Archery

Introduction and History

Archery is a tool invented by ancient peoples dating back to neolithic times. The earliest known evidence of a bow and arrow being used was between 60,000 and 70,000 years ago from a cave in South Africa called Sibudu Cave where flint knapped arrowheads were found. The earliest remains of bow and arrow were from Europe. Possible bow and arrow fragments from Germany were found at Mannheim-Vogelstang and dated to 17,500-18,000 years ago. Archery was originally used for hunting. It later evolved into a combat tool, today archery is used as a recreational activity. The Bow and Arrow are an evolutionary step up from another projectile called the Atlatl.

Doing Archery with Children

Archery is one of the most popular skills we teach at Trackers. Almost all of our programs have or can use archery in some form or another, whether it be target shooting with the Rangers or bow fishing with the Mariners. It is a useful skill to learn and easy to get engaged with. Archery can be used with all age groups, from Rovers to our oldest 6th-10th grade groups. Most kids will be excited to use a bow, however some may be a bit nervous, bows can be dangerous! Remind your students that it is completely safe as long as they PAY ATTENTION and follow the range rules which we will talk about shortly.

When it comes to teaching archery, Some ages like 4 and 5 year olds will be more or less capable of shooting a bow. Saying that some of the 2nd and 3rd graders may have trouble, or even the 6th through 10th graders. Just like the children shooting those bows, you must have patience with your children as they are learning the proper technique, for some of our kids this may be their first time shooting a bow! Support them by reminding them the rules of the range. If you are worried about them not paying attention or being safe with the equipment, it is OKAY to have them sit out for a turn or two. Remind them that archery is a gift, not a need, and that bows are tools, not a toy. While they are still learning the proper use of a bow, have them shoot using the 3 step system, Knock, Draw, Loose. We call this an Arrow Volley and we will discuss the use of it further down. This goes for all age groups and when both of these techniques are used, it can lead to a fun and successful program for you and your team.

Getting Started

When using an archery range there are a few set up procedures you should follow. Before you grab gear in the morning, inspect it. Make sure there are no damaged arrows! A damaged arrow can splinter and break when fired and can hurt the archer. Check for cracks, chips, bends, or broken arrows.
Check bows, make sure the string is not frayed and is securely mounted on the bow. First - Scout the range, make sure there are no other groups behind the range and that it is clear of debris that could hurt the kids, like glass, broken arrows, or widow makers.

Second - Set up your firing line. This is where the children will be shooting from and the boundary that they cannot cross while the range is “hot”.

Third - Brief your children on the rules of the range. It is important to do this BEFORE you hand them a bow.
Rules of the Range are:

• Arrows must alway point down range when knocked. Never behind a student or pointing towards another.
• You must fire from the same firing line.
• When you are done firing, lay down your bow. This is so you know when everyone is done shooting.
• No running on the range.
• Only fire when the range is hot.
• Follow the range commands.
• The bouquet of death - this means you carry your arrows back to the firing line by holding them by the tip. Making the fletching look like flowers.
• When using multiple ranges with other teams, make sure you do not call range clear while they are still firing. Though the ranges are separated, there is always the chance that a stray arrow may fly into your range. Work with other instructors while using archery ranges.

What are the range commands? Great question! These are the range commands:

• Hold! - When you say “HOLD” all participants must cease fire. You use this when a child is handling a bow in an unsafe manner or you must focus on one child to correct their form.
• Range Hot! - You shout this command to let everyone know that there is no one on the range and it is safe to fire.
• Range Cold/Range Clear! - This is shouted when all arrows have been fired.
• Walk and Retrieve your arrows - This is said right after Range Clear, it is a reminder that we walk on the range for our safety and so we don’t break any arrows.

Arrow Volley Commands - Use these to control when your team performs an action, they cannot move unless you say these commands. They go as follows.

• Knock - Loading an arrow on the bow.
• Draw - Pull the string back and hold.
• Loose - Fire your arrows!!
• Fire at Will - This will be used after you have gauged the skill level of your archers and you can let them fire at their own pace. If you are starting with a completely new group, ALWAYS START WITH AN ARROW VOLLEY.

These commands are very important and should be used every time you use an archery range.

Once these rules are established, then you may get your bows and arrows and begin setting up. When setting up targets, you can use any of the foam targets we have available, or you can use the hay bales at site, or set up punky logs and branches as targets. In hovel areas you can also prepare for the day by making targets. Using crayons or markers to let the kids draw monsters or point system games to use during your archery activity.

It is also possible to teach your kids how to string a bow, for help on string bows, you can view this video!

Activities

Even though Archery is an activity to respect, there are a few games you can play with your team. Here are some examples:

Alien Attack! - For this game set up 4 or 5 targets at some distance away. One will be noticeably bigger than the others. The bigger one is the mother ship and the rest are the aliens. Every round the archers must hit a target. If a target is not hit, it will move closer. If one of the aliens is hit before the mother ship is taken down, then it will respawn at its starting point. The goal of this game is to knock over the mother ship and then the aliens. This game teaches team work as the archers can plan their attacks on the aliens and it helps them figure out accuracy. Its also super fun if you turn it into a story!

Tic-Tac-Toe - This game plays exactly how you think, however for this one when you shoot a square you claim it as your own. Therefore if someone else accidentally shoots the same square they cannot take it from you. The goal, just like regular tic-tac-toe is to get three in a row. The winner gets a crisp high five! To set up you can either use a grid the kids made in your hovel time OR by using sticks and branches from the surrounding woods. This game teaches accuracy and patience along with good sportsmanship! To be continued

Staging and Cleanup

Archery is a projectile sport, so be sure make sure leading this activity is permitted at each location you visit.

Clean Up
As with any activity and site we use, it is good practice to leave a site looking better than you found it. This goes for gear too!

When cleaning up the range, check for:

• Forgotten arrows
• The range is clear of scrappy junk.
• Remove targets used that look as if they cannot be used any more
• Straighten out the firing line.

As for gear, put arrows back in the quiver you brought out tip first, the fletching should be seen from the top of the quiver. Keep broken arrows separate from the main quiver and give them to your coordinator to take care of or repair. When taking down the bows, take the string of of one end of the bow but leave the loop still attached to the bow, this way the string doesn’t get tangled at the bottom of the bag. Wrap the string around the bow and then place the bow in the bag with the loose end point down into the bag. The tied end should be at the top. Once all bows and arrows have been properly put away. Store the bow bags in there proper place.

Note: it is also ok to coordinate with your team on using the bows so that they are just handed off to the next team instead of being put away. It then becomes the last teams responsibility to put the bows where they belong.

Advanced Archery skills documents: Bow Making
Arrow Making
Advanced Archery Techniques