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| Photo by Bill Kinney Photography Alright so this may not be a night target... but a midnight ramble stumbled upon this guy and I couldn't resist. |
Ever heard of an archery night shoot? If not, and you like bow shoots, your in for a treat. A night shoot is (as you may have guessed) conducted at night. The different times vary, some are from late afternoon till dusk, and others are done only after the sun goes down. But the real question is...What exactly is a night shoot?
As you may or may not know there are many different types of archery shoots. 3D, indoor, outdoor, target, aerial, but we've come across a few newer (and more creative) ones in our day. Night shoots are set up usually like a normal course except that archers are encouraged to bring flashlights. The fun of the night shoot is the extra added challenge and unknown of the dark. Perception changes a little and you never know when a real animal may pop up next to the target. Some shoots are set up where you have to put in a little effort to find your target which just adds an extra level of fun. Some big archery events also host a Raccoon Shoot. Here they set up Raccoon targets along the path and in trees and you have to go and spot them. Others will do arial shoots at night and will have everyone line up on a big field and spotlight the area as they throw a line of targets up in the air. Any of these can be quite fun and are something new to try!
If you are unable to find a shoot in your area or think it might be fun to have your own shoot, try setting one up!...
The one major concern with a night shoot is obviously safety. Because you cannot see beyond what you are shooting at, night shoots must be very well planned out. A solid backing should be behind the targets and the targets should be well spaced. When participating in a night shoot be prepared to lose your arrows, so don't bring your best ones. If you miss the target it is probably easiest to consider it lost. If you do decide to try and find it make sure you have at least one group member stand at the stake so that if anyone else comes along they know you are back there. Also remember to bring an extra set of batteries in case your flashlights goes out, being lost on an archery range at night could definitely be a problem.
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