This is standing in part of the parking lot, looking toward the major shooting facility... the rifle and pistol ranges. The field archery ranges are out of sight up the road that curves up at the right of the photo.

 

 

These eagles are often cruising over the woods, and I was lucky enough to be quick with the camera today.

 

 

There is actually quite a bit of wildlife on the grounds, which are, of course, a sanctuary. This is pileiated woodpecker damage.

 

This is the sign at the entry to the Olympic/\FITA range.

 

This range has only a few targets up right now, but is full in the summer.

 

Way, past the buildings and up that hill, we have the field archery flat range... backstops from 10 yards to 80 yards. It's primarily a compound bow club, hence, lots of longer range targets by trad standards.

 

Okay... we're off on Course 1. There are two courses, but Course 2 is very steep and rugged and I am simply not up to it, so all you get is this one. This is the course I shoot every time I go out.

Here you have Targets 1 - 4. The shooting point is steeply up above Target 1. I shoot all four from the stake, and have gotten to where I can usually hit the bag on Target 4, sometimes even the kill zone.

After shooting, you go down a really steep path. At this point, I practically have my own practice range because I am almost always alone on the course. I shoot Target 4 again from the path, then pull the arrows from Target 1 and shoot them to 3 and 4, then from Target 2. I generally get about 16 shots here...

 

This is Target 4, shot from Target 2. Note the old stump... I don't think it's first growth, but probably first re-log.

 

Targets 5 and 6. Until I started shooting the Titan, I always shot these from the bow rack you see just at the edge of the picture. Now I shoot and hit the first target from the stake where I took the picture. I shoot at the second from there, sometimes don't get it. I then move forward and shoot the both again from the rack, then shoot the second from the first as I pull my arrows.

 

Here's another pair where things have changed for me... this is Targets 7 and 8. I used to shoot 7 from about where the dirt trail starts to show grass. With the Titan, I shoot if from where the photo was taken. I'm trying for the bear, Target 8, from here as well, but that's really still too long for me. I then move up and shoot both from where the grass starts, then pull my arrows from 7 and finish off the bear from there...

 

This is a finished off bear!

 

Target 9... this is another long one, but I've started shooting it from the stake, and am hitting the bag consistently and the animal a reasonable amount of the time. Then I move forward and shoot it seriously from the grass mound you see about a third of the way there...

 

 

Ain't this fun? Targets 10 - 13, shot from a stake up on a high mound. I try for 10, the low deer from up here and have made it, then I move down and go for the high deer above it and usually make that, then I shift off to the side and go for the elk and the bear. The bear has blackberry brambles behind it and can be an arrow eater, especially in summer. From the stake, which I don't try, he's about a 65 yard shot.

 

Targets 14 and 15... 14 is the small animal bag downhill. 15 is way off at 9 'clock. Mostly you cn only tell it's there by the angled roof showing between two trees. This is a steep downhill shot on either target. Up until a week ago, the small animal bag was a deer, but it got shot up enough that they turned it around. i was doing OK on the deer and was a bit upset, but this morning, I nailed the crow.

I think you're supposed to shoot 15 from here, but the angle is terrible and there is a bunch of small tree limb in the way. I slide off to the right and downhill just a bit... If anything, it increases the distance but gives you a better shot... but only marginally...

 

Here's the shot I take at 15... it's downhill, 35 yards, maybe more, and you have to slip your arrow through that bunch of skinny tree limb. I don't think you'll be able to see this target from here in summer.

 

Today, I had 15's number... this is the shot I made from the previousl photo... Bow is the Titan.

 

Okay... from that little valley, you climb back up to the top of the hill, and here you have the next valley, with Targets 16 -18. Actually, 19 is here too, but off to the left out of camera angle. These again are steep downhill shots and at long range for trad shooting. Target 16 is another case of the bag being turned and presenting the small animal face to the shooter. I got the crow with my shot, though. The deer on 17 and 18 are even further away. I got one, missed the other.

 

Now, one of my favorite targets, No. 19. This is the bear bag you see, way across the switchback in the road. You can see Target 18 down across the road, too, but it's 19 that provides the fun here. I don't know how far it is, but it's a long ways... and for some reason, I seem to do reasonably well on it, hence, I love shooting it. I've killed zoned it a number of time from up here on the hill.

 

 

This is Target 20, the last one... another long shot from up a steep hill. Remember I did say it is primarily a compound club.

 

I finished off the round in fine style with these two shots.