Tag Archives: squirrel

Aug 2 2013

A suitable archery quote

“Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.”

If memory serves I think this was said by the character of Walter Hagen (played by Bruce McGill) in the film The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000). IMDb directed by Robert Redford.

Legend of Bagger Vance

If you are unfamiliar with the film it revolves round a golfer (played by Matt Damon) who on his return from the first world war is at a low ebb suffering from flashbacks and memories of the horrors he witnessed in the trenches. The second main character is that of his caddy Bagger Vance played by Will Smith.
Smiths character helps Damons to overcome his lack of confidence in his golfing prowess and personal troubles whilst competing at a golf tournament. You get the feeling there is more to Bagger than meets the eye as he not only helps Damons character but provides an insight and  casual charm set in the early 1920s southern state of the USA.
As for the quote. It is a phrase that I’ve used more than a few times to describe those shots which just seem to have been too good to be true. It has also been adopted by friends who also are now using a shortened version simply “a blind squirrel shot”.
Lets face it we spend a lot of time in the woods and there are times and days when I wonder if my eyes are working in conjunction with my limited brain cells and my muscles. Your judgement is off and yet you make the shot.
You miss what should be easy shots only to get those near impossible ones. So next time this happens to you just remember “even a blind squirrel can find an acorn once in a while”
Thanks for reading and enjoy your archery.
Aug 9 2012

Field Archery & nature

Spring in the woods
One of the reasons I enjoy field archery is the opportunity to be out in the British countryside, enjoying the fresh air, fine weather and occasional random encounters with wildlife. Granted this year the fine weather has been in short supply with unusually high rain fall, strong winds and thunderstorms with hailstones the size of golf balls.
Despite this I still enjoy being out and about, seeing how the woods change over the months, from the first signs of bluebells poking out of the earth to the jungle of green ferns that have appeared almost overnight.
Blue bells in the wood

Blue bells in the wood

The changing seasons are amasing to watch from the first onset of Autumn and change of colours through to the shorter shooting days of Winter and first frosts or snowfall.
Spring at Black Arrow Woods

Spring at Black Arrow Woods

As the seasons change so do the habits of the wildlife and your chances to see them.

Each Saturday when we get to the wood I walk the course, partly as a safety check for fallen branches and to see if target faces need replacing. It gives me the chance to see wildlife too before the wood is filled with the sounds of archers and arrows.  I often see a selection of animals and birds going about their business. Last week I disturbed a fox who looked somewhat surprised to see me appear from behind a tree, before he retreated down the hillside.

The other Saturday I was walking along one of the lower paths when I spotted a grey squirrel some 25-30 feet away heading straight down the path towards me. Standing perfectly still I let it approach, wondering how close it would come before it realised that I was there. I’m guessing it couldn’t recognise me as I was wearing my old army surplus camouflage jacket. It came up to a couple of feet and sat there looking at me. What was it thinking? Maybe it was trying to work out if I was a threat or just on oddly shaped bush?

After a few moments it must have decided I was no threat and to move on so hopped within inches of my feet onto the moss-covered  perimeter stone wall of the wood and then it was gone. This was a really magical moment for me, to have the opportunity to be  so close to animal as to see the individual strands of fur and the colours of their eyes as they look straight at you.
I so wanted to reach  for my phone and record the encounter but knew if I moved it would spot me and disappear. So archery can be far more than just shooting a few targets

I’m sure anyone who enjoys field archery has similar stories to tell of their encounters. Thanks for reading