I imagine it's been asked before so forgive me: What draws you to a 3D shoot and what is the best event you've attended?
For me, it's the comaraderie and the chance to learn from other archers. A challenging course is definitely a plus. That's a reason I enjoy an IBO shoot. Best venue I've been to is Twin Oaks for The Tennessee Classic. They have a great staff, facility, and target set. They treat their guests as well as a 5 star hotel woul. They are a class act.
I like 3Ds because of the competition and friends. I like the events with the longer shots, too many clubs set the targets up too close for my liking. Denton Hill is a super event but has no competition except for the Eagle Eye. But since the ski lift died, it is not as much fun, the mountain climbing is hard on us old guys. Some of the larger events get so crowded that people walk off the course because of big slow groups, no fun to stand and wait. I don't attend every event I could because some have some old useless rules. I wish they would reconsider their rules. Some of my favorites are the Ky Trad Fest and Farmland Ind because the courses are relatively flat, easier on my old legs. The Howard Hill may be the best competition event I attend. Plenty of very good shooters there and the targets are usually not set so close. Tenn Classic is also a good event, good competition and the course is set up very well. All have great people running them. I will add that every event I attend is a good day. The people who set them up work hard and deserve our appreciation for their efforts. One thing I use to like, but do not any longer, are the moving targets. Most do not function the same every time and usually slow groups down, not always, butfrequently cause waiting.
Here is Michigan we have a lot of multi day (camping)traditional shoots sponsored by local, state, and national/international organizations. On any given Sunday we have 2 or 3 outdoor 3D shoots we can attend year round w/ no less than 11 archery clubs in our area. Each one has its own appeal. Terrain, camping, food, price, course lay out, activities. If you haven't done the Great Lakes Longbow Invitational or Compton Rendezvous, Pine River Stickbow Shoot or even World Dragon Shooting Day at Tomahawk Archers then you are missing out. But having said all of that, it is important for you to know that while necessary all of those things don't make traditional archery. Its the people. That is why we go.
Nothing draws me to them. I haven't been to a shoot in many years, and some are literally right over the hill from my place. I go down there and shoot all the time, alone at the bale course. Never been to a 3d shoot there. I'm not competitive and don't like crowds and waiting to shoot. I'd rather grab a bow and go for a hike out on the game lands, enjoy nature, hunt mushrooms, and shoot random targets at will. Guess I'm just a loner :^/
As already stated, I like the rendezvous atmosphere. Seeing old friends that have been coming to these for years, and sharing a camp fire after a day of shooting & catching up on things. Blessed to have many great shoots, large & small in Michigan. Calendar is marked for this summer.
I get a chance to shoot my bow with friends I haven't seen all winter. We just just shoot for fun and have a good time. And it keep you tuned for hunting.
Of coarse the camaraderie is the top reason for me. There just seems to be something special about the "Trad Group". I have been lucky to make many friends through 3D shoots.
When I first started "Trad" a few years ago I met a young man at my first 3D that was not compound. The young man could shoot like he was shooting a compound. Well the young man taught me to shoot. Needless to say we made fast friends :)
I will say there are a few shoots that I will not attend due to waiting to shoot. One shoot in particular took around 5 hours to shoot one round. I much prefer the "Trad" only shoots, along with my local club.
I started shooting 3d in MN with 3 others mostly. Each of them a former state champion. The competition was fierce and fun. That was 20 years ago. Now I mostly shoot alone, but still shoot for the highest score I can get. I don't go to practice, I do that in my back yard. If I get to a shoot and find they don't score I've been known to leave.
Last July I spent four days at Denton Hill and never shot an arrow. So many folks to visit and BS with that I didn't miss shooting any of the ranges. On good years I usually only shoot one range...usually Cardiac Ridge since it's the least populated. I may shoot some of the stationary targets by the tents or up by the lodge, but mostly I BS. I also like the swap meet every evening after the vendors shut down. Shooting foam animals doesn't much trip my trigger, I'd much rather go roving.
I'm with George, my last two trips to Denton I didn't even take a bow. Too much fun catching up with friends, shopping and test shooting bows that I can't afford. Besides, I can shoot any time, and do most days. Some of these folks I only get to see a couple times a year.
I’m helping a local club in CT promote there 2nd Annual Trad Only Shoot. I’m working directly with the Trad Shoot Organizer. Our first shoot last year drew 100+ archers from all over CT, NY, NJ, PA, MA and VT. Not bad for the first time out of the box. The Trad Shoot Organizer and I came up the the theme for the shoot, a true hunters style shoot. We developed over 100 possible shot opportunities over 2 courses on 25 acres. Big game, small, game, medium targets, judo blocks, moving targets, skill and novelty shots, up hill, down hill, sitting, kneeling, through and around obstacles. A lot of the shots are set up just for this event. We had a few vendors and a swap meet last year. The club also included a quick breakfast and BBQ lunch as part of the entry fee. Everyone had a blast. We really had toget the club board to think differently about this shoot. The club is primarily compound shooters. It took a lot of thought, work and a strong understanding on the part of he Trad Shoot Organizer as to what the trad archer wants from a shoot. We promised an experience and an event that caters just to the traditional archer and we delivered. The 1st shoot was a huge success. So next weekend is our Cos Cob Archers 2nd Annual Trad Only Shoot and Swap Meet. We have double the about of vendors, a CT based Bowhunting Podcast will be there to broadcast from the shoot. We have many new and challenging targets and we are expecting at least 150+ guys for this year. We’re looking forward to delivering another great experience.
We have shot all over the country and look for courses with varying topography and target sets. We did the competitive thing for a couple of years and found the scoring distracting from our family interactions. We did collect numerous wins and high finishes. We do like the atmosphere of the events too although we don’t really spend time making friends since it is a family thing for us and our family time is never long enough. Brief interactions with other archers are enough for us.
I agree about family time; there's just not enough of it. I'm trying to travel more for shoots with my wife. I'll make it to Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Alabama this year. I want head out west next year. Working every other weekend makes it hard to travel as much as I want. Walking the woods at my house is fun as well. I tried the competition thing before but it seemed to take some of the fun out of it.
Chime in with some other places to shoot. Kinda doing a bucket list of shoots Iwant to make it to.
As far as DH goes I am getting the same way. I could live without shooting. I look forward to camping with my NJ buddies and eating their gourmet food .
I enjoy a shoot that has a good trade blanket and lots of guys with bows to trade or sell . I take a handful of bows I've picked up in trades or garage sales that I don't have a use for and try to trade them for something I think I need.
I also enjoy meeting new people. I met two brothers who were camping next to us with there father last year at a shoot. They invited us to shoot the course with them after having us over for a great meal of ribs they cooked over the fire.
Being invited to dinner or to shoot with new people is not that unusual but what was unusual was that the father shot the entire course, over a mile and 1/4 long with very large hills while using a walker. He is a cancer survivor who had just finished his final chemo treatment the week earlier and was in his seventies.
This is the kind of thing that you see at shoots that keep you coming back. I enjoy slinging arrows at home as most of us do but I don't get to have experiences like this one in my own back yard.
I like the pressure of competition, even when I fall apart and shoot poorly. And I like 'fun' shoots because, dunh.
I like a well set up target, because it inspires me when it's my club hosting.
I enjoy shooting with old friends and laughing our way through the course.
And I enjoy meeting new folks at different shoots. Last weekend I was squadded with four guys from Maine, had a ball with them, even when I was trashing arrows ;-)
I haven't gone to many. I never did shoot compound. I'm mostly self taught and I know I've got what many would consider bad habits. I love making and shooting selfbows. It all started out as a whim. Just to see if I could make one. I never dreamed I'd become hopelessly addicted to it. My first meet was the Primitive Archery Meet in Marshall Michigan. I'm not a big crowd person. I was a little leary of going. It is a all natural materials shoot. I had never seen another selfbow or bowyer. I only had my ash selfbow. The second selfbow I'd ever made. The first one I didn't break. My arrows were all shoot shaft arrows. I knew my equipment was only so so. I felt like I might be a bit unqualified and might not belong. That feeling totally disappeared the moment my wife and I arrived. I meet the greatest bunch of guys and gals. Kids and young adults. Even vendors. It's not a huge event. It's a very comfortable family reunion type feeling. I never once felt like anyone was looking down on me. Even though I'm only 5'5"lol. I learned so much in such a short time. I made lifelong friends I think of every day. We are a very diverse bunch but with many things in common. My wife got to know all of the wives, kids and grandkids. We took one of our grandkids and he had a blast. We haven't missed the Marshall meet since. We look forward to it all year long, literally from the time we pull out of the parking lot.
I've goon to Elm Hall a couple times and I enjoy it. No bow building but a nice course. I'm only a so so target shooter. I shoot most every day but not distances many others shoot. I've never been a target shooter even with a rifle. I like hunting though. I don't know why but when it comes to hunting I just somehow know when the shoot is right. I don't even think about the shot. It just happens. I still have to work on the tree stand shooting. Just never got to that feeling with tree stand hunting yet.
For me even though I'm a bit of a loner. It's the people. It's the common link that binds such a diverse group together, even though I'm pretty sure many are loners like myself. I can't wait to get back with my people.
My first shoot was one of the IBO Triple Crown shoots. Man was I overwhelmed. I never thought I'd go to another shoot again. I finally went to a traditional only shoot and was "adopted" by Clydebow and Nancy. They made me feel welcomed and I learned a ton from them. I think that for the most part, trad archers are some warm and generous people!
Just loved to practice and the shoots gave me extra pressure. I guess my favorite shoots were the 1st few Michigan longbow association shoots in Marshall.
I go to 3D shoots with a couple good friends. We are very fortunate in my area of PA to have one in reasonable driving distance just about every weekend. Some are "traditional" only and some are mixed with compound shooters. I've encountered nothing but good people at any of the shoots we've gone to. I don't keep score and just enjoy a walk in the woods with good friends and shooting my bow. I wouldn't say I have a favorite shoot I've attended so far because they have all been enjoyable.
