We love 3-D archery shoots. And we hope you do to. During this years 3-D shoot schedule, bowhuntinginfo will be visiting a new bow hunting or archery club each week. We will let you know how we liked the club, about some of the members and on good days, how we shoot. If you would like to see a previous report look here. If you would like us to visit, make sure you post your archery shoot schedule and drop us an invitation. We can't promise we will make it, but we will be shooting somewhere every weekend. Good shooting!
Bear State Bowhunters - Wilderness Challenge
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Yep, California! We were shooting the Bear State
Bowhunters, Wilderness Challenge. Bear State an archery only
family club, was hosting one of their monthly shoots. This shoot
was a 42 target 3-D shoot in the hills just east of Escondido,
California.
Certainly my first shoot here, and my first visit to southern California in the summer. It was hot, dry and every target was uphill - both ways! Just kidding. The course was well laid out, and was mostly in the trees, so the shoot was actually quite pleasant. Bear State used a combination of different targets, including McKienzie, Rinehart, and targets I hadn't shot before, Critter targets. There were about 170 shooters entered in this shoot, and it was run very smoothly. I had opportunity to shoot with a four guys, I called the Goatee Gang, for obvious reasons.
Bear State had many targets I had rarely seen before including a Hippo, Ostrich and Lion. They had a couple of novelty targets as well. A moving javelina, and a steel target, which unless arrow placement is very good, results in a trip to the store to purchase another arrow.
As a Midwest shooter, Bear State had some novel concepts to me as well. They offered mulligans (for a price) as well as doe tags (you know for when you accidentally hit the doe in front of the buck). They also had a progressive shot, where you could choose your target, and the further target you chose, the greater the point value of a hit. Another thing I found interesting was the way they started the shoot. Instead of everyone starting at target one, and progressing through the course one group at a time, Bear State sent groups out to all the targets, and the shoot started at the sound of an air horn. I had never seen that type of start before, but it looked to me like that is they way they always do it here. And It ran very quickly. |
The Goatee Gang was a pretty good bunch to shoot with. They
weren't too bad at shooting either. We (I use that term loosely) tubed
two, count 'em two arrows over the 42 target course. I think the guys had
it in for Bruce's arrows.
The Goatee Gang was, of course, quite impressed with my prowess as an archer. "Wow, Bob, what a shot! You just missed the lung, and from 16 yards too!" I tried to be humble. Bear State Bowhunters is a family membership club with a little over 130 family memberships. They hold 12 shoots a year, six 42 target shoots and six 28 target shoots. They also have six field shoots, January through June. Their November shoot is their "Toy" shoot, where the entry fee is a $10 or greater toy that is donated to the battered children of Escondido. They also have a raffle each year, where the proceeds to the Escondido, YMCA.
Bear State's shoots are held on the 4th Sunday of each month, and are open to all participants except their December shoot which is a traditional only shoot. The Club also has numerous training events like bowhunter education, boy scout shoots and more. I was welcomed by the Club's Vice President, Francis Chapp and the editor of their newsletter "The Shaft", Linda Turner. I had a great time at the club, in spite of loosing an arrow to the iron target - I think one of the Goatee Gang poked me just as I released! If you would like more information about Bear State Bowhunters, check out their info page here. You can also email them at Bear State. Their address is PO Box 300364, Escondido, CA 92030.
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March 30, 2004
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