Hartford
By the time the trio finishes, there are 20 such targets placed at intervals along a trail on the private club’s 100 or so acres, standing in wait for hunters with bows and arrows to practice target shooting.
“Anyone can come up and shoot,” said Follensbee, one of the organizers of the weekly 3-D archery shoots.
Follensbee and Gray brought back the 3-D shoots, which run every Wednesday from Mayto October, in 2014. The shoots were stopped in the late ’90s amid waning interest. It costs $5 per person to participate, with children 12 and under free. There is no age minimum to participate.
“If they can pull back a bow, they can shoot,” Gray said.
Out of all three deer hunting seasons — bow, rifle and muzzleloader — bow season is the least popular, but viewed as the most challenging.
“I like bow shooting more because for me it requires more focus,” said Wheatley, Follensbee’s fiancee. Movement must be more calculated: When a deer approaches, the hunter must move the bow to the ready as quietly as possible and also must be strong enough to hold a drawn bow until a clean shot emerges.
Wheatley started archery about three years ago, after Follensbee gave her a bow. It quickly became her favorite hunting season, partly for the time of year.
“During bow season we get to see a lot more nature,” she said. Bow season typically begins the first full weekend in October.
The 3-D shoots draw people of all ages, Follensbee said, and there are families who attend. While the club offers score sheets for groups to keep track of points, there is no official competition. Points are determined by where an arrow strikes a target.
“People generally shoot in groups,” Follensbee said.
Participants are required to sign release forms and obey safety protocols such as standing a certain distance from targets while others are shooting. After a group finishes at one of the stations, they are required to remove their arrows from the target, or retrieve them from the surrounding area. Children often come with parents for informal instruction before youth hunting season begins.
Bows range in size and weight. Arrows also are made to the hunter’s preference. For example, Gray attaches brightly colored turkey feathers to the ends of his arrows.
“When it comes down to the bow, it’s all personal choice,” he said. “I’d much rather go bow hunting. It’s a peaceful time of year.”
As hunting season approaches, the shoots become busier, Wheatley said. While hunters can practice shooting paper targets on their own, the 3-D targets in the woods better mimic real hunting conditions.
In addition to providing archers a place to hone their skills, the shoots have become a social opportunity for hunters during the offseason.
“We get a couple of people up here who really know bows and they like to help others,” Follensbee said.
For more information on the 3-D archery shoots, contact Follensbee at 802-291-0794.
James M. Patterson can be reached at jpatterson@vnews.com or 603-727-3230. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
