Tag Archives: archer theft

Jun 24 2019

Summer archery and a darker side too

Summer is a great time for archery, lots of outdoor shoots, weekends away for two day competitions and lots more. I love 2 day competitions, camping for a few days and conversations into the night round the campfire.

Children have long holidays away from school with lots to do.
Sadly there is a flip side to this for some.
Not everyone is willing to undertake fun activities that aren’t detrimental to others.
There is an old saying “the devil makes work for ideal hands“
With the start of holidays many archery clubs see a rise in thefts and vandalism.
Just last week we found signs of illegal camping and abandoned campire, with exploded gas canisters.

Sadly we also had a couple of target bosses vandalised with the banding cut in several places and foam ripped out.

This is quite minor compared to other clubs experiences but is still demoralising and repairing costs time and money.

So what can we do?

  • We can all keep an eye out for suspicious characters at our clubs or woods.
  • Cultivate links with other local clubs and groups, so you can share news and alerts.
  • We can be careful how we promote the clubs locations on public websites.
  • Securing the huts, sheds etc seems like common sense, but having been a victim of thieves I know that simply putting a lock on the door is not always enough. When we were last broken into they got past the lock and quality padlock by forcing panels out of the door.
  • Think about marking your equipment with club name, or branding the 3Ds with club name is something I know a few clubs have done. You could invest in smart water option too for the more expensive items.
  • If we see deals that appear too good to be true on sites like eBay or offered locally, be suspicious.
  • I know some clubs have invested in security systems, whether these be alarms or cameras. Inexpensive trail cameras, the sort used for wildlife monitoring can prove an effective way of monitoring who actually visits your woodland. If you do use these, I think you have to post signs stating CCTV is in use, but not all clubs are allowed to dependent on who else uses site.
If you have any other suggestions why not share them.
Here’s hoping everyone has a great summer of shooting.
Thanks for reading.
Mar 17 2016

Shoot report – Centaura archers – March 2016

Centaura archers

Centaura archers

Many years ago I was watching a World War two documentary on the London blitz. The narrator an American journalist  made reference to a saying I still remember to this day.
“The sign of a great fighter in the ring is if they can get up from the floor after being knocked down.”
It was in the context of how Londoners would pick themselves up every morning following the German bombing raids and carry on with life.
Three weeks prior to their shoot the Centaura club had been a victim of a break in, resulting in a theft of some of their 3d targets, power generator and other items needed to run a shoot. A damaging blow for any club but when you are due to host a shoot for over 100 archers a scant few weeks later it could be devastating.
Despite this I am delighted to say the club and it’s members proved their commitment to archery by picking themselves up and hosting a good friendly shoot with some challenging shots and unique target faces.
The archery gods must have been looking after them as even the weather seemed to be kind on the day, bestowing a bright sunny early spring day, if at times slightly chilly in the morning. If you are interested in reading a past shoot report you can find one here.
Our shooting companions for the day would be Gayle and Amy both from Harlequin club ,  joining Sharon and I wondering round the woods admiring the banks of snowdrops and primroses that were in full bloom.
Bank of snowdrops

Bank of snowdrops

The polo shot returned this time with a skinny meerkat face one of many faces a club member had sourced.

The polo shot

The polo shot

Sadly I did not make the most of the day and would like to thank Jim Pierce for his assistance at the lunchtime break for taking the time to look at my shoulder. I had injured it on Saturday when lifting a boss resulting in a sharp pain each time I drew up. Not great for a draw dynamic really. Hopefully it will settle down over the next week. While I remember congratulations Jim on your first place.
Back to the shoot report.

Shot from the hill top

Shot from the hill top

Yes there were many familiar targets but they all seemed to work and the day flowed well with only a couple of hold ups on the more challenging shots.

Valley shot - sadly cost me an arrow

Valley shot – sadly cost me an arrow

On the subject of targets it is noting that there were some excellent custom target faces. I loved the owl looking out from behind the tree and the meerkats,  though I think the fox must have been on a diet.
In short well done to Centaura for showing what is possible despite the criminal element in our society.

Luckiest shot of the day

My luckiest shot of the day

On a lighter note to end this report can I say how great it was to have the opportunity to meet in person and talk with a reader of this blog. I’m really glad you like the site and enjoy the shoot reports and thanks for taking the time to chat.

Sharon shooting her BlackBrook American Flatbow

Sharon shooting her BlackBrook American Flatbow

Special congrats to Sharon who showed she is becoming more used to shooting her afb by out shooting all wooden arrow archers both male and female on the day.
Thanks for reading.