Balancing your bow has never before been this easy. You now have twice as long to aim and you’ll never fight your level again!

The “Lite-nin Rods” are also available in “JellRods”, which are the same as the Lite-nin Rods, except the interior is coated with “Jel-lubber™” (adds 1-2 oz.) Also offered this year is a 5/8” diameter aluminum stabilizer called “Aluma-lite”.

(3-3.7 oz.) The 25”-32” lengths are also offered with an interior coating of Jel-lubber™”, which are called “Jel-luminum.” There is also a new smaller Quick Disconnect and End Weights that will fit the smaller diameter aluminum and the carbon stabilizers. Also NEW is a popular Bow Sling with a heavy duty aluminum bracket. Finally, the lightest carbon multi-rod stabilizer available is called “Hot Rods” and are available in both hunter (7-8 oz.) and target lengths. (8-9 oz.)

ALL Bernie’s CONTROL FREAK STABILIZERS HAVE A 30 DAY MONEYBACK GUARANTEE!

32 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

ROBINHOOD VIDEOS Go to www.robinhoodvideos.com for more information on the complete line of Control Freak Stabilizers and other products from Robinhood Videos. Or call 614-322-1038.

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Robert Ragsdale, A. E. See services listed on home page at: www.bowhunting.net/bobragsdale/ragsdale.html Archery Magazine February / March 2008 33

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by Paul Davison

Way Back When Whatever Happened to the Polar Bear Open?

J

ake Veit is a genuine, certified, archery nut. I first met Jake nearly forty years ago when we both lived in District 5 of the Ohio Archers.

There were about nine active archery clubs in District 5, and once a month, all year ‘round, Visit

Paul Davison’s �������������������� Official adjunct to NFAA’s �������������������� � NFAA History and historyrelated articles published in ������� magazine � Recent NFAA/WAF tournament write-ups and photo galleries � Lists of all National Outdoor (from 1946) and National Indoor (from 1980) Champions � NFAA Barebow Fraternity news and membership roster � Field and 3-D Range Design Guidelines � Every ��������� ������ article published in ������� � Recently-published general interest articles by Paul Davison in �������

“NFAA and WAF news for all archers” 38 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

we’d meet at different clubs for an “invitational” shoot.

These invitationals were always outside, and generally consisted of NFAA field, hunter and (2D) animal rounds, depending on the time of year. During the wintertime, we also played archery golf.

Jake and I both live in the Atlanta area now ... about 8 miles apart. Jake’s job took him from Ohio to Idaho to Arizona to Georgia, while my job took me from Ohio to Georgia in one step. Our surprise “reunion” took place at an annual state archery meeting in 1985. Jake was more active in archery than I during this transition period. He was the Idaho State Secretary, as well as one of the three finalists for the NFAA Executive Secretary job in 1980. Jake was also Chairman of the NFAA Certified Instructor Committee while living in Idaho.

Since moving to Georgia, he

has personally built, moved, and/or rebuilt more outdoor and indoor archery ranges; and directed more tournaments, than probably any other person in the country.

Jake recently gave me a DVD he made from an old 8mm home movie he shot back in Ohio during the 1970’s. It showed a little bit of all kinds of archery activities; including field, target, indoor, archery golf, and Jake’s passion: teaching archery to kids. This movie brought back a lot of memories ... especially with regard to shooting outdoors in the winter. Field archery in belowfreezing weather on a snowcovered range was particularly challenging. My home range had flush brick yardage markers, and trying to locate the markers beneath six inches of snow was very tiring ... especially when shooting a Hunter or Animal Round with their odd yardages

and numerous walk-ups. Have you ever shot an arrow into a frozen excelsior butt? It’s a real challenge to pull the arrow out.

The heat of friction when the arrow enters the butt will melt the ice around the shaft, but by the time you get to the target, it will re-freeze to the excelsior.

More often than not, a chunk of frozen wood shavings would still be attached to an extracted arrow. When we shot an Animal Round in the winter, I would sometimes mount blunt tips on my big-shafted arrows. The blunts wouldn’t penetrate too deeply, but they sure made a mess of the animal target faces.

There was also the rodent problem. The little critters had a habit of making their nest in the shot-out cavity right behind the bullseye. Have you ever pulled a bloody arrow out of the 5-spot? I have.

Jake’s old movie also showed us “playing” archery golf in the winter. [See Feb/Mar 2003 Nostalgia Corner for complete description.] In Ohio, nearly all golf courses were closed for the winter, but a couple of lowbudget, public courses would let us set up an archery golf layout (as well as use their warm clubhouse) for a small fee. We also had access to two cluboperated, stand-alone, archery golf courses in central Ohio. We golfed in some really miserable

weather, but never regretted it for a minute. Insulated boots and watch caps with hoods were standard. To keep our shooting fingers from getting numb, most of us had a shearlinglined pouch attached to our belt, with either a solid or liquid fueled hand-warmer inside.

We couldn’t wear puffy goosedown jackets because of the bowstring clearance problem.

No wimps allowed here!

On one of the coldest days I remember shooting outdoors, I backed into winning the Open Division of the State Archery Golf Championship. It was on February 24, 1974, near Bowling Green in northwest Ohio — an area known for its flat land and high winds. I was fortunate to get my round completed in the morning ... a few minutes before the wind chill hit about 0° F. The three favorites, all from the same central Ohio archery golf club, unselfishly “retired” before completing their round because one teammate showed signs of hyperthermia. Although I shot one of my best rounds, I still feel that the championship was somewhat tainted.

Another outdoor winter archery game is Ski-Arc, which combines cross-country skiing and archery. It is similar to the Olympic Biathlon except for bow and arrow instead of rifle. Ski-Arc is an official FITA

“discipline,” but it is rarely played in the United States, except possibly as an event in the Utah Winter Games.

Although there may be a few “Polar Bear Open” tournaments today, I haven’t heard of any ... even in the moderately cool Mid-South. Please, somebody out there tell me I’m wrong!

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 39

40 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

Story and photos by John Dudley • www.dudleyarchery.info

Back Strap Target

THE COMMON PROBLEM Since I started shooting competitive target archery there has been a common problem among us archers. Target panic is a evil monster that has made many archers unsuccessful and been the reason behind many people stepping away from archery altogether. Most archers have a “don’t want to miss” attitude, so we get anxious with the trigger as the sight is coming into the scoring area of our target.

This anxious feeling or anxiety is the root of all forms of target panic that may arise including, punching the trigger, flinching, collapsing, freezing beneath the target or in extreme cases not being able to put the pin near the target at all. When all this is happening it may seem next to impossible to put the finger on the trigger and slowly squeeze until the release fires. The reality is that if you want to progress to a high level of accuracy you will need to have the same discipline as a competitive rifle shooter and learn to make a surprise shot.

The caliper style release aid is among the most popular for beginning archers. I believe it is because a caliper release is easily associated with all the toy guns we used as kids. I started with a caliper release when I was ten years old. I enjoyed the comfort and feel of my wrist strap release but eventually had to get away from it because of a severe case of target panic. I realized that if I wanted to achieve goals as a highly competitive archer I wouldn’t be able to do it punching my release. I went through countless days of trying to overcome target panic and eventually did so with

a handheld hinge style release aid. Usually all the new style releases are made in hand held models and not in wrist straps.

Last year I wrote an article about the Carter Evolution release aid that activated by increased pressure from pulling. That hand held release went on to become one of the best selling target releases in history. The reason is because it made the shooter execute a shot and not just “fire” a shot. This year Carter has made a new version of that product designed solely around the wrist strap shooter. After working with wrist strap shooters all over the World for the past 4 months I am excited to write this article about how the Back Strap has helped them overcome target panic without changing their style of shooting.

There are so many of you out there that love a caliper style release and really enjoy shooting them yet you are unable to do it with discipline. I believe wrist straps notably have less torque on the string than hand held release and can be more accurate than a handheld back tension release as long as it is activated properly giving the shooter a surprise shot.

THE SURPRISE SHOT It has been my experience as a competitor and coach that the one thing that separates the average Joe from all the great archers is that some have figured out how overcome those anxieties to have a surprise shot and others have not. I believe the surprise shot is the one thing that every archer should invest in long before anything else. I am here to tell you that if you learn to make a surprise shot and learn proper form that your accuracy and tournament performance will simply amaze you. I know I have amazed myself with mine and likewise, I have had other pros amaze me. The common denominator to all of this though is having a surprise shot.

When we look at the Worlds best archers we find that 90% of them have this surprise shot.

They have found a way to overcome target panic and can consistently go through the same motions without this anxiety or fear. Some may argue that a few great archers shot good scores without a surprise shot. I won’t argue with that!

There are some great shooters that were punchers and battling target panic. However, there are only continued on page 42

PHOTO A

PHOTO B

PHOTO C Archery Magazine February / March 2008 41

a handful of those names in the World and most of the time their success is short lived.

Before I can help you with learning the proper shooting form that you need to acquire this surprise shot you must first learn to let go of what your sight pin is doing. It has been proven by Olympic style recurve shooters, that if you are active in pulling through the shot, having a continual pulling motion, then the arrow tends to find the center of the target regardless of what you see through the scope. The sight picture of a recurve shooter is far from steady as compared to a compound bow yet the accuracy at times is equal. Those of you who have shot a recurve know what I am talking about. Do you believe me that you don’t have to hold as steady to hit the middle?

You really don’t!

away, it moves off the spot just enough to see it, then returns back to center. Your mind is peaking, just so it understands exactly where the object is that you want to shoot.

When you drive a car, do you hold the steering wheel perfectly still to drive in a straight line? No, you naturally look down the road and let your subconscious mind float the steering wheel left and right so that the car tracks down the road adjusting for bumps or wind or curves. You need to think of your sight pin the same way as the steering wheel and learn to let if float naturally.

Overcoming target panic is more easily done if you get your head around the fact that your pin will most likely move. Don’t let it be chaotic and bouncing all over the place, just let it do its thing and keep it in HOW THE MIND AIMS the general area it needs When a sight pin floats to be. Many people spend around, I believe it is due to a lot of their time trying to two things. First, we aren’t make a bow sit steady, but machines so muscles will then they are not able to cause movement. Second put the finger to the trigger is the fact that you are and be patient enough for holding an aiming device proper shot execution to PHOTO D on the spot you want to hit, happen once it is steady. thus covering it up. Think of Have you ever noticed how it like this, if I told you to throw a rock and hit a steady you can hold the bow if your finger isn’t soda can on the ground. Would you be able to do on the trigger? If you can relate then undeniably it if you couldn’t see it? Would you be able to do you have some sort of target panic. I believe it is it blind folded or would you want to peak so that because the finger tips are incredibly sensitive and you had a feel for where the can was? Same is true for the vast majority of shooters; those finger tips when you are aiming. You have told your mind aren’t willing to feel that increase trigger pressure you want to hit the bulls’ eye, yet you are covering without relaying an anticipation signal to the brain. it up with a sight pin. This is why most of us see It’s that signal that gets us in trouble. That is what movement through our scopes. causes target panic and why it is so important to I believe the subconscious mind moves the pin know how to have a surprise shot. This is also why off the spot for fractions of a second only so that there is so much hype about shooting back tension it can be reminded that the spot it has been told for archery. to hit is still behind there. If you think about it Many years ago compound archers started though, the pin doesn’t move further and further using these back muscles to help them in causing 42 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

the release aid to surprisingly execute without them having to fire the release off using the finger tip. Countless number of World Champions and World records has been made because of the shooter using back tension. I personally find it a thing of beauty when I see a person that is perfect in form letting the bow aim and using smooth back tension. It truly is a mastery of Zen; having complete coordination between body and mind Earlier I talked about the Olympic style shooter.

Olympic shooters all come to full draw, anchor and settle amongst the target, then they use back tension to continually pull the bow causing the tip of the arrow to move back past a device called a clicker. Once the arrow tip clears the clicker it clicks against the riser and that noise is a signal to relax the fingers thus sending the arrow in flight at the exact same shot execution every time. This basic technique is one that we as archers need to learn in practice to overcome the dreaded target panic. Back tension is a proven method for the most consistent and repeatable surprise shots.

now, thinking about the muscles you are using to move that rear elbow and slide the fingers.

This muscle group is called the rhomboid muscles. Its purpose is to retract the scapula, pulling it towards the spine. (See Photo D) When you are doing this exercise it will be easy to feel specifically this muscle group getting tighter.

Guess what? You have done it! In a nut shell that is “back tension” or at least the movement needed to properly fire a release from pulling. Now that you understand the movement lets get into using that motion to execute a shot with your release aid and bow.

THE ENFORCEMENT If you are shooting a standard wrist strap caliper release aid then you may find it really difficult to use this motion. That is because until now there hasn’t been a wrist strap style release that was designed for learning true back tension without having to squeeze the index finger on the trigger simultaneously. The new Back Strap is unlike other continued on page 44

THE MOTION The part of “back tension” that most people have some confusion about is the understanding of the motion. Many of you have read in the past about back tension and if you are like me you only got confused. I have worked with people that have all sorts of things they are doing to perform what the think is back tension, making it more complicated than it is. Usually what they are doing isn’t even right. Realistically the pulling motion is very simple and uses a very small group of muscles. I am a “hands on” kind of person and what I would like to do is have you do a small exercise.

Start out by standing up with your arms to your side and then raise your arms straight out up to shoulder height with your thumbs pointing up.

(See Photo A) Bend your release hand elbow so that the release hand comes towards the body and your finger tips touch the center of your chest.

Once in this position try moving your rear elbow back causing the fingers to slide about 2-3 inches along the chest. Do this a few times from start to finish. Raise the arms, bring release hand to the center chest and move the elbow back causing the fingers to slide. (See photos B&C) You should feel a muscle in the back getting tight between the spine and rear shoulder blade. Do it a few more times Archery Magazine February / March 2008 43

wrist strap releases because will only activate from pulling and not from finger movement.

The way this release works is you hold the trigger down as you pull back. (The trigger is your safety so you will need to hold the trigger in at anytime you draw or relax the bow.)

Then once you get into your valley at max draw and anchor in, let your index finger off the trigger (which dis-engages the safety) and begin the back tension motion, thinking of the rear elbow moving back using the rhomboid muscles. During your pull this release will execute and give you a surprise shot.

You will find that with a surprise shot; the bow arm will go forward and the release hand comes backwards.

This is what is considered proper follow through and a very important part of good shooting. Proper follow through is due to a simple law that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Shooters that don’t have a proper follow through are ones that are anticipating this action and reacting before it naturally happens.

You may ask “what if my shot doesn’t go off every time?” If you go through your motion and the shot doesn’t fire then you need to let down. Sometimes the best shots are the ones that never fire. Part of being a great shooter is knowing your good shots and having the mental strength to cancel a shot if it doesn’t feel like it will be good. Again, on this release the trigger is the safety! Let the bow down and take a deep breath and start over again. Believe it or not; forcing a bad shot is much worse then waiting to make a good one.

TAKING WHAT WE KNOW INTO THE FIELD Here is a step by step method to making a back tension shot with the Back Strap in the field. First, draw the 44 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

bow to the max length with your finger holding down the trigger (safety). Once reaching full draw, focus on finding your anchor point which should be consistent and repeatable. Next move your head into position so that you can see through the peep sight and center your pin in the peep and acquire the target. Focus on target center and center your pin to that position. Now, take your finger off the trigger and allow your pin to move about on the spot while you will go through your pulling motion. Let your conscious mind think of the motion in the back, feel the rhomboid muscle building pressure as you move your elbow back.

The pin is floating and the back is working… The shot will fire unexpectedly and your bow arm should continue to the target as your release hand moves away from the target.

If you have a serious case of target panic like I did years ago you will be best off trying all of this first on a blank bail. Do not be afraid to shoot without a target for a period of time to get use to the feel of this technique. Once you are comfortable with it then stay close to a target so it looks really big in the scope. It may seem dumb doing it but you need to build confidence that you can hold your pin in the scoring rings while performing a proper shot.

When you are able to do that sequence you will have made a huge step in becoming a great archer. It is a good time of season now for many of us and this is the absolute best time to learn new things and start new habits. Not all habits are bad and learning to shoot with a strong back half of the body from pulling is a great habit to have. It is known that anything new takes about 21 days to become a habit. I would encourage you to make the choice to get better now and learn a surprise shot so that you can take that into the field with you this upcoming season.

I personally train with a tension activated release during practice. Many people are like me in that they like to practice with a tension release but like a standard trigger in the field. I personally think that if you are actively practicing and building good shots as a habit then there is no problem shooting any preferred release in the field. The motion will always be the same. There may be a slight difference in how the trigger works. But if you have a complete understanding of what a good shot is and what an unanticipated shot is

then you are on your way. This is a great product for 3D or target shooters that prefer a wrist strap release.

IN CONCLUSION I remember very vividly the first time I felt a good shot. It’s something I never forget. In my opinion one good shot is all you really need to know how to be a great archer and shooter. Once you know what a good shot feels like then you need to save it into your mind, lock it in for good. You need to make every shot feel like your first good one. The terrible monster of target panic is a deadly form of anxiety and is very hard to overcome! I know because I have been there and fought hard to beat my way out of that habit. I think that this Back Strap is perfect for all of the wrist strap shooters because it offers the best of both Worlds. It has the comfort and torque free design of a wrist strap, yet it reinforces the shot execution needed to be the top shelf target shooter that you want to be. I love archery, more now that I don’t feel anxious doing it. Equally I love seeing people succeed in archery.

When good products and new techniques come out that I know can help people I like to let people know about them. I truly believe that investing in something that will help cure one of the worst archery problems out there is a smart choice. If you want to see more information on the new Back Strap go to www.carterenterprises.com and check it out. I wish you the best and hope you can incorporate these techniques into your shooting form.

Good Luck, John Dudley • www.dudleyarchery.info

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 45

Avoid Target PANIC As one of my students stood on the practice range and warmed up for the start of a big tournament, I noticed a premature movement in his bow arm just before the shot was released. Approaching him, I firmly suggested, “Quit aiming and get your mind where it belongs.” He knew exactly what I meant.

At one time or another, most archers are hampered by the effects of target panic. I like to describe the condition as the involuntary reaction to a “fear of missing.” It usually happens when too many negative thoughts are going through the archer’s mind, as the shot is being executed. The archer is uncomfortable with the situation and worried about missing, which then results in a panic attack.

I truly believe the main cause of target panic is over-aiming. Far too much emphasis is

46 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

By Terry Wunderle

placed on “Aim! Aim! Aim!” When this is the primary focus, the brain is giving the archer a green light “yes” signal if the pin is on the mark and a red light “no” signal when it isn’t.

During a typical shot sequence, the subconscious and/or conscious mind is sending these opposing commands to the voluntary muscles used in the shot process. Consequently, the shot execution starts and stops until the arrow is finally released. Such conflict heightens the archer’s level of tension. Since the emphasis is on aiming, the mixed signals end up giving the archer target panic.

Then what is the best way to avoid or overcome target panic? For successful shot execution, the archer should shoot from the conscious mind and keep the focus where it belongs—on form. Most shots are missed because of a breakdown in form, rather than the failure to place the pin perfectly on the target.

When muscles are tightened to center the pin precisely on the mark, one is actually causing additional sight movement and increasing the “yes-no” effect. A relaxed form that allows the pin to float will have far less movement and will let the bow arm react the same way each time the arrow is released.

To avoid target panic, take charge of the thought process. Concentrate on producing each shot with perfect form, which is something you can control. Develop a positive mental image and greater confidence, as you produce the shot sequence from your conscious mind. By focusing completely on shooting with perfect form, your mind will not be giving you the conflicting “yes-no” signals that create target panic.

If you are a finger shooter, make sure you have a consistent, clean release. For those us-

ing a mechanical release, I highly recommend one with back tension. There is no trigger to intensify the “yes-no” effect. All you need to do is allow the pin to float on the target and pull with your back muscles until the release goes off. With back tension, you are forced to shoot good form, if it is set off properly.

Many of the archers whom I coach practice with a back tension release, but shoot a trigger release at the tournaments. Training in this manner helps them develop correct form and prevents them from experiencing target panic.

Because target panic is a mental problem, eliminate it with your mind and focus on form.

Right: Joey Hunt has used a strong mental program to fight off target panic and again become a top level archer.

Fletch Medic Nock Receiver

Zenith Archery Products has developed a new nock receiver designed as an upgrade to the industry standard Bitzenburger Dial-O-Fletch fletching jig. The receiver is designed to fletch the arrow shafts before the nocks are installed.

The arrows are held firmly in place by the use of two inserts which are held into the receiver body by a long screw inserted through rear. One insert is for arrows using the Easton UNI Bushing system and the other for arrows using Easton Super UNI Bushings or any nock pin. The post at the end of the each insert fits directly into a UNI or Super UNI Bushing or directly into the end of arrows using Easton “G” nocks or Super Nocks respectively. This holds the shaft securely in place when the fletching is applied, especially

important when using fast set adhesives and applying pressure to the shaft to set the glue. In addition, the Super UNI Bushing post has been drilled to accept the end of any nock pin, holding it tightly while the shaft is fletched.

An adjustable “V” plate is also supplied to allow various sizes of arrows to be supported without having to lean them down into the fixed “V” support of the jig.

The overall effect of these changes allows for more accurate indexing from fletch to fletch, especially when fletching with today’s fast set adhesives on ultra thin, carbon target arrows.

For more information visit the Zenith web site at www.zenitharchery.com or call (631) 929 3223.

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 47

Which State will be last to adopt the NASP?

by Roy Grimes, President, NASP New York won’t be the last

reported that his agency was

the same course the teach-

state to adopt the National

ready to launch and lead the

ers would take on day 3. The

Archery in the Schools Program

NASP in New York.

next day the BAIT candidates

(NASP)!

On February 20, 2003 a

practiced teaching the basic

school contacts we’ve received

material to each other. They

middle school technology

over the past few years. Sever-

had to perform several practical

teacher from Kingston, NY con-

al of our contacts were recently

exercises and take two written

tacted us about adopting the

acquired at the national confer-

examinations. At the end of

NASP. Since that first contact

ence of the American Alliance

day 2 we dismantled the range

the NASP received calls from

for Health, Physical Education,

and moved it to a local school

nearly four dozen NY teachers,

Recreation and Dance (AAH-

gymnasium so the teachers

as well as archery enthusiasts

PERD) in Baltimore, Maryland.

could be taught in the same

and parents wanting the pro-

Wayne invited teachers from

environment they would pres-

gram available to their stu-

10 of these schools to attend

ent archery lessons to students.

dents.

NASP training in Auburn, New

On Monday, day 3 of the

York on January 7, 2008. Be-

workshop, the BAIT candidates

previous 43 NASP states, Nova

fore the teachers could be

presented the Basic Archery

Scotia, Saskatchewan, and

trained, 11 “teacher trainers”

Instructor course to 18 teach-

Victoria, Australia, we were re-

were certified at Wildwood

ers from 10 NY pilot schools.

luctant to launch the program

Sports Club in Elbridge, NY.

We divided the archery range

until it could be institutional-

These folks came from all walks

in half and two pairs of teacher

ized by a government agency.

of life; archery clubs, NY State

trainers presented the mate-

In most states this has been the

Archery Association, NY Bow-

rial to half the class at the

wildlife conservation agency.

hunters, Copper John Archery,

same time. The teachers first

In Nova Scotia the coordinat-

and a couple were school

learned how the NASP works

ing agency is the Ministry of

teachers.

and why it is so safe. Then

As has been the case in the

Education and the Saskatch-

48 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

We provided Wayne the

Basic Archery Instructor

they were taught how to set

ewan Wildlife Federation leads

Trainer candidates (BAIT –

up a safe archery range in

the NASP there. This past

teacher trainers) arrived at the

their gymnasiums. We began

spring, Wayne Jones, Hunter

sports club to set up the NASP

teaching them how to shoot a

Education Coordinator for the

archery range on Friday, Janu-

bow by determining dominant

New York Department of Envi-

ary 4th. On the 1st day of BAIT

eye, making each a String Bow

ronmental Conservation (DEC)

instruction, the candidates took

continued on page 50 Archery Magazine February / March 2008 49

Which State will be last to adopt the NASP? continued

training device, and then learn-

string and the bow is pointed

undergo supervised shooting.

ing the Eleven Steps to Ar-

in a safe direction towards the

Next, each teacher performed

chery Success. Before actually

target. To shoot a bow without

a practical exercise demon-

shooting bows and arrows the

an arrow is called a ‘dry fire’

strating how to safely operate

teachers were taught how to

and this can damage the bow

an archery range, shoot the

observe an archer and how to

and hurt the shooter or a by-

bow using eleven steps, and to

compliment, positively correct,

stander.” Notice, words such

supervise an archer’s shooting

and review an archer (CPR) and

as “never, “no”, and “don’t”

and retrieval of arrows. Lastly,

how to manage disruptive stu-

are unsuitable. ‘Refrain from’

just before the final exam,

dents. While training teachers

and ‘avoid’ are high class nega-

teachers are taught the names

are required to use only posi-

tive words that are also disal-

of bow and arrow parts, equip-

tive language. For instance,

lowed.

ment inspection, and basic

when explaining the problem

After seeing a demonstra-

maintenance and repair of the

with “dry-firing” a bow, they

tion of the whistle commands

bow and arrow. Every teacher

say, “Only shoot a bow when

and shooting the bow using

received terrific scores on their

there is an arrow nocked on the

the Eleven Steps, the teachers

100 point exam, evidence that learning-by-doing is an excellent way to present material.

This group of NY teachers were “unusual” because so many of them were already teaching archery in school.

One was a new teacher who took archery from another of the veteran teachers in the group. A few of these teachers were already using NASP-style equipment but most were using fiberglass bows. All were enthusiastic to receive NASP’s standard training and to use NASP archery equipment in their future archery classes.

In a few short weeks each of these schools will receive a continued on page 54

50 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

Archery Magazine February / March 2008 51

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Archery Magazine February / March 2008 53

QuikSpin

TM

Shrink your Groups...

Period!

VANES

Which State ... continued from pg. 50 For maximum stability and head-turning accuracy, nothing spins a broadheadtipped arrow faster than QuikSpin vanes from N.A.P. QuikSpin’s revolutionary patented “kicker” rotates arrows up to 300% faster than feather helicals. And Standard Vane faster spin means tighter groups and better accuracy.

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The unique combination of our patented kicker and micro-grooves stabilizes an arrow in less than half the distance of a conventional vane or feather.

2.25”

presenting NASP archery lessons to their students. The New York NASP is already making plans to expand their program in the next 30 days. The next states to join the NASP will be Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Mexico. All three will join the program by undergoing an identical standard process.

Like all the previous workshops, this launch of the New

QuikSpin Vane

4”

NASP equipment kit and begin

Patented micro-grooves on one side of each vane channel air over vane for flatter trajectory compared to conventional vanes.

York NASP was made possible due to the generosity of several companies and organizations including; Mathews Archery, Archery Trade Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, Pope & Young Club, Gordon Com-

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Which state will be last to bring the NASP to its students?

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Three states are jockeying not to earn this designation: Vermont, Delaware, and Rhode Island.

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54 Archery Magazine February / March 2008

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Archery Magazine February / March 2008 55