Fleet Ibex Shoot Report 19th May 2013

With the 3D Nationals looming it was time for the Fleet Ibex pre-3Ds shoot and what initially looked like a wet shoot but as it turned out was quite a glorious day. So with only a few layers of clothes, a bit different from the Easter shoot, it was off to registration and then a quick chat with some of my fellow archers before setting off to our starting target.

Today we would be starting on target 9 and shooting with Stevan and Alan new friends who I've never shot with before so this was going to be a good day. On arrival at our designated target it was to find that the first shot of the day was multi target shot at a couple of Deer that I completely blanked. Well from this pointed the only way is up.

The main aim of today was that last minute practice before the nationals and to come home with all my arrows which I completely failed at so this week will be a quick arrow making week before the long weekend. So having blanked the first the next deer was the start of my slow climb to scoring with a 3rd and a 4 but at least it was an improvement. 

With the Deer out of the way it was off to 3 Badgers and a case of designating which one we were going to shoot. If we go it wrong and hit one of the others then there was a 10 point penalty and at this point in the scoring that would have given me a negative score. So with that in mind it was time to start shooting and a first arrow was the reward. A standing bear provided me with another 16 and then it was off for a quick shot at a python before heading past the tea hut to target 14.

Now although target 14 was a shot at a nice mini bear it was also close to the tea hut and a number of marshals quite engrossed in there own conversation until that is I took my first shot. Now for all those out there that have shot at Fleet you know they put metal number plate near the target so you know where you are shooting. Well with an extremely load clang I quite dramatically missed the bear and hit the number 14. This instantly made the marshals jump and focused the attention of everyone around me on my shooting.

So with some jovial comments and an audience it was time for a second shot but unfortunately not another 14 but only a 10 before retrieving my arrow and replacing the pierced metal number. But what I can say is that the arrow was unharmed. 35" of 23/64 Ash packs a fair punch.

And so still laughing it was off to next target and up through the top part of the woods. With some rather entertaining long shots both up and down the side of the hill. As usual the course layers had used the ground well and hidden parts of the animals behind the trees or the undergrowth and what looked like an easy shot was often compromised by an overhanging branch or piece of bush.

So with the long shots out of the way, for a while, it was back to another multi-target deer herd, well 4, where we needed to shot the buck and any of the others would incur another 10 point penalty. So with this in mind it was time for a nose shot and another 16 point although some in the group were not quite as luck and it was the first time I had ever written a negative score on a sheet.

Continuing through the woods and along the edge of the main path it was time to head back towards the tea hut taking some more entertaining shots along the way before being met on the path and asked if mine was the car with the alarm going off. Hmm we had been hearing the horn for quite a while but I assume it was just complaining about the warm weather.

After a nice double cheese burger the first shot of the afternoon was a single arrow at a skunks bum before a longer shot at a larger stag and a number of overhanging branches that appeared to be making people drop short.

Following on from the stag and a 16 it was off down the bottom part of the woods past the car park and another deer before a red headed turkey and then a boar. Now the boars are usually quite large targets but not when the course layers have placed most of it behind some trees but the bit you could see and hit would almost guarantee a kill.

And so I was happy with a 24 on this target before moving on to a very interesting shot at a deer in the valley section.

This deer was particularly interesting because from the red peg you could only just see it through a small gap in the bracken and then only it's head and part of the body so at least we knew what we were shooting.

Have skewered the deer it was off for another of the multi-shots at a fox and a couple of rabbits with a single arrow at each and then on through the woods in a small loop before heading back to the tea hut for another quick break. Having just finished my tea and getting ready to head off I was handed one of the two arrows I lost earlier in the day given that they are 35" long I'm hard to miss with a quiver full of them. So it was off to the last 8 targets and a ricochet and consequential explosion on targets 1 was not a good start but the last 8 targets included the shot from the tree stand and a particularly nice coyote through the undergrowth that netted me another 24.

Finally it was a fun shot at a bear and then the final shot of the day was the 2D Rhino and as luck would have it a miss and a lost arrow.

As usual the Fleet guys put on an excellent course and I'm looking forward to going back in August.

Not me for a change