It's been a while since I have shot at the Company of 60 and on that occasion I broke a fair few arrows. Having just arrived back from a trip to San Francisco (on Saturday) I was expecting to be some what Jet Lagged to say the least so we arranged for James to drive. I was working on the theory that if the Jet Lag was a problem their was plenty of wood around to stop my arrows. Although the weather the previous week had been slightly damp Sunday was expected to be a fine day and hence it was on with the t-shirts and off we went. On arriving it was time for a quick Bacon and Sausage butty and a quick chat with Carol whilst she was making them. For a change the shoot was not fully booked and their was plenty of spaces which was quite handy because our booking had been wrongly assigned to the previous shoot. Not a problem we booked in and Ruth, James, John and me were shooting together with the rest of the, attending, Westcott crew on the target behind ready to find our lost arrows not that their would be any as it turned out.
Having set my phone app running to record the route (Google Earth File) it was off to our starting target (12) to await the air horn that indicated the start of the shoot. John was dressed in the rather bright (field shooting) tie-dye t-shirt I had brought him back. Their was no way he anyone was going to miss hi with that shirt on.
Following the quiet blast of the air horn it was time to shoot the first target of the day, a Paper face Boar through the trees. It was not going to be the best start to the day with a 4 but at least it got me off the ground, which was better than Ruth who was having stretched string issues, with a score and then we moved onto a small Beaver across some open ground. With the Westcott group behind catching us up (the party on the Beaver had not heard the horn) we had a few comments about Beavers before we were off to the next target a long large Elephant. With the Elephant being slightly further away than anticipated a 10 was a good result. With the Elephant disposed of it was time for a paper faced Prong Horn Deer and another first arrow 2 in 4 targets I was impressed maybe the Jet-lag was not going to affect me. This was quickly followed by another paper faced Deer and then onto another 3D a Mountain Lion. First of the 3D cats we were going to shoot today and Ruth as a cat lover was expecting to kill it with the first arrow but alas she was not shooting to well with a dodgy string. Next we moved on to the Yoga Boar a tricky black target through the undergrowth. This was where the bright light of, what was turning out to be, a good day cast some not very nice shadows hiding the boar.
With the boar out of the way we we off to a large 3D Cobra through an interesting V in the trees and my first 20 of the day. Thing were looking good maybe jet-lag was a good thing and would improve my shooting. Our next shot was a rather odd looking small 3D that could have been a Goat but that didn't matter only the fact that another first arrow provided me with a much needed 16. This was quickly followed by a bright Orange Frog and then back to the Tea Tent for an early lunch.
With lunch out of the way it was back into the woods for a nice shot at a Javelina through an alley of trees and then onto one of the most entertaining shots of the day.
The Mini Bear which as you can clearly see can't be seen from the Red peg. The dark shadows completely disguised the Bear and even when John was shooting from the Blue peg it was still extremely difficult to see. But saying all of that this little bear gave me my first 20 of the day. 
What we really needed was for it to dressed in John psychedelic t-shirt and then their would have been no issues for anyone. The bear was followed by a Coyote partially hidden behind the trees and another 16. With the Coyote out of the way it was on to a non too pleasant Pheasant through the trees and a an inverted V formed by a fallen tree. With the pheasant pluck and ready for dinner it was off to a paper faced Mountain Goat the one with large horns that are outside the wound line but a second arrow kill was good enough for me.
Having shot the paper face turkey it was onto a 3D Turkey with no head and a first arrow wound. This was followed by nice shot at a Deer through the the pine trees and another first arrow wound. I was on a bit of a roll here and the next Leopard was to provide yet another 16.
Next was another long shot (~45 yds) at a 3D 2D Rhino walking through the remnants of a Christmas Tree and was probably one of my best shots providing a first arrow kill.
This was one of those, rare, occasions where the longbow archer out classed the FreeStyle archers.
Having killed the Rhino it was time for a Crocodile and an Ricochet of the ground to provide a first arrow wound. A walking Bear through the Pine trees was another nice shot that provided a 16 and this was quickly followed by Bob"the" Cat between a couple of tree trunks and another first arrow.
At this time James was beginning to think I was having a good run of first arrows and little did I know was about to Jinx me. The next target was a long Standing Bear that should have been an easy shot, especially from the blue peg, but for me marked the end of an excellent run of first arrows with my first blank of the day. Well what happened I'd been chasing James score all morning and now I'd slipped; definitely Jinxed. Oh well their was always the next target a Fish out of water and I could not believe it another blank. James had certainly done it.
Their was no point in Carping on and the next Green Frog provided the ideal target to return to my previous first arrow wound run. With only two more targets before the next tea break we were about to shoot an Owl. The wise owl just dodged my first arrow but was soon killed with the second.
The last target in this section was another Javelina through a gap in the trees and a 16. Time for a coffee and Bacon Butty for John while we waited for the group in front to finish and move on. We gave them five minutes after they left only to find that we had been jumped and were now in a queue for target 1.
Oh well not really a problem it was a relaxed day and target 1 was a nice shot at a Small Bear climbing on a tree stump. Our next target was the Rump of a Zebra so the standard Westcott Bot Shot was not going to be a problem with the well drawn life like image of a bar-coded donkey.
This was quickly followed by a small Otter on a rock where the rock was easier to hit than the otter but a second arrow wound was better than a miss and then back to the Turkey shooting.
The next target was a real stinker being a small Skunk through a narrow avenue in the trees but I manage a first arrow and then we were off to a well shot small crouching Rabbit and another first arrow kill. What is it with the small target I could kill them but give me a big one and well lets say no more.
With the rabbit toast we were off to a well positioned Red Deer face shooting through various angled tree trunks. This was followed by a large Stag paper face and then a Brown Wolf paper face that I managed for some reason to miss completely and a 3rd blank of the day. Having decided that I was not going to have any more blanks it was time for our penultimate target another Javelina and another first arrow wound and that lead on to the final target a Walking Bear and a first arrow wound to finish the day.
Not a bad day really and exceptionally well laid course that provided some entertaining a fun shots no broken or lost arrows and a pretty good score.
In addition it was a good day for Westcott with four medals John with a Gold, Ruth a Gold, James a Bronze and another one (whoops forgot who) and then it was the longbows. With a score that was only 4 of a bronze and 40 off a gold just think what would have happened if I had not missed any of the target. Oh well their is always next time down at Jims Jungle Jaunt.
|  |
No comments:
Post a Comment