Vacation plans in most families are formulated on compromises. The interests of each member of the family must be taken into consideration. The amount of time available, the season of the year, and the amount of money that has been set aside in the vacation budget envelope, are controlling factors in planning any vacation.

The Labor Day week-end generally marks the close of the summer vacation season. Rates for accommodations are reduced and many desirable locations are available. If your family en joys the mountains, there is no lovlier time of the year out doors’than the golden month of October. Crisp mornings, bril liant sunshine, and warm comfortable afternoons make each day in the wooded wonderland perfect. Gone are the heat and the insect pests that plague one in the summer time. The trees are decked in their gaudiest colors. Flaming reds and orange which an artist despairs of reproducing and which the color camera at its best produces only an approximate imitation are scattered with a lavish hand over the ridges and valleys. Forest trails invite the hiker and the camera enthusiast as well as the bow hunter. Where, during the spring storms, the muddy waters tumbled down the mountain streams, now the speckled trout feeds in the crystal clear pools that dot long stretches of the stream, rising ‘to some unseen aquatic insect and safe from the artificial offering of the trout fisherman.

State and National Parks throughout the main deer range offer wonderful opportunities for vacation-bound families at this time of the year. The crowds with the attendant turmoil and noise that they always create have departed and the woods has once more become a place of solitude and quiet. The facilities afforded the general public in the Pennsylvania State Park System are duplicated over and over again across the nation. Off-season rates for cabins range from $7.50 per week for a small one room cabin with two beds to $15.00 for a three room cabin containing four beds. Cabins are provided with electricity for lighting and a small electric range is standard equipment in several of the parks in the Keystone State. Fire wood is cut and stacked near the cabins for use in the open fireplace. In addition, some of the cabins are equipped with wood burning heating stoves which can be used as an auxilliary cooking unit. A source of pure water is conveniently located and refrigeration space is provided for the preservation of food. The temperatures at night may drop below freezing. Woolen blankets and warm clothing are essential for comfort, although the temperature will probably rise to the 70’s or low 8o’s during the middle of the day unless one is in the higher altitudes of the western states. State parks formerly closed to hunting have in recent years been opened to bow and arrow hunting. In general the parks are located adjacent to large tracts of public lands which are open to hunting. A system of well built forest motor roads is maintained in the park systems and in the state forests. The National Park Service has built miles of ex cellent motor roads throughout the National Park System of the United States. These roads offer exceptional opportunities to explore the forested areas by motor car. A “Public Use Map” of the state and national forest areas, showing the network of forest motor roads and hiking trails is almost always available, and may be secured by writing to the National Park Service in Washington, D. C. or to the Park Service or Forestry Depart ment of the several states. In Pennsylvania, these maps show in addition to the forest road system, the location of fire towers, state game refuges, and scenic lookout stations. Sign posts have been erected at the intersections of forest roads and the mileage to various points and places of scenic interest are indicated on the signs. With a copy of a “Public Use Map” as a guide, an all-day motor trip may be planned through a state forest or in a national forest where it is a common experience to see grouse flush from the road ahead of the car, and grey squirrels scampering up a nearby tree at any time of day, while in the late afternoon one to several deer may be surprised around the next turn in the road on their way from the bed grounds to their favorite food plot. Archery Equipment - Read More.

In the advertising field it is firmly believed that con stant repetition of the merits of any article is needed to attract and hold the attention of the public. The endless repetition of commercials on radio and TV, we are told, are good selling techniques. At the risk of being criticized, and in a much less blatant manner, the technique of repetition has been used throughout the text to attempt to implant firmly in the mind of the future bow hunter certain factual information which it is necessary to understand and accept before attempting to master the art of shooting a bow.

So much misinformation has been circulated about the kind of bow required for use in the hunting field that beginners, al most without exception unless guided by the advice of an ex pert bowman, will buy a bow on the false assumption that success in the hunting field will be measured by the effort it takes to draw and release an arrow from the bow. The title of this chapter is intentionally misleading. Instead of Shooting a Hunting Bow, it should be written, Shooting a Bow in Hunt ing. The hunting bow as a distinct weapon does not exist. Any type of bow can be and is used in the hunting field. Even after a novice has acquired the technique necessary to shoot a bow in the light weight class, the weight chosen for the hunting bow should never exceed that which the bowman can draw without overtaxing his strength. Archery Equipment - Read More.

In the advertising field it is firmly believed that con stant repetition of the merits of any article is needed to attract and hold the attention of the public. The endless repetition of commercials on radio and TV, we are told, are good selling techniques. At the risk of being criticized, and in a much less blatant manner, the technique of repetition has been used throughout the text to attempt to implant firmly in the mind of the future bow hunter certain factual information which it is necessary to understand and accept before attempting to master the art of shooting a bow.

So much misinformation has been circulated about the kind of bow required for use in the hunting field that beginners, al most without exception unless guided by the advice of an ex pert bowman, will buy a bow on the false assumption that success in the hunting field will be measured by the effort it takes to draw and release an arrow from the bow. The title of this chapter is intentionally misleading. Instead of Shooting a Hunting Bow, it should be written, Shooting a Bow in Hunt ing. The hunting bow as a distinct weapon does not exist. Any type of bow can be and is used in the hunting field. Even after a novice has acquired the technique necessary to shoot a bow in the light weight class, the weight chosen for the hunting bow should never exceed that which the bowman can draw without overtaxing his strength. Archery Equipment - Read More.

Why should a sportsman want to hunt with a bow when a gun offers a muck better opportunity to secure game? Granted more game can be taken with a gun. Records com piled by the State of Michigan show that one in three gun hunters can be expected to bag his deer while only one in twenty bowmen were able to accomplish this feat during the 1954 season. However, why do more and more fishermen change from heavy poles and lines to fly fishing and spinning with light tackle? The answer in part is that sportsmen are seeking more fun in their favorite sports by handicapping them selves. There is more thrill to a rising fish than to a dead one; and tomorrow the fisherman can try his skill again.

Hunting seasons are of short duration and opportunities to engage in a hunt with firearms for the larger game animals are limited to a few days in camp once a year. We work for our living and cannot arrange to be absent from our work for the period of the entire deer season, short as it is. Were more week-end periods available to us, we would have more oppor tunity to enjoy our favorite sport.

Sportsmen in the United States are conservation minded. Year after year we have seen our bag limits reduced and the season shortened in an effort to maintain a reasonable supply of game. Almost without exception the sportsmen have sub mitted without protest to what appeared to be a necessary cur tailment of their days of hunting. So conservation minded have we become that efforts to reduce the deer herd where food shortages cause increasingly heavy kills has brought about serious and determined opposition when an open season has been declared on deer of either sex. What then can be done to increase the length of the hunting season so that we can enjoy more week-ends afield over a longer period of the year? Archery Equipment - Read More.

The science of Ballistics in the mind of the average person is confined to firearms and ammunition, ranging from the single shot .22 caliber rifle to the batteries of 16 inch rifles in the turrets of a modern battleship.

When gun enthusiasts congregate around the open fireplace in the winter evenings, the conversation will shortly fall into a familiar pattern and the ear will catch snatches of conversation where the words: headspace, rim-fire, cases, pattern, lands, and hollow point, etc. fill the air, and to the uninformed make no sense whatsoever. Volumes have been written since the ad vent of gunpowder on this one phase of the science and the end is not yet in sight. Ballistics in its broad sense covers a far larger field. Defined as “the science or art of hurling missile weapons by use of an engine,” we can substitute for the words, missile weapons the single word “arrows,” and for the word engine the word “bow,” and we realize that the archer as well as the rifleman is interested in the science of ballistics, and that the glossary of archery terms is no less con fusing to the uninitiated than is that of the rifleman.

Since the bow was in common use throughout the ancient world, it follows naturally that both the bow and the arrow varied widely in design and the materials from which they were constructed. In parts of the world where the bow is still the principal weapon of primitive peoples it varies in size and drawing weight from the light weight three-foot bow of the African pigmy to the moderate weight eight-foot bow of the Siriono Indian. Archery Equipment - Read More.

The bow can truthfully be said to have been man’s universal weapon, down through the ages. With it he procured food for himself and his family and defended himself from his enemies. Australia is the only large land mass where the bow was unknown to the aborigines. The Bush man of Aus tralia is at the bottom of the scale of civilized man; and it is interesting to note in reading history, that from ancient times to the advent of firearms, the nations who reached the highest degree of civilization also excelled in the use of the bow as a military weapon.

Lacking modern means of communication and transportation, the ancients were unable to exchange either commodities or ideas, and although the bow was almost universally known, it was constructed by necessity of materials indigenous to a local ity and readily available to the inhabitants. Thus from the high steppes of Asia and the Far East where timber was scarce and almost non-existent over large areas, came the earliest counter part of the modern composite bow. Fabricated from horn, wood, and sinew, it was used by the armies of Assyria, by the Mongols, the Chinese, and the Turks.

The wooden long bow of Western Europe was probably introduced into England from the Scandinavian countries, and underwent little change or improvement until the present cen tury. Discarded by the English speaking peoples as a military weapon, it was relegated to a minor role in sport and no sincere effort was made to improve its performance. Archery Equipment - Read More.

Beginners Equipment

The sport of bow hunting has gained such momen tum in the past few years in the United States that the facilities of the old line archery manufacturers have been strained to the limit to cope with the unprecedented demand for bows and equipment which can be used in the hunting field. New com panies are entering the field in increasing numbers, and such a wide variety of equipment is offered for sale that the old-timer as well as the beginner is confused by the great variety and conflicting claims made by the manufacturers and dealers in bow hunting equipment. The situation is further complicated by the failure of the manufacturers to adopt industry wide stan dards against which the various products could be measured and compared one with the other.

This chapter is written expressly for those individuals who desire to acquire the knack of shooting a bow, primarily in order to use it in the pursuit of game. Techniques and equip ment developed for use in the hunting field are of sufficient importance to be treated separately. There is a common meeting ground on many phases of archery, for the bowhunter and the target archer, and, therefore, there can be no firm line of cleavage between the two groups. Individual archers cross this imaginary line with impunity, and the novice, if he is to acquire any ability as a marksman, must learn certain elementary techniques, and use equipment common to both groups. To present the subject material in an orderly and understandable manner, some basic instructions must necessarily be repeated. For this the author may receive some criticism, but offers the explanation that instructions aimed at the beginner should be in sufficient detail and presented in the order in which the student will need advice in learning to shoot. With this apologia, let us proceed. Archery Equipment - Read More.

Varying degrees of self-consciousness are handicaps which plague all beginners. Fear that lack of skill will prove embarrassing when exhibited in the company of other archers, to the extent that it will prevent us from enjoying the sport, impels us to practice alone, or at the most to confine our com pany to those whom we know are beginners in the sport.

Since all archers must pass through this initial stage, every effort is made to smooth the transitional period for the novice. There is a sympathetic understanding of the problems faced by the beginner, and encouragement is freely given. A novice is as welcome on the shooting peg as an expert. You need not know tournament rules or procedure to participate. It is common practice to assign an archer, who is attending his first shoot, to a group who are familiar with the rules from participation in previous tournaments. The novice will be coached by his shoot ing companions, commended for his efforts, and never ridiculed for his lack of ability. To the contrary, the novice will, in the course of the first tournament, receive many tips on how to improve his technique and consequently his score, if he inti mates that he would welcome advice and suggestions.

If you still feel that the effort required to enter your first tournament is too much for you, I suggest that you do as I did: leave your equipment at home and attend a shoot in the role of a spectator. Solely from the standpoint of the spectator, I believe a target tournament would permit you to watch more archers in action than a field shoot. However, I now realize that had I taken my tackle to a tournament, I would have been shoot ing the second round. As a spectator, you should be guided by a few simple rules. Stay behind the shooting line at all times. Remember that the benches and chairs on the shooting line are for the participants. They are not intended as seats for spectators. Avoid loud conversation, or other actions that would distract the attention of the shooters. Archery Equipment - Read More.

The growing popularity of the field roving course can be directly attributed to the similarity between the field course and conditions encountered in the hunting field. The recent influx of bowmen into the hunting field has created a demand for this type of course. Field roving is a game and, like golf, there have been established certain standards which must be followed in the construction of a course to insure comparative scores and uniform classification of archers in accordance with their abilities. The National Field Archery Association has formulated certain basic requirements which must be met when a field course is constructed in order that the completed course will be officially sanctioned by the National Field Archery Association. This approval is given by the Secre tary of the N.F.A.A. or his duly accredited representative. The officials of the local club must submit affidavits to the secretary that all measurements are correct, and where approval of the secretary of the N.F.A.A. is desired, such data as maps and photographs of the completed course must be submitted to the secretary. In practice it is highly desirable that the members of a new club seek the advice of an experienced field roving archer in laying out the course. If possible, the state representa tive of the National Archery Association should be contacted and his advice or services obtained in laying out the course. Proper planning in the selecting of the site and the layout of the course, prior to the actual construction, will do much to insure the future success of the club.

The basic principles which should be followed in planning and constructing a field roving course are readily understood. With a working knowledge of these basic rules a course can be built which will be a pleasure to shoot and a challenge to your ability as an archer.

A standard field roving course consists of two units of 14 targets each. Twenty-eight targets permit shooting the official round without repeating on any target. If space or other limita tions prevent the construction of both units, a single unit of 14 targets can be used and shooting twice around the unit constitutes a round. Archery Equipment - Read More.

The formation of an archery club stems from a natural desire for the companionship of others who enjoy the sport of archery. The associations and friendships formed, the opportunities for exchanging ideas on shooting technique and tackle, sharing the expense of property used in common, are a few of the benefits derived from membership in an archery club.

A successful club may grow from a very small beginning, if the original group plans a sound long range policy and is careful not to assume a heavy financial burden. Keep in mind that the sole objective is to provide the opportunity for group participation in your favorite sport, and at a price which the members can afford.

Talk with several of the archers living in your community, and interest them in the club idea. Very few clubs can afford the luxury of a private range; and you should survey your own community for possible range sites which belong to existing organizations and can be adapted to your needs while still serving their original purpose. Such a site may be available at your local rod and gun club. Hunting with the bow is rapidly gaining favor, and you may find the club receptive to your proposition.

The municipal park authorities, the local Y. M. C. A., and the local school district should also be interviewed. Some of them may already have an archery program which could be expanded to fit your needs, or they may be prevailed upon to provide range facilities on ground which they already maintain for recreational purposes. One of the real chores which faces members of an archery club is maintaining the range. Par ticularly burdensome is the endless job of keeping the turf clipped. You will be relieved from many hours of labor, if you can gain access to ground which is maintained for park or recreational purposes. Archery Equipment - Read More.