Archery Recurve Bow

Start A Kid In Archery

If you have kids or know kids that want to get started in archery, the worst thing you can do is have children try to shoot bows that don't fit. If they try to shoot a bow that doesn't fit, they won't have any fun, because they won't be able to get good at it. Here's the right way to get them started.

(Courtesy of Lisa Price, sportsmansguide.com)

When I was in third grade, my family moved to a house on a dead-end road. At the end of the road the woods began. It was a place where my brother and I built tree forts. It also was a place where I could find the young trees -- I know now they were ash trees -- for making bows. I just used regular white string, and worked it into a notch I'd cut into either end of the stick. I made the arrows, too, just plain sticks with a pointy end. That's how I got started in archery.

If you have kids or know kids that want to get started in archery, the worst thing you can do is have children try to shoot bows that don't fit them. It's like sending them onto a soccer field with shoes that are too big. If they try to shoot a bow that doesn't fit, they won't have any fun because they won't be able to get good at it. Your best bet is to go to an archery shop, where the owner will make sure your child gets the right bow.

Sisters Erica and Jessica Nelson said they like shooting their bows with their dad and mom, plus, they can practice on the targets right in back of their house. Their dad, Kevin, runs the Archer's Choice shop near Skowhegan, Maine.

"It's just really fun, it's hard to say why, but once you do it you'll see, " Erica Nelson advised others. "It's fun to try to get good at it, and just fun to hear the arrows hit the targets."

Get Them Properly Fitted
On the first trip to an archery shop, there are two important measurements that a shop owner will make. One is called draw length, roughly the distance from one hand to the other when the bowstring is pulled all the way back (that's called being at full draw). Most shops have a bow made just for measuring draw length, affixed with an arrow, which has inch markings on it. Once you know that number, you can shop for bows -- the draw length is marked on them on a label near the handgrip.

The other measurement is draw weight, which is how many pounds you're pulling against when you pull the bowstring all the way back. It's better to start out with a low draw weight, which allows lots of practice shots without tiring. Plus, if it's a struggle to pull the bow back, your shooting form won't be good. You can change the draw weight gradually as those muscles get stronger. You can start them off with a recurve bow, which is a curved bow with the bowstring attached by a loop to each end. Or, you can begin with a compound bow, with a bowstring that goes around wheels at either end. One big advantage to the compound bow is called let-off. Because of bow mechanics, the draw weight drops off at full draw. That means it gets easy to hold the bowstring back and take time to aim.

There is a certain size arrow to match each draw length and draw weight. It's a tricky formula, but luckily it's already on a chart and on computer programs. Arrows are measured by their length and also by the distance around -- on both their outside and inside (they're hollow). That's called the arrow's spine strength. If the arrow doesn't match the measurements, it won't fly right. Arrows are made out of either carbon or aluminum, both hollow, and sometimes solid wood for the recurve bows.

The bowstring can be held with fingers, and the use of a finger tab. There also are special gloves to wear that keep the string from digging in. Many archers also use something called a release aid, worn around the wrist or hand. Most often there will be some kind of "jaws" on the release (there also are rope releases) that grab onto the bowstring. Usually there is a trigger that you touch thatopens the jaws, releases the string, and sendsthe arrow on its way.

Use The Proper Target
There are many different kindsof targets. There are foam or stuffed bags, covered with bull's-eyes or animal outlines. There are blocks with layers of material. Some targets look like real animals -- those are called 3-D's meaning three-dimensional. It can be really hard to pull arrows out of 3-D targets, but there are special arrow puller tools that help the process. It's important to pull aluminum arrows out without bending them.

For kids, I like the bag, foam or block styles because it's so easy to pull the arrows out. The most important thing to stress to kids is that shooting a bow and arrows can be just as dangerous as shooting a gun. Targets should have good backstops, even a pile of hay bales, something that will stop the arrow if it misses the target.

Arrows should be carried in a holder of some kind, which will probably be a quiver. Quivers can be attached to the bow or worn at the hip on a belt. Make sure the quiver covers the points of your arrows. Young archers shouldn't go hunting until they're old enough, and also ready to shoot a bow with a draw weight that can harvest an animal.

I believe that as a minimum requirement, an archer should be able to stand 20 yards away from a target, and shoot six arrows in a row into a paper pie plate. Plus, there are many other things to learn before hunting -- shooting from a treestand, shot placement, many safety tips, trailing animals and scent control.

New archers should go along with experienced hunters to learn things such as getting used to going to and leaving the treestand in the dark, using a flashlight, and getting comfortable being up in the tree. And in between those outings, they can fit in many practice sessions at the archery range.

Youngsters will find plenty to do just shooting and even taking part in shooting competitions. Because that's what bow and arrow hunting is anyway, 98 percent practice.