I've just returned from the 30th annual North American Longbow Safari, 2012, held this year near Stanley, Idaho. This is a very cool event, and right up Ranger Alley. It is an unmarked yardage 3D animal target shoot that simulates typical hunting shots. The whole thing has been put together to commemorate Howard Hill, his promotion of longbow archery to a more modern audience, and his adventures hunting game in both North America and Africa (if you don't know who Howard Hill is, you REALLY need to go find out!). The location of the shoot alternates each year between US and Canada. Next year's is rumored to be in Vancouver. Follow this link to view the NALS homepage and check in on when and where next year's will take place:
http://www.rockymountainlongbow.ca/nals/index.htm
This year was my third time attending a NALS shoot. I went to the one in Vancouver in 2005, and Brownsville, OR in 2006. The ones between were just too far away for me to attend, or I didn't have the cash/travel time available. Every year I've gone, I've gone in period garb, and been the only one to do so! This year, I finally had my ranger garb together to my satisfaction, so it was extra fun. I had tons of people admiring my gear and asking me questions, and a few who wanted their picture with me
I'd love to have a few fellow rangers there next year and get something started!
- Me @ full draw -- an unfortunately rare occurrence, as I tend to snap-shoot!
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The rules for the shoot are totally Ranger: Longbows only, wood shafts with natural feather fletching, and 2-blade broadheads required of all shooters. No exceptions! For the "Bow Birds" portion, shooters must have wood shaft, nat. feather flu flus with field points. On the walking range, participants shoot one arrow at each target from the vicinity of a corresponding stake (no yardage marked). 5 pts for a kill zone shot, 1 pt for anything else on the beastie, and 0, of course, for a miss. There is no official competition, but score cards are provided if you and a buddy want to keep score. My dad and I competed with each other, making it 3 pts for a kill, and added the extra challenge that you had to actually touch the stake with some body part while shooting.
- For some targets it was necessary to kneel, twist, lean, crouch, etc.
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- That would be a dead pig. I think we all got "kills" on that one.
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The shoot was two days, shooting 30 targets each day, with yardages between 10 and 50 yards. Day 1, we shot the 30 targets of the Africa side, everything from kudu, black buck, impala, hyenas, and leopards to
Velociraptor antirrhopus (aka
Deinonychus) and a young
Parasourolophus cyrtocristatus (which are actually North American dinosaurs, but if they survived anywhere today it'd probably be the Congo, so we won't hold it against them. Yeah, I'm a dinosaur nerd). We also shot "Bow Birds," which consists of a guy throwing heavy cardboard discs up (from safely behind a shield) that we had to try and shoot out of the air with flu flus, and a "Running Deer" target that was on rails this year instead of the usual pulley and line. Day 2 we finished up by shooting the 30 North American targets -- everything from cougars and grizzlies to elk, mountain goat, sheep, deer, a bison, and even beavers and raccoons. Most shots were challenging in some way, mostly via the kill being obscured by brush, or the shooter being obscured by brush and having to keep his bow limbs from hitting anything. For the bison, we actually had to sit astride a barrel that was suspended by ropes between two trees while our fellow shooters jiggled the ropes -- to simulate a shot while riding horseback! Very cool all in all! All targets were life-size, with the exception of the Parasaurolophus, but I just gave it the excuse that it was a baby
There was also a 100-and-some-odd yard "clout shoot" and other novelty shoots.
Fees this year were: $45 basic entry (shooter) fee; $15 for camping on-site; $20 if you wanted dinner for Saturday night; and $20 if you wanted a T-shirt. The fees are well worth it. You get super nifty goodies for your $45. This year's big party favor was a 10" commemorative cast iron dutch oven! A great thing to cook in for that Ranger Gathering cook-out. In past shoots, they've given out nice soft bow cases, knives, and thermoses, among other things. There are also vendors at the shoot, selling anything you could possibly want archery-wise for your ranger kit. And if you plan ahead and arrive early, they even have self arrow- self bow-making classes wherein you turn out your own bow or set of arrows by the end. Totally awesome! If nothing else, you can make great contacts within the longbow and "primitive archer" community. Maybe I'll see some of you there next year!!
