group etiquette at shoots

[galadriel]

Will someone please tell me what the ettiquette is for moving through an outdoor 3D course?

Yesterday I accompanied 2 friends on a very busy 3D outdoor archery course. It was the first outdoor 3D shoot of the year, the weather was perfect and there were a lot of people  moving through.  

 When at shoots that have a lot of traffic I believe it's important to keep our pace going steadily so as not to cause other groups in front or behind any lost time or pleasure due to waiting or feeling rushed. Here is my predicament. I brought 3 arrows with me which forces me to make more careful shots.  My comrads had about a dozen arrows each.  Both of them have the habit of carelessly slinging arrows at the target which they end up losing- and then searching for, for 10 minutes. Additionally my buddy would then suggest we let the next group of shooters pass us so he could continue on looking for both of their arrows.  This happened at 4 stations in a row, and there were several stations up ahead before the end of the first half of the loop.  Sensing my irritation growing markedly each time my friend would say "let's wait up and look for Rons arrow"  I reached my patience limit and said I had to leave and find the bathroom.. this provided me escape but didn't solve the problem..  What would you have done?

[Pat B]

Shoot with folks with a similar shooting attitude as yourself.
 We always have fun shooting and allow anyone behind us to move ahead if we are holding them up.

[ron w]

What Pat B said.......some of it is just common sense.

[McDave]

We generally have an unspoken rule that we look for lost arrows at a tournament no more than 4-5 minutes per target.  Another unspoken rule is that the guy who lost the arrow should be the one to speak up and say, "Let's move on, folks, I'll come back and look for it after the tournament," or some such.  So far, everyone seems to be doing that, because I don't remember being held up for lost arrows for very long.  If you still have to wait at the next target after you looked for lost arrows, then obviously you weren't holding anyone up by looking.

There always seems to be a bottleneck somewhere during a tournament, where 3-4 groups are backed up.  This seems to be a bigger problem at mixed compound and trad tournaments than trad only tournaments.  It seems to be a rule at tournaments where compounders shoot that only one person can shoot at a time, and after every shot each person in the group has to look at the target with their binoculars and give some sort of commentary on the shot.

OTOH, I think if we trad shooters would take a little more time between shots, more of our arrows would go in the target and we would spend less time looking for lost arrows.

[Blackhawk]

In groups I shoot with, 4-5 minutes looking for arrows is way too generous.  If you can't find an arrow in one to two minutes, move on...especially if another group is waiting.

The situation Dave mentions with compounders will never change, so I avoid 3-D events where those guys are allowed.  I've found them just as nice as trad folks, and a lot more patient.

...and galadriel, see if your friend that can't hit anything will move up to the kiddy stake...or spend more time practicing at home.    

[highlow]

Looking for arrows is part of a 3-D shoot. No getting away from it. I go to a shoot knowing I will most likely be missing a target or two, or three, and with that in mind am resolved to losing a couple. A three or four minute "look for" isn't unreasonable, in MO, but if the arrow isn't found, move on to the next target. Only exception being if the next shooting stake is in view and it's obvious there's already a backup, then more time could be allocated. It's unreasonable to think there won't be some bottle-necks at some point on the range if there are a lot of shooters. Not everyone approaches these shoots with the same mind-set of course. I'm not saying this is the best approach. Yours might be different and probably is.

[reddogge]

First bring more arrows so you won't have to worry about running out in the middle of the round.

Second, 5 minutes looking is enough. Move on and come back later to search for the lost arrow.

Third, it really helps of everyone in the group helps search and   owns an arrow scratcher to look under leaves. Too many lazy shooters stand and lean on their bows while the others look for the arrow.

Arrow scratcher below.
   

[Pat B]

Most of the shoots I've bee to have a lost arrow bucket. If you can't find your arrow it will probably show up there. If you find someone else's lost arrow, bring it to the lost arrow bucket.
You can always go back later after the shooters are done and look some more but at some point I consider lost arrows as a gift back to mother nature!

[Bud B.]

If it is a tournament, then one arrow should be shot per target. That should not be a hardline rule, but if everyone takes a second or third shot, then where would it end? Look for an arrow up until the next group arrives at the target, then move on. Come back if necessary.

Fun shoots are a whole different thing.

[M60gunner]

Yes, 3-5 minute rule for looking. I do not blame you for bailing on the other shooters. I would have said something after the second "arrow fling".
I used to think wheel bows held up shoots to much. What is embarrassing is shooting through a wheel group only to have them waiting while you look for arrows.
Arrow scratchers are easy to make from an old alum shaft, a bent nail, and epoxy glue. I added a cork grip from a fly rod on mine.

[Eric Krewson]

My pet peeve at tournaments is huge groups. A group of 8 could easily break up into two groups of 4 but they never do in spite of how much they slow everyone down.

I shot behind one group of 12 one time.

I did shoot behind a group of 7 or 8 one time that shot well and moved as fast as any small group on the course.

[longbow fanatic 1]

If our group is shooting from the stake when an arrow is lost, and we have a group waiting behind us, we step aside and let the other group shoot through. Once they leave, we look for the arrow(s). If we can't find in the arrow within several minutes, or once the next group arrives, we leave and come back later to search for the arrow.

If we're searching for an arrow while a group arrives at the stake, we either move on (and come back later) or we walk back to the stake and have the waiting group shoot through before we resume our search.

Like all of us, I want to enjoy the shoot. As long as I'm not holding people up, I don't mind helping shooters in the group look for their arrows. As was said by another, if you're irritation was that the other archers in your group were missing targets, I would suggest shooting with archers equal to your ability.

[macbow]

In Eric's situation, We will usually shoot through and skip the target with the large group.
I don't worry about scores much so itt dosent matter.

[McDave]

Originally posted by Bud B.:
If it is a tournament, then one arrow should be shot per target. That should not be a hardline rule, but if everyone takes a second or third shot, then where would it end? Look for an arrow up until the next group arrives at the target, then move on. Come back if necessary.

Fun shoots are a whole different thing.

Bud, in the West, it is common for tournaments to be 2 or 3 arrows per target, depending on the tournament.  I understand that on the East coast, 1 arrow per target is more common.

[pdk25]

Never polite to have other people have to wait for you btonfind your arrow.  That is just inconsiderate.  Bring enough arrows to finish the course, and look afterwards as lonh as others are waiting.  Those 5 belong to someone else.

[WESTBROOK]

5 minutes TOPS looking for arrows

Dont shoot arrows you cant afford to loose.

[galadriel]

thanks..  this also happened to be a mixed shoot of compound and trad archers.  I don't score my shots- it's not my thing to do. I have an arrow finder- somewhere.. didn't have it w me yesterday.  The course is on high ground consisting of dead prairie,sage grass and pines- and with the dead leaves added to the mix it's almost impossible to find arrows. I don't care if they're glow in the dark bright chartreuse- ya 'ain't gonna find them when they're buried under all that dry winter duff-lol.  

For some reason I lost patience yesterday.. and the fun of shooting was sapped at the suggestion to spend extra time (a couple times 15min) at several stations..

I have no qualms of helping someone look for an arrow- but I did suggest (as it was VERY busy) they take closer ranged shots and save the 45 yd shots for another time..
bottle necks I understand happen..
next time I'm w them I'll check my patience-o- meter before agreeing to go through a busy course with them.. other shoots with them have been fun- just not yesterday..

[TOEJAMMER]

In our club, the rule is a max of 4-5 at tops.

[hawkeye n pa]

I appreciate a little bit of patience while our group may look for a arrow.  At the same time if it's not found in a couple of minutes it's either time to step aside or consider it lost.  Quite often I have some grandsons, nephews with me or their friends and not looking for a arrow a few minutes makes it to expensive for me to bring them.  Not the best case scenario for making future bowhunters.

[DanielB89]

our local clubs don't let you look until after the tourney.  


At larger shoots, we just search, however long it may be, but we don't miss very often.  One thing I always try to do is avoid shoots with compound guys.  No offense intended to them, but the ones around here probably aver 2-3 minutes per shooter.    

I have never shot quite a few tourneys and have never felt like we were hindering the people behind us, or at least that I can remember.  Missing is part of it, and so is being courteous and considerate of others.