Forest Archers Shoot

It was an absolute blast even if my score was pretty low compared to the really hard-core shooters -- 178/400. I missed a few "gimmies" when I realized that the nock-set on my bow had gotten loose at the end of the morning round and I was getting really erratic errow flight. Some fellow traditionals helped me get the nock-set back into place and get good flight back, although it took me a few shots to re-adjust. It was still a real blast -- only missed 30% of the time and I was even getting some 8's and 10's! I did have a lot of arrows ricochet though, especially on this one alligator target in the afternoon round where all four of us in the group were having trouble getting arrows to stick on the alligator... and there was a deer target that my arrow should've penetrated but instead bounced off and ricocheted most spectacularly into the grass behind the target. It was by far the best and we made several attempts to re-create it, but to no avail. The smart thing: aim for the nose. What we did: aim for the kill zone on the back. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me so I didn't get pictures :( But I did get pictures of the stuff I won in the raffle once I got home... The biggest prize was the Sword fixed-pin sight, which I actually bartered for with someone who wanted a stabilizer component that I had originally one but ended up with the sight, so we swapped.

All in all, it was a great shoot, even if my score was borderline embarassing compared to the legendary traditional figures who showed up... but it's a personal best in terms of the rate at which I hit the target! I can't wait for the Traditional Bowhunters of Florida shoot in 2 weeks, assuming one of my profs doesn't decide to put in a field trip for that weekend! It was also a huge blast being able to see friends from both the compound and traditional side of shooting -- I feel a whole lot more comfortable around my fellow shooters and wilderness-types than the overly refined bar/club-hopping peers I'm surrounded by at school.