With so many bowhunters...

[swampbuck]

...I wonder about where the sport of archery is today.The archer's past and present are mostly bowhunters with a few target archer's mixed in and clubs used to be plentiful.

I belong to an archery club that at one time was a well established club with lots of members and our own bank account and while we still have funds raised by archer's past we are now down to a whopping 3 members.The field course went south yrs ago along with many of the other club's field rounds and even 3D has been taking a dive with clubs around folding left and right.

With so many bowhunters out there why is the sport of archery dieing or at least seem to be dieing around here?

It's very discouraging to us having dwindled down to 3 members and that does include myself.

[Biff]

I've belonged to varies archery clubs for over 53 yrs, and in 1957 our large Field archery club folded because property became to valuable. The owner sold the land (180 acres), and we could not rent anything else. It happend to many times again. Then, since there's a lot of work to putting out targets, etc. only a few do all the work, soon the inevitable happens, and no more club. The one I belong to now, works to keep youngsters shooting, and I think it will last for a while. They use a state park property, and put out targets once a month.

[alpo]

I have no answer, as I have never joined the club.
I can tell you I have been invited to several times, by several different members at a variety of different clubs. All of which talk about the low numbers & the trouble attracting & keeping new members, so it's not just a local problem.

 on another site where they were discussing this, one founder of a brand new club stated that you must target the kids & keep your focus on keeping them excited about the sport. They will bring their parents, who may just participate also, and they will bring their friends too. the next generation of archers has to come from the next generation, but the crop must be tended if you want a high yield.

[AnointedArcher]

Also if you notice archery seems to go in cycles, it will peak for several years then fade away for a while.  I would like to see if it correlates with economy or just a natural cycle.

However I totally agree with Biff, it's not important to keep kids involved in archery, it's VITAL to our exsistance.  The values you teach our youth will directly effect the furture of this awesome sport.

Being president of our local archery club for the past 6 years I have been pretty depressed  about peoples involvement in the club.  I remember a couple years ago we where down to about 5 or 6 members left and we had a big shoot planned and just a handful of people came to help and I was pouting and winning about the dedication of people when my darling wife had about all she could take.

She came over and put her hand on my shoulder and looked me right straight in the eye and said to me, "Jeff you need to remmeber this is a PASSION for you, for most others it's just a hobby" so if it becomes work quit but if it still is a passion shut up and go to work.

Ever since that those words of wisdom I try and seek out those people that archery is a passion not a hobby and I learned to accept the numbers good or bad but always strived to do what ever I could do to promote the sport I have become so passionate about!

[geno]

smart women Jeff    I talked to a guy last night about starting a local club around here.The 4h also has a club and like has been said if you can keep the kids interested the parents will joinn too.

[last arrow]

In about 1985, Ron Chaimberlan, who founded the Blackhawk Bowhunters in Leslie Michigan predicted the death of most clubs to me.  His prediction was based on his observation of what happened when people switched to compound bows and when clubs switched from carboard silloettes targets to 3D targets.  This was his reasoning.

The compound shooter did not focus on the fun of shooting but on scores.   The clubs started making the shots longer and more difficult so their expensive targets would last longer. This lead to only the very accomplished shooters feeling successful at the end of the shoot while the merely proficent shooters felt they were ineffective with thier bow. The final result is less enjoyment at the weekend shoot and, therefore, less reason to attend.  This leads to failing clubs.  

I think he was right.  At the time he made his prediction, the Blackhawks would draw between 200 and 300 shooters to a Sunday shoot.  As they no longer advertise in the MBH news, I am not sure they still exist.  The club nearest my home, the Holland Archers, folded about 10 years ago.

[Jack Skinner]

I have also been a member of multiple clubs while moving about during my military career. It was the same for all of them 5% of the members doing 100% of the work. Here in Cheyenne we have the best facility it has ever been my priviledge to belong and help build. But we still have the same issues 5% doing all the work. And now a ugly compound vs Trad type atmosphere has reared its ugly head. It has been said here that Trad members are not the ones that bring in the money. It has become like a business if it doesnt make enough money the board wont OK say a Trad only shoot. It has caused a lot of Trad shooters who where a lot of that 5% to stay home. Its a shame and hopefully things will improve in the future. I keep paying my dues and show up as much as possible but fewer and fewer of my Trad kin showing up it certinlly is not the same. Hang in there I am tring my self.

AnointedArcher I will have to remember your wifes statement she is a smart one.

[Orion]

Membership in our club seems to be holding fairly steady.  We have a club rule that each members must work 10 hours along with paying membership dues.  If they don't, they are charged $10 per hour not worked at the end of the year.  Suppose that could result in folks dropping out, but mostly, they decide to work.

[jonesy]

Some fathers are just to lazy to teach a kid the way of the bow and nature, why should they when the can just plug in the playstation, sit there kids in front of the tv and forget about it and the youth are the next generation of our sport.Also with the invention of three d targets that you can buy any where and with the equiptment as accurate as a rifle they dont need to practice as much as they did in the days of old. I think most folks opt to stay home rather than go somwhere and shoot, hunters have always been loners one way or another, but going to a club and just b.s.in. with other shooters will make everyone a better shooter and a better person.Jonesy

[swampbuck]

"AnointedArcher I will have to remember your wifes statement she is a smart one."

Ditto on that!! Thanks for the imput

[Izzy]

Fortunately my club is doing very well.It is not an archery only but bows are a big part of it.The membership keeps increasing and the trad shooters shoot right along with the wheel shooters with nothing more than friendly b*** breaking.Maybe the secret is not to caugt up in what the members are shooting but more with the pride in the property and the comraderie that comes with it.Like Orions club, you can work off a portion of you dues and if you dont work enough you have no right to vote.We are all respectful toward each other and the kids are a big part of the club.We just had a kids fishing contest and it was a good feeling seeing the future finding out what it all about.

[Benha]

Some of them don't want new members and don't want to grow. Trust me.

[Deadbolt]

Jack and Jonesy Pretty muc sumed up what I would say.  The newer weapons A) just dont take as much practice so they dotn need to shoot every weekend B) there is no need to drive somewhere when these people can go take 10 shots once a month in their backyard and be satisfied they are shooting OK.

I personally LOVE shooting 3D every sunday with the guys and since I got into trad I just shoot all darn day every day...hell I even shoot at work.

[Dryrot]

Along with a number of plausible causes I submit that we are also inundated with taking the kids to soccerswimclasskaratecubgirlboyscoutmeetings and a host of other things that tend to keep us ever increasingly busy in our day to day ant-like existance  :p

[Eric Krewson]

I have run several clubs and have found that the key to a clubs success is a strong, honest, dedicated leader. Very few people will take the reins and do what needs to be done to keep a club going. All the clubs I ran folded within a couple of years of my departure from lack of leadership.

I called the shots on the Muscle Shoals archery club for about 15 years. The previous officers stole the proceeds from tournaments, disappeared leaving $1200 in debt and completely shot up targets. I took over the finances, and with the help of a couple other dedicated guys brought the club back to its former success level, out of debt and with a complete set of new Mckinzie targets.

As the years passed my help dwindled somewhat. The last straw for me was after working a double shift, getting home at 7:00am and having to be back at work at 2:00pm and realizing the trophies for the next tournament needed to be picked up by noon that day.  It was a 20 mile drive for me and would seriously cut into my much needed sleep. I called a member who lived across the street from the trophy shop and asked him to pick up the trophies. His response was "I don’t think I will have time". He lived across the street, 5 minutes tops for this errand.

I slept 2 hrs, drove over to the trophy shop and got the trophies, ended up going back to work after 2 hrs sleep in the last 36 hrs. All the way to the trophy shop I thought of how many times I had heard "I don't think I will have time" from members when I asked them to do the smallest things for the club.

The next day I gathered all the club records and turned them over to a couple of members who still wanted to hold club tournaments and walked away. No more clubs for me.

[Kip]

In most clubs and other orginizations 10% do 90% of the work.Kip

[Brian Krebs]

the club in Salmon had a shoot starting at 8 am in the morning. 8 am? My eyes don't wake up that early  :(  
 I think people are buying 3d targets and shooting at home; and there is the cost of a shoot.
 I did a lot of shooting at cardboard sillouettes with broadheads!! With sand behind the target to stop the arrow. The arrows pass through the target; and the kill zones are penciled on; and then taped on the back after each group shot. That kept it cheap; and fun.
 Yes; if there was someone else shooting a 2 blade head; or 4 blade; then we put lipstick on the blade; and the color of the cut on the cardboard told us who hit where. Yes we took a lot of guff for being the 'lipstick league'. But we used old cardboard; hung it on a wire; and the cost of a shoot was way down from now.
 No; we didn't win big money- we had FUN.
I think now there are guys that are so into winning the cash that they lose sight of the fun part; and take away the chances of someone winning other than the select few.
  It doesn't take a lot of time to set up a course with sillouettes. Its cheap; and still fun.
  We used to take one quart milk cartons stuffed with paper etc; (plastic milk  bottles would work too); and made  ( god forbid) a huge crossbow type mechanism- out of used lumber and bungee cords or surgical tubing; and shot those suckers up in the air. With an open field to easily find the arrows; and flu-flus premade for everyones use ( poc) you could have FUN shooting; and you only paid if you hit the dang things. So you paid for the cheers you got; and kids loved it!!
  So did us big kids    
Fun might be the missing element  

[Shawn Leonard]

Plain and simple, we as a society have gotten lazy. Kids are the future of any worth while endeavor and todays kids(not all) but most just do not want to work hard to acheive a goal they want it handed to them. If ya look at all the posts, they say about time and committment, most older 40 and over still have that instilled in them and tyhey try and keep things going but without and influx of new blood things die out. Shawn

[Bonebuster]

Too true Shawn. There are alot of good points brought up here. As Jonesy and Shawn said, laziness is the biggest culprit. Too many people bring their bows from the basement two weeks from the start of "bow season" and practice a few times to "get ready" to hunt.

Kids don`t see the dedication and effort if they are not shown.

The clubs are where everyone learned a little something more from someone else. New ideas, shooting tips ect.  Some changes are not for the better.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I too have a "passion" for archery, or as my wife states sometimes "an obsession". i shared my love of the sport by getting my daughter shooting at 4 years old. at 20 years of age now, she still loves the sport. staring her 3rd year in college this fall she's become the president of the colleges archery club, and has mentioned the same repressed attitude of members and the lack of them. her comments were much like Jonsey's too in that the techno kids of today are not as attracted to a physical sport like archery....although a few have them have been lured into it with time..... we have to face the facts that not everone out there has good hand eye coordination....the developement of compound bows with sights made that fact easier to overcome and brought many archers to 3D shoots for years....now it seems its all getting carried away with to much compitition and less fun......i've seen 3D shoot attendace in general taper way off in Oregon over the last 5 years..i was one of them.....but i have hope as the traditional archery starts making a come back here, that there will be more in the futue.

you have to SHARE your passion with others to promote and incourge more activity...keep it fun for kids, and spend time with them, and it will never die....