Archery Taking a Backseat

[BWallace10327]

A little bit of a rant.  No archery tag this year.  Too bad, its the first time in 7 years.  I have been deer hunting a rifle tag with my bow on some great private land that I've lived on, but the setter-decedent-former-owners sold out.  I received permission from the new owners, and applied for and a drew the same rifle season tag, only to have the owners change their mind once I drew the rifle tag.  I blame myself for being trusting.  Leftover tag day has come and although I was 4.5 hours early, I was unable to get one of the left over archery deer tags.

 Due to the permission yanking, and among other things, I'll be moving away for this property and will be losing my backyard shooting range.  I'll be moving to a place were shooting at home may not be possible and is a good ways farther from the local indoor range.  I'm hoping my desire to shoot my bow is enough to keep me practicing regularly even though I will not be hunting this year, possibly not shooting indoor leagues and having to drive 20+ minutes to national forest just to practice.  As we all know, proficient shooting takes a heap of quality practice.  
   
I've never lived anywhere which did not afford archery in the yard.  How have others adjusted to this kind of change?

[Redux]

I'm lucky enough that I can shoot in my barn or back yard, but I have ablock set up inside my house. Just a couple feet is needed, it's all form work in the house.

[monterey]

Happened to me in the early seventies.  No place at home, little time away from work and the range too far.  I took up the muzzle loader and it became another obsession that still lives.

How about OTC elk?  Also there's a bunch of leftover rifle bear tags that you can hunt on with your bow.

A place to shoot Is essential though.

[TIM B]

I'd rethink about the move

[Mint]

On Long island where I live  you are not allowed to shoot in your yard. My outdoor archery club is a 20 minute ride away and by the time I get home from NYC it is already dark. That leaves Sundays as my time to practice. I've found that once a week is enough for me to keep my accuracy at a decent level.

[BWallace10327]

Montery- I drew a black powder elk tag, which I'm excited for and I don't really have an interest in shooting a bear unless it is causing me a problem.  

Tim- While shooting a traditional bow has bee a big part of my life for a long time, it is not the only thing in the world.  I'm just not interested in dealing with the other issues of the place if I am unable to deer hunt the property.

[Sam McMichael]

Tim B may have a good suggestion. If possible, you may locate to a place that allows shooting in the yard. I hope something works out for you.

[MnFn]

When no one is home I shoot from my family room into garage. I can get 14 yards out of it.

[TIM B]

Where there's a will there's a way.....it is probably more important to you than ya realize since ya posted about it

Like Sam says - I sure hope it works out for you

[kadbow]

OTC archery cow tag.

[M60gunner]

I have not lived where shooting any weapon was allowed in the yard. The clubs I belonged to had ranges no closer than 20 minutes away on a Sunday Morning. Present range is 30 minutes away. Guess I am used to it.

[nek4me]

Last year we lost hunting privileges after 15yrs to a 250 acre inactive dairy farm adjacent to our VT property that was sold after being in the same family since the 1930's. Just a mild bump compared to being totally displaced by an ownership change.

At home I'm set up for a 5yd butt in the garage and about 15 mins from a club and up in VT have 10 acres to utilize plus lots of public and timber lands nearby open for hunting so thankful  when it comes to accessibility.

[Meflyfisherman]

Even a short indoor range will keep your form in check.  In Maine its a must to shoot indoors due to the long seasons.

[longbow fanatic 1]

I shoot about five days a week at my local archery club, which is about a 25-30 minute drive. I used to shoot in my backyard, but the county passed an ordinance disallowing archery within incorporated communities. I just committed to myself that this law was not going to prevent me from practicing. Now, I don't even think about it when I drive to the archery range daily.

[bucknut]

I will not live in a place where I can't shoot my bow in the yard. Hell I shoot all my guns in my yard. Just lucky I guess.
John

[GANGGREEN]

Yeah, me too.  I realize that we all have different realities and we all don't live out in the boonies, but it seems strange to me to live somewhere that you can't shoot a bow in your yard (I shoot flintlock, rifles, whatever, right from my back porch).

[Gdpolk]

That sucks.  I live in an apartment and practice daily indoors.  What others don't know doesn't hurt them.  Just food for thought.

[Jbseitz]

Too many rules today...

[BWallace10327]

I may resort to that.  There are some good suggestions, with the exception of just don't live where you can't shoot.  Try finding a home in La Plata county on acreage that isn't manufactured, thereby financeable, for under $275-300,000.  I know, chump-change.  

I know not being able to shoot in the backyard is not unique to my future situation, but I'm a little apprehensive about my future in archery.  If I don't shoot a lot, I tend to shoot poorly.  If I shoot poorly(by my standards, I don't have fun and if it isn't fun I'll probably not be anxious to do it again.

I suppose I'll find out if shooting away from home exclusively is more fun than inconvenient.  Last year I got into black powder and had a great time.  My backyard range was shut down just prior to the deer hunting permission being pulled.  

No more convenience factor. 45-60 min drive time to the range, be it the private range which I have yet to pay my $100 annual membership to use or the extremely crowded public range.  Needless to say, I've conserved plenty of powder.  This is the direction I fear my archery career may take, like it or not.  Time will tell.

[RJonesRCRV]

I grew up on a heavily wooded farm, surrounded by woods and another farm, and most everyone hunted.  I could sit on the enclosed back porch watching tv and check out back for deer passing by, yell into the house that I was gonna shoot, and let it rip.  I would also target practice from the porch with my rimfires.  And I took that for granted.

Now I live in a townhome, with no open gun range for an hour, and a bow range 15 minutes away at $10 a round.  Now I realize I had it made on the farm.  Ive pretty much given up shooting guns much, and only get to hunt public land with a bow.

So I have to settle for my basement which provides about 15 feet for my bow shooting.  Its good for form and enjoyable in small amounts, just to tide me over until I can shoot outside.  But I just deal with it, and get my time and moneys worth when I go out to shoot.  Just part of life.

Hopefully you can find some compromise here, just to keep yourself into ttad archery.